Listed Building Consent is required to carry out internal and external alterations to a listed building. For further information visit the Historic England website.
The best way to apply for Listed Building Consent is online using the Planning Portal which will allow you to complete the relevant form and attach your documents.
Prior to the submission of an application read Appendix C of the Wealden District Council Planning Validation Requirements Guide. You will need to submit a Heritage Statement with a Listed Building Consent application or any application affecting a Heritage Asset.
If you consider that listed building consent is not required for the works you are proposing, you are advised to confirm that in writing with the Council via an application for a Certificate of Lawfulness of Proposed Works to a listed building.
Very little work can be undertaken without the need for Listed Building Consent. Further guidance is available on the Historic England website.
Where very minor ‘like for like’ repairs are proposed, an application may not be required. Such repairs must be ‘like for like’ in all respects – i.e. materials, dimensions, design, function and finish. An example might be minor repairs to an existing timber window using traditional repair techniques.
If you consider that listed building consent is not required for the works you are proposing, you are advised to confirm that in writing with the Council via an application for a Certificate of Lawfulness of Proposed Works to a listed building.
Where roof repairs are required, a listed building consent application will be required when more than 50% of any individual part of the roof slope is affected, as this will trigger Building Regulations requirements. It is likely that you will also require a bat survey. View further information on Bats in Traditional Buildings on the Historic England website.
All UK bats and their roosts are protected by law. There is further guidance on bats and works to a historic building in the Historic England Guidance produced in conjunction with the Bat Conservation Trust, National Trust, Natural England and English Heritage
Where listed building consent has been granted, a series of ‘planning conditions’ will normally be attached to the Decision Notice. Many of these ‘planning conditions’ will require the submission of further details, and written agreement on these details by the Council, before any works commence on site. Failure to comply with such ‘planning conditions’ may also lead to enforcement action and/or prosecution, or the requirement to submit a further listed building consent application.
Carrying out works for alteration without first having obtained Listed Building Consent is a criminal offence and may render the perpetrators liable to enforcement action and/or prosecution.
We offer a Listed Building Enquiry Service which can help you to understand whether listed building consent is required for works to a listed building or whether planning permission is required for works in a conservation area. This service is charged at £48 + VAT.
If you are looking to submit a planning application and require detailed advice prior to the submission of your application to alter or extend a listed building, use our chargeable pre-application advice service for advice on your proposals including design and other planning issues.
You should be aware that any advice given by the Council in relation to the services will be based on the Officers professional judgement and without prejudice to the formal consideration of any subsequent planning application.
Favourable pre-application advice cannot guarantee that a subsequent application will be successful. This is because when we receive a formal application it will be subject to further consultation and publicity which may raise other issues.
Pre-application requests for advice will not be subject to any publicity but we may be obliged to release documents if we receive a Freedom of Information request or Environmental Information Request.
You can use the information on the Council’s heritage web page and advice from Historic England who have published information on what permission you may need to make changes to older homes and advice on the most common types of work to older houses.
An independent heritage consultant will also be able to provide you with further advice.
Owners of Grade I and II* listed buildings may also wish to engage with Historic England to see if pre-application advice is needed from Historic England on their proposals.