Historic buildings needing upgrade

Published On: 6th March 2026

The Duke of Westminster, one of Britain’s biggest landowners, has criticised strict planning rules affecting upgrades to historic homes.

He owns 1,750 listed buildings as part of a property empire that includes some of London’s most impressive period buildings in Mayfair and Belgravia. Many require essential updating, not least for energy purposes.

In the report ‘Retrofit or Ruin‘ by Capital Economics, the Duke’s Grosvenor property company criticises “slow, complex and inconsistent rules” that risk leaving England’s 350,000 listed buildings “uninhabitable, unaffordable and ultimately redundant”.
Share This Article

All Tags

MHCLG logo

Government announcements

Bill Butler has been appointed by the Government as the first chair of the Local Audit Office.

The Government has ...

Rough Sleeping

Vagrancy Act repealed

The Government repealed the Vagrancy Act on Monday 29 June 2026, ending nearly two centuries of legislation that has criminalised ...

MHCLG logo

Clarification of CIL on home extensions and build

Matthew Pennycook MP, Minister of State for Housing and Planning, wrote a letter to all local authorities on how Community ...

  • Summer drinks party at Cowcross Street

    📆 Mon 24th August | 18:30 - 20:30
    🚩 77 Cowcross Street, EC1M 6EL (map)
    The annual summer drinks party for London Forum’s members will be held at the Alan Baxter office building at Cowcross Street. Please do come along and join Trustees and committee members for drinks and nibbles on Monday 24 August from 6.30pm to 8.30pm and meet fellow activists from other member societies across London. This is a free event for a maximum of two people per society – please use the booking facility ( https://www.londonforum.org.uk/events/summer-drinks-party-at-cowcross-street-2026/#booking ) to secure your place(s). If the weather is kind we should be able to spill…

Featured Pages