Guidance notes for owners of
Listed Buildings
Essex County Council
Historic Buildings & Conservation
What is a Listed Building?
A Listed Building is one that has been selected by the Department for
Culture, Media and Sport as being of special architectural or historic
interest. All buildings built before 1700AD that survive in anything like
their original condition are listed, as are most buildings from 1700 to 1840.
Recent initiatives have seen the listing of outstanding buildings less than
30 years old.
There are about 500,000 Listed Buildings in England, and 14,200 in Essex.
They are given three grades according to their perceived national
importance: Grade I and Grade 11* for outstanding buildings and Grade II
for the majority (about 94%) of other architecturally important buildings.
How you can find out if your building is listed
If you are unsure whether your property is listed, you can inspect the lists
for each District or Borough at the offices of your Local Planning
Authority, or they can be accessed through www.imagesofengland.org.uk.
You will need to know the full address, district and parish or non-parish
area for the building you are interested in. The lists give an estimate of the
age of the buildings, with a brief description that draws attention to their
notable features but is not definitive in any way and is for guidance only.
NB. The entire building and its curtilage is protected, not just the
exterior or the elements mentioned in the list.
Listed Building Consent
All changes which affect the character of a Listed Building require Listed
Buildings Consent (LBC) from your Local Planning Authority. (See
opposite for contact numbers). There is no charge for LBC and there is
VAT relief on some alterations for which consent has been granted.
Listing does not mean that no changes will be allowed but they need to be
justified and each proposal will be assessed on its own merits.
Unauthorised work to a listed building is a criminal offence and
carries heavy penalties.
Applications for Listed Building Consent to alter, extend or demolish a
Listed Building should be made to your Local Planning Authority on the
appropriate form obtainable either from the council offices or their
website. The Local Planning Authority may call upon the services of the
Historic Buildings and Conservation Section of the County Council to
provide specialist advice on individual applications.
If you are proposing to carry out alterations or works that might require
LBC, you should contact your Local Planning Authority at an early stage.
General information on the principles of repair and alteration can be
obtained from the County Council‘s Historic Buildings and Conservation
Section. Always choose an architect and builder with proven experience of
dealing with old buildings.
Further information
Detailed information on the legislation concerning listed buildings, and on
the principles of alteration and repair, can be found in Planning Policy
Guidance 15: Planning and the Historic Environment (1994), obtainable
from The Stationery Office (TSO, 123 Kingsway, London WC2B 6PQ, tel.
0207 242 6393, www.tsoshop.co.uk). Information on listing and listed
buildings can be obtained from the English Heritage website,
www.english-heritage.org.uk, or by contacting the English Heritage East
of England office at 24 Brooklands Avenue, Cambridge CB2 2BU.
Essex Planning Authorities - Listed Building Contacts
Basildon 01268 533 333
Braintree 01376 552 525
Brentwood 01277 312620
Castle Point 01268 882 200
Chelmsford 01245 606606
Colchester 01206 282 222
Epping Forest 01992 564 000
Essex County Council 01245 437 652
Harlow 01279 446 034
Maldon 01621 854 477
Rochford 01702 546 366
Southend-on-Sea* 01702 215 000
Tendring 01255 830 455
Thurrock* 01375 390 000
Uttlesford 01799 510 510
*Thurrock and Southend-on-Sea are unitary authorities and are no longer a part of
Essex County.
Caring for your Listed Building
Works to listed buildings should be based on a full understanding of the
structure. Some apparently minor works can damage the fabric and
appearance of old buildings. Repairs or replacements using incompatible
materials should be avoided. Planning and Policy Guidance 15 notes that:
 The listing of a building confers protection also on any object or
structure within its curtilage which forms part of the land and has done
so since before 1 July 1948.
 Alterations should be based on a proper understanding of the structure.
 Alterations or repairs to external elevations should respect the existing
fabric and match it in materials, texture, quality and colour.
 The insertion of factory made standard windows of all kinds whether in
timber, aluminium, galvanised steel or plastic is almost always
damaging to the character and appearance of historic buildings.
 Cleaning a building usually requires listed buildings consent.
 The roof is nearly always a dominant feature of a building and the
retention of its original structure, shape, pitch, cladding and ornament is
important.
 Repointing should usually be no more than a repair- a repeat of the
existing mix and appearance- except where the mix is inappropriate or
damaging.
Painting- or repainting such as change of colour- requires listed building
consent when it could affect the character of a listed building. Previously
unpainted surfaces should not normally be painted over.
There are some standard fixtures that require listed building consent
when they affect the character of a listed building. These include
satellite dishes, meter boxes, burglar alarms, security and other
floodlighting, video cameras, and central heating and other flues, both
standard and balanced.
Like-for-like repairs not involving any change do not need consent but you
should be sure that they are necessary and are carried out by craftsmen
experienced in working on old buildings. If in doubt, it is always best to
contact your local planning authority or conservation officer.
This pamphlet is published by the Historic Buildings & Conservation Section of Essex County
Council and is for general advice only. November 2006.