Dianna Fletcher

In an era where heritage conservation meets modern development, the approach to understanding historic buildings is evolving beyond traditional assessment.

Owning a listed building is an exciting opportunity to own a piece of history but, if you haven’t owned one before you might be uncertain about what it means, and what is and isn’t allowed.

The process of completing heritage assessments is not what it once was. Certain things used to be OK to say, or sufficient for the job. Not now. The margin for error is now so slim, and the structure for justifying your conclusions so well established , that there is little wriggle room. Therefore, the buzz word is 'thoroughness'.

Historic England has issued a draft updated advice note on tall buildings. Interestingly, this guidance highlights that the evolution of skylines is inherent to all towns and cities, and that some of the most important historic buildings were once the tallest within their built environment.

The government is consulting on revisions to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), which was last updated in 2019, to include guidance on the altering or removal of statues, plaques and memorials. We explain what the process could look like if the revisions are accepted following the end of the consultation period on 27 March 2021.

Following government release of the draft National Model Design Code (NMDC), a consultation is currently underway with the deadline for responses to be submitted by 27 March. Our heritage and design team outlines the proposed requirements set out in the design code in our latest blog.

A Grade 2 listed building is defined as a UK building or structure that is "of special interest, warranting every effort to preserve it". Grade 2 is a classification that can be applied to a wide variety of buildings and other structures, in a range of ages, styles and locations.

A listed building is a UK building that is recognised by the Secretary of State (for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport) as being of national importance due to its historic significance or architectural merit.