The two most important aims of the South Yorkshire Local Heritage List are that nominations can be made by anyone and everyone and that by being on the list, these places can be protected as part of the local authority’s Planning System.

Since our launch in September, the most visible of these aims has definitely been the public nomination of heritage assets, not only have we received lots of brilliant nominations, we’ve also been out talking to people all over the region, trying to make sure everybody knows about the local heritage list. However, like the proverbial swan, there has been plenty of activity below the surface on trying to achieve the second aim, to have the list recognised as part of the Planning system. To do this the Councils of Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham and Sheffield need to formally adopt the Local Heritage List, both as a way of registering important heritage assets and as an approved list of the assets themselves.