Swale Local Heritage List

Invitation to Nominate for Local Heritage List

As a priority task set out in our adopted borough-wide Heritage Strategy, there is now a commitment to develop a local heritage list, and in light of this, the Council is seeking nominations of buildings or structures to add to the Local Heritage List. These are buildings which may not be of sufficient interest to warrant national statutory listing, but it is still desirable for them to be recognised.

How to submit a nomination

The nomination period runs from Monday 15 May to Monday 26 June 2023.

The submission form should be completed electronically via the Customer Portal.

It's important to read the listing criteria for the Local Heritage List (PDF 132kb) first. There are also some frequently asked questions (PDF 131kb) that explain the Local Heritage List in more detail.

You can also check to see if a building is already listed, using our Interactive Map.

The criteria to be used in assessing buildings for inclusion in a Local Heritage List is based on age and integrity, historic and architectural interest, with particular local emphasis. All candidate buildings would need to be considered against these criteria and consistency applied across the Borough.

Alternatively, a hard copy of the Nomination Form (PDF 341kb) can be downloaded, completed by hand and sent to:

(Please email Lpcomments@swale.gov.uk if you require a paper copy or help using the Portal).

Why your views matter

We believe that the local community is best placed to put forward nominations and are seeking the views of residents, businesses and groups as well as local historians. The nominations form sets out the criteria which will be used to assess the merit of buildings and structures put forward.

What happens next

The council will assess all the nominations against the criteria for local listing. There will be a Selection Panel set up in Autumn 2023 to assess those considered worthy of including on the Local List.

If you have any additional questions, please email: conservation@swale.gov.uk.

The Swale Local Heritage List

The Local Heritage List does not provide any additional planning controls but buildings and green spaces on the list have the status of heritage assets and their conservation is an objective of the NPPF. The inclusion of a building or structure on the list will be a material consideration that we will take into account when considering planning applications.

A Local Heritage List:

• raises awareness of an area’s local heritage assets and their importance to local distinctiveness
• informs developers, owners, council officers and members about buildings within the local authority boundary that are desirable to retain and protect
• provides guidance and specialist advice to owners to help protect the character and setting of those buildings, structures,sites and landscapes
• helps the council in its decision making when discussing proposals and determining planning applications
• records the nature of the local historic environment more accurately

For more information and a description of local heritage lists, visit Historic England.

As a priority task set out in our recently adopted borough-wide Heritage Strategy, there is now a commitment to develop a local heritage list, and in light of this, we are consulting on the list of criteria to use for listing local heritage.

Ref: A Heritage Strategy for Swale, Appendix 1, Action Plan 1 – (1April 2020 to 31 March 2023) (PDF 1065kb) Item 6, page 4

The criteria to be used in assessing buildings for inclusion in a Local Heritage List is based on age and integrity, historic and architectural interest, with particular local emphasis. All candidate buildings would need to be considered against these criteria and consistency applied across the Borough.

Various building types within Swale that can be considered for local heritage listing