Local Listing aims to compile a list of locally important, non-designated heritage assets within a Local Planning Authority Area. A Local List is intended to be a planning tool used in the conservation of non-designated heritage assets. A Local Listing designation does not confer any statutory protection, however it ensures that any application affecting them, or their setting is carefully considered as a material consideration.

Local Listing aims to record non-designated heritage assets which have a degree of significance due to their heritage significance, as such to be included upon a Local List of Heritage Assets a site must be judged against a set of adopted Assessment Criteria. The use of Criteria gives greater weight to the decision to include an asset on the Local List and provides robustness should any decision made citing its Local Listing designation as a reason be questioned at a later date.

Non-designated heritage assets are wide ranging. They can be buildings, structures, areas, landscapes and sites ranging from domestic dwellings to village pumps, pillboxes to commemorative monuments; urban parks to historic village greens; to ridge and furrow and deserted medieval village earthworks.

Local Lists provide an important middle ground between the extensive Historic Environment Record, which attempts to record all historic assets whether of special interest or not, and the National Designations which have strict criteria and must be of national interest.

A Local List should capture what local people feel are important elements of their historic environment. As such community groups, parish councils and members of the public are being consulted as part of the project.