How much does listed building consent cost in London?

What the fee covers, and what you do not pay

Our £2,145 inc survey is higher than a standard householder application, and the reason is the extra work. We measure the building in more detail than a normal survey, because a conservation officer wants to see the original staircase, cornices and window joinery, not only room outlines. We draw the existing building, the proposed changes and what is lost or altered, and we write the heritage statement that explains the significance of the building and the effect of your work.

What you do not pay is a council fee. The GOV.UK fees guidance lists applications for listed building consent among those that need no fee. If your work also needs planning permission, for example an extension, that application carries its normal fee, and the two are made side by side.

When consent is needed, and what happens without it

The rule is section 7 of the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. No one may execute works for the demolition of a listed building, or for its alteration or extension in any manner which would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, unless those works are authorised.

The test is the effect on character, not whether the work is large. Removing an internal wall, replacing sash windows, installing a new kitchen flue or taking out a fireplace can all affect it. Replacing like for like is often outside the rule, and repair is not usually a problem. The safest course is to ask the conservation officer before you start.

Photo: Maxwell Hamilton, BY 2.0

What a conservation officer expects to see

Planning law asks councils to have special regard to the desirability of preserving a listed building, its setting and any features of special architectural or historic interest it possesses. That duty sits in section 66 of the 1990 Act, and it means your application is read against the building's history.

• A drawn record of what exists, including features that will be covered, moved or lost.
• A statement of significance: the age, the original plan form and what has been altered since.
• A clear account of what you propose, and why it is the least harmful way to get what you need.
• Details of materials and methods: lime mortar, timber windows, cast-iron rainwater goods and so on.
• Where you propose harm, the public benefit that outweighs it, such as keeping the building in good use.

That last point is the heart of a good application. A heritage statement that says the house will be easier to live in is weak. One that shows the original room volume stays legible, the cornice is repaired in situ and the new opening reuses an old one is much stronger.

Timing, refusal and appeal

GOV.UK says you can appeal a listed building consent decision if you disagree with it or if no decision came within 8 weeks. There is no fee for appealing, the deadline is 6 months from the decision or from the date it was due, and only the person who made the application can appeal.