The Local List

The Streatham Society

Local list general

The draft Heritage Bill 2008 proposed that the building’s owner be consulted and selection criteria published before a building be added to a local list.  It was also proposed that locally listed buildings would be protected from demolition.  It is uncertain whether the draft Bill will ever be enacted.

The draft Planning Policy Statement 15 (which will replace PPG15 Planning and the Historic Environment and PPG16 Planning and Archaeology) that was published for consultation in July 2009 intends to accord great weight in the development management process to Historic Environment Records.  These records must be consulted before applications for development to heritage assets are made and the local authority needs to take them into account when coming to decisions.  It is expected that the Historic Environment Records will contain heritage assets that are of local interest.  The formulation of a Local List by Lambeth Council will help fulfil this proposed part of draft Planning Policy Statement 15.

Officers have received strong local support for the creation of a Local List and there exists a great opportunity to strengthen the engagement and involvement of local people in the process.  It is proposed to seek local listing proposals from relevant local organisations and to engage with local groups such as local residents’ associations and member organisations of the Lambeth Local History Forum.

No additional statutory controls exist once a building or structure has been placed on a Local List.  Normal planning procedures and rules apply and if the building or structure is outside a conservation area there is usually no control over the building’s demolition.  However, experience elsewhere has been that local listing raises awareness of buildings and structures of local interest and may secure their retention through normal planning processes.

The definition of a Local List would add value to the development control process if the list is clear as to the merits of buildings and the basis for listing by the authority is unambiguous.  The risk of lobbying for particular buildings to be listed in connection with individual proposals would, however, need to be carefully managed.

PROPOSED SELECTION CRITERIA

The following selection criteria have been developed from the statutory listing criteria within PPG15.  They reflect the key considerations necessary to identify buildings or structures of local interest.  It is proposed that a building or structure will be assessed for inclusion in Lambeth’s Local List against these criteria.  A building or structure can be locally listed if it meets one or more of the criteria.

A Architecture:
The architectural style, decoration and detailing, materials, craftsmanship and plan form may give it special interest if these features are of particular note - above the ordinary in their design and execution, and reasonably intact. This criterion can include the best works of architects who were active locally.  In some cases altered buildings may still be worthy of inclusion, especially if by an architect of importance.

B History:
Buildings and structures that reflect the diverse aspects of the social, economic, and physical development of Lambeth may be of interest.  If the building type is reasonably common - houses, pubs, churches - only the best examples will be added to the list. 

C Close Historical Association:
Connections with people or events that are acknowledged as of being of borough wide / national importance may make some buildings worthy of inclusion. Building materials of clear local interest (such as Doulton’s architectural ceramics) may be considered in this category. 

D Townscape:
Some buildings and structures contribute to the richness of our street scene, individually or in groups they may contribute greatly to the quality of local townscape or landscape. Similarly, they may contribute positively to the setting or group value of statutory listed buildings.  

E Age and Rarity:
The older a building or structure is and/or the fewer the surviving examples of its type the more historically important it is. 

Proposed Establishment of the Local List

The Council’s Conservation Areas Statement programme has provided the initial opportunity for identifying buildings and structures worthy of local listing.  Those buildings and structures identified for inclusion on a Local List within the current adopted statements or those statements which have undergone public consultation, have been extracted from those statements and placed on a draft Local List.   The conservation officers have also identified suitable buildings and structures and these too are contained within the draft Local List.

The buildings and structures in the draft Local List shall be placed with immediate effect on a formal  Local List and Local Land Charges notified.   Following this, letters of notification will be sent in accordance with the provisions below..

Future Additions to the Local List

It is intended that additions and alterations will continue to be made to the Local List and that this will take place by

a. periodic Local List amendment or
b. identification in the Conservation Area statement programme.
    
Anyone can propose a building for local listing.  Local amenity societies and the Lambeth Local History Forum will be particularly encouraged to do so. Submissions should be made to the Council’s conservation officers with a clear statement (in accordance with the local listing A - E criteria in Section 2 above), explaining why the building or structure should be considered for local listing.  Where possible the submission should be accompanied by up-to-date photographs and any available historical information such as photographs and plans.

Submitted information will be assessed by the conservation officers.  They will determine which buildings and structures fulfil the selection criteria and will recommend those that do for inclusion on the Local List.

Periodic Local List amendment: the conservation officers will recommend to the Divisional Director of Planning for his or her approval any further buildings and structures that have been identified and have fulfilled the selection criteria to be placed on the Local List.

Identification in the Conservation Area Statement programme:  Conservation Area Statements will continue to contain recommendations for local listing.  Such buildings or structures will become locally listed when the Divisional Director for Planning approves the Conservation Area Statement document.


Future Consultation Process for additions to the Local List

When buildings or structures have been placed on the Local List under the method in 4.4 (periodic Local List amendment) letters will be sent to the owner/occupier at the property and will be subject to a consultation period of 28 days when the views of the owner/occupier will be sought.

Any consultation responses where the local listing is challenged by the owner/occupier will be reported back to the Divisional Director of Planning for him or her to decide whether the building or structure stays on the Local List or is removed.
 
Conservation Area Statements are subject to a public consultation period and require the final approval of the Divisional Director of Planning.  It is proposed that this consultation will also cover any recommendations for local listing that are contained within a draft Conservation Area Statement.   A letter about the proposed local listing will be sent to the owner / occupier at the property during that consultation to seek their views.

Owners / occupiers will be notified in writing of the decision and the list will be made available on the Council web pages.  Entry on the Local List will be a Local Land Charge.

Where the building or structure on the Local List or proposed in a Conservation Area Statement does not appear to have a postal address and/or cannot receive a letter, the notification will be placed either in the Council’s ‘Lambeth Life’ newspaper or the Council website or by fixing a notice on it or nearby inviting comments within 28 days.  Any decision taken on such a building or structure to include them on the Local List will be available to view on the Council’s web pages.

Local List Content

The Local List will be made available on the Council web pages.  Each entry will contain the following which is as shown in Appendix 1:

(a)the postal address.

(b)a brief description of and information on the special interest of the building or structure for identification purposes.


To access the Local List on this site click here