Heritage assets

E3 Heritage assets BE3: Heritage assets 1. All development, including new buildings, alterations, extensions, changes of use and demolitions, must seek to conserve heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance, including their setting, and seek enhancement wherever possible. 2. Where a development proposal is likely to affect a designated heritage asset and/or it’s setting negatively, the significance of the heritage asset must be fully assessed and supported in the submission of an application. Heritage statements and/or archaeological evaluations will be required for any proposals related to or impacting on a heritage asset and/or possible archaeological site. 3. The impact of the proposal must be assessed in proportion to the significance of the heritage asset and supported in the submission of an application. 4. Proposals which affect the significance of a non-designated heritage asset must be carefully considered, weighing the direct and indirect impacts upon the asset and its setting. 5. There is a presumption in favour of retaining heritage assets wherever practical, including archaeological remains in situ, unless it can be demonstrated that the harm will be outweighed by the benefits of the development. 6. The council will: a. Support development proposals that do not cause harm to, or which display better the significance of heritage assets. b. Require development proposals that have potential to cause substantial harm to, or loss of a designated heritage asset and its significance, including its setting, to provide a thorough heritage impact assessment, setting out a clear and convincing justification as to why that harm is considered acceptable because of public benefits that outweigh that harm. Where that justification cannot be demonstrated proposals will be refused, and c. Require development proposals that cause less than substantial harm to a designated heritage asset to weigh the level of harm against the public benefits that may be gained by the proposal, including securing its optimum viable use. 7. Development affecting a heritage asset should achieve a high-quality design and the council will encourage modern, innovative design which respects and complements the heritage context in terms of scale, massing, design, detailing and use. 7.412 The history of an area contributes to our quality of life and to the character of Buckinghamshire. Historical features once lost cannot be replaced therefore it is important that the Local Plan seeks to protect such features. 4.413 Heritage assets are defined as those parts of the historic environment that have significance because of their historic, archaeological, architectural or artistic interest, over and above their functional utility. Significance can be made up of many different aspects of an asset’s interest and may be harmed by development directly affecting the physical fabric or within the setting of the asset. The NPPF 2024 sets out guidance for conserving and enhancing the historic environment. 4.414 The council's aim is to protect and enhance Buckinghamshire’s heritage assets. As part of any enhancement, where possible and applicable, the council will support proposals that improve accessibility to a heritage asset. The effect of a planning application on the significance of a designated or non-designated heritage asset will be considered in determining any application. The LPA will require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage asset affected including any contribution made by their setting. As a minimum the Historic Environment Record should have been consulted and the heritage assets assessed using appropriate expertise. 4.415 In weighing up applications that affect directly or indirectly non-designated heritage assets, a balanced judgement will be required having regard to the scale of any harm or loss and the significance of the heritage asset. Designated heritage assets 7.416 Designated heritage assets include World Heritage sites, scheduled monuments, listed buildings, registered park and gardens, or registered battlefield, or conservation areas. Designated heritage assets are protected by statute, as set out in relevant legislation, as well as by policy contained within the NPPF. Listed buildings 7.417 Listed buildings are buildings or structures which are included on the national List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest. They are nationally designated heritage assets. Buildings are listed by the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, based on recommendations from Historic England. Anyone can nominate a building for listing via the Historic England website if it meets their criteria. 7.418 There are 5,877 listed buildings, bridges, statues and other structures in Buckinghamshire. Of these listed buildings: 135 are Grade 1, 299 are Grade II*, 5,443 are Grade II. Most of the buildings in Buckinghamshire were listed between 1970 and 1990. Several buildings have been added to the lists since then because of requests for individual listings. Others, including 20th century concrete structures and war memorials have been added to the list due to Historic England’s thematic listing programme. 7.419 In addition to the normal planning application process, listed building consent is required for all works that would affect a building’s special interest. The requirement for listed building consent ensures that checks and balances are in place to prevent harm to the structure and interest of a listed building. This protection applies to the whole of a listed building or structure, and to other ancillary structures that sit within the curtilage of the listed building that were in existence before 1 July 1948, and in the curtilage of the building or structure at the time of listing. The need for consent extends to all works, both external and internal. 7.420 Listed building consent is required for any works that affect the character of the building including alterations, extensions, and demolition. It is a criminal offence to carry out unauthorised works to a listed building. If unauthorised work has taken place to a listed building an enforcement notice may be served requiring the work either to be remedied or reversed. In determining applications relating to listed buildings, the council has a statutory duty to have a special regard to the desirability of preserving any listed building or its setting, or any features of special architectural or historic interest that it possesses. Registered historic parks and gardens 7.421 Registered historic parks and gardens are sites which have been assessed to be of particular significance, in terms of the special historic interest. They are nationally designated heritage assets. Historic England has been enabled by Government to compile a register of historic parks and gardens. Anyone can nominate a park or garden for inclusion on the register via the Historic England website. The register includes gardens, grounds and other planned landscapes and open spaces. The register focuses on the interest of the designed landscape, rather than on planting or botanical species. Most sites registered are the grounds of historic private houses, but public parks and cemeteries can also be included. 7.422 Within Buckinghamshire there are 41 parks and gardens of special historic interest included in the national register. They are graded in a similar way to listed buildings. The purpose of registering historic parks and gardens is to celebrate designed landscapes of note and to define the elements that make it important or distinctive, and to ensure appropriate protection. The inclusion of a historic park or garden in the register carries obligations on the Local Planning Authority to consult Historic England and the Garden History Society on all applications for development likely to affect the area of special interest. In considering the impact of a proposal the council will have regard to the special character of the park or garden and public views within, into or from it. The council will also consider the impact of development upon the significance of the heritage asset. Scheduled monuments 7.423 Scheduled monuments are sites of national archaeological importance. They are nationally designated heritage assets. Scheduling of sites as ancient monuments is the oldest form of heritage protection and started in 1882. The Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport designate scheduled monuments, based on recommendations from Historic England. Sites from all periods are eligible for inclusion on the schedule if they meet the criteria adopted by Historic England for scheduling of that asset type. 7.424 There are 147 23 sites in Buckinghamshire that are included in the statutory schedule of ancient monuments. A list of sites is maintained by Historic England, available on their website 24. The consent of the Secretary of State is required for any proposals that may affect the special interest of a scheduled monument. This scheduled monument consent can cover any works affecting a scheduled monument either above or below ground, including groundworks, demolition, destruction, damage, removal, repair, alteration, addition, flooding or tipping operations. Consent may even be required to enter a scheduled monument with digging machinery. Where an application for planning permission affects a scheduled monument, the council will consult with Historic England and will take advice as to the likely impact of that development upon the significance of the heritage asset. Non-designated heritage assets 7.425 A non-designated heritage asset can be a building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions. 7.426 Significance is the value of a heritage asset to this and future generations because of its heritage interest that can be archaeological, architectural, artistic or historic. Every effort will be taken to identify non-designated heritage assets as early as possible in the planning process. 23 As of 14th July 2025 24 Search the List – Find listed buildings, monuments, battlefields and more | Historic England Defining significance 7.427 The significance of any heritage asset, whether designated or non-designated is set out in Historic England’s Conservation Principles – Policies and Guidance for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment and Good Practice Guide for Local Heritage Listing. Evidential 7.428 Evidential value is the potential of a place to yield evidence about past human activity. This can include land use, the hierarchy of places, historic building techniques, fashion and trends in architectural design. The setting of places, for example the rural hinterland of Buckinghamshire’s villages, can contribute to this value as it shows historic linkages between places and economic functions. Historic 7.429 Historic value lies in the ways in which past people, events and aspects of life can be connected through a place to the present and is often illustrative or associative. The links between places and people or events in history feeds into this value, and the tangible way in which modern day settlements have been affected by historic events (such as the setting up of a mediaeval market square) is key to understanding the development of a place. Communal 7.430 The collective experience or memory of a place and the meaning that it holds for people who relate to it form the communal value of an asset. Neighbourhood plans and associated documents offer a good opportunity to try to define the communal value of a place or heritage asset. 7.431 There will be archaeological interest in a heritage asset if it holds, or potentially may hold, evidence of past human activity worthy of expert investigation at some point. Heritage assets with archaeological interest are the primary source of evidence about the substance and evolution of places, and of people and cultures that made them. Identification of archaeological interest will be made in conjunction with the Buckinghamshire Council Archaeological Service. Sub-surface archaeological interest is considered and advised on separately by the service. Architectural interest 7.432 The architectural interest of a building or structure may be aesthetic, based on the intrinsic design value derived from local styles, materials, workmanship or any other distinctive local characteristic. It may be in part derived from the local context of a place, or an association with a known architect or designer of regional or national note. 7.433 The integrity of a building or structure may add to its interest – a degree of intactness and lack of harmful external alteration may make a building more significant. Equally, the ongoing organic development and growth of a building over centuries may be what gives it its value and interest. 7.434 If a building sits as a landmark, by virtue of its design, age, innovation, construction, position, use or communal associations contributes, within the local scene or as a valuable member of a group of buildings this may also add to its interest. Setting 7.435 The setting of a heritage asset is the surroundings within which the asset may be experienced. It is not fixed and may evolve over time. Elements within a setting may be positive, negative or neutral, and so the ability to appreciate setting may be harmed or improved by development within the setting of an asset. Setting must not be confused with curtilage, to avoid confusion with residential curtilage for permitted development rights as this may differ. Curtilage 7.436 Curtilage in heritage terms, refers to an area around a building and, with listed structures, the extent of curtilage is defined by consideration of ownership, both past and present, functional association and layout. The setting of a historic asset will include, but generally be more extensive than, its curtilage. Non-designated buildings and structures 7.437 Within the Buckinghamshire Council area, several heritage assets have been identified locally either through Conservation Area Appraisals where a few buildings are identified as ‘Buildings of Local Note’, through neighbourhood plans, which often identify buildings of local importance, or as part of a Buckinghamshire local Heritage list 25. From time-to-time other non-designated heritage assets/buildings may be identified through the planning process. 7.438 Planning applications that could cause harm to non-designated heritage assets will not be supported by the Council. Where it is not practicable to retain a building which is a nondesignated heritage asset, the council will expect to see a full appraisal of the significance of the building and the reasons why it is not practicably repairable, or reusable submitted as part of the planning application. In addition, the council may require a full record of the building to be made prior to demolition. Archaeological remains 7.439 There are several identified sites of archaeological importance, known as Archaeological Notification Areas, listed on the County Historic Environment Record system. From time-totime other sites of archaeological interest may become apparent because of the planning process. The council is committed to protect these sites from development that would damage or endanger them and will afford protection to archaeological remains in accordance with their archaeological importance. 7.440 Applications for development of sites containing or likely to contain archaeological remains will require an archaeological field evaluation. It is recommended that prospective developers 25 Buckinghamshire’s local Heritage List Home - Buckinghamshire's Local Heritage List consult the council at pre-application stage in this respect. The council will expect proposals for sites containing important archaeological remains to be preserved, where possible, in situ, i.e. preservation undisturbed in the monument’s existing location and setting. Where preservation in situ is not justified, the council will seek preservation by record. This involves digging the site, exposing and removing whatever archaeological remains are found and making a record of the findings. The developer will be required to make satisfactory arrangements for the excavation and recording of the archaeological remains and the publication of the results. This will be achieved by the imposition of suitable conditions and/or agreement between the council and the developer. Heritage at Risk 7.441 The council will support endeavours to repair and reuse heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance and to provide long-term viable uses for buildings and structures that are vacant and at risk through cooperation with owners and Historic England. The council will continue to feed into national projects to record Heritage at Risk, such as the Historic England Heritage Counts surveys, and will support local communities who wish to partake in these projects. The council will continue to work with Historic England to identify options for known Heritage Assets at Risk within Buckinghamshire and take action to address risks where appropriate. The council will cooperate with owners to find acceptable solutions where possible but will take formal action where necessary. 7.442 Proposals that could cause harm to the significance of a heritage asset will not be supported by Buckinghamshire Council. B