Heritage Assets

 Westminster is renowned for its exceptional heritage and historic townscape, including over 11,000 listed buildings, the Palace of Westminster and Westminster Abbey World Heritage Site and 56 conservation areas (covering 75% of the Borough). There are also 2 Scheduled Ancient Monuments, 5 Areas of Archaeological Priority and 21 registered historic parks and gardens.

The following pages provide information and guidance on how these important heritage assets can be preserved and enhanced to ensure the exceptional character of Westminster is retained. 

Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment (PPS5) sets out the Government's planning policies on the conservation of the historic environment. PPS5 is supported by a Practice Guide endorsed by Communities and Local Government, the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and English Heritage.