Port Sunlight’s front doors are vital to the character of the village, and the original doors, if carefully maintained, could last for hundreds of years. If there is a problem, PSVT would always recommend repairing an original door rather than replacing it. Replacing an exterior door, whether at the front, side or back of your house, will require Listed Building Consent from Wirral Council and permission from PSVT.

To keep your doors in tip-top condition:
• Prevent wood rot in your doors by checking them regularly. Signs to watch out for are soft, brittle or crumbly wood; insects in the wood; cracked or flaking paint. In case of wood rot, contact a joiner. If there is any standing water around the door, you will need to deal with the problem to prevent further damage.

• If your door is draughty or sticking, a qualified joiner will be able to fit draught-proofing to an original door, or adjust it if it has warped.

• Dealing with deterioration in the paint finish can be a DIY job. Remember to check the right paint colour and finish for your door in the Schedule of Paint Colours.

For more detailed information about looking after your doors, and gaining consent to replace a door, download our Exterior Doors Information Sheet and our Rear Doors Information Sheet.

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Port Sunlight’s back doors contribute to the character of the village, and the original doors, if carefully maintained, could last for hundreds of years. If there is a problem, PSVT would always recommend repairing an original door rather than replacing it.

Replacing a back door will require Listed Building Consent from Wirral Council and permission from PSVT. PSVT and Wirral Council adopted the Port Sunlight Local Listed Building Consent Order (LLBCO) to clarify and streamline Consent to replace rear doors.

If your existing back door is severely deteriorated or inappropriate, you can replace the door with one of the five designs specified in the LLBCO. For full details about the LLBCO notice process and the design and specification for replacement doors visit.

To keep your doors in tip-top condition:
• Prevent wood rot in your doors by checking them regularly. Signs to watch out for are soft, brittle or crumbly wood; insects in the wood; cracked or flaking paint. In case of wood rot, contact a joiner. If there is any standing water around the door, you will need to deal with the problem to prevent further damage.

• If your door is draughty or sticking, a qualified joiner will be able to fit draught-proofing to an original door, or adjust it if it has warped.

• Dealing with deterioration in the paint finish can be a DIY job. Remember to check the right paint colour and finish for your door in the Schedule of Paint Colours.

For more detailed information about looking after your doors, and gaining consent to replace a door, download our Exterior Doors Information Sheet.

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Port Sunlight’s outhouse doors contribute to the character of the village, and the original doors, if carefully maintained, could last for hundreds of years. If there is a problem, PSVT would always recommend repairing an original door rather than replacing it. Replacing an outhouse door will require Listed Building Consent from Wirral Council and permission from PSVT.

To keep your doors in tip-top condition:
• Prevent wood rot in your doors by checking them regularly. Signs to watch out for are soft, brittle or crumbly wood; insects in the wood; cracked or flaking paint. In case of wood rot, contact a joiner. If there is any standing water around the door, you will need to deal with the problem to prevent further damage.

• If your door is sticking, a qualified joiner will be able to adjust it if it has warped.

• Dealing with deterioration in the paint finish can be a DIY job. Remember to check the right paint colour and finish for your door in the Schedule of Paint Colours.

For more detailed information about looking after your doors, and gaining consent to replace a door, download our Exterior Doors Information Sheet.

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Port Sunlight’s boundary walls and timber yard gates contribute to the uniform character of the conservation area and the heritage value of its listed homes. PSVT recommend maintenance and repair of original yard gates over replacement.

PSVT and Wirral Council adopted the Port Sunlight Local Listed Building Consent Order (LLBCO) to clarify and streamline the Listed Building Consent process to replace severely deteriorated or inappropriate yard gates.

For full details about the LLBCO notice process and the design and specification for replacement yard gates visit.

To keep your yard gates in tip-top condition:
• Prevent wood rot in your yard gate by checking it regularly. Signs to watch out for are soft, brittle or crumbly wood; insects in the wood; cracked or flaking paint. In case of wood rot, contact a joiner.

• Yard gates are exposed and vulnerable to deterioration. Check the coping at the top of the gate to ensure it is fitted securely and working properly. If this element has deteriorated, a joiner could replace or repair it.

• Rusted gate hardware can damage boundary walls and the timber gate, so these should be properly maintained.

• If your yard gate is sticking, a qualified joiner will be able to adjust it.

• Dealing with deterioration in the paint finish to the timber or the gate hardware can be a DIY job. Remember to check the right paint colour for your yard gate in the Schedule of Paint Colours.

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Traditionally constructed brick or stone boundary walls are a protected character-defining feature for Port Sunlight’s listed homes and the Conservation Area as a whole. The consistent appearance of the boundary walls, including the brick or stone units themselves and the materials, colour and profile of the pointing mortar, define the character of the boundary walls. Unsympathetic alterations or replacement of pointing mortar can result in a negative impact on the listed house and the Conservation Area.

Demolition or large scale repair or rebuilding of the boundary walls will require Listed Building Consent from Wirral Council and permission from PSVT. Inappropriate alterations, particularly the use of sand and cement pointing mortars, damage the boundary walls and affect their longevity.

For information on how to do a quick assessment of your boundary walls and for a short description of common maintenance and repair strategies, read our Boundary Wall information sheet.

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Roofing finishes contribute to the heritage value of the listed houses and the character of the Conservation Area. They are a protected feature. Minor repairs can be done on a like-for-like basis without consent. Large-scale repair or full replacement of roofing finishes requires Listed Building Consent from Wirral Council and permission from PSVT.

Properly maintained, clay and stone roofing can last for fifty years or longer. It may not be glamorous, but your roof and rainwater goods are your home’s most important defense against the elements. It makes sense to prioritise their maintenance and repair.

While roofing works are best left to competent roofers with experience working on Listed properties, you should check the overall health of your roof once a year. It is also prudent to check your roof after any major storms. This practice will help you to understand the overall ‘health’ of your roof.

What to look for?
• Missing or cracked tiles or slates
• Slipped tiles or slates
• Open or cracked joints in the ridge tiles or at joints between flashing and masonry
• Moss or other plant matter on the tiles, valleys, gutters or hopper heads
• Surface loss or erosion of the slates
• Rotted or splintered wood rafter ends or barge boards
• Failing paint or finishes
• Evidence of damp at the first floor ceilings, under eaves or near chimney breasts.

You will not be able to see all of your roofs or indeed assess key aspects such as flashing from ground level. Contact a competent roofer with experience working on listed buildings, accredited building surveyor or architect to do this assessment for you.

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Find information about Timber Windows (at front and sides of your property) here.
Find information about Leaded Light windows here.
Find information about Metal Windows here.
Find information about consents for Rear Windows here.

All windows in Port Sunlight’s listed homes are protected features. This includes windows at the front, sides and rear of the property and roof lights. Windows contribute to the heritage value of the listed homes and the character of the conservation area.

If properly maintained, period windows can last for 100 years or longer. On-going maintenance and minor repairs are far more economical than like-for-like replacement. PSVT would always recommend maintenance and repair over replacement of an original or appropriate window. Replacement requires Listed Building Consent from Wirral Council and permission from PSVT.

For information on how to do a quick assessment of your windows, basic maintenance and draught-proofing strategies and common maintenance and repair strategies, read our window information sheets. (use links above)

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For information about routine maintenance, repair and thermal improvements, please see the Timber window information sheet.

Find information about Leaded Light windows here.
Find information about Metal Windows here.

All windows in Port Sunlight’s listed homes are protected features. This includes windows at the front, sides and rear of the property and roof lights. Windows contribute to the heritage value of the listed homes and the character of the conservation area.

If properly maintained, hard wood windows can last for 100 years or longer. On-going maintenance and minor repairs are far more economical than like-for-like replacement of a timber window. PSVT would always recommend maintenance and repair over replacement of an original or appropriate window. Replacement requires Listed Building Consent from Wirral Council and permission from PSVT.

PSVT and Wirral Council adopted the Port Sunlight Local Listed Building Consent Order (LLBCO) to clarify and streamline the Listed Building Consent process to replace severely deteriorated or inappropriate rear windows. Only timber windows without leaded lights are currently covered by the LLBCO and not all terraces are included in the LLBCO.

For full details about the LLBCO notice process, to determine if your windows are included in the LLBCO and to better understand the documentation requirements, please visit.

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Port Sunlight houses were built with cast iron rainwater goods, which include gutters, downpipes, hopper heads and associated straps and connections. Drains and gulleys are not protected features, but their maintenance and repair is critical.

Rainwater goods are essential to the performance of your roof and contribute to the heritage value of the Listed properties and the character of the Conservation Area. Inappropriate replacement rainwater goods, such as those made from uPVC or those which do not match the dimensions and profile of the original are a breach of heritage policy.

If properly maintained, cast iron rainwater goods can last for 100 years or longer. On-going maintenance and minor repairs are far more economical than like-for-like replacement. PSVT would always recommend maintenance and repair over replacement of original or appropriate cast iron rainwater goods. Replacement requires Listed Building Consent from Wirral Council and permission from PSVT.

For information on how to do a quick assessment of your rainwater goods and basic maintenance strategies, read our Rainwater Goods information sheet.

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All exterior walls in Port Sunlight’s listed homes are protected features. This includes walls at the front, sides and rear of the property and outhouse walls. Wall finishes, details and materials contribute to the heritage value of the listed homes and the character of the conservation area.

The wide variety of revival style domestic designs used for Port Sunlight’s houses, and the traditional building materials found throughout, differentiate Port Sunlight from other planned communities. We are unique because of the very individual designs and materials found at your home.

Demolition or large scale repair or rebuilding of the exterior walls will require Listed Building Consent from Wirral Council and permission from PSVT. Inappropriate alterations, particularly the use of sand and cement pointing mortars, damage the traditional brick and sandstone typically used for the houses and affect their longevity.

For information on how to do a quick assessment of your exterior walls and for a short description of common maintenance and repair strategies, read our Exterior Wall information sheets.

• Render (including smooth, pebbledash and rough cast)
• Brickwork
• Stonework
• Pargetting
• Half-timbering
• Hung clay tile (Information sheet to follow)
• Wood shingles and boarding (Information sheet to follow)

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All chimneys and traditional chimney pots in Port Sunlight’s listed homes are protected features. This includes chimneys at the front, sides and rear of the property and outhouse chimneys (if any). Chimney finishes, details and materials contribute to the heritage value of the listed homes and the character of the conservation area.

Demolition or large scale repair or rebuilding of chimneys or removal of traditional chimney pots will require Listed Building Consent from Wirral Council and permission from PSVT. Inappropriate alterations, particularly the use of sand and cement pointing mortars, damage the traditional brick and sandstone typically used for the houses and affect their longevity.

Because of their inaccessible location and their exposed condition, chimneys are often in worse condition than the rest of your house. Common deteriorated conditions include open mortar joints, plants growing out of the chimneys and loose or detached flaunching. There are opportunities for neighbours to work together to commission investigation and repair of shared chimneys. Costs for scaffolding could be shared and ‘bulk buying’ repairs could lower individual costs.

For information on how to do a quick assessment of your chimneys and for a short description of common maintenance and repair strategies, read our Exterior Wall and Chimney information sheets.

• Render (including smooth, pebbledash and rough cast)
• Brickwork
• Stonework

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Satellite dishes are a modern addition to a historic property and can be harmful to the historic character of the houses and traditional roofline of the Conservation Area if not located properly. Formal consent is required from Wirral Council and Port Sunlight Village Trust (PSVT) before installing or relocating a satellite dish and this can done through the Local Listed Building Consent Order (LLBCO).

The LLBCO has been introduced to streamline the consent process for residents, to more effectively manage change and to encourage restoration of lost heritage features in the village. The LLBCO includes four classes of work, including the installation or relocation of satellite dishes.

Satellite dishes installed without consent are a breach of planning policy and the restrictive covenant agreed with PSVT. Enforcement action could be taken and fines levied if the illegal satellite dish is not removed.

For more information and to apply for consent through the LLBCO please see our Satellite Dish Information Sheet.

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Although garden fences and gates typically sit outside the boundaries of the listed site for your house, their design, materials and maintenance affect the character of the Conservation Area and as such are managed features.

Under planning policy, you will need to apply for planning permission if you want to erect or add to a fence, wall or gate and it will be over 1 metre high and next to a highway used by vehicles (or the footpath of such a highway); or over 2 metres high elsewhere. The access roads behind most village houses are considered to be highways. You will also need to apply for permission if any fence you wish to erect is connected to the listed site, such as the boundary wall for your yard.

However, you will not need to apply for planning permission to alter, maintain or improve an existing fence, wall or gate if you do not increase its height.

For more information, please see the Garden Fences and Gates Information Sheet.

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Trees contribute to the character and setting of the Port Sunlight Conservation Area. Wirral Borough Council has the authority to manage pruning and felling of trees in the Conservation Area, including those owned by Port Sunlight Village Trust, the over 250 trees specifically owned by Wirral Borough Council and trees in the back gardens of privately owned properties.

For more information on consent and tree ownership in Port Sunlight, please see our Tree Information Sheet.

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