Harborough District Council Local List of Non-Designated Heritage Assets

What are the selection criteria?

In order to assess whether a local heritage asset is of sufficient special interest, meriting inclusion on the local heritage asset register, the Council will assess all local heritage assets against a set of selection criteria.

In order to achieve this, heritage assets have been split up into three distinct groups, reflecting the different types of heritage assets throughout the district:

• buildings and structures;
• parks and gardens;
• archaeological sites.

Clear use of selection criteria helps support the case for preserving the significance of the asset. The selection criteria for each of the groups are detailed below. As part of the selection process the Council has developed a scoring system for the selection criteria. This enables us to quantify whether a nominated heritage asset met the threshold for inclusion on the Local List. Appendix A shows the scoring system used by Harborough District Council. Where a nominated heritage asset scored at the lower end of the approval threshold the site was also presented to an independent decision panel, which had the final say on whether or not the site was of sufficient interest to merit inclusion.

Historic Interest

To be of historic interest an asset must illustrate important aspects of the social, economic, cultural, religious or industrial development of the HDC area. An asset may have historic interest through its construction as part of the wider development of the area, or its development as a type of asset that changed the character of the places within the district. Alternatively, the asset may have historic interest through its association with a nationally / regionally / locally important person or event. Historic interest should be supported by a contemporary or historical written record or archival material.

Designed Landscape Quality

To be of designed landscape quality an asset must demonstrate the interaction between people and places, for aesthetic or practical purposes. This can be through the development of picturesque views / vistas or the management of the space, maintaining its condition and usage. Landscape quality can be enhanced by the introduction of physical features, such as bridges and landforms, or the introduction of trees, shrubs and plants.

Age

The age of an asset may be an important criterion, and the age range can be adjusted to take into account distinctive local characteristics or building traditions. Assets less than ten years old will not be considered.

Rarity or Representativeness

For an asset to have a degree of rarity, it must exemplify a design, age or other quality that is in itself uncommon, either to the locality, within the district or the wider region. For example, many assets may be of considerable age but may not necessarily be particularly rare. Alternatively, an asset may not necessarily be rare, but instead, may be a notable example of a particular asset type that is common throughout the district, as its construction was part of a particular historical / architectural trend. Where this is the case, those assets that best illustrate this particular type are worthy of inclusion on the local list.

Group Value

In addition to the individual qualities of an asset, assets may also have special interest through their relationship with other buildings, structures and spaces. This is particularly important where an asset was set out to provide the setting for an imposing house / structure. This relationship can be visual or historic and can be either the result of a deliberate design or accidental, through piecemeal development of the area.

Social and Communal Value

To be of social & communal value an asset must be of importance to the local community. The asset may be a source of civic pride, an important facility for the community or a place that contributes to the "collective memory" of that area.

Landmark Status

To be of landmark status an asset needs to demonstrate strong communal or historical associations, or it needs to possess especially striking aesthetic value which singles it out as a landmark within the local scene.

Archaeological Interest

The local heritage asset may provide evidence about past human activity in the locality, which may be archaeological – that is in the form of buried remains – but may also be revealed in the structure of buildings or in a manmade landscape. Heritage assets with archaeological interest are the primary source of evidence about the substance and evolution of places, and of the people and cultures that made them.