LISTED BUILDINGS AN CONSERVATION AREAS
Listed Building & Conservation Areas
Working with a listed building requires an architect who understands both the technical constraints of historic fabric and the planning environment that protects it.
At KEEP Architects, listed buildings are not the exception — they are a core part of what we do. We have extensive experience navigating listed building consent, working from Grade II, Grade 1 through to Scheduled Ancient Monuments and across London and South East, working with conservation officers in Westminster, Haringey, Camden, Kensington and Chelsea, and Islington and Oxford and Home Counties.
Whether you are planning a sensitive extension, a full restoration, or a contemporary intervention within a historic shell, we bring the specialist knowledge and collaborative approach that these projects demand.
What is a listed building?
Listed buildings in England are structures of special architectural
or historic interest, protected under the Planning (Listed Buildings
and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.
They are graded:
— Grade I: Exceptional interest (around 2% of listed buildings)
— Grade II*: Particularly important (5–6%)
— Grade II: Special interest (91–92%) — most residential listed buildings fall in this category
Any works that affect the character of a listed building — both internal and external — require listed building consent from the local planning authority, in addition to standard planning permission where required. How we work We begin every listed building project with a detailed survey and assessment of the existing fabric.
We prepare the heritage and design statements required for consent, manage the relationship with conservation officers, and design within the constraints in ways that feel genuinely resolved — not compromised.
Our clients often tell us that what they feared would be a frustrating process became, with the right guidance, one of the most rewarding they have experienced.
Areas we work inThey are graded:
— Grade I: Exceptional interest (around 2% of listed buildings)
— Grade II*: Particularly important (5–6%)
— Grade II: Special interest (91–92%) — most residential listed buildings fall in this category
Any works that affect the character of a listed building — both internal and external — require listed building consent from the local planning authority, in addition to standard planning permission where required. How we work We begin every listed building project with a detailed survey and assessment of the existing fabric.
We prepare the heritage and design statements required for consent, manage the relationship with conservation officers, and design within the constraints in ways that feel genuinely resolved — not compromised.
Our clients often tell us that what they feared would be a frustrating process became, with the right guidance, one of the most rewarding they have experienced.
We regularly work on listed buildings and within conservation areas across: Highgate · Hampstead · Islington · Kensington · Chelsea · Notting Hill · Mayfair · Belgravia · Richmond · Barnes
If you own a listed property and are thinking about what is possible, the best starting point is a conversation. Get in touch to arrange a no-obligation 30-minute call with Richard.