Do I need Listed Building Consent?
If you intend to extend or alter a Listed Building in a manner would affect its character then you need to apply for Listed Building Consent.
It is important to consider that an owner of a Listed Building is described as a ‘temporary custodian of the nation’s heritage’. The protection of the nation’s heritage is deemed to be so important that it is a criminal offence to carry out alterations which need Listed Building Consent without obtaining it first. These alterations can be internal or external. The term ‘Listed Building’ includes; the building itself, any object or structure fixed to it and any object or structure that has been within curtilage of the Listed Building since 1948.
Obtaining Listed Building Consent
Listed Building Consent is obtained by applying to the Local Planning Authority. It is usually a separate, but parallel, application to a Planning Application. There is no charge for LBC and it is included in the Planning Application fee. Paul Ashton Architects have a wealth of experience in obtaining permission to extend and alter Listed Buildings.
There is no “outline” LBC. Applications must include a full set of drawings, details and written information. A typical Listed Building Consent application put together by PAA comprises the following information:
Annotated plan drawings
Elevation and section drawings
Detailed drawings of the key interfaces between new and old.
Specifications of materials and specifications
A written Heritage Significance Statement
A written Justification Statement
A written Design and Access Statement
About Listed Buildings
The ‘list’ itself is managed by Historic England and there are three grades of listing:
Grade I - Buildings of exceptional interest. [About 2% of all Listed Buildings.]
Grade II* - Buildings that are particularly important and of more than special interest. [About 4% of all Listed Buildings.]
Grade II - Buildings of special interest warranting preservation. [About 94% of all Listed Buildings.]
The following designations are often also associated with historic buildings:
Conservation Areas - Areas of historic or architectural interest. Statutory.
Locally Listed - A non-statutory designation. Local buildings of interest which are usually not eligible for listing by Historic England.
The following criteria are applied to establish whether a building is eligible for listing:
All buildings built before 1700 that survive in anything like their original condition.
Most buildings built between 1700 and 1840. Selection is necessary.
Buildings constructed between 1840 and 1914. Only buildings of definite quality and character and the major works of principal architects.
Buildings constructed between 1914 and 1939. Selected buildings of high quality or historic interest
Buildings constructed after 1939. A small number of outstanding buildings that are typically more than 30 years old and at least 10 years old.
Listed Building Consent for the demolition of a listed building may be granted providing the building is not demolished until planning permission has been granted for redevelopment of the site. An application for Listed Building Consent can be made after work has started. However, this is highly risky as prosecutions can arise from any work that requires LBC undertaken before the date that LBC is granted. The need to obtain Building Regulations Approval [where applicable] is not affected by the listing of a building.
