What if my property is Listed or located within a Conservation area?

Although administered through similar channels to the planning process, works in Heritage and Conservation buildings and contexts require additional levels of consideration and approval. Conservation Areas are generally used to control the overall look and feel of a particular area, usually due to its architectural or historic significance, while Listings are used to protect the look, use and fabric of buildings of architectural, historic or cultural significance.

Conservation Area approval is requested as part of the planning application process, while applications for works to or in the curtilage of Listed Buildings require a separate, usually parallel application process. Although often misunderstood, a Listing applies to all elements of a building or property, not just the façade or the old/significant elements, and owners have a legal duty to obtain Listed Building consent before undertaking most types of work. Because a Listed Building application will often require more detailed design and specification than a planning application, it may be necessary to apply slightly later in the project process, perhaps around the middle of Phase 2.