image for illustration: Becket’s Chapel by Hugh Llewelyn from Keynsham, England, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Historic England’s Advice Note 18 explores ‘Adapting Historic Buildings for Energy and Carbon Efficiency’.
Historic England writes:
As historic buildings continue to change and evolve, they need to contribute to a greener future and be fit for purpose for the people who live in, experience and care for them. If done thoughtfully and carefully, changes to historic buildings can achieve the complementary goals of protecting our heritage and adapting to climate change. Keeping historic buildings in use, through sensitive repair, maintenance and adaptation, can help to reduce carbon emissions, reliance on fossil fuels, and energy costs.
The Advice Note provides:
- Advice on what permissions, such as listed building consent, are needed for some of the common changes required to decarbonise and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings
- Advice to assist local planning authorities – and other parties involved in the planning process – in determining proposals to decarbonise and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings to enable positive climate action. Some typical building adaptations in response to climate change impacts are also included
- Signposting to other relevant information, advice, and guidance.
- Whilst primarily aimed at a specialist audience (such as local planning authorities, heritage consultants and those involved in the planning process), it will also be useful to building owners and occupiers.
A minor revision was published to this advice note in February 2026. Principal changes include:
- Addition of links to case studies and information on building regulations.
- Clarity on the potential role of conservation area management plans in outlining energy efficiency policies (paragraph 22).
- Minor clarifications on relevant legislation, such as relevant sections, and the application of NPPF policy to avoiding and minimizing harm (paragraphs 57, 58, 59, 66, 68).
- Minor technical clarifications to the approach and consideration of risks for floor insulation (paragraph 87), external wall insulation (paragraph 89), cavity wall insulation (paragraph 90), and rainwater goods (paragraph 105).
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