Don't Let Your Listed Home Become a Headache

Posted by Architect Your Home on 15th July 2021 -

Buildings of historic and/or architectural interest come with a charm and character that can make owning them a joy and a privilege.

Listing these buildings ensures that their important heritage is maintained, but brings restrictions and financial obligations that can turn this responsibility into a frustrating challenge. A proper understanding of the purpose of Listed Building Consent, the various categories of listing, and the correct way to make changes is essential to keep owning a listed building the pleasure it should be.

What are the different categories?

There are three categories of listed buildings:

Grade I – buildings of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important – 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade I

Grade II* – particularly important buildings of more than special interest – 5.5% of listed buildings are Grade II*

Grade II – nationally important and of special interest, 92% of all listed buildings are Grade II & it is the most likely grade of listing for a homeowner.

Don’t get caught out by the law!

Unlike planning law (which falls under the civil courts), listed buildings are subject to criminal law. So unless you want to find yourself with a criminal conviction, do not attempt to make changes or additions to a listed building without professional advice.

At Architect Your Home, we have many architects with specialist knowledge of making changes to listed buildings. They can guide you through the process with their experience of balancing the myriad of factors that come into play, including legal, budget, and design constraints. Check out the planning portal for more information.

Common Misconceptions

Only part of the building is listed -The idea that only part of a building may be listed is quite wrong. If a building is subject to a listing, all of it, including unoriginal features, alterations, and/or extensions, is subject to that listing. Changes to any part of it will require Listed Building Consent so check your listing beforehand.

I can get a grant to help with the cost of the work – You are very unlikely to get a grant to help with the cost of work to a listed building. While grants do exist, they are extremely rare and are almost never available to Grade II buildings.

It’s impossible to get permission to make changes – Many people think that there is little or no chance of getting consent to extend or alter a listed building. This is certainly not the case, and the expertise at hand through Architect Your Home has resulted in many successful applications for LBC. In some cases, quite radical proposals are deemed acceptable. Planning Policy Guidance note 15 (PPG15) sets out the principles of when consent will and will not be granted.