Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990

38 Power to issue listed building enforcement notice. E+W

(1)Where it appears to the local planning authority—

(a)that any works have been or are being executed to a listed building in their area; and

(b)that the works are such as to involve a contravention of section 9(1) or (2),

they may, if they consider it expedient to do so having regard to the effect of the works on the character of the building as one of special architectural or historic interest, issue a notice under this section (in this Act referred to as a “listed building enforcement notice”).

(2)A listed building enforcement notice shall specify the alleged contravention and require such steps as may be specified in the notice to be taken F1 . . .—

(a)for restoring the building to its former state; or

(b)if the authority consider that such restoration would not be reasonably practicable or would be undesirable, for executing such further works specified in the notice as they consider necessary to alleviate the effect of the works which were carried out without listed building consent; or

(c)for bringing the building to the state in which it would have been if the terms and conditions of any listed building consent which has been granted for the works had been complied with.

F2 [( 3 )A listed building enforcement notice—

(a)shall specify the date on which it is to take effect and, subject to sections 39(3) and 65(3A), shall take effect on that date, and

(b)shall specify the period within which any steps are required to be taken and may specify different periods for different steps,

and, where different periods apply to different steps, references in this Part to the period for compliance with a listed building enforcement notice, in relation to any step, are to the period within which the step is required to be taken.]

(4)A copy of a listed building enforcement notice shall be served, not later than 28 days after the date of its issue and not later than 28 days before the [F3date specified in it as the date on which it is to take effect]—

(a)on the owner and on the occupier of the building to which it relates; and

(b)on any other person having an interest in that building which in the opinion of the authority is materially affected by the notice.

F4 [F4( 5 )The local planning authority may—

(a)withdraw a listed building enforcement notice (without prejudice to their power to issue another); or

(b)waive or relax any requirement of such a notice and, in particular, may extend the period specified in accordance with section 38(3),

and the powers conferred by this subsection may be exercised whether or not the notice has taken effect.

F4( 6 )The local planning authority shall, immediately after exercising the powers conferred by subsection (5), give notice of the exercise to every person who has been served with a copy of the listed building enforcement notice or would, if the notice were re-issued, be served with a copy of it]

(7)Where a listed building enforcement notice imposes any such requirement as is mentioned in subsection (2)(b), listed building consent shall be deemed to be granted for any works of demolition, alteration or extension of the building executed as a result of compliance with the notice.