Scaffolding for Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas

A temporary scaffold doesn't usually need listed building consent in itself. The work it's being put up for may well do, though – especially if it affects the building's character, such as changing materials, replacing windows or altering the roof.

Check what consents the works need with your local planning authority's conservation team before booking anything. In some cases, how the scaffold is fixed to the building may also be worth discussing with them.

The main concern on historic buildings is avoiding damage. Ties are what hold a scaffold to the building, and on old stone, soft brick, lime mortar or timber frames, where and how they're fixed really matters. Options can include ties through window openings, reveal ties, or carefully positioned fixings placed in mortar joints rather than stone.

Tubes and fittings that touch the building can be padded, and the scaffold can be designed to avoid loading delicate features such as balconies, canopies, cornices or ironwork.

Historic buildings often have jettied upper floors, towers, steep roofs, parapets and chimneys that don't suit a standard scaffold. They may also sit on narrow streets with restricted access and busy pavements. A site visit is usually needed, and some jobs need a bespoke scaffold design.

Where a historic roof will be stripped, a temporary roof can protect interiors and features from rain while specialists work. It adds cost and must be designed for wind and other loads, but on a building with valuable interiors it can be well worth it.