Question

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what consideration her Department has given to relaxing the listed building requirements for use of thatching materials.

Listed building consent is determined by local planning authorities. In making their decision, local planning authorities are able to use advice issued by Historic England, as Government’s statutory advisors on the historic environment, including technical advice on the conservation of thatched properties.

In February 2025, Historic England updated their guidance on the conservation of traditional thatch for local planning authorities. The guidance clarifies that a change of thatch materials might be justified in times of shortage and when a roof is in urgent need of repair and all other options for maintaining it have been exhausted. The guidance now incorporates a checklist intended to provide local authorities with the evidence needed to justify granting consent in cases of genuine need, whilst the presumption in favour of straw thatching in other cases will help to maintain support for the straw-growing sector.