Glossary
Listed building consent for London's protected homes
Permission required for any work affecting the character of a listed building. Separate from planning permission. Grade I and II* involve Historic England.
Permission required for any work affecting the character of a listed building. Separate from planning permission. Grade I and II* involve Historic England.
Listed building consent is required for any works to a listed building that affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest — inside as well as out. There is no application fee, but carrying out works without consent is a criminal offence under the 1990 Act.
The whole building, inside and out, plus any object or structure fixed to it and any pre-1948 structure within its curtilage in the same ownership. Grade II covers around 92% of listings; Grade II* about 6%; Grade I about 2.5%.
The listing description is a finding aid, not a schedule of what is protected. Something not mentioned in the description is still protected if it contributes to special interest — a common and expensive misunderstanding.
Replacing windows, altering internal partitions, removing or altering fireplaces, staircases and joinery, re-roofing in a different material, repointing in cement, installing insulation to historic fabric, and almost any extension. Like-for-like repair using matching materials and methods generally does not.
The safe course is a written enquiry to the conservation officer. It costs nothing and creates a record.
Unauthorised works to a listed building are a criminal offence with no immunity period — the four- and ten-year rules that apply to planning breaches do not apply here. A listed building enforcement notice can require reinstatement decades later, and prosecution can follow on indictment.
A worked Redbridge example of listed building consent: with 14 conservation areas — the Wanstead Village Conservation Area and the Snaresbrook Conservation Area among the best known — London Borough of Redbridge (Redbridge Council) sees listed building consent constantly, and there is no borough-wide Article 4 direction, so permitted development generally survives outside conservation areas. Where listed building consent pushes a Redbridge scheme out of permitted development, the route becomes a £548 application decided in 8 weeks rather than a £249 prior approval in 6 weeks.
| Legal basis | Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 |
|---|---|
| Application fee | None |
| Determination period | 8 weeks |
| Grades | I, II*, II |
| Curtilage protection | Pre-1 July 1948 structures, same ownership |
| Unauthorised works | Criminal offence, no immunity period |
Yes, wherever it affects special interest — including partitions, joinery and fireplaces.
No. Listed building consent applications are free, though a parallel planning application may not be.
No. It requires the extension to be justified against the building's significance.
Pick a slot that suits you. No obligation and no sales pressure, just straight answers on your planning route.
