Legal News | 29.10.24

Listed Buildings

A Listed Building is a building that has been granted a special status because it is of architectural or historical interest. The register of Listed Buildings began to be compiled in the 1940s and there are now over 370,000 listed buildings on the National Heritage List for England.

There are three different gradings of Listed Building:

• Grade II – this is the lowest (and most common) grading, for buildings of special interest warranting every effort to preserve them;
• Grade II* – this is the middle category, for particularly important buildings of more than special interest; and
• Grade I – this is the highest grading, reserved for buildings of exceptional special interest.

Despite the name, Listed Building status is not only granted to buildings, but also structures including walls, gates, and more quirky items (such as the dinosaur sculptures at Crystal Palace Park). The Listing can also extend to objects fixed to the building, or within its curtilage/grounds (provided they were in situ before 1^st July 1948).

If you own or are looking to purchase a Listed Building, the most important thing to keep in mind is that you must apply for Listed Building Consent before making any changes to the property which could affect the character of the building. This may include works such as extensions, wall removals, and changes to windows/doors. It can also include decorative changes (e.g. repainting brickwork). These are not exhaustive lists.

It can be a criminal offence to make such changes without obtaining proper consents, and you can also be asked to restore the property to its previous condition. If in doubt as to whether you require Listed Building Consent, it is always best to consult with a Listed Building Officer before beginning any works.

If you are looking for a conveyancer to handle your sale or purchase of a Listed Building, please contact our Residential Property team at property@wansbroughs.com | 01380 733367.