Alistair Hardaker | Image: The blue plaque on George Harrison's childhood home in Liverpool, installed in 2024 © Historic England
Culture secretary calls previous rules “outdated” and “unfair”, with nominations open until 13 January 2027 and £100,000 for community research.
DCMS has announced what it calls ‘major changes’ to rules around which buildings are eligible for a blue plaque.
The National and Greater London Blue Plaques schemes will now allow blue plaques to be placed on buildings that have been substantially altered or replaced since a historical person or group was connected to them. This includes homes, shops, workplaces, community buildings and streets.
Historic England, which runs the national blue plaque scheme, has been awarded £100,000 to help community groups research blue plaque nominations. It will distribute grants for groups researching and developing nominations that address historic underrepresentation and improve geographical reach.
DCMS said historic people of note have been connected to buildings that have since been redeveloped or demolished, including terraced houses and industrial factories.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said the former rules, which stipulated buildings receiving a blue plaque should not be substantially altered were “outdated, unfair, and do not reflect who we are as a nation”.
“From millworkers who fought for fair wages, safe working conditions and the rights of women to the Windrush generation who helped shape our NHS, transport, manufacturing industries and more – too often their contributions have been airbrushed from our national story. Until now, it was difficult to commemorate their achievements with a blue plaque.”
“I hope people across the country will come forward and nominate the people whose contributions are a vital part of our national story, and deserve to be told and remembered.”
DCMS said it hopes the expanded rules will open the scheme up to a wider range of people and places connected to the country’s history, including lost music and performance venues, former residents of demolished homes, and workers and innovators connected to former factories and workshops.
Sites eligible for a blue plaque still must have a strong connection to a historical person who must have been dead for at least 20 years, or to a group which was formed at least 20 years ago and is no longer functioning.
Current projects include a partnership between charity Creative Lives and local archives across the East of England to uncover and share overlooked stories.
Historic England’s Head of Participation Programmes Ellie Djerir said the widening criteria of the National Blue Plaque Scheme will allow the organisation to “celebrate more of the people who have shaped our history, wherever they lived and worked.”
English Heritage runs the London Blue Plaques scheme which will adopt the same expanded criteria. Matt Thompson, its conservation, curatorial and learning director, said the relaxed rules “will offer greater flexibility to recognise a wider range of individuals whose achievements deserve to be celebrated.”
The National Blue Plaque Scheme was launched in 2023, building on the original London blue plaque scheme and local schemes across the country. Twelve plaques are now placed outside of London, including Plymouth and Liverpool.
The blue plaque is commemorative, and does not stop a property owner from altering, redeveloping, or demolishing the building.
Recent people honoured by the National Blue Plaque Scheme include Daphne Steel, the first Black matron in the NHS; George Harrison, the lead guitarist of The Beatles; and Reverend Wilbert Awdry, creator of Thomas the Tank Engine.
Applications are now open for both schemes until 13th January 2027. Blue plaques from these nominations will be unveiled in 2027.
