Introduction
The Local Heritage List is a register of buildings, structures, features, or places that make a special contribution to the character of Somerset. This is through their locally significant historic, architectural, archaeological, or artistic interest.
By identifying what is special about particular heritage assets, we can better protect and manage them through planning policies and planning decisions.
The Local Heritage List for Somerset and Exmoor National Park is managed by Historic Environment Services at the South West Heritage Trust.
Significance of the Local Heritage List
Inclusion of a building or place on the Local Heritage List places no additional legal requirements or responsibilities on property owners over and above those already required for planning permission or building regulation approval.
It can, however, help to influence planning decisions in a way that conserves and enhances local character. Under the National Planning Policy Framework, the conservation and contribution of locally listed heritage assets will be a material consideration in planning decisions that directly affect them or their setting.
Local Heritage List for Somerset
On 19 February 2024, the Local Heritage List was updated with the first set of 78 heritage assets. This includes publicly nominated sites and legacy sites identified by Historic England, and is accessible to the public in the document below.
These entries are based on recommendations by four assessment panel meetings organised by the South West Heritage Trust between August 2022 and November 2023.
The panel, comprising a group of heritage professionals from various organisations and districts within Somerset, evaluated the nominations in relation to the criteria.
This group included representatives from:
- Somerset Council
- Somerset Building Preservation Trust
- Somerset Industrial Archaeological Society
- South West Heritage Trust
- Somerset Archaeological and Natural History Society
The panel’s composition reflects a broad spectrum of expertise and interests, ensuring a comprehensive, fair, and representative selection process for heritage assets.
This update is part of an ongoing effort to preserve and acknowledge Somerset’s rich heritage, with future updates planned following panel meetings, thanks to the collaborative efforts with the South West Heritage Trust, experts and inputs from the public and partner organisations. This section will feature a regularly updated table of approved assets for easy public access as future panel meetings occur and new listings are ratified and added.
Relationship to the National Heritage List
The National Heritage List, administered by Historic England (formerly English Heritage) lists those buildings, structures and monuments of clearly national significance (such as, listed buildings, scheduled monuments, and registered parks and gardens).
The Somerset and Exmoor Local Heritage List provides the opportunity to identify those elements of Somerset’s historic environment particularly valued by local communities that may not meet the criteria for national listing.
Nominating an asset
Contributions from our community are vital to the Local Heritage List. If you know of a building, structure, or place that deserves recognition, we encourage you to nominate it through the South West Heritage Trust’s Local Heritage List page. Your involvement helps ensure our heritage is preserved for future generations.
Origins of the Local Heritage List
In October 2020, the ‘Local Heritage List Campaign’ was launched by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. This was to allocate funding for the preservation of “locally important historic buildings and other heritage assets”. In response, the South West Heritage Trust successfully bid to establish the Local Heritage List on behalf of the local planning authorities in Somerset and Exmoor.
The South West Heritage Trust led efforts to form a project team in 2021 and employed digital platforms for community involvement after funding was received. The South West Heritage Trust has carried on with ongoing delivery after funding conclusion in 2022. The Assessment Panel meets frequently to review nominations, and the Local Heritage List is firmly embedded in the Somerset and Exmoor Historic Environment Records.
Stay informed and involved
For more information on the Local Heritage List, including guidance on nominations and minutes and assessments from the panel meetings, please visit the South West Heritage Trust’s Local Heritage List page.
For additional information, please visit Historic England’s guidance on local listings.
To keep informed on future additions to the Local Heritage List, please subscribe to the Somerset Plan-it Newsletter.