The Record for both Kilkenny City and Environs and the County of Kilkenny may be amended by the addition or deletion of entries to or from the RPS. A declaration for a Protected Structure sets out which categories of works require planning permission and which do not. It cannot give exemptions over and above those which would normally apply if the building were not a protected structure. Change of use of a structure will always require planning permission, for example, irrespective of whether the structure is a protected structure or not. Protected structure status does not mean that a building or its features are 'preserved' and cannot ever be altered, only that such alterations may require planning permission. What is being protected is the 'character' of the structure. Certain repair or reinstatement works may be exempt if carried out to an approved standard in a way which does not alter the character. These standards are described in outline in the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government Conservation Guidelines.