Listed building architects: consent, heritage statements and who to hire

A listed building is one that has been added to the statutory list because of its special architectural or historic interest. Listing comes in three grades, I, II* and II, and Grade II, the lowest, is by a long way the most common grade for ordinary houses. The grade does not change the basic rule for owners: if a change would affect the character of the building, you need consent before you start. This page covers England. Wales and Scotland have their own heritage laws, and Wales now works under the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2023, so check with the local council if you are outside England.

Do I need listed building consent?

Section 7 of the 1990 Act says nobody may carry out works to demolish a listed building, or to alter or extend it in a way that would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, unless the works are authorised (legislation.gov.uk, section 7). The Planning Portal puts the same rule in plainer terms and adds that consent may also be needed for separate buildings within the grounds (Planning Portal, listed buildings).

The test is the effect on character, not how big the job is. Swapping a single sash window for double glazing, removing a chimney breast or taking out a lath-and-plaster ceiling can all change what makes the building special. Painting an old brick wall, fitting a new kitchen on a historic floor and putting in a boiler flue can too. When you are unsure, ask the council's conservation officer before you order anything, because a short written reply from the council is far cheaper than a dispute.

What counts as part of the listed building?

The Planning Portal's definition is wider than most owners expect. It says a listed building includes the building itself, any object or structure fixed to it, and any object or structure within its curtilage since 1948 (Planning Portal, listed building consent). In practice, an old garden wall, a coach house, a fixed fireplace or a staircase may all be caught, even if the list entry mentions none of them. The list entry is there to identify the building, and it is not a full list of what is protected, so a practice that tells you the interior is unlisted because it is not mentioned is not giving safe advice.

What happens if work goes ahead without consent?

Carrying out work that needs listed building consent without getting it first is a criminal offence (GOV.UK planning guidance; Planning Portal). Section 9(4) of the 1990 Act allows up to six months in prison, a fine or both on summary conviction, and up to two years, a fine or both on conviction on indictment (legislation.gov.uk, section 9). Applying afterwards does not wipe the slate: consent given later applies only from the date it is granted, so the earlier work can still be prosecuted.

Unauthorised alterations made years ago tend to surface at the point of sale or the next application. If you are buying a listed house, ask your solicitor to check that past changes had consent, and ask the council whether it holds a record of them.

How does a listed building application work?

An application for listed building consent goes to the local planning authority. The Planning Portal says there is no fee, and consent should be granted within eight weeks of validation, a period that includes a 21-day consultation (Planning Portal). If the council refuses, attaches conditions you dislike or does not decide within eight weeks, you can appeal to the Secretary of State (Planning Portal, listed buildings). Treat eight weeks as a target, not a promise, and ask the council about pre-application advice for anything beyond routine repairs.

What is a heritage statement, and who writes it?

GOV.UK's guidance expects applicants to describe, in the application, the significance of any heritage asset affected, including its setting, and says the level of detail should be proportionate to the asset's importance. Where a design and access statement is also needed, a heritage assessment can sit inside it to avoid repetition (GOV.UK planning guidance). Councils and architects often call this document a heritage statement or statement of significance.

A good one tells the planning officer what is old, what is later addition, what you propose to change and why the change does less harm than the alternatives. Architects who work on historic buildings routinely write these, sometimes with a historic building consultant for older or more complex sites. Ask any architect you are considering to show you a redacted example from a past scheme, not just the finished building.

How do I choose an architect for a listed building?

Registration with the Architects Registration Board is the legal floor. The ARB says that if someone is not on the Register they are not an architect (ARB). Conservation accreditation sits on top and is voluntary, so a practice can do good work without it and a badge does not guarantee good work. Two accreditation schemes are worth knowing.

• The AABC Register. The Architects Accredited in Building Conservation Register is a not-for-profit accreditation body. It says architects are admitted after assessment by peers and client-focused lay assessors, and that anyone can view the register for free (AABC).
• The RIBA Conservation Register. RIBA runs a register with three levels: Specialist Conservation Architect, Conservation Architect and Conservation Registrant. RIBA describes a Specialist Conservation Architect as having authoritative knowledge of conservation practice and extensive experience of working with historic buildings (RIBA).

Match the level to the building. A Grade I house with decayed fabric and a request to re-plan the interior calls for different experience from a Grade II terrace that needs a rear kitchen extension. Some grant funders and councils set their own accreditation expectations, so ask about that early. For work that is mostly energy improvements on an older house, see the page on renovation and retrofit, which sets out how those upgrades interact with old fabric.

How do I check a conservation architect is on the ARB register?

1. Go to the Architects Register search run by the ARB and search by name or practice.
2. Check that the entry matches the person you have met, and that their status is current.
3. Ask for the registration number on the proposal or in the first email, so you can quote it back.
4. Then check any conservation accreditation separately, on the AABC or RIBA pages, because ARB does not hold that data.

What should I ask a listed building architect before hiring?

• Are you on the ARB register, and what is your registration number?
• Do you hold AABC or RIBA conservation accreditation, and at what level?
• Which listed buildings of a similar grade and age have you taken through consent, and can I see the heritage statements?
• Will you speak to the conservation officer before we design, and who attends the meeting?
• Who will assess hidden fabric such as timber frame, lime plaster or old roof structure, and when in the process?
• What does your quote include for the consent stage, and what happens if the council asks for changes?
• How do you handle the discovery of unexpected historic features once work starts?

Get written quotes from more than one practice against the same brief, because fees for historic work depend on the survey effort and the amount of negotiation expected. Our guide to what an architect costs explains the usual fee models. If your plan also needs ordinary permission, the page on planning applications covers that route, and you can browse by city when you are ready to choose a practice.

What order should the work go in?

1. Find out the grade and read the list entry, then ask the council whether the building is in a conservation area as well.
2. Commission a measured survey and, if the age or condition is unclear, a specialist assessment of the fabric.
3. Hold a pre-application meeting with the conservation officer before the design is fixed.
4. Submit the application with the heritage statement and drawings that show existing and proposed work clearly.
5. Do not start work until the decision notice is in your hands, and read its conditions before you instruct a builder.