Conserving Heritage Buildings

Built Heritage Conservation

Wellington Brewing Company

The Council's overarching goal of managing and conserving heritage buildings and items is to, wherever possible, keep the heritage fabric, architectural features and character of buildings and groupings of buildings.

Find out what you need to do if working on a heritage building, what's required for earthquake strengthening and how the Council can help with advice and funding.

Working on a Heritage Building

If you want to add to, alter, or partially demolish a building on the Heritage List or in a Heritage Area listed on the District Plan, you need to get resource consent.

You may also be able to apply to have the heritage resource consent fee reimbursed. Contact the Council to find out more about the resource consent process.

Heritage Buildings in Earthquakes

The Council has identified some Wellington heritage buildings that don't meet the required building standard and are categorised as earthquake prone. These will need seismic strengthening to the same standards as any other building, whether heritage listed or not.

Earthquake-prone Buildings

Earthquake Strengthening Work - Altering Your Building

If you are planning to alter a heritage-listed building to make sure that it complies with building standards and will withstand a moderate earthquake, take the following into account in your planning:

keep the agreed primary architectural and heritage features and heritage fabric of the heritage building wherever possible
make the changes compatible in scale, height, bulk and materials

Heritage houses

How the Council can Help

Heritage Advisers

You can discuss your proposed projects with the Council's heritage advisers free of charge. They can advise on the type of building interventions that may be needed to incorporate earthquake strengthening while also making sure that the heritage fabric of the building is protected.

Our heritage advisers are experienced in working with heritage buildings and can make suggestions on such matters as:

getting an engineer's report

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where to find information that's needed
repairing and replacing architectural features or decorative building elements.

If you seek advice early in the design process - a well planned and thought-out project will often reduce your final costs. Contact the Council to set up an appointment to discuss your project with members of the Heritage and Building Consent teams.

Funding

The Council's Built Heritage Incentive Fund can be used to help on projects that include repairs and maintenance work, engineer reports and conservation plans for heritage buildings. Grants from the fund can contribute to a project, not provide the full cost of any project.

Built Heritage Incentive Fund

More Information

Heritage team

Phone:	(04) 499 4444
Email:	heritage

Overview
Heritage Policies
Heritage List
Non-residential Buildings Database
Conserving Heritage Buildings
Heritage Trails
NZ Historic Places Trust