National Amenity Societies

The National Amenity Societies is a committee made-up from several voluntary societies, established with the express purpose of preserving the art and architecture of past centuries, promoting the appreciation of buildings and the cultures that produced them.

In recognition of these societies, their expertise and the fact that their membership consists of a good cross-section of the informed public, the Government directed in the 1968 Town and Country Planning Act that all applications for listed building consent to demolish listed buildings in whole or in part in England and Wales should be notified to a number of named societies: giving the societies the opportunity to offer comments on the proposals.

The National Amenity Societies have recently participated in a six-month trial, investigating the possibility of receiving direct links from Local Planning Authorities to the relevant applications. (The full results of the trial have yet to be ascertained).

Members

• Ancient Monuments Society 

• Civic Trust

• Council For British Archaeology (CABE) - Concerned with archaeological evidence and buildings of all ages and all types.

The Council for British Archaeology may have to request a paper copy of the listed building description, if this was not included with the original notification/on the website.

View a map of 'CABE's engagement with LPAs on e-consultation' here.

Contact details: Dr. Gill Chitty, 01904 521243, GillChitty@britarch.ac.uk

• The Garden History Society - Promotes the protection and conservation of historic parks, gardens and designed landscapes, and advises on their restoration.

View a map of 'The Garden History Society's engagement with LPAs on e-consultation' here.

Contact details: Linden Groves, 0207 6082409, conservation@gardenhistorysociety.org

• The Georgian Group

• Society For The Protection Of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) - The oldest conservation society in the English-speaking world, founded in 1877. Concerned with pre-1700 buildings and technique and philosophy of repair.

View a map of 'SPAB's engagement with LPAs on e-consultation' here.

Contact details: Matthew Slocombe, 0207 4560902, matthew@spab.org.uk

• The Twentieth Century Society

• The Victorian Society - Concerned with Victorian and Edwardian buildings 1837 - 1914.

The Victorian Society is not currently accepting e-consultation - having just completed a six-month trial the results have yet to be fully evaluated.

The Victorian Society will always need to request paper copies of planning applications and supporting documentation in the case of large applications, due to the difficulty of onscreen viewing. Paper copies will always be needed for site visits, and may also be required at meetings.

At present the Victorian Society find electronic applications more time consuming to deal with.

View a map of 'The Victorian Society's engagement with LPAs on e-consultation' here.

Contact details: Dr. Ian Dungavell, 0208 7475891, director@victoriansociety.org.uk