Reducing Carbon in Historic Buildings

Historic England has produced a new Advice Note to provide clarity and support consistent decision-making for proposals to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings whilst conserving their significance and ensuring they remain viable places to live in the future. It reflects current national planning policy.

As historic buildings continue to change and evolve, they need to contribute to a greener future and be fit for purpose for the people who live in, experience and care for them. If done thoughtfully and carefully, changes to historic buildings can achieve the complementary goals of protecting our heritage and adapting to climate change. Keeping historic buildings in use, through sensitive repair, maintenance and adaptation, can help to reduce carbon emissions, reliance on fossil fuels, and energy costs.

The Advice Note provides:

• Advice on advice on what permissions, such as listed building consent, are needed for some of the common changes required to decarbonise and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings
• Advice to assist local planning authorities – and other parties involved in the planning process – in determining proposals to decarbonise and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings to enable positive climate action. Some typical building adaptations in response to climate change impacts are also included
• Signposting to other relevant information, advice, and guidance.

Whilst primarily aimed at a specialist audience (such as local planning authorities, heritage consultants and those involved in the planning process), it will also be useful to building owners and occupiers.

The Historic England Advice Note Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency has now been published.

This Advice Note is mainly for a specialist audience, but it will also be helpful to building owners and occupiers.

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