How to apply for a Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme grant

This guide explains the process you must go through if you want to apply for a Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme grant. This includes grants for:

• traditional building repairs
• shopfronts

Before you complete any forms or get quotes, you should read the guidance on this website. This includes information on:

• what's eligible for a traditional building repair grant
• grant amounts and payment
• what happens after a grant has been agreed

Once you've done this, you should then contact our Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme Project Officer. They can:

• assess your eligibility
• give you more detailed advice on the application process

You can contact our Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme Project Officer by emailing stirlingcars@stirling.gov.uk. They'll reply to your enquiry within 5 working days. If they confirm that you can go ahead, they'll also:

• tell you which form or forms you need to complete
• give you detailed guidance notes

To apply for a grant, you must be a member of the Traditional Buildings Health Check scheme. If you're not already a member, you can apply by contacting the Stirling City Heritage Trust.

Grants can be divided between all of the eligible owners.

However, if an owner is not a Traditional Buildings Health Check member when the application is submitted:

• they will not be eligible for a share of the grant
• we'll reduce the total grant amount by removing their legal share

In situations where multiple owners are involved, it's good practice to:

• set up an owners' association, and ensure this has a constitution and bank account
• make sure everyone who's legally responsible for repairs is consulted before any work starts

We can accept a single application form that covers a building with multiple owners. However, all of the applicants must also sign a declaration for buildings in multiple ownership.

Getting advice when a building has more than one owner

You can get advice on this issue by:

• visiting the Under One Roof website
• contacting our Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme Project Officer

The Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme Project Officer can also send a copy of the declaration for buildings in multiple ownership.

You must arrange either:

• a Traditional Buildings Health Check inspection
• a condition survey by a qualified professional

You can submit a stage 1 application form if (both apply):

• you've gone through all of the steps above
• the Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme Project Officer has confirmed that you should do this

At the start of this form, we explain:

• how we'll assess your application
• when you'll hear back from us

<Link to online form>

In most cases, once we've approved your stage 1 application, you'll need to appoint a qualified professional adviser. Typically, this will be an architect with experience of conservation work.

What your adviser will do

In general terms, your adviser will:

• prepare scheme details
• oversee your project

In particular, they'll tell you what information is needed for your project. This could include:

• surveys
• detailed drawings
• specifications
• any relevant historical information about your building

You can find more detailed information in our advice on architects and surveyors. 

Before you can go ahead with any work, you might need to get specific types of legal permission. This is known as getting 'statutory consents'.

Statutory consents that you might need include:

• planning permission
• a building warrant
• listed building consent

You can find out what you need by either:

• asking your professional adviser 
• contacting our Planning team

Once you've completed the above steps, you can ask our Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme Project Officer about completing a stage 2 application form.

The Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme Project Officer can: 

• send you the form
• explain what sort of supporting information you need to supply

If we've approved your stage 2 application, you can get estimates or tenders from relevant contractors.

In all cases, these documents should show how much each specific element of work will cost.

If your works will cost up to £10,000

You must get at least 3 competitive estimates based on your specification and drawings. 

If your works will cost over £10,000

You must:

• get at least 3 tenders from 3 contractors with suitable experience 
• prepare a tender report

If you have all the relevant documents, you can ask our Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme Project Officer about completing the final grant application form.

Once we've received your form, we'll send you an acknowledgement message. We'll do this within 5 working days.

Application decision

The Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme Project team will assess your application and prepare an advisory report about it. This report will set out the:

• extent of grant-eligible work that's required
• provisional level of grant
• grant programme

The team will send both the application and the report to the Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme Project Grants Panel. The panel will then assess the application using a scoring system and make a decision. This decision is final.

In most cases, you'll be told about the panel's decision within 12 weeks.

Written offer

If we approve your application, we'll send you a formal written offer of grant assistance. This offer will be based on the lowest quote you submitted.

Contract of grant

To formally accept our offer, you must enter into a contract with Stirling Council. This involves accepting the full terms and conditions of your grant. We recommend that you get independent legal advice before you sign this.

If your grant is over £25,000 per property

Historic Environment Scotland will arrange a:

• standard security
• deed of conservation burden

These will last for the full 15-year monitoring period.

For guidance on the next steps, read our advice on what to do after your grant has been agreed.