Do you feel there are important buildings in Dorset which should be included on the new Local Heritage Lists?

If so you now have the opportunity to put forward your ideas.

The Lists will provide a free publicly accessible record of non-designated heritage assets, whose conservation will then be a material consideration in planning decisions.

Dorset Council and BCP Council have appointed Land Use Consultants (LUC) to manage the Local Heritage List Campaign, which will enable communities of all ages and backgrounds to nominate locally important buildings, sites, monuments and features

The project has been funded by a grant of £70,000, from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities. The campaign will provide a baseline Local Heritage List for each authority and will be regularly updated with new additions into the future, with the records of all assets being added to Dorset’s Historic Environment Record.

Later this autumn a public call for nominations will be announced on the Dorset Council and BCP Council websites and through other media channels, along with guidance on the criteria for assessment. These will be guided by Historic England’s standard criteria for Local Listing, but opportunities will be taken to identify local criteria that are specific to Dorset’s wide range of communities and heritage.

Cllr David Walsh, Dorset Council’s portfolio holder for Planning, said: “I am pleased that this important project is progressing. It is very important that we help to promote and protect local heritage and forge stronger connections between people and their local areas, at a time when we are reconnecting with what surrounds us and valuing it more than ever.”

Cllr Mohan Iyengar, BCP Council’s portfolio holder for Tourism, Leisure and Culture said: “This is a great opportunity for people to be involved and to nominate sites which should be preserved across our towns and villages in Dorset. We’ve much to be proud of and this is recognised by residents and the many visitors who come this way. I’d encourage everyone to make themselves heard when the call for nominations is made later this year.”