Listed buildings and the local list

Listed buildings are protected under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990. Wakefield district has over 700 Listed Buildings.

A listed building is a building included on the List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest drawn up by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport.

The lists include a variety of structures from castles and cathedrals to milestones and village pumps.

What is the effect of listing?

If you wish to demolish a listed building, or to alter or extend it in a way that affects its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest, you must apply for listed building consent using the online planning portal.

Even relatively minor works, such as painting, may affect the character of a listed building so you should always contact the Conservation Team prior to starting any works. Also read what works require listed building consent in this document.

Listed buildings do not always have to be preserved intact for all time. The listing means that careful decisions will be made about the future of the building. Any alterations must respect the particular character and interest of the building. The case for preserving the building will inform any redevelopment proposals.

Scheduled monuments

There are some archaeological sites of national importance in the district. These are designated by Historic England as scheduled monuments. This gives them special status and protection. Works to alter, extend or demolish them need consent and so do most works of maintenance. You will need to contact Historic England, if you are planning any works which would affect a scheduled monument. Their local offices are in York. 

See also:

• Historic England
• Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
• Heritage Gateway
• Images of England
• Victorian Society
• Georgian Group
• Twentieth Century Society
• British Archaeology

The Local List

There are buildings in the district that are not on the national list of listed buildings but are of local significance. These places need to be identified and protected because of their local interest.

The council holds a list of buildings of local interest, often referred to as a “Local List”. This list includes: 

• buildings of local community interest
• sites that contribute to the character or identity of the district
• buildings which are examples of important work by local architects or builders

The Wakefield District Local Plan includes a policy to protect buildings of local importance (policy LP65). The policy resists demolition or alterations which could harm their significance. Inclusion within the plan means that the list is a material consideration in planning decisions. 

The initial survey was in the late 1970s, guided by English Heritage (now Historic England).  We now hold a list of 901 buildings of local interest. We are working on a project with other local authorities in West Yorkshire to publish the list. We hope this will be available in early 2025 and will provide links from this page once the website is live.