What can you do to your property without listed building consent?
You can perform ordinary maintenance and basic repair to a listed building without obtaining listed building consent, as long as they are carried out using traditional materials and techniques on a ‘like-for-like’ basis in design, material, and finish terms. However, suppose you plan to alter, extend, or demolish a listed building in a way that affects its character or appearance as a building of special architectural or historic interest, or even demolish it. In that case, you must first apply for Listed Building Consent (LBC) from your Local Planning Authority (LPA). You should check with your LPA conservation officer whether or not consent will be needed for what you plan to do and get an outline of what might be acceptable.
We recommend a pre-app consultation with the LPA conservation officer to ensure a smooth process.
Unauthorised works on a listed building are a criminal offence, and the LPA can insist that all work carried out without consent be reversed. An owner will have trouble selling a property that has not been granted LBC for work carried out. You probably won’t need consent if you’re replacing old materials with new ones on a ‘like-for-like’ basis, and the repair work doesn’t affect the building's character. However, it would be wise to check with the LPA before making repairs.
Let's talk about your project
