About the Market Place and London Street Conservation Area
The Market Place and London Street Conservation Area covers about 13 hectares and was designated by Reading Borough Council in 1972. Inside the boundary are 71 listed buildings (1 Grade I, 3 Grade II*, 67 Grade II). The most significant is Church of St Laurence, Grade I. Part of the area lies in flood zone 3, so an extension may need a flood risk assessment.
What changes inside the conservation area
Conservation areas are “Article 2(3) land”. You keep most permitted development rights, but these are removed or tightened.
- Rear extensionElsewhere: 3 m · 6 m with PANo 6 m / 8 m prior approval
- Two-storey extensionElsewhere: 3 mNeeds planning permission
- Side extensionElsewhere: Half the widthNeeds planning permission
- Loft conversionElsewhere: 50 m³Needs planning permission
- Garden roomElsewhere: 2.5 m high by boundariesNot beside the house
- PorchElsewhere: 3 m²Same limits
- Solar panelsElsewhere: 0.2 m projectionSame limits
- Air source heat pumpElsewhere: 1 unitNot facing the road
- Fences, walls and gatesElsewhere: 2 m · 1 m by a roadSame limits
- External claddingElsewhere: Matching materialsNeeds planning permission
- Tree workElsewhere: No notice6 weeks’ notice to the council
- Demolition (over 115 m³)Elsewhere: AllowedNeeds planning permission
Limits for a semi-detached house under the GPDO 2015. An Article 4 direction can remove more.
Listed buildings in the conservation area
Any work affecting these needs listed building consent, inside or out. Each links to its entry on the National Heritage List.
- Church of St LaurenceGrade I
- 73 and 75 London Street, and railings to the frontGrade II*
- Reading Town HallGrade II*
- The Simeon MonumentGrade II*
- 1 and 2 Market PlaceGrade II
- 1 London Street (former Coroner’s Court)Grade II
- 101 London StreetGrade II
- 103 London StreetGrade II
- 104 London StreetGrade II
- 108 London StreetGrade II
- 110 and 114 London StreetGrade II
- 13-16 Market PlaceGrade II
- 17 and 18 King StreetGrade II
- 2 and 4 London StreetGrade II
- 2, 3 and 3a Broad StreetGrade II
- 23-26 Market PlaceGrade II
- 27 and 28, Market PlaceGrade II
- 3 and 5 London RoadGrade II
- 3-5 King StreetGrade II
- 32, Market PlaceGrade II
- 33 London StreetGrade II
- 33-34 Market PlaceGrade II
- 35, London StreetGrade II
- 37 and 39 London StreetGrade II
Show all 71 listed buildings ↓All 71 listed buildings
- 41 London StreetGrade II
- 44 and 46 London StreetGrade II
- 48 and 49 Market PlaceGrade II
- 48-52, London StreetGrade II
- 50 and 51 Market PlaceGrade II
- 52 Market Place, 10 High StreetGrade II
- 54-58 London StreetGrade II
- 62-66 London StreetGrade II
- 68 London StreetGrade II
- 6a, Church StreetGrade II
- 6b, Church StreetGrade II
- 6c, Church StreetGrade II
- 7 High StreetGrade II
- 70 London StreetGrade II
- 72 London StreetGrade II
- 74 and 76 London StreetGrade II
- 77 and 79 London StreetGrade II
- 8 High StreetGrade II
- 80 London StreetGrade II
- 81 London StreetGrade II
- 86 London StreetGrade II
- 88 London StreetGrade II
- 89-93, London StreetGrade II
- 90 London StreetGrade II
- 92 London StreetGrade II
- 94 London StreetGrade II
- 95 and 97, London StreetGrade II
- 99 London StreetGrade II
- Building on South East CornerGrade II
- Church of St Giles and churchyard tombsGrade II
- Corn Exchange Arcade EntranceGrade II
- Drinking fountain on the south side of St Laurence’s Church tower, facing south towards Market PlaceGrade II
- High BridgeGrade II
- House at Rear of Nos 18 and 20 Kings RoadGrade II
- Municipal BuildingsGrade II
- Nos 49-53 London StreetGrade II
- Queen Victoria Jubilee StatueGrade II
- Reading Quaker Meeting HouseGrade II
- Sargents EmbrookGrade II
- St Giles Vicarage St Giles's VicarageGrade II
- St Giles' War ShrineGrade II
- St Laurence's Church and Churchyard Twelve Tombs in St Laurence's ChurchyardGrade II
- The Coopers Public HouseGrade II
- The George HotelGrade II
- Tracery Fragments in the Churchyard of the Church of St LaurenceGrade II
- Wall and gate piers of the Church of St Laurence’s graveyardGrade II
- Wall Enclosing St Giles's Vicarage GardenGrade II
Streets in the conservation area
Streets with listed buildings inside the boundary. Boundaries often split a street — check your exact address.
The council’s appraisal
WEBMarket Place and London Street Conservation Area AppraisalReading Borough Council’s description of the area’s character — what planners look at when you apply.Open on council site ↗Nearby conservation areas
Boundary and listed buildings from Reading Borough Council and Historic England via planning.data.gov.uk (OGL). Guidance only — not an official council check.