Listed building

In the United Kingdom, a listed building[a] is a structure of particular architectural or historic interest deserving of special protection.

[2] A listed building may not be demolished, extended, or altered without permission from the local planning authority, which typically consults the relevant central government agency.

In England and Wales, a national amenity society must be notified of any work to be done on a listed building which involves any element of demolition.

Owners of listed buildings are, in some circumstances, compelled to repair and maintain them and can face criminal prosecution if they fail to do so or if they perform unauthorised alterations.

When alterations are permitted, or when listed buildings are repaired or maintained, the owners are often required to use specific materials or techniques.

Ancient, military, and uninhabited structures, such as Stonehenge, are sometimes instead classified as scheduled monuments and are protected by separate legislation.

[13] The listings were used as a means to determine whether a particular building should be rebuilt if it was damaged by bombing,[12] with varying degrees of success.

Several different terms are used because the processes use separate legislation: buildings are 'listed'; ancient monuments are 'scheduled', wrecks are 'protected', and battlefields, gardens and parks are 'registered'.

Buildings that are not formally listed but still judged as being of heritage interest can still be regarded as a material consideration in the planning process.

[16] As a very rough guide, listed buildings are structures considered of special architectural and historical importance.

Ancient monuments are of 'national importance' containing evidential values, and can on many occasions also relate to below ground or unoccupied sites and buildings.

Buildings and structures of special historic interest come in a wide variety of forms and types, ranging from telephone boxes and road signs, to castles.

[18][19] However, in 2020, the Supreme Court ruled in Dill v Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government and another that buildings in the scheme must meet certain criteria – "a three-fold test which involved considering size, permanence and degree of physical attachment" – referred to as the Skerritts test in reference to a previous legal case in England.

In 1980, there was public outcry at the sudden destruction of the art deco Firestone Tyre Factory (Wallis, Gilbert and Partners, 1928–29).

It was demolished over the August bank holiday weekend by its owners Trafalgar House, who had been told that it was likely to be 'spot-listed' a few days later.

[23] In response, the government undertook to review arrangements for listing buildings in order to protect worthy ones from such demolition.

[24] After the Firestone demolition, the Secretary of State for the Environment, Michael Heseltine, also initiated a complete re-survey of buildings to ensure that everything that merited preservation was on the lists.

The review process was started in February 2000 by Alan Howarth, then minister at the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

The government's White Paper "Heritage Protection for the 21st Century", published on 8 March 2007, offered a commitment to sharing the understanding of the historic environment and more openness in the process of designation.

[16] PPS5 was supported by a Practice Guide, endorsed by the DCLG, the DCMS, and English Heritage,[16] which explained how to apply the policies stated in PPS5.

[1] The specific criteria include: The state of repair of a building is not generally deemed to be a relevant consideration for listing.

[48] Until the passing of the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 an application for a Certificate of Immunity from Listing (CoI) could only be made if planning permission was being sought or had been obtained in England.

However, the changes brought about by the Act means that now anyone can ask the Secretary of State to issue a Certificate of Immunity in respect of a particular building at any time.

When a local authority is disposed to grant listed building consent, it must first notify the Welsh Parliament (i.e. Cadw) of the application.

[58] Under Article 42 of the Order, the relevant Department of the Northern Ireland Executive is required to compile lists of buildings of "special architectural or historic interest".

After consulting the local planning authority, the owner, where possible, and an independent third party, Historic Environment Scotland makes a recommendation on behalf of the Scottish Ministers.

[97] Listed buildings in danger of being lost through damage or decay in England started to be recorded by survey in 1991.

[99] The register is compiled by survey using information from local authorities, official and voluntary heritage groups and the general public.

[104] In Wales, at risk registers of listed buildings are compiled by local planning authorities, and Cadw produced a report in 2009.

The Forth Bridge , designed by Sir Benjamin Baker and Sir John Fowler , which opened in 1890, and is now owned by Network Rail , is designated as a Category A listed building by Historic Environment Scotland .
WWII bomb damage advanced the move to preserve architecturally significant buildings such as St Paul's Cathedral which was listed Grade I in 1950. [ 10 ]
100 King Street , Manchester, built in 1935 and formerly the Midland Bank , was listed Grade II* in 1974.
The redundant Holy Trinity Church in Wensley, North Yorkshire , is listed Grade I. Much of the current structure was built in the 14th and 15th centuries.
Built in 1841, St Peter's in Stretton-on-Fosse in the Cotswolds is listed Grade II.
Buckingham Palace , the official London residence of the British monarch, is listed Grade I.
Royal Festival Hall , London, was the first postwar building to gain Grade I listed status.
The Grade I listed King's College London Chapel on the Strand Campus was redesigned in 1864 by Sir George Gilbert Scott .
The Bank Hall mansion house in Lancashire is a Grade II* listed building because of its 17th-century clock tower, which features an original oak cantilevered staircase.
The Johnny Haynes stand at Craven Cottage is listed Grade II*.
BT Tower is a Grade II listed communications tower .
The Grade-A-listed Mussenden Temple , County Londonderry [ 57 ]
The National Gallery of Scotland , Edinburgh, designed by William Henry Playfair , is a Category A listed building. [ 72 ]
Dunrobin Castle is Category A listed.
The 18th century Garrison House in Millport, Cumbrae is Category B listed.