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The Island’s Local List





Click here to view the Local List.
What is a Local List and why produce one?

The quality of the Island’s historic environment is not just about nationally Listed Buildings or Conservation Areas, although these are undeniably of vital importance. It is also about the contribution of unlisted buildings, parks and structures to an areas local distinctiveness and sense of place. Recognising this, the Isle of Wight Council are working with local heritage groups and Town and Parish councils to develop a Local List. Inclusion on the Local List does not confer protection in the way that statutory listing does although it does allow the historic and architectural interest to be recognised.

Local Listing enables local communities to articulate local distinctiveness right across a streetscape and provides clear and comprehensive information about the historic environment at a local level. Local lists play an important part in recognising and celebrating the value of local heritage to communities by encouraging local people to identify important aspects of their local heritage that they consider should be designated through local listing. The Island’s list now incorporates the richness of the everyday such as the traditional red K6 phone boxes, roadside agricultural limekilns, Edward VIII post boxes, war memorials, and the cliff lift at Shanklin and in so doing, helps to sustain authentic detail and heritage values of places into the future.

Local Lists have been promoted in planning policy since 1990 and English Heritage have recently produced draft guidance about how an authority should go about compiling and maintaining a list. Isle of Wight Council have been asked to submit a case study to English Heritage for inclusion in their published guidance as an example of best practice.
What does the Local List mean?
  • Inclusion on the Local List does not in fact change the existing planning controls that apply to a building already, but some protection is given for local heritage assets under the Governments new Planning Policy for the Historic Environment (PPS5).
  • The Local List reinforces efforts to preserve the character and appearance of the structures, parks and buildings that are included on it.
  • It will enable the architectural or historic interest of these heritage assets to be properly considered against any development proposals submitted to the Council.
  • It will provide clarity for owners, the local community, developers and Planning Officers, so that they are aware of the architectural interest, design merit, communal value or historic qualities as early as possible.
  • Inclusion on the Local List does not make a building a ‘Listed Building’ – it is a local designation only.
  • The Local List will simply back up existing guidance (Planning Policy Statement, PPS 5) and add weight to the consideration already given to the preservation of a building’s architectural and historic interest by development proposals affecting them (Planning Policy Statement, PPS1).

Who decides which buildings to add to the Local List?

A small panel has been formed to assess nominations of buildings, parks, gardens or structures at quarterly review meetings throughout the year. The panel consists of representatives of the Isle of Wight Society, a RIBA Architect, the Council’s Conservation & Design Team, a representative of the Isle of Wight Natural History and Archaeological Society and a local practising conservation specialist. Nominations are assessed against the Local List Selection Criteria. For a nomination to be accepted for listing it must meet at least one of the criteria.

How is the Local List formally adopted ?

At the end of the year / early in the next year, the judgements from the four Review Panel meetings are collated in a delegated decision report to the Portfolio Holder to be formally adopted by the Council as the next phase of additions to the Local List. This provides a further opportunity for interested parties, including local Members, owners and the general public to comment upon the additions to the list via the delegated decision process.

The Local List procedure for nomination and ratification is currently under review as part of the establishment of a Supplementary Planning Document. The present procedure was agreed with the Portfolio Holder in April 2009 at which point the criteria against which all nominations are judged, were established and agreed.
Who can nominate buildings and how?

Anyone can nominate a building, park/garden or structure for inclusion on the Local List. Nominations should be submitted usually by the 1st of the month of the review panel meeting in order that the necessary consultation with owners can take place. Any nomination which has not been the subject of consultation will not be taken to the panel. If you want to make a suggestion for an addition to the Local List, all you need to do is complete a Local List nomination form (see below); detailing evidence for at least one of the following: historic interest, historic association, architectural and design merit, survival, townscape merit and provide a present day photograph of the building, park or structure along with any supporting information considered necessary such as:
  • Up to date photographs
  • Historical photographs /illustrations
  • Maps (past and present).
  • Information on its historical relationship to the local area and the Island.
  • Information on its architectural merit and design.
  • Information on any historical association to famous local people, local historic events, strong community or social development. Please note this must be well documented.

Electronic Version (for you to save to your computer and send to us electronically via email).
Printable Version (PDF document for printing and submitting via post).


Please also be advised that the Council is not providing authority for a nominator to enter private land and we cannot accept any liability for personal safety whilst researching Local List nominations.
Please Note: Nominations for the Local List should not be used to frustrate development proposals and will only be considered on the basis of the published criteria.

What if I think my property has been wrongly nominated for inclusion on the Local List?

The Local Listing process is similar to that used for nominating buildings for inclusion on the statutory list of buildings of national architectural or historic interest. Like the national process, there is no appeal procedure if an owner believes his/her property does not warrant inclusion on the List. However, we will consult the owner of every building nominated for inclusion on the List shortly after the submission of a nomination. This will give you the opportunity to let us know whether you think your building meets the criteria for inclusion on the List or not, which we will then consider against the nomination submitted to us, and our own professional assessment of the building’s architectural or historic interest.
It is important to remember that we can only consider representations made by owners in respect of whether the building meets the criteria for listing, and we cannot unfortunately consider personal circumstances, or current or future development proposals. Should you wish to make representations regarding your property’s nomination for inclusion on the list please direct them to the Council’s Conservation and Design Team.

What assistance is available to me if my property is locally listed?

Inclusion on the Local List does not make a building a ‘Listed Building’ – it is a local designation only. There are no grants available for locally listed buildings but the Council is keen to work with owners and occupiers to help safeguard the character of these special places and as such conservation officers are available to give free, confidential advice. In general this will be on the basis of conservation principles in order that the special features of a park, garden or building are retained. Historical architectural features such as windows, doors, roof pitch and cladding etc. are all important elements which, if lost or significantly altered, can devalue the historic importance of a building. Repair of the fabric of a Locally Listed building should normally use traditional materials and methods. In order to sustain and enhance the heritage values of a place, features of architectural and historic interest for example garden features, areas of historic planting or internal machinery in a building should be preserved and restored wherever possible.
If you have any queries regarding the Island’s Local List, please contact the Conservation & Design team on 01983 823 552 or via email [email protected].



Page last updated on: 01/06/2012