When a building is described as listed it means that it is included on a list of buildings which are considered to be of sufficient historic or architectural interest to merit special protection. The list is drawn up by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport on the advice of Historic England.  Listed buildings are protected by law under s.69 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.  Buildings are listed so that we can identify and protect our architectural heritage. However, this does not suggest that it must be preserved for all time, rather which care will be taken over the decisions affecting its future. Additional information regarding the listing process and the affects on ownership can be found through the Historic England guides on listed and historic buildings.

As of June 2020, Winchester City Council has 2,262 listed building entries, of which 67 are listed Grade I, 126 Grade II* and the rest are Grade II.  Because a list entry may cover a number of buildings (such as in a terrace of similar houses) the actual number of buildings protected is far higher, likely nearer 3,000.

As of June 2020, there are 110 Scheduled Monuments, 11 Registered Parks and Gardens and 1 Battlefield site across the Winchester City Council district.

You can look up the listing status and description of any listed building in England and Wales by accessing the national database managed by Historic England via the following link: National Heritage List for England

We would advise any potential purchaser of a listed building to buy the property on the understanding that it meets your current needs, as these special buildings by their very nature, are rare examples of their type and which are not always capable of accommodating large scale changes.  Useful advice on buying a listed building has been produced by Historic England. It is also worth remembering that it is the owners responsibility to ensure that the correct consents/permissions are in place when buying a listed building, and checking whether any unauthorised works have been carried out prior to the point of sale is highly recommended.

This can be checked through contacting either the planning department, enforcement department or land charges department via:

planning@winchester.gov.uk

enf@winchester.gov.uk

landcharges@winchester.gov.uk

Listed buildings do not generally require a higher degree of care and maintenance than modern buildings; however, there would be an expectation that any repairs to historic fabric would have to be carried out in accordance with conservation best practice employing traditional materials and finishes. The Building Conservation Directory provides lots of useful information on the upkeep of listed buildings.

A conservation area is an ‘area of special architectural or historic interest the character or appearance of which it is desirable to preserve or enhance’ (s.69 Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990). There is a duty on Local Planning Authorities to identify those parts of their district that are of special interest and to designate them as a conservation area.  Since their inception in 1967, there are now more than 8,000 conservation areas throughout the country.

More information concerning the designation and development restrictions of conservation areas can be found through the Historic England guidance.

Designation allows the council to manage change within these sensitive areas through the planning process where the preservation or enhancement of the character of conservation areas is at the heart of the decision-making process.  It also helps to control some types of development as well as the demolition of certain structures that would normally be `permitted development`.  Further information to this can be found via the Planning Portal.

Winchester City Council has designated 37 conservation areas in the district as places worthy of protection as areas of special merit. Some of these conservation areas fall under the remit of the South Downs National Park Authorities. Please use this link to access further information and guidance regarding these areas.

To see if you live within a conservation area please access our on-line interactive mapping tool.

The designation of a conservation area ensures the protection of the historic character and unique aspects of buildings and streetscenes. Through the designation, the introduction of modern and alien materials which are unsustainable and detract from the character of the area are restricted.  We would therefore encourage you to consider whether the full replacement of these units would be in the best interests of the building. For instance, the survival of historic/traditional features often adds value to a property, that once lost can never be replaced.  Replacing timber units with modern metal or uPVC units is also not particularly sustainable. Additional information can be found through the Historic England website.

To identify the special character of its conservation areas, the Council has already completed a number of ‘Conservation Area Character Appraisals’ which consider the historic development of each area and record its most notable features. Copies of these appraisals are available on the Historic Environment Conservation Area webpage. Further information regarding Conservation areas can be found through the Historic England website.

Non-Designated Heritage Assets are individual buildings, structures, monuments, open spaces or designed landscapes that display a degree of heritage interest.  They do not benefit from any form of statutory protection, but they can often add a richness to the character and appearance of an area, and as such, merit consideration in the planning process. 

Whilst it could be said that all old buildings have some degree of heritage interest due to their age, Non-Designated Heritage Assets are primarily buildings or structures that are good examples of their type and whose external appearance has a historic, archaeological, architectural or artistic interest in their own right AND are relatively intact and generally devoid of 20^th Century additions. 

The Local Planning Authority, with the help of the Historic Environment Team, has begun, and shall continue to identify buildings as Non-Designated Heritage Assets, either through the receipt of specific information, site visits, or those that become apparent during the consideration of planning applications. In addition to this, the Winchester Future 50 Conservation Area Project has also begun assessing assets that meet the criteria. Further information regarding this project can be found on through the Winchester Future 50 website.

Historic England suggests in their Local Heritage Listing Advice Note 7 that Local Planning Authorities should aim to identify and compile a list of Local Heritage Assets.  These are individual buildings, structures, monuments, valued open spaces, or designed landscapes that fall short of meeting the statutory tests to be included on the National List of Buildings England, but are valued highly for their heritage significance by the surrounding communities in which they sit. 

To ensure that the buildings or structures added to the list are assessed in a fair and transparent nature, nominations that come to light either through the receipt of specific information from local groups, site visits, or those that become apparent during the consideration of planning applications, will all be assessed under a strict set of criteria. This criteria and additional information can be found within the Local Plan.

Winchester City Council has introduced policies and criteria within the Local Plan to prepare a list of Locally Listed Heritage Assets.  The list will cover the Winchester District but will exclude those buildings or structures which fall within the South Downs National Park .

As and when Locally Listed Heritage Assets are approved by Cabinet they will be shown on the public access mapping service accessible via the council`s on-line interactive mapping tool.