Listed Building Register
The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport is required to compile lists of buildings of special architectural or historic interest for the guidance of local planning authorities. Conservation policies are often based on the lists, which are being revised within a national resurvey programme.
How the buildings are chosen
The principles of selection for these lists were originally drawn up by an expert committee of architects, antiquaries and historians, and are still followed. Buildings that qualify for listing are (a) all buildings before 1700 which survive in anything like their original condition, (b) most buildings between 1840 and 1914 only buildings of definite quality and character; the selection being designed to include the principal works of the principal architects. Selected buildings of 1914 and later are also considered.
In choosing buildings, particular attention is paid to:
Special value within certain types, architectural or planning reasons or illustrating social and economic history (for instance, industrial buildings, railway stations, schools, hospitals, theatres, town halls, markets, exchanges, almshouses, prisons, lock-ups, mills).
Technological innovation or virtuosity (for instance cast iron, prefabrication, or the early use of concrete).
Group value, especially as examples of town planning (for instance, squares, terraces or model villages).
Association with well-known characters or events.
The Department's Inspectors of Historic Buildings carry out surveys for each local authority area. Buildings are classified in grades according to their importance.
Grade I Buildings of exceptional interest (less than 5 per cent of the listed buildings so far are in this grade).
Grade II Buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them. (Some particularly important buildings in Grade II are classified as Grade II*)
The original classification of Grade III has now been discontinued, however these buildings are taken into consideration when development is proposed in the locality.
Listed Buildings and Ancient Monuments
'Listed buildings' as described in these notes are buildings listed by the Secretary of State as being of special architectural or historic interest, and are often occupied buildings.
'Scheduled ancient monuments' are buildings or other structures scheduled under the Ancient Monuments Acts. They are usually unoccupied. In any case where a listed building is also a scheduled monument the control provisions of the Ancient Monument Acts supersede those in the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
