A listed building is a building, structure or object protected by law because of its special architectural or historic interest. In England the authority to list rests with the Secretary of State, advised by Historic England, under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Approximately 500,000 buildings in England hold listed status. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have their own, comparable systems, and other countries — such as the Netherlands with its rijksmonumenten under the Heritage Act — use different names for the same idea.
The grades in England
- Grade I — buildings of exceptional interest; only about 2.5 percent of listed buildings
- Grade II\* — particularly important buildings of more than special interest; about 5.5 percent
- Grade II — buildings of special interest; about 92 percent of all listings, and the grade most homeowners deal with
Alongside listing, a conservation area protects the character of a whole area rather than a single building, with its own controls on demolition, trees and, sometimes, materials and windows.
Application
- Listed building consent. You need consent for most works that affect the special architectural or historic interest of the building, inside as well as outside. That includes chimneypieces, staircases, plaster ceilings, roof structures and historic glass. Carrying out works without consent is a criminal offence
- Listing covers the whole building. The protection applies to the interior, to later additions and often to structures within the curtilage — not only to the front elevation
- Like-for-like repair. Straightforward repair with matching materials and detailing usually does not need consent, but the boundary is not always obvious. Ask your local authority conservation officer in advance; pre-application advice is far cheaper than enforcement afterwards
- Insulating. Insulation is often possible, but it has to suit a vapour-open, moisture-buffering construction. A vapour-tight lining against old solid masonry regularly leads to damp and rot damage
- Use experienced contractors. Repair of historic fabric is specialist work; hard cement mortars, plastic paints and modern fixings do lasting damage to soft historic brick and stone
Related terms
- Heritage
- Planning permission
- Restoration
- Wall house
- Model farm
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