You can find out if you live in a Listed Building by clicking on either of the two links below and entering the property details.

The Heritage Gateway

English Heritage Listed Building descriptions online

A listed building is a building included on a register called the 'List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest', drawn up by the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. There are more than 1,900 listed buildings in Central Bedfordshire.

Listed buildings are graded according to their relative importance with Grade I being the highest grade, then Grades II* and II. Despite this grading system, it should be noted that the same statutory controls apply to all grades of Listed Buildings. It is also important to note that when a building is listed, all of the building, anything fixed to it, and most buildings and structures within its grounds are part of the Listed Building. The inside, as well as the outside, of a building is also included in the listing.

Once listed, a building has special protection and the Council has additional powers of protection. Owners also have extra responsibilities, for example the need to obtain Listed Building Consent from the Council for carrying out certain work on the building. It is a criminal offence to carry out certain works to a listed building without consent. An application for Listed Building consent may be in addition to any planning permission needed.

The principles of selection for these lists were originally drawn up by an expert committee of architects, antiquaries and historians, and are still followed today. Buildings that qualify for listing are:

1. All buildings built before 1700, and surviving in anything like their original form, are listed.
2. Most buildings dating from 1700 to 1840 qualify, unless they have been altered unsympathetically.
3. After this date, only buildings that are of exceptional quality, or have been designed by an important architect, or represent an innovative form of construction, are listed.

• Special value within certain types, architectural or planning reasons or illustrating social and economic history (e.g. industrial buildings, railway stations, schools, hospitals, theatres, town halls, markets, exchanges, almshouses, prisons, lock-ups, mills).
• Technological innovation or virtuosity (e.g. cast iron, prefabrication, or the early use of concrete).
• Group value, especially as examples of town planning (e.g. squares, terraces or model villages).
• Association with well-known characters or events.

Listed Building Register for South Area of Central Bedfordshire

Please note that at the moment we cannot provide you with access to the web based Listed Buildings Register for the North area of Central Bedfordshire (ex Mid Beds). A single system will however be introduced shortly and as part of this we will provide a web based Listed Building Register for the whole of the Central Bedfordshire area. Listed Buildings Register for the North area is available in hard copy to view at Priory House, Chicksands until this time.

Repairs

Regular maintenance and small scale 'like for like' repairs do not need listed building consent. Repairs would need to be carried out using the same methods, materials and finishes in accordance with good conservation practice. This may include the replacement of modern fittings, painting and internal decoration, but any external painting may require consent. The like for like replacement of features such as windows or doors would not constitute a repair however. Advice on maintenance and repairs is available from the council and is recommended as the effect is not always straight forward. If you are in any doubt as to whether works will require consent, please contact the Conservation Officer.

Alterations

A Listed Building must not be demolished, extended or altered in any way that affects its character without having been granted Listed Building Consent. Demolition, alteration or extension of a listed building in a manner which would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest requires Listed Building Consent from the Council.

If you are in any doubt as to whether works will require consent, please contact the Conservation Officer.

You will need to fill in a listed building application form. An application will take up to 8 weeks. There is no fee for this application.

Supporting Information:

Applications for proposals which affect a Listed Building must provide a Heritage Asset Assessment which is usually in the form of a written statement. The requirement for this information is set out in the Governments Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment, and will include:

Description of the significance of the Heritage Assets (the Listed building) affected and the contribution of their setting to that significance – (an analysis of the architectural and historic interest of the Heritage Asset)

Assessment of the potential impact of the proposal on the significance of the Heritage Asset – (impact of the proposal on the character and appearance, setting of the Heritage Asset

The principles of and justification for the proposed works;

The information should explain:

• The sources that you have considered; (eg. Books, the Council’s Historic Environment Record);
• The expertise that you have consulted; and
• The steps that have been taken to avoid or minimise any adverse impacts on the significance of the building

Advice to owners or developers and their professional agents is an important part of the listed building application process and Planning Officers are available to discuss your proposal before you submit your application. Except for the most simple applications it is advisable to employ an agent who is familiar with the policies and procedures of the council and is able to complete the necessary Heritage Asset Assessment.

The council seeks to preserve listed buildings, their settings and any features of architectural or historic interest. We would not normally approve an application to demolish a listed building, allow alterations that would involve the loss of historic parts of the building, obscure the original plan form, layout or structural integrity, or otherwise diminish the historic value of listed buildings. Many buildings can sustain some sensitive alterations or extensions to accommodate continuing or new uses. But listed buildings vary greatly in the extent to which they can be changed without harm to their special architectural or historic interest.

The following policy documents are used when assessing applications which affect a listed building.

Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment: This sets out the Government’s planning policies on the conservation of the historic environment.

PPS5: Practice Guide: This guide aims to assist in the implementation of PPS5 and the interpretation of its policies.

Design Guide for Central Bedfordshire

The core Design Guide sets out the policy context to the guidance and generic design guidance relevant to almost every type of development likely to be encountered in the area. It also provides advice on the character of the district and methods of appraising sites and their settings. It should therefore be consulted whatever the type of development being undertaken.

The Design Guide Supplements most relevant to Listed buildings are:

DS5: The Historic Environment (PDF 1.1MB)

DS6: Shopfronts and Signage (PDF 964KB)