Consent for Works

Works that would affect a site on the Register of Protected Sites require the written consent of the Heritage Office of the Velocity Interoperability Network before they begin. The purpose of consent is not to prevent change but to manage it: to ensure that the interest for which a site was designated is understood before it is altered, that alternatives have been considered and that what is lost is recorded. Most applications are expected to be granted, many with conditions.

Applications for consent are accepted from Monday 7 September 2026. Twelve requests for consent were received under the interim arrangements during the transition period; nine were determined and the remaining three have been carried into this procedure with their original dates of receipt.

Works requiring consent. What requires consent depends on the designation. The descriptions below are a guide; if you are in doubt, ask the Office before starting work.

Listed buildings

Any works of demolition, alteration or extension that would affect the character of the building as a building of special interest, inside or out. This includes removing or replacing historic fittings, altering the plan, changing windows or roof coverings, and works to any structure attached to the building. Repainting in the existing colour and like-for-like repair do not require consent.

Scheduled monuments

Any works that would demolish, destroy, damage, remove, repair, alter or add to the monument, and any excavation, tipping or flooding of the scheduled area. Because scheduling protects what lies below ground as well as above, even minor ground disturbance, such as fencing or the laying of services, requires consent.

Conservation areas

The demolition of any building within the area, whether or not it is listed; the felling, topping or lopping of any tree; and works to the exterior of a building that would alter the appearance of the area, such as changes to shopfronts, boundary walls or roof lines.

Registered landscapes

Works that would change the layout of the landscape: the removal or realignment of paths, avenues, terraces or water features; the felling of trees forming part of the design; and the erection or removal of structures within the landscape.

Works not requiring consent. Routine maintenance that does not alter a site does not require consent: cleaning, repointing in matching mortar, repainting in the existing colour, replacing broken glass or slipped slates with matching material, clearing gutters and drains, and the ordinary care of gardens and grounds. Works inside an unlisted building in a conservation area, and works to the exterior that do not alter its appearance, do not require consent. An owner who is unsure whether a proposed repair counts as maintenance should write to the Office, which will answer within ten working days.

Applying for consent. The steps below apply to every application.

1. 1

   Step 1: Discuss the works with the Office first

   Write to the Office describing what you propose. An inspector will say whether consent is needed, what information the application should contain and whether the works are likely to be acceptable as proposed or with changes. Most difficulties are resolved at this stage.

2. 2

   Step 2: Prepare the application

   Set out the Register reference and name of the site, the owner's name, a description of the works, drawings showing the existing and proposed state, photographs of the parts affected, and a short statement of how the works will affect the interest of the site and why they are needed. For scheduled monuments, include a method statement for any ground works.

3. 3

   Step 3: Submit the application by email

   Send the application and its attachments to the Office's email address with the subject line 'Application for consent'. There is no charge. The Office acknowledges every application within five working days, gives it a reference number and confirms the date by which it will be decided.

4. 4

   Step 4: Consultation and inspection

   The Office informs the responsible member organisation and, for conservation areas and registered landscapes, publishes a notice of the application on this site. An inspector visits the site where the works cannot be understood from the drawings. Anyone may comment within fifteen working days.

5. 5

   Step 5: Decision

   The Office grants consent, grants it subject to conditions, or refuses it, and gives its reasons in writing. Conditions commonly require that work be carried out in specified materials, that historic fabric be recorded before removal, or that an archaeologist be present during ground works. Consent lasts for three years.

Decision periods. The Office decides applications within the periods below, counted from the date of acknowledgement. Where an application is incomplete the period runs from the date the missing information is received.

Urgent works. Works that are urgently necessary to make a site safe or to prevent immediate further damage, such as shoring a wall, covering a roof or fencing a collapse, may proceed without prior consent. They must be the minimum necessary, must not remove historic fabric that could be retained, and must be notified to the Office within five working days. The Office may require that any fabric removed be retained for reinstatement.

Works without consent. Carrying out works that require consent without obtaining it is an offence under the rules of the Network. Where it comes to the Office's attention, the Office may require the works to be stopped, require the site to be restored to its former state at the owner's expense, and refer the matter to the responsible member organisation. Ignorance of a site's designation is not a defence, which is why the Register is published in full and why owners are informed in writing when a site is designated.

Enquiries about whether consent is needed, applications, and questions about an application already made may be sent to contact@heritage.gov.vin. For sites where repairs have been agreed, see Heritage at Risk; for answers to common questions from owners, see the frequently asked questions.