Listed building consent
Section 7 says no person may carry out works for the demolition of a listed building, or for its alteration or extension in any manner that would affect its character as a listed building of special interest, unless the works are authorised under section 8, which is listed building consent (LBCA 1990 s7). This is a separate regime from planning. A project can be within the permitted development limits and still need consent, because permitted development does not give it. Internal work, such as removing walls, can need consent too if it affects the building's character.
Structures in the grounds
The listing is wider than the main building. Any object or structure fixed to the building, and any object or structure within its curtilage that forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948, is treated as part of the listed building (LBCA 1990 s1(5)). The list entry can say that such an object or structure is not to be treated as part of the building (s1(5A)). So an old garden wall, outbuilding or gate pier can be protected even if the list entry does not name it, and no dataset shows these curtilage structures.
What permitted development excludes
| Project | Effect of listing | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Outbuildings, enclosures, pools and oil or LPG containers (Class E) | Not permitted within the curtilage of a listed building | Pt 1 E.1(g) |
| Gates, fences, walls and other means of enclosure (Part 2 Class A) | Not permitted within the curtilage of, or to an enclosure surrounding, a listed building | Pt 2 A.1(d) |
| Extensions, roof works, porches, hard surfaces and other Part 1 classes | The permitted development limits still apply, but listed building consent is needed for any works that affect the building's character | LBCA s7 |
See our guides to garden rooms and outbuildings and fences, walls and gates for the limits elsewhere.
How we look for list entries
The national list is published in the planning data as one point per list entry, not as building outlines. A point marks the entry; it is not the footprint of the building. You tap your house and confirm the HM Land Registry title outline under the tap, and we test whether any list entry point falls inside that outline. We also report any entries within 10 m, because a point can sit on a shared wall or a garden structure, and a listed neighbour's point can fall near your boundary. Where a council publishes listed building outlines as well, we use them too.
Because points can mislead in both directions, the check always asks you to confirm whether your home, or anything in its grounds, is listed, and shows you the entry we found. In our own sample of 300 random English postcodes on 18 October 2026, only 100 (33.3%, plus or minus 5.3 percentage points at 95% confidence) were in a council area that publishes listed building outlines; of the 310 planning authorities in our snapshot that day, 94 had a live outline feed. More on how we check.
If your home is listed
- Read the list entry the check shows you, including any note about structures in the grounds.
- Talk to the council before you draw up plans, and apply for listed building consent for any works that may affect the building's character.
- For an outbuilding, fence, wall or gate in the grounds, a planning application is needed, because the permitted development rights do not apply.
- Online applications through the Planning Portal: its service charge band for listed building consent is Band 0, which is £0 (Planning Portal service charges).
Listed homes in conservation areas
A listed home can also be in a conservation area, which brings the article 2(3) limits on side extensions, two-storey rear extensions and loft enlargements. Check both: see our conservation area check.
What the free check tells you
The free check lists any list entry on or within 10 m of your plot, with its grade, and asks you to confirm. If you confirm the home is listed, it shows outbuildings and fences as not permitted development. It cannot see curtilage structures that are listed only because of their age and position.
For certainty: a Lawful Development Certificate
A Lawful Development Certificate settles planning questions only: it is not listed building consent. For a project where planning is the open question, apply to your council for a certificate for proposed works (TCPA 1990 s192); the decision is due within 8 weeks of a valid application. See Lawful Development Certificates.