Records by borough
| Borough | Records | Per 1,000 households |
|---|---|---|
| Manchester | 863 | 4.0 |
| Oldham | 554 | 5.9 |
| Stockport | 404 | 3.2 |
| Rochdale | 366 | 4.1 |
| Wigan | 362 | 2.5 |
| Bolton | 360 | 3.0 |
| Tameside | 337 | 3.4 |
| Trafford | 266 | 2.8 |
| Bury | 255 | 3.2 |
| Salford | 249 | 2.2 |
A record is one entry on the national list. It may be a single building, a group such as a terrace, or a structure like a bridge, a milestone or a war memorial, so the count measures how much protected fabric a borough has rather than how many listed homes. Manchester leads in number, 863; relative to households Oldham leads, with about 5.9 records per 1,000. Salford has the fewest, 249.
Why Class G stops at a listed building
Permitted development for air source heat pumps excludes any listed building and anything within its curtilage, the land and outbuildings that belong with it. A unit on the wall, on the roof, in the yard or on a garage within the curtilage is equally outside Class G. A planning application is needed, and listed building consent where the work affects the building's special architectural or historic interest. Carrying out such work without consent is an offence, so settle it before ordering anything.
A neighbouring house that is not itself listed, and not within the listed building's curtilage, keeps its Class G rights.
Listed conversions
Many of Greater Manchester's mills and warehouses are now flats, and some are listed. In a listed block, the application usually needs to come from the freeholder for the whole building, because any outdoor plant, pipework through the walls or work on the roof affects the listed structure. A shared system designed for the whole building, with plant on a flat roof out of sight, is often easier to get consent for than one unit per flat. See mill and warehouse conversions.
What the council will weigh
- Position: outdoor units away from the principal elevations and out of key views.
- Fabric: pipe runs through existing openings or later work, not new holes through historic brick, stone or timber.
- Interiors: radiators and cylinders placed to respect original features.
- Insulation: breathable materials for solid walls, since the wrong ones trap damp.
- Setting: the effect on the building's surroundings and any conservation area.
An order of work
- Read the list entry, which says what is special about the building.
- Ask the borough council about pre-application advice from its conservation officer.
- Commission a heat-loss survey for the building as it stands.
- Choose an installer with listed-building experience and examples to show.
- Submit planning and listed building consent applications together, with drawings and a heritage statement.
Grants
The Boiler Upgrade Scheme does not exclude listed buildings: once consent is in place, an MCS certified installer can claim £7,500 in the usual way. Greater Manchester's Warm Homes: Local Grant can cover a listed home in a selected area, but its survey will need to allow for consent.
Conservation areas too
Many listed buildings stand in conservation areas, which add their own rule: nothing may front a road. Where a building is listed, the listing decides that an application is needed; where it is only in a conservation area, Class G still applies with that extra rule. Each borough publishes maps of both.
Listed terraces and workers' housing
Not every listed building in Greater Manchester is a mill or a hall. Some listings cover rows of houses, where each house within the listed group is itself listed. If you own a house in a listed terrace, Class G does not apply to you even though the house looks ordinary, so check the list entry before planning anything outside. The same consent process applies, and the back yard is usually the least sensitive place for a unit.
If you are buying an older house or a flat in a converted building anywhere in the ten boroughs, it is worth checking the list before you plan any heating work, because the answer changes which rules apply.