Which approval are you checking?
In England, the relevant application for an unlisted building is planning permission for relevant demolition in a conservation area. Do not rely on older references to a separate conservation area consent procedure. Carrying out relevant demolition without the required permission is an offence. [1]
A listed building follows listed-building controls instead. Its grade, modest size or poor condition does not by itself authorise demolition; listed building consent is a separate question from planning permission for any replacement development. [3] [4]
The important size boundaries
The Conservation Areas Direction 2015, in force from 15 April 2015, excludes an ordinary building whose total volume, measured externally, does not exceed 115 cubic metres. That wording includes exactly 115 cubic metres. It is a volume test, not a floor-area test, and the Direction contains specific exceptions, including for certain monuments. [2]
For a gate, wall, fence or other enclosure, the Direction's exclusion applies where it is less than 1 metre high adjoining a highway, including a public footpath or bridleway, waterway or open space, or less than 2 metres high elsewhere. At exactly 1 metre or 2 metres, the relevant exclusion is not met. [2]
These are not the complete demolition rules. Different provisions can concern industrial buildings, monuments, listed structures and other circumstances. Give the council the dimensions and photographs rather than relying on the description “small garden structure”. [1]
Why a small building still needs checking
Even where the conservation-area exclusion applies, demolition can remain subject to the general permitted development and prior-approval arrangements. Article 4 directions and the nature of the building can also affect the route. Establish which permission or exemption actually covers the work before issuing demolition instructions. [1]
Describe partial removal precisely. Taking down a roof, rear wing or boundary structure raises a different question from removing an entire building. Show what stays, what goes and any temporary works; do not divide a proposal into informal stages to avoid examining the complete operation.
What supports an application?
Explain the existing building's contribution to the conservation area, why demolition is proposed, and what will replace it. Include photographs and drawings sufficient to understand both the loss and the replacement. Where repair or retention is a realistic alternative, address it rather than assuming a modern replacement is automatically preferable. [5]
The August 2026 NPPF uses HE9 for conservation areas and HE10 for loss of heritage assets. HE10 addresses the need for reasonable steps to ensure redevelopment proceeds after an asset is lost; permission can therefore involve conditions connecting demolition to the replacement scheme. [5]
Permission is not a demolition method statement
HSE guidance requires demolition to be planned and managed so that structural stability and risks to workers and the public are controlled. Surveys and a suitable sequence matter even after the planning route is settled. Wildlife also needs checking where buildings may contain bat roosts. [6] [7]
Obtain specialist legal advice promptly if unauthorised demolition has already started.