Department for Culture Media and Sport
listing
When a building is ‘listed’ it is recognized as being of special architectural or historic interest.
Listing protects that building against unauthorised demolition, alteration or extension and ensures that its special interest is taken into account when proposals are put forward which affect its character or appearance.
Decisions as to which buildings are listed are taken by the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport, who is required by the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 to compile a list of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.
English Heritage (EH) administers the listing system on behalf of the Secretary of State.
Statutory criteria for listing | Grading of listed buildings | How to apply for listing or de-listing | Reviews of listing decisions | Altering a listed building | Building Preservation Notices (BPN) | Certificates of Immunity (COI)
Statutory criteria for listing
The Secretary of State uses the following criteria when assessing whether a building is of special interest and so should be added to the statutory list:
- Architectural interest
A building must be of importance in its architectural design, decoration or craftsmanship; special interest may also apply to nationally important examples of particular building types and techniques (e.g. buildings displaying technological innovation or virtuosity) and significant plan forms
- Historic interest
A building must illustrate important aspects of the nation's social, economic, cultural or military history and/or have close historical associations with nationally important people. There should normally be some quality of interest in the physical fabric of the building itself to justify the statutory protection afforded by listing
When making a listing decision, the Secretary of State may take into account the extent to which the exterior contributes to the architectural or historic interest of any group of buildings of which it forms part. This is generally known as “group value”.
Not all these criteria will be relevant to every case, but a particular building may qualify for listing under more than one of them.
Further detail on the Principles of Selection for listing buildings is set out in Planning Policy Guidance Note 15: Planning and the Historic Environment (PPG15), which was updated in March 2007 by local authority planning circular.
More information can also be found on the Communities website.
EH has produced a series of selection guides for different building types.
These demonstrate which features are considered significant and likely to make a building of special architectural or historic interest when assessing buildings of a particular type from different periods, regions, or styles. It is recognised that some buildings are unique or will fall into more than one building type.
Please note: The statutory criteria and Principles of Selection take precedence over the selection guides, which are not exhaustive and are intended as supplementary information only. The Selection Guides are liable to change as and when EH gain new knowledge regarding different building types.
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Grading of listed buildings
Listed buildings are graded to show their importance:
- Grade I buildings are those of exceptional interest
- Grade II* are particularly important buildings of more than special interest
- Grade II are of special interest, justifying every effort to preserve them
There are about 370,000 list entries, and of those over 92% are Grade II.
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How to apply for listing or de-listing
If you wish to have a building considered for listing or de-listing you should contact:
English Heritage
Heritage Protection Operations Team
1 Waterhouse Square
138-142 Holborn
London
EC1N 2ST
The application should be supported by as much information as possible, and should include:
- Address of the building
- Any information about the building (e.g. its age)
- Details of current or previous uses of the building
- Details of any historical associations
- The name of the architect (if known)
- Details of any “group value” (see above)
- Details of any interior features of interest
- Clear, original external and internal photographs
- The name and contact details of owner (if known)
- A location map (such as an Ordnance Survey map)
EH assesses buildings put forward for listing or de-listing and provides advice to DCMS on the architectural and historic interest. The Secretary of State, who is free to seek additional advice from others, then decides whether to list or de-list the building.
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Reviews of listing decisions
If someone considers that a decision about a building has been wrongly made, they may write to us within 28 days of notification of the decision, asking for it to be reconsidered.
Review applications should be made to:
Listing Branch, Architecture and Historic Environment Division
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
2-4 Cockspur Street
London SW1Y 5DH
Listing decisions will not be reconsidered unless one or more of the following factors apply:
- There is significant new evidence
- There is a change in circumstances affecting the building’s architectural or historic interest
- There was a significant factual error in the original evidence
- There was an irregularity in the assessment process which affected the outcome
In all the above circumstances, the Secretary of State may only consider issues which relate to the special architectural or historic interest of the building in a national context.
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Altering a Listed Building
The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) is not responsible for approving alterations to listed buildings. The management of listed buildings is the responsibility of local planning authorities and, ultimately, the Department of Communities and Local Government.
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Building Preservation Notices (BPN)
Planning authorities, National Park authorities and English Heritage (if the building is in London), have the power to serve a BPN on the owner of a building which is not listed, but which they consider is of special architectural or historic interest and is in danger of demolition or alteration in such a way as to affect its character as a building of such interest.
Following service of the BPN, the building is subject to the same rules as if it were listed, allowing time for a formal assessment to be carried out. Once a BPN has been served the authority contacts DCMS, providing all the necessary information and asks that the building be considered for listing. The assessment procedure then begins.
Designed as an emergency power, most authorities will not consider serving a BPN without first consulting English Heritage, because if the building is not eventually listed compensation may be payable by the local authority for losses sustained by those with an interest in the building as a result of the BPN.
The BPN remains in force for up to six months, but will lapse if within that period DCMS either includes the building in the statutory list or notifies the authority in writing that it does not intend to do so. The local authority must notify the owner and occupier if DCMS decides not to list the building. If the building is not listed the local authority may not serve another BPN in respect of that building within 12 months of DCMS’s notification.
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Certificates of Immunity (COI)
A COI prevents the Secretary of State from listing a building for a period of five years and prevents the planning authority from serving a BPN for that period.
Provided that planning permission is being sought or has been obtained, any person may ask the Secretary of State to issue a COI in respect of a particular building. COIs give certainty to developers proposing works which will affect buildings that may be eligible for listing.
If a COI is not issued, then a building will normally be added to the statutory list.
Applications for COIs should include the following supporting documents:
- Address of the building
- Clear, original external and internal photographs
- Name and contact details of owner
- A location map and 12 digit grid reference number (such as an Ordnance Survey map)
- A copy of the planning application or permission
- Confirmation that the local planning authority has been informed of the application
- Details of the approximate date of the building, the name of the architect and the architectural or historic interest of the building if available
Applications for COIs should be sent to:
Architecture and Historic Environment Division
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
2-4 Cockspur Street
London, SW1Y 5DH
More information on Certificates of Immunity (PDF 66kb)
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