Proximity to a listed building is a standard line in site briefings. But what does it actually mean for planning risk, and how should you use it in screening?

Why it appears in reports

Listed buildings are on the National Heritage List for England (Historic England). Planning authorities must consider the impact of development on the setting of a listed building. So when you're assessing a site, knowing that a listed structure is nearby is a prompt to dig deeper — not necessarily a stop.

Setting and impact

"Setting" is the surroundings that contribute to a listed building's significance. Development that affects setting can be refused or conditioned. Impact depends on distance, scale, design, and the sensitivity of the asset. There's no fixed buffer; 50m in one place might be fine, in another it might be critical.

What to do in early-stage screening

1. Flag it — List the building (name, grade, distance if available). Use an amber flag: "Requires assessment of impact on setting." 2. Don't over-interpret — Proximity alone doesn't mean refusal. It means the issue must be addressed. Many applications succeed with a heritage statement and sensitive design. 3. Check conservation areas — If the site is in or adjacent to a conservation area, that's an additional layer. Reports should separate "listed building proximity" from "conservation area" so you can see both. 4. Use cited data — The source should be clear (e.g. Historic England list). That way you can verify and, if needed, get a specialist opinion.

Red flags

- Site within the curtilage of a listed building. - Site in a conservation area with multiple listed buildings nearby. - Major development (e.g. large residential) in very sensitive settings.

Green flags

- Listed building at distance with no visual or contextual link. - Minor works that don't affect setting.

In a SiteSift report, listed buildings and conservation areas appear in the constraints layer with clear labels and sources. AI commentary can highlight "likely to require heritage assessment" — but the factual layer stays separate so you always know what's data and what's interpretation.