Planning Permission for Listed Buildings
It is a criminal offence to carry out works to a listed building without first obtaining consent, even if you did not know it was listed. Unauthorised works can lead to prosecution of the owner and the person carrying out the works. It is therefore really important you understand if your property is Listed before you carry out any work. This information should be in your conveyancing paperwork from purchasing a property. Alternatively, you can search our interactive map to find out if a property is listed or search the List on Historic England's website.
What is listed building consent?
Listed Building Consent is necessary for any works (both external and internal) which:
- Would affect the special interest of the listed building
- Would affect the appearance of the listed building
- Repairs (in certain circumstances)
Do I need listed building consent?
Listed buildings do not enjoy the same permitted development rights as unlisted buildings. This means that planning permission as well as Listed Building Consent may be required for certain works which would otherwise be classed as permitted development for an unlisted building.
Due to recent changes in our available conservation officer resource; pre-application advice for listed buildings is temporarily unavailable.
We are sorry for the inconvenience this causes. Further information on this service resuming will be added onto our pre-application page as and when available Pre-Application Fees and Process.
There is of course advice that can be sought outside of the council through Conservation Architects and Conservation Practices and we would urge you to seek such advice before applying for listed building consent or carrying out any works to your listed building.
Alternatively, you may also consider submitting a Lawful Development Certificate to understand if the works you would like to do need either planning permission or listed building consent, or both.
You may also find the following links helpful if you are looking for accredited heritage professionals and/or architects and specialist contractors:
What if I need to carry out emergency work to a listed building?
You should contact us immediately if damage has occurred or emergency works are required. We will then decide if Listed Building Consent is needed or go through the options available to you.
