Almost 600 structures and site in the borough are featured on the National Heritage List for England (NHLE). Historic England are the principal advisors to Government on heritage designation and they hold the list on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS). Not all the heritage assets that appear on the list are buildings; examples in our borough include lampstands, telephone kiosks, cast iron railings and mileposts. As a result, listed buildings are more accurately referred to as 'designated heritage assets' as laid out in the National Planning Policy Framework glossary - to more accurately reflect the wide variety of structures and sites which are protected by statutory designation.
Designated heritage assets make up only a small percentage of our overall built environment and are classified in grades to show their relative national importance:
- Grade I - Buildings of exceptional interest (only about 2% of listed buildings)
- Grade II* - Particularly important buildings of more than special interest (4% of listed buildings)
- Grade II - Buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them (94% of all listed buildings)
Additions are made every year based on applications from individuals, activist bodies or the council. Historic England assess heritage assets for the DCMS and applications need to be made to them via the Historic England website.
Please note: It is a criminal offence to extend, demolish or carry out internal or external alterations to a listed building or any other designated structure without first securing the necessary consents from the council, even if you did not know the building was listed.
For more information about a listed building or any other designated heritage asset, advice about getting listed building consent please contact planning@ealing.gov.uk.
Designated heritage assets are listed in their entirety including the exterior and interior, eg facades are not listed on their own. It is important to note that a listed building includes 'any object or structure fixed to the building' and 'any object or structure within the curtilage (attached land) of the building which, although not fixed to the building, forms part of the land and has done so since before 1 July 1948. Therefore a wall attached to a listed building or a building built before July 1948 within the curtilage of a listed building will also be listed.