From time to time, I hear owners tell me that “only the front elevation is Listed” or “the inside of my house isn’t Listed, so I have removed some walls“. There will be other variations on these claims. Are they true?
Quite simply. No. This is not true.
The whole of the property is Listed – inside and outside. All the external walls are Listed, not just what might be written in the Listing description. It is not relevant that the Listing description did not include an internal inspection. The interior is still included within the scope of the Listing.
It is true to say that not all parts of a property will have an equal significance in terms of the architectural or historic interest. For example, the house may have been extended in the 1970’s using poor quality materials that were in use at the time. There might be no historic interest or historic value of the 1970’s extension but it will still be included within the scope of the Listing designation. To alter or demolish the 1970’s extension will still require Listed Building Consent. This is a decision for the local Planning Authority to make and not for a homeowner to decide.
The text in the Listing description might well provide a useful reference, but it should not be read as being solely what is Listed and to assume that anything not mentioned is somehow not Listed. The whole property is Listed. This will also include outbuildings that pre-date 1948.