In short
- Farnham's centre, including Castle Street and West Street, is a conservation area with many listed Georgian buildings.
- Painted and lime renders are part of the historic townscape; changes need consent on listed buildings.
- Suburbs such as Upper Hale, Weybourne and Badshot Lea are largely twentieth-century brick, a good fit for modern systems.
- Parts of GU10, towards Tilford and the Frensham area, fall within the Surrey Hills National Landscape.
Georgian Farnham
The centre of Farnham, from Castle Street down to the river, is made up largely of Georgian brick and rendered facades. Many are listed and the whole area is a conservation area. Here, render is about repair and continuity: lime or appropriate traditional renders, matching mouldings and the right paint systems. Work on listed buildings normally needs listed building consent.
The rest of the town
Farnham's Victorian villas around the station and in the Bourne have solid walls that suit breathable systems. The twentieth-century suburbs, such as Upper Hale, Weybourne, Badshot Lea and Heath End, are mostly brick and block and suit silicone and monocouche. Newer developments on the edges of the town often carry render already and may need matching extensions or repairs.
Planning
Waverley Borough Council currently handles planning here. Surrey's district and borough councils are being replaced by new unitary councils, so check which authority handles planning at the time you apply. In the conservation areas and in the parts of GU10 within the Surrey Hills National Landscape, cladding a house in render is not permitted development. See planning permission for rendering.
Typical Farnham jobs
- Repair and redecoration of painted render on Georgian and Victorian houses.
- Re-rendering interwar and post-war semis in through-coloured silicone.
- External wall insulation on solid-walled terraces where appearance allows.
- Matching render on extensions to existing rendered houses.
Questions people ask
Can I change the colour of my rendered house in Farnham's conservation area?
Repainting is usually fine outside listed buildings, but some conservation areas have Article 4 directions that remove permitted development rights, including for painting. Check with the council.
Do you cover the villages around Farnham?
Yes, including Wrecclesham, Rowledge, Tilford, Frensham, Hale, Badshot Lea and the Bourne.