Harborough District Council Local List of Non-Designated Heritage Assets

Introduction

Creating a local heritage list is a way for local councils and communities to identify and celebrate historic buildings, archaeological sites and designed landscapes which enrich and enliven their area. (Historic England, 2016).

This is a list of heritage assets within the Harborough district that the Council has identified as worthy of protection because of their historic, architectural or archaeological interest. The entries currently detailed in this document are merely a snap shot in time. This is an evolving list to which nominations are welcomed.

What is a Heritage Asset?

Heritage assets range from World Heritage Sites of international significance to buildings and sites of local historic value. The 2012 National Policy Planning Framework defines a heritage asset as a 'building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage interest'.

'Heritage interest' refers to aspects of the historic environment that are worthy of protection for current and future generations to enjoy, due to their architectural, historic or archaeological interest. Within the Harborough District there are 1281 Listed Buildings, 6 Historic Parks & Gardens and 65 Scheduled Monuments; all of which are designated and protected through national legislation. In addition to this, there are 63 designated Conservation Areas.

Why have a List of Local Heritage Assets?

There are also many other heritage assets of architectural, historic or archaeological interest within the district that do not meet the strict criteria for national designation, yet they still make a significant contribution to the historic environment which can be recognised through the inclusion within a Local List.

Harborough District Council is compiling a list of buildings and structures of special local interest, also called the 'Local List'. This list identifies buildings and other structures within the Harborough district which are considered to have some local importance, either from an architectural or historic viewpoint. Examples of buildings and structures which may merit inclusion range from domestic properties, features of infrastructure such as railway or canal bridges, historic street furniture, archaeological landscape features or historic parks.

The local list seeks to include buildings which are of merit in their own right, those which are worthy of group value in the street scene and any other feature which is considered to be worthy of conservation because it makes a positive contribution to the local environment. These are buildings and structures which enrich and enliven their area, but would not be considered of national importance so would not merit statutory listing or scheduling. However, some may, in the future, be considered worthy of national listing.

What protection is given to a Local Heritage Asset?

Heritage Assets included on the local heritage asset register are considered 'non-designated heritage assets' at a national planning policy level. Inclusion on the Local List does not confer any additional statutory planning controls over and above those normally present. The value of publishing a local list is that a watching brief can be kept on these buildings or structures and they can be taken into account in the planning process. Inclusion in the list, however, does not afford any additional statutory protection or grant aid, but it is the Council's intention that every reasonable effort will be made to conserve those buildings and structures of local importance to benefit the district as a whole.