Listed buildingsand permitted development

The short answer

If your house is listed, assume every change needs listed building consent — inside and out — and many permitted development rights don't apply at all. Doing work without consent is a criminal offence, unlike most planning breaches.

Updated Sep 2026Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990England only

Listed building consent covers any works that affect the building's character as a building of special interest — including internal walls, fireplaces, windows and doors. It's needed even where planning permission isn't, and there's no fee.

Grade I, II* and II are all protected the same way in law; the grade affects how closely the council and Historic England look at the application.

Which permitted development rights are lost

  • Outbuildings and garden rooms within the grounds (Class E).
  • Solar panels and heat pumps on the building or in its grounds, in most cases.
  • Fences, walls and gates around it.
  • Everything else still needs listed building consent even where the planning right survives.

Your exact limits

House type, plot size, Article 4 and trees — worked out for your address.

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Curtilage listing

Buildings and walls within the grounds that pre-date July 1948 can be treated as part of the listing — an old garden wall or coach house, for example — even if the list entry doesn't mention them.

Projects this affects

Common questions

How do I know if my house is listed?
Search the National Heritage List for England on Historic England's website, or use the checker, which reads the same list.
Can I replace windows in a listed building?
Only with listed building consent. Like-for-like repairs to historic windows are usually expected rather than replacement.

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