Agenda item

Surrey County Council’s current Local Heritage Asset List project provides an opportunity for the Borough Council to co-opt the County Council’s selection criteria for its own use.  This would accord with Historic England’s guidance to make the selection criteria which are used to maintain local heritage lists publicly available.

These criteria will be the basis by which the local listing programme will consider nominations for additions to the existing list, as well as for the current list to be reassessed.

The Committee resolved unanimously to:

(1)      Approve the draft selection criteria for nominations to the Local Heritage Asset List as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.

The Committee received a report regarding the Surrey County Council’s current Local Heritage Asset List project, which provides an opportunity for the Borough Council to co-opt the County Council’s selection criteria for its own use.  This would accord with Historic England’s guidance to make the selection criteria which are used to maintain local heritage lists publicly available.

These criteria will be the basis by which the local listing programme will consider nominations for additions to the existing list, as well as for the current list to be reassessed.

The following matters were raised by the Committee:

a)            Other Surrey Boroughs:  a query was raised as to why only six of the Boroughs in Surrey had opted to participate in the Surrey County Council process.  It was confirmed that all Surrey Boroughs had been invited to participate in the process, and that possibly the reason for the non-participation of other Boroughs was to do with the fact that some of them had recently completed their own Heritage listing process and did not feel the need to repeat the exercise so soon.

b)            Duration of appointment of Project Lead:  a concern was raised regarding the fact that the Project Lead had only been appointed for a 12-month period.  Would this fact have the result that at the end of the 12-month period, the project would collapse due to lack of further funding?  It was confirmed that the role of the Project Lead was a “Task and Finish” role, and that once the Heritage List had been created, there would no longer be a need to have a Project Lead.

c)            Possible disadvantage/prejudice to EEBC:  It was confirmed that there would be no disadvantage/prejudice to EEBC, through its participation in the SCC process.

d)            The existing EEBC Local Heritage Asset List: the list, set out in Appendix 2, only contains buildings, and not other items that are not buildings but are indeed Heritage items, for example Trees and Landscapes, parts of gardens and the like.  It was also clarified that the existing list is indeed the current list with the exception of the Horton Road Cemetery, which has yet to be added.

e)            EEBC to remain final decision-maker: It was confirmed that once the SCC has considered the submission by EEBC, and in the event that it decides not to include certain buildings as listed in Appendix 2, the ultimate decision would be taken by EEBC as to whether or not to accept the SCC proposal.  If certain buildings are omitted from the list by SCC, then EEBC can decide to include them back on the list.

f)             No reference in proposed criteria to Sport: given the unique nature of the Borough in having the site of an internationally renowned horse racing event, it is imperative that the selection criteria would be broad enough to make provision for the inclusion of the rich equestrian tapestry of the Borough.  It was confirmed that the criteria as they stand, are broad enough to cover this.

g)            Additional Heritage Items not included in existing Local Heritage Asset List: it was confirmed that there are a significant number of additional items, and that these can be accessed via the Historic England website.

Having considered the above matters, the Committee resolved unanimously to:

(1)               Approve the draft selection criteria for nominations to the Local Heritage Asset List as set out in Appendix 1 to the report.