Camden.

What the buildings are

Bloomsbury is the Bedford Estate's planned Georgian London: Bedford Square's west side (1776–81, Grade I) is "yellow stock brick"; Gordon Square was Cubitt's from 1820; Mecklenburgh Square's east side is Joseph Kay's of 1810–21. The estate controlled "dimensions and materials" on Gower Street, which is why the terraces read as one. Hampstead is older village fabric: Church Row's early eighteenth-century houses in "yellow stock brick and red brick dressings" form, in Historic England's words, "a most important group". Belsize, Primrose Hill and South Hampstead are Victorian stucco and stock brick, and most of them now sit under Article 4 directions (several adopted 9 June 2026).

What the council says, in its own words

Camden's Home Improvements planning guidance (January 2021) is the clearest statement by any London council on how to treat brick: "Repair brickwork and stonework, in materials and techniques sympathetic to the site context… Consider the choice of mortar colour, grain and texture, bonding and pointing profile… Use lime based materials as they are sustainable and natural". And: "As a general rule, where original masonry… is exposed on exterior walls, it should not be painted, rendered or over-clad. If in doubt, request pre-application advice." The Hampstead conservation area statement (guideline H19) puts it the same way: "Original brickwork should not be painted, rendered or clad unless this was the original treatment."

Consent and advice

"Any changes to a listed building require listed building consent, which is separate from planning permission." Homeowner pre-application advice is £481.50 (Level 1: windows, doors, boundaries, one extension) or £963 (Level 2: multiple or complex works). Listed building advice runs from £963 for minor works to £1,926 for external or internal alterations. Note that from 10 August 2026 decisions on Oxford Street and parts of the West End pass to the Oxford Street Development Corporation rather than Camden.

Scaffold on the pavement

Camden calls it a building licence: minor works £464.80 plus a £785.56 deposit; standard £711.50 plus £1,702.09; up to six months, with a two-month extension at £172.81 and a site inspection fee of £77.47. Apply by the emailed PDF pack.

What this means for your job

• Lime mortar, matched in colour, grain, bond and joint profile, is council policy, not a preference.
• Cleaning a Bloomsbury or Hampstead front: expect to agree a sample patch with the officer, water-based methods first.
• Painting bare brick is against guidance; removing paint and render from it is the direction the council wants.
• Check the new (June 2026) Article 4 schedules in Belsize, South Hampstead, Redington and Frognal before any front-elevation work.