Anyone is able nominate a heritage asset for inclusion in the Lancashire Local List Project. This is done here through our web based digital platform which will be available for the duration of the project. However, we want to try to make sure that the information captured by the public, community groups and organisations about each heritage asset is appropriate and can be used to populate the Local Lists at the end of the project.

In this respect, we are using certain criteria which will better enable us to assess the suitability of the nominated asset. The Local List follows similar criteria to that used for Statutory (Nationally Designated) Listing. Heritage assets are assessed against standards and the criteria set out in Historic England’s guidance - Local Heritage Listing: Identifying and Conserving Local Heritage, Historic England Advice Note 7 (Second Edition); with the focus being on the contribution a heritage asset makes to the character of an area and its value to the local people. This criteria is used as guidance to assess the suitability of local heritage assets and to justify inclusion on the Lancashire Local list.

Significant or just interesting?

To make sure the Lancashire Local List remains special, and only includes heritage assets that are of authentic local significance, we will not be seeking to designate every bit of heritage. As the Government says, the “substantial majority” of buildings have little or no heritage interest, with only a minority of buildings ever having enough significance or value to be considered as being material in a planning context. If we do not provide sufficient scrutiny at all the stages of the project we could discredit or devalue the project overall. As such, to establish if a nominated heritage asset has the potential to be added to a Local List, careful assessment and judgment needs to be applied to evaluate its significance.

The following pages linked below and accompanying description can be used to assist individuals in appropriately assessing the suitability of a heritage asset. Further supporting documents and recording mechanisms are also provide here.