Listed Buildings

We pride ourselves on offering a heritage service that is tailored to your needs and the project’s circumstances.

Our team of qualified heritage professionals are ready to assist with applications associated with listed buildings and locally listed buildings, providing support with listed building consent and planning applications as well as the creation of bespoke Heritage Statements to support the proposed works.

What is a Listed Building?

A listed building is a building or structure that has been identified as of sufficient ‘special architectural or historic interest’ to be afforded protection through the planning system. There are over 375,000 listed buildings on the National Heritage List for England (NHLE). These range from Grade I, Grade II* and Grade II listings as detailed below:

• Grade I buildings are of exceptional interest and consist of only 2.5% of the listed buildings;
• Grade II* buildings are particularly important buildings of more than special interest and consist of 5.8% of the listed buildings;
• Grade II buildings are of special interest and consist of 91.7% of all listed buildings.

All buildings and structures that are identified as listed are subject to additional protection that covers the whole building, including the interior, unless parts of it are specifically excluded in the list description. Listing can also cover:

• Other attached structures and fixtures
• Later extensions or additions
• Pre-1948 buildings on land attached to the building. (In the planning system, the term ‘curtilage’ is used to describe this attached land.)

Because all listed buildings are different and unique, what is actually covered by a listing can vary quite widely. It is best, therefore, to check with your local planning authority to confirm if the works proposed require consent. It is also important to establish what aspects of the building contribute to its ‘special architectural or historic interest’ early in the design process. This will help ensure that any proposed changes are informed by an understanding of what makes the building ‘special’ and what doesn’t. In turn this can help identify opportunities for change or approaches to change that have a greater chance of being treated favourably by the local planning authority determining an application for Listed Building Consent or Planning Permission.

In addition to national designation as a listed building local planning authorities can also identify buildings that they deem make a positive contribution to the local character of an area and its sense of place because of their local heritage value. These buildings are often referred to as ‘locally listed buildings’. Although these buildings are not subject to the same level of protection as nationally designated ‘listed buildings’ they are classed as ‘heritage assets’, and Local Planning Authorities therefore often afford them greater weight when considering planning applications that may have an impact on their local heritage value.

At Fuller Long we pride ourselves on working closely with our clients to understand both their personal and business aspirations, so that we can identify solutions that both help protect and enhance those qualities that contribute to the significance of a building whilst taking a robust and creative approach to supporting our clients to achieve what they need. Our consultants offer expert advice on all aspects of work to a listed or locally listed building, from high level strategic advice for large scale developments though to minor changes and alterations to listed and locally listed buildings. We can also help provide support on risk management, the maintenance of historic buildings and importantly design approaches that will improve the chances of gaining a permission whilst assisting building owners to achieve their aspirations.

Our Heritage Consultants are able to assist clients with listed building consent applications, guiding them through the application process, including pre-application discussions with Local Planning Authorities, through to submission and, where needed, at Appeal.

In line with national policy a Local Planning Authority will generally require an application that affects a heritage asset (a listed building, locally listed building or conservation area) to be supported by a document that assesses the significance of the heritage asset(s) in question and/or their setting, and importantly how any changes proposed may impact on the significance of the asset. This document is often called a Heritage Statement, or Statement of Heritage Significance.

Our Heritage Consultants have a great deal of experience in the production of all heritage documentation that may be needed to support a scheme. Although, the nature and quality of the scheme itself is of paramount importance in its success at planning stage, the quality of a heritage statement, how informed it is and how robustly it evidences and presents a case for a scheme can make a major contribution to achieving a successful consent, for more information about heritage statements, please click here.

Please contact one of our consultants on 0203 823 6661 to discuss your individual case or send through the details of your case to hello@fullerlong.com.