Protecting our heritage assets: Bucks Local Heritage Listing Project

Many buildings in and around Chesham are listed by Historic England because of their obvious heritage value. This listing gives them official protection in the planning process. However, we have a wide range of other, much-loved, heritage assets which don’t quite meet the criteria for national recognition.

Buckinghamshire Council is currently compiling a Local Heritage List, which will officially record such places of special significance. Their importance must then be considered when taking planning decisions.

Anyone can nominate a candidate for the list. The Chesham Society has already submitted nominations and contributed notes on their significance. Nominations put forward by the Society to date include industrial buildings in Waterside, the Whitehill Centre, Francis Yard, the Thomas Harding memorial stone and the Clock Tower in Market Square.

We are calling for more people to help compile the list. Are there places near you which are particularly special because of their age, design, rarity or historic associations? Nominees don’t have to be buildings, or even particularly old: people have nominated lampposts, mile markers, gardens and fields of archaeological significance. Practically anything with identifiable heritage value can be considered for inclusion on the list.

Full details of criteria for inclusion, and how to nominate a candidate, are on the project website. Click on ‘List’ (then filter by area to East Buckinghamshire) to see candidates currently being prepared or assessed. You can add comments and photos to existing nominations or you might like to volunteer to help survey nominated sites.

The project is ongoing, with initial approval for sites in and around Chesham due early this year.