That's not how the planning system works in the UK at all. You need planning permission to demolish any building (with a few explicit exceptions). This is some

That's not how the planning system works in the UK at all. You need planning permission to demolish any building (with a few explicit exceptions). This is something that is priced in to property valuations. It is entirely normal and expected. Developers will often approach planners for official guidance before purchasing land and land purchases are sometimes made contingent on being able to obtain planning. Grade II listing, which the building didn't yet have, adds further restrictions and considerations to the planning process, but the process still exists). The developer paid under the odds for the land, based on the risk that they wouldn't get planning. They didn't get planning and decided to go ahead anyway. This stole value from the previous own owners. It harmed the local environment and community. The UK isn't a anarcho-capitalist dystopia, it is a (broadly functioning) democracy. The collective decision making about the built environment embodied in the planning process is flawed, but deemed necessary and an overall good by the population of the country. Source: property developer who works with listed properties.