A car park in Leicester that famously turned out to be the burial place of King Richard III has been given protected status by Historic England.

The medieval Greyfiars site where Richard was laid to rest in 1485 following his death in the Battle of Bosworth now lies beneath the council car park, which has been listed as a scheduled monument.

The designation means the site – which dates back to 1220 when the Franciscan friars first arrived in Leicester – would require developers to obtain special consent before work or changes can be made.

“The discovery of Richard III's skeleton was an extraordinary archaeological find and an incredible moment in British history,” said minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism John Glen.

“By protecting this site as a scheduled monument, we're ensuring the remains of this once lost medieval friary buried under Leicester are preserved for future generations.”

The discovery of the remains of Richard led to a tourism boost for Leicester, with a visitor centre dedicated to the last Plantagenet King of England opening in July 2014.

Telling the tale of Richard's life, reign and death, and the discovery of grave, the £4.5m (US$6m, €5m) visitor centre was built in the 150-year-old former Alderman Newton School building, next to the Greyfriars grave site.