2012 03 29 VAT on Listed Building Work

Following the budget last week and with particular reference to VAT and Listed Buildings, our tax advisor is telling us that:

The basic position is that all work carried out prior to 1 October will still benefit from zero rating, where applicable. Work carried out thereafter will be liable to VAT at 20%.

There are, however, a couple of variations/conditions:

Any work, for which the contract has been placed, prior to 21^st March 2012, will still be zero rated up until 21 March 2013.

There will be anti-avoidance measures put in place, such that if someone invoices work in September (no VAT), but carries out the work after 1 October, HMRC will be able to charge 20% on that work. This would also apply if someone simply placed a deposit prior to October for work carried out afterwards.

Works unaffected that still qualify for the 5% VAT rate:

-  Empty for 2 years prior to work starting.
-  Converting a property from two dwellings into one, or vice versa. In fact any conversion resulting in a different number of dwellings. Best example was one where a staff flat, which was not needed, all repair/refurb work changed from 20% to 5% VAT.
-  Converting from commercial use to residential use.

We hope that this is of help but if you’d like any other information please feel free to contact us.

2011 03 19 STEM Ambassador Loughborough Grammar

Friday was take your daughter to work day at KGGS and Esme duly did her stint with us.

First duty was to make the tea and then familiarise herself with the filing systems and how we keep our files up to date and properly ordered. A Client's Guide to Enploying an Architect is always a good place to learn what an architect can offer and why it's essential to appoint an architect on any building project, so this was quickly absorbed.

Next was a quick lesson in how to colour client's drawings and then issuing of drawings by email to the printers for print, fold and sort.

The rest of the morning/lunch/early afternoon was spent at Loughborough Grammar Schools as their career's department had organised a insight into a career as an architect.

Our presentation as part of the STEM Ambassador's talk included

Architecture as a cool career
Choice of A levels
Chosing a University carefully
The process of qualifying (7 years)
Where you might work
A day in the life of...
What you might earn
A developing and changing career.

To round off the day we visited our recently completed architectural projects in Zouch (new house) and Bunny (Convent).

2011 03 07 Burton Street Melton Mowbray

Thursday 8 March 2012

An alternative masterplan for Burton Street

Architect John Fowkes' proposal for the Burton Street site

Published on Thursday 8 March 2012 08:00

IN response to Melton Council’s call for comments and ideas here’s my proposed masterplan for the redevelopment of the site between Burton Street and Play Close.

As an architect I took as my starting point an earlier town centre masterplan produced by Taylor Young in 2008. It identified a fantastic opportunity to provide Melton with a new street, which it called St Mary’s Walk, to take pedestrians from the station to the town’s historic quarter. (An alternative area for car parking would obviously need to be found).

I’ve developed this premise and reinforced the avenue idea with trees and landscaping. The walk would provide a backdrop for the new Melton Arts Centre or library and a new outdoor civic space in the Burton Street ‘gap’. There would also be an opportunity for new shops, art galleries and restaurants linked to Market Place via the well established and successful Church Street.

The open space of Play Close would be fronted with new, high quality apartments and houses, taking in the afforded view and the under-used park amenity.

To my mind to simply resurface Melton’s south car park, in the heart of the town’s best Conservation Area, would be an opportunity missed. I hope these plans will generate and inspire a real debate.

The new civic offices have been designed and positioned to afford rail passengers with views of the church when exiting the station. Let’s try to help them get there in a manner they would remember and enjoy.

2012 03 06 Woodhouse Eaves conversion

Confirmation of appointment to commence work in Woodhouse Eaves on the conversion of a workers cottage extension. The house is early 19th Century and has an interesting original Swithland slate roof . It is within the village Conservation Area.

The original out-building will ultimately contain a new kitchen, dining-room, cloakroom and garden-store.
johnfowkesarchitects.co.uk