Appendix 2  

Heritage Assets List and Local Lists

1. Listed Buildings (including structures and street furniture)

Listed buildings have special architectural or historic interest and are of national importance. The Department of Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) compiles the register of listed buildings on the advice of Historic England. The Council does not list buildings.

Listed building grades

Buildings are graded to show their relative importance:

• Grade I: These are buildings of exceptional interest
• Grade II*: These are particularly important buildings of more than special interest
• Grade II: These are buildings of special interest which warrant every effort being made to preserve them (92% of all listed buildings nationally).

Listed building controls apply to all buildings equally, irrespective of their grade, and apply to the interior and exterior of the building in its entirety, together with any curtilage structures.

Use the summary of listed buildings in Brighton & Hove to check whether a building is listed. Full list descriptions are available by searching the National Heritage List for England, administered by Historic England.

1. The Local List

Many historic buildings, parks and gardens are valued for their contribution to the character and local distinctiveness of the area, or for local historical associations. They may not, however, be of sufficient national importance to warrant inclusion on the Statutory List of Historic Buildings or Register of Historic Parks and Gardens. Their special interest is instead recognised through inclusion on the Local List of Heritage Assets. The local list is designated by the City Council in consultation with the local community.

The local list is useful in considering planning proposals and for helping to conserve the city’s historic environment.

Implications of Local Listing

Locally listed heritage assets are recognised in national and local planning policy.

Local listing is not the same as statutory listing. The differences are set out below:

Statutory listing is a national designation administered by Historic England (formerly English Heritage) on behalf of the Secretary of State. A statutorily listed building requires listed building consent in order for alterations, additions or demolitions to be carried out which affect its historic and architectural significance. This provides specific protection to both the exterior and interior of the building.

In contrast, including an asset on the local list does not provide any additional statutory protection against loss or alteration. It does not result in any additional legal requirements for owners. As such, repairs, some external alterations and internal alterations can be undertaken without planning permission. In some cases demolition may also be undertaken without permission. The same rules apply as to when planning permission is required, whether the asset is locally listed or not.

Where proposed works require planning permission, the significance of the locally listed asset will be a ‘material consideration’ in determining the application. This means that greater emphasis will be placed on ensuring the proposed development conserves and/or enhances the special interest of that asset, including its setting.

 The planning authority will seek to ensure the retention, good maintenance and continued use of locally listed heritage assets wherever possible.

Eligibility for inclusion on the Local List

 The Local List for Brighton & Hove includes historic buildings and historic parks and gardens. These are the predominant types of heritage asset in the city that are administered by the City Council.

Like listed buildings, the types of ‘historic building’ that can be included on the list also includes other types of structure such as street furniture, boundary walls and railings. Similarly, the type of park and garden which can be included on the list is based upon those that are eligible for inclusion on the Register of Parks and Gardens. These are ‘designed’ landscapes, rather than those of planting, botanical, ‘natural’ or recreational importance.

Archaeological assets in the city are administered by East Sussex County Council through separate schemes, and locally designated sites are therefore not included on the Brighton & Hove Local List. All assets within the National Park are similarly not included, as these are administered by the South Downs National Park Authority.

Heritage assets that are already designated nationally as listed buildings or registered parks and gardens already enjoy a higher level of protection than local listing, and are therefore also not included on the local list.

An asset is included in its entirety on the local list, unless areas are specifically identified within the assessment as not being of interest. As such, all addresses which form part of the building, or all areas which form part of a park or garden are considered part of the locally listed asset, even if they are under different ownership/use.

Robust and objective selection criteria ensure that the list provides a good basis for planning decisions and is defensible at planning appeal where necessary. These are set out in Appendix 2 of Planning Advice Note 07 Local List of Heritage Assets.