First Draft Local List Supplementary Planning Document

Historic England is the Government's statutory adviser on all matters relating to the historic environment in England. We are a non-departmental public body established under the National Heritage Act 1983 and sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS). We champion and protect England's historic places, providing expert advice to local planning authorities, developers, owners and communities to help ensure our historic environment is properly understood, enjoyed and cared for.

We welcome the Council drafting a local list for the area. Local lists are one way in which local heritage - including buildings, monuments, sites, places, areas, historic parks and gardens or other designed landscapes - can be formally identified, SO that their significance can be taken into account in planning applications affecting the building or site and its setting.

Historic England has produced an Advice Note (HEAN 7) on local listing, which is available here: Local Heritage Listing: Identifying and Conserving Local Heritage. This advice supports communities and local authorities in introducing a local list in their area; or making changes to an existing list. It encourages a consistent and accountable approach to the identification and management of local heritage assets when selected by uniform criteria. Such a list will help all - including community groups, owners, developers and local planning authorities - to understand local development opportunities and constraints.

This Advice Note also gives information on the relationship between local lists and Historic Environment Records; how best to update such lists, particularly when heritage assets not on the list are identified through the decision-making process for planning applications; and stresses the usefulness of innovative ways of creating and maintaining lists. As the intention is for local planning authorities to be clear how the list will inform their decision-making on heritage assets, this note stresses the importance of local lists being published on local planning authorities' websites.

We also recommend that you seek advice from the Council's specialist staff involved with conservation/ heritage both in the local authority and Cheshire archaeological staff. They are best placed to provide information on the Historic Environment Record and advise on local historic environment issues and priorities.

In terms of the detail of Cheshire East's draft List, we encourage you to follow the guidance set out in our Advice Note, particularly in terms of the process of preparing of a local list, and the content of the descriptions of non-designated heritage assets identified within the list. Paragraph 12 of HEAN 7 is clear that the more information that can be provided within a description about the significance of an asset and the reasons for its inclusion on the local list, the more effective its identification as a non-designated heritage asset will be.

Going forward, we would encourage you to follow HEAN 7 Paragraph 13, which advises that it is good practice to have a relevant policy in your Local Plan (and/ or Neighbourhood Plan) that sets out how proposals affecting the heritage assets on your list will be considered.

Thank you for providing us with an opportunity to comment on your draft Local List.