Planning Advice

Terrace of houses

This section provides practical advice on what steps you need to take if you want to make changes to a listed building, a scheduled monument or a registered park or garden. English Heritage has a statutory role in the planning system. You can find out about the service we provide, together with a checklist of what you may need when applying to a local authority for consents in 'A Charter for English Heritage Planning and Development Advisory Services'. Many ambitious conservation-led developments have been helped by following guidance contained in 'Conservation Principles' also featured in this section.

Listed Buildings

If you want to alter or extend a listed building in a way that affects its character as a building of special interest, you must first obtain Listed Building Consent from your local planning authority. 

Altering listed buildings

Scheduled Monuments

Written consent must always be obtained before any work on a scheduled monument can begin. Some development may also need planning permission, which will need to be obtained from the Local Planning Authority. 

Making changes to scheduled monuments

Parks & Gardens

Where substantial changes are proposed to a registered park or garden, planning permission is likely to be required from the local planning authority, or in some cases from the Secretary of State.

Making changes to registered parks and gardens

English Heritage Charter

This Charter sets out the service provided by English Heritage for those involved in changing or influencing change to the historic environment. 

English Heritage Charter

Conservation Principles

Conservation Principles includes the policies that we apply when offering advice or making decisions about changes to the historic environment.

Conservation Principles 

Our Planning Role

From our nine local offices, English Heritage advises on more than 15,000 statutory consent applications per year. 

Our planning role