What Changes Can You Make To A Grade II Listed Building?
If you have acquired a Grade II listed building and are planning to carry out restoration work, it’s important that you check in advance what is legally permitted. Buildings are listed because they are considered to be of special historical or architectural significance, and the listing is designed to protect its unique characteristics.
Listed buildings are graded into three categories according to how significant they are considered to be by a panel of experts. Buildings of the highest significance have a Grade I listing, followed by Grade II* listings and Grade II listings. The vast majority of listed buildings in the UK (97 per cent) are Grade II listed.
Owners of listed properties do not have full control over the alterations or renovations they can make, even if it is restoration work that involves essential repairs. The listing, whatever the grade, covers the whole building including the exterior and interior, unless otherwise specified in the listing.
Even later additions or extensions to the building may be covered, so check the small print carefully. Listed Building Consent (LBC) must be applied for via the local planning authority before any alterations, extensions, or demolitions are made. The overall aim is to preserve the original character of the building.
Grade II listed buildings
The above-mentioned restrictions are not quite so stringent for Grade II listed buildings. Minor repairs or general maintenance work will not usually require permission from the local authority, but if in doubt always consult them first. Often they will employ a conservation officer who will be able to discuss your concerns prior to a formal LBC application.
It is impossible to categorically state what changes will and will not require permission, because it can depend on the nature of the work, the unique characteristics of the building, and human interpretation of the guidelines. Generally, installing new kitchens and bathrooms is allowed as long as it doesn’t alter any protected characteristics.
Grade II listed building owners often wrongly assume that modern structural additions can be altered or even removed without permission, but this is not the case. No matter when the addition was made, it will have been considered as a feature of the building and the same rules will apply.
On the other hand, it’s also commonly assumed that extending a listing building is banned or very difficult to get permission for. This might have been true in the past, when planners insisted that any extensions matched the original style and materials of the building like for like.
However, new thinking on this matter means that planners often look more favourably on extensions that provide a deliberate contrast between the old and new. Remember that whenever there is room for doubt, always consult the local authorities rather than guess or make assumptions.