NBS topic areas

Keep up to date with industry developments

NBS solutions|

Products and services for all construction projects

NBS Create

NBS Create - our groundbreaking new specification tool. Authored by our in-house experts to make sure your time specifying is fast and efficient, saving you time and money.

Video: Grade listing of buildings

Listed buildings are those judged to be 'of special national, architectural or historic interest' and are protected against unauthorised alteration, extension or demolition. Approximately half a million buildings in the UK are listed, amounting to about 5% of the country's entire building stock. In England and Wales, there are three main grades which identify their relative status: Grade I, Grade II and Grade II.

Newcastle upon Tyne has twice the national average of Grade I listed buildings, and Liverpool has more listed buildings per square mile than any city outside London. In Scotland and in Northern Ireland, the grade systems are principally the same, even though they look significantly different.

This programme takes a look at the criteria underlying the main Grade Listings, the authorities that determine them and the practical consequences for owners, architects and builders. It also explores the ideological and instrumental reasons for protecting buildings, the 'irony' of conserving Modernist structures, and the conflicts between preservation and construction.