[F1(1)A listed building consent lapses—

(a)on the expiration of such period (beginning with the date on which the consent is granted) as the planning authority may, for the purposes of this section, specify in the consent, or

(b)if no period is so specified, on the expiration of a period of 3 years (beginning with that date),

unless the works permitted by the consent are begun before that expiration.

(1A)Subsection (1) does not apply to a listed building consent granted before the date on which section 20 of the Planning etc. (Scotland) Act 2006 came into force.

(2)For the purposes of sections 18(1)(a) and 19(1) and (2)(a)—

(a)any such specification as is mentioned in subsection (1)(a), or

(b)the effect of subsection (1) as that subsection applies in consequence of the authority electing not to make such a specification,

is to be treated as a condition subject to which the application is granted.]

(3)Nothing in this section applies to any consent to the retention of works granted under section 7(3).

(4)The date of the granting or of the refusal of an application for listed building consent shall be the date on which the notice of the planning authority’s decision bears to have been signed on behalf of the authority.

[F2(5)During the emergency period, a listed building consent that would lapse under subsection (1)(a) or (b) lapses instead at the end of the extended period, unless the works permitted by the consent are begun before the end of that period.

(6)In subsection (5)—

• “emergency period” means the period beginning with the date on which paragraph 2(2) of schedule 4 of the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Act 2020 came into force and ending on [F330 September 2021],

• “extended period” means the period beginning with the date on which paragraph 2(2) of schedule 4 of the Coronavirus (Scotland) (No.2) Act 2020 came into force and ending on [F431 March 2022].]

[F5(7)The Scottish Ministers may by regulations amend the definition of “emergency period” or “extended period” in subsection (6).]