Listed Buildings

There are presently around 900 Listed Buildings within the Dundee City Council area. Listed Buildings are designated and afforded statutory protection under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997.

Listed Buildings are those of “special architectural or historic interest” and are ‘listed’ by Historic Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Ministers. The aim of listing such buildings is to protect or enhance their special character by affording them statutory protection. The principles for listing buildings are fairly complex and there is no right of appeal against the Scottish Ministers’ decision to list a property.

Do I live in a listed building? Listed buildings are not always located within Conservation Areas. To find out if your property is listed contact the Planning & Transportation Department on 01382 433105 or visit Pastmap.

Listed Buildings, whether in a Conservation Area or not, are subject to additional controls. Listed Building Consent is required for demolition, alteration or extension that in any way affects the character or appearance of a listed building. Listing covers the interior as well as the exterior of a building. Alterations to listed buildings will only be acceptable where the proposals have regard to the restoration or enhancement of its architectural or historic character. In addition, Planning Permission for certain works may also be required.

Appointment of an architect or surveyor with appropriate listed buildings experience is recommended, and pre-application discussions with the Council’s Conservation Officer are strongly encouraged. Owners of listed buildings should be aware that it is a criminal offence to undertake unauthorised works to a listed building. The Council have considerable powers to take enforcement action where expedient.

For further information, ‘Scotland’s Listed Buildings: A Guide for Owners and Occupiers’ booklet is available on-line. Hard copies of this booklet are normally available free of charge from the Planning Duty Officer at Dundee House (floor 2).

Historic Scotland’s Memorandum of Guidance 1998 sets out guidelines for the detailed consideration of Listed Building and Conservation Area Consent cases. Although used mainly by planning authorities, this publication is available to view or download from Historic Scotland’s website – Memorandum of Guidance on Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas 1998 (including 2005 updates).

Advice on applying for Planning Permission, Listed Building Consent and Conservation Area Consent can be sought from the Planning Duty Officer on Floor 2 of Dundee House. Pre-application discussion for any proposed work is always encouraged at the earliest possible stage. The Council can provide advice and guidance on your early thoughts and proposals, and guide you through often complex procedures.

Buying a Listed Building

Buying, living in, and conserving or restoring an old property can be very rewarding. Unlike many modern homes, historic buildings, whether listed or not, offer an opportunity to own something genuinely historic and ‘individual’. There are however risks associated with this, particularly where properties require extensive renovation, and where the availability of funding (and patience!) is lacking.

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) produces a helpful leaflet if you want to find out more about buying a older property – ‘Look before you leap’. A limited number of hard copies of this leaflet are normally available free of charge from the Planning Duty Officer at Dundee House (Floor 2).

The following articles from The Building Conservation Directory, also provide some helpful information:

Maintaining your Listed Building

Example of Poor Maintenance

Did you realise that a leaking downpipe or blocked gutters can potentially lead to an outbreak of dry rot, or that pointing your old stone walls with cement mortar can damage the stonework and lead to internal dampness?

Owners of traditionally constructed properties, whether listed or not, should be aware of the importance of adequate maintenance and appropriate repair to their properties. Without regular inspections and maintenance, minor defects can become major problems, and inappropriate repairs can cause further associated damage.

Routine maintenance and appropriate repair, whether your property is old or new, not only protects your investment, it can add to the value of your home.

For helpful information on maintaining your listed building visit the Historic Scotland website. A free downloadable publication ‘Maintaining your Home – A Short Guide for Homeowners’ is available via the above link. Alternatively a limited number of hard copies of this publication are normally available free of charge from the Councils’ Conservation Officer on request.

Further advice is also available from the SPAB National Maintenance Week website.

Buildings at Risk

House of Gray – At Risk

House of Gray – After Restoration

The Scottish Civic Trust operates the Buildings at Risk Service – a computerised database of around 1250 buildings at risk throughout Scotland.

In addition to monitoring the condition of buildings at risk, the service also acts as a catalyst in marrying up potential restorers with suitable available properties.

Dundee City Council, along with Dundee Historic Environment Trust and Tayside Building Preservation Trust (TBPT) works closely with the Scottish Civic Trust to maintain and update records of buildings at risk within the Dundee area.

There are around 35 buildings currently ‘at risk’ in the Dundee area.

These can be found in the fully illustrated on-line Buildings at Risk Register.

Conservation Plans

Sea Captain’s House

Gardyne’s Land

Owners and occupiers of significant listed buildings, and historic areas are encouraged to prepare a Conservation Plan for their building or area.

Preparation of a Conservation Plan encourages those with responsibility for the site to think about it in structured way, to assess how, and why it is significant, and how it should be managed in order to conserve that significance.

Further information on the content and preparation of Conservation Plans can be found in Historic Scotland’s Guide for Practitioners. (6.4MB PDF)

The first step in the development of a Conservation Plan is to prepare a Statement of Significance. This seeks to describe why a building, area or place is important, and helps guide decisions about management of and changes to it. Further information can be found on the Statements of Significance (265KB PDF) Historic Scotland’s website.

The preparation of Conservation Plans is encouraged for significant historic buildings and areas. The Conservation Plan should be prepared at the outset before proposals are drafted for any works, and should be used to guide development.

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