Harborough District Council Local List of Non-Designated Heritage Assets

Appendix A - Local List – Assessment Scoring System

Scoring Table

For Buildings & Structures

1. 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.

2. 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.

3. Age

The age of an asset is a good indicator of its significance, as the older the asset, the more likely it is to have special interest. The following chronology is meant as a guide to assessment; the dates are indications of likely periods of interest but are not absolute. Assets less than ten years old will not be considered.

4. 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.

5. 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.

6. Social & 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.

7. 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.

For Archaeological Sites

*IMPORTANT NOTE*

Because the powers vested in the Secretary of State to schedule monuments under the 1979 Act are discretionary, there may well be archaeological sites in the district that are demonstrably of equivalent significance to scheduled monuments, but which are not protected, so national criteria has to be considered in addition to the local criteria below.

1. Historic Interest

To be of historic interest an asset must have evidence of past human activity, illustrating important aspects of the district's development, and the people and cultures that made them. Alternatively, the asset may have historic interest through its association with a nationally / regionally / locally important person or event. The historic interest of an archaeological asset is not merely its physical remains, and can be enhanced by the existence of historic documentation, records of previous investigation or, in the case of more recent assets, by the supporting evidence of contemporary written or drawn records.

2. Rarity

The fewer the surviving examples of its kind, the more likely an asset is to have special interest. Some varieties of archaeological assets are so scarce in a national context that all surviving examples which still retain some archaeological potential should be conserved. Other varieties of archaeological assets might not be rare on a national level, but on a regional or district level, may be the only example of their kind.

3. Survival

An important aspect of an asset's special interest is its level of survival, as the greater the intactness of the site, the greater the potential for archaeological interest.

4. Potential

Sometimes the nature of an asset's archaeological interest cannot be specified, but it may still be possible to assess the reasons why an asset might be expected to contain important evidence of the district's past. Where this is the case, those assets that demonstrate the greatest potential for archaeological interest are worthy of inclusion on the local list.

5. Group Value

In addition to the individual qualities of an asset, a site may also have special interest through their relationship with other buildings, structures or spaces. This can include other archaeological sites, buildings / structures or even parks & gardens.

Council Contact Details

If you need to discuss this document or any of the heritage assets included on the Local List of Non-Designated Heritage Assets, please contact the Conservation Team.

By Email: planningpolicy@Harborough.gov.uk