A Heritage Asset is defined in the NPPF as “A building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage interest. Heritage asset includes designated heritage assets and assets identified by the local planning authority (including local listing).”

In the NPPF Significance (for heritage policy) is defined “The value of a heritage asset to this and future generations because of its heritage interest. That interest may be archaeological, architectural, artistic or historic. Significance derives not only from a heritage asset’s physical presence but also from its setting.”

There are two categories of Heritage Asset: Designated and Non-Designated

Designated Heritage Asset
“A World Heritage Site, Scheduled Monument, Listed Building, Protected Wreck Site, Registered Park and Garden, Registered Battlefield or Conservation Area designated under the relevant legislation.” NPPF
For more see §4

Not all heritage sites are listed or designated, and some that once were can later be removed from the List, or be de-designated. Some sites are locally listed and by this means have some level of protection by the local planning authority

Non-Designated Heritage Asset
A Non-Designated Heritage Asset is identified solely by the Local Authority, such assets are sometimes described as “locally listed.” Swale BC does not have a local list but accepts the principle, as confirmed by the designated heritage assets identified under the Faversham Creek Neighbourhood Plan process.

Swale is currently working on a list of Non-Designated Heritage Assets in Faversham.

The NPPF, para. 135, makes it clear that the effect of a planning application on the significance of non-designated heritage assets should be taken into account in determining applications.

PastScape is a quick and easy way to search over 420,000 records held in the National Record of the Historic Environment (NRHE). You’ll find information on archaeological, architectural and maritime sites. Historic England maintains this database to provide an overview of both listed and non-listed heritage sites and places of interest in England. This includes buildings, wrecks, archaeology, landscapes, investigations and aerial photograph interpretation.

The Heritage Gateway allows you to cross-search over 60 different heritage resources. This includes Historic England’s records as well as those of many Historic Environment Records (HERs) which hold the primary information for non-designated assets and also other heritage organisations. Here you can search for a building or site by its name or location, search for images of listed buildings and look at Designation Decision Records. You can find out more about sites that have been de-designated, or removed from the List; and why a decision has been made to not designate an asset (the records only reflect decisions made since 12 November 2012) The Heritage Gateway website allows you to cross-search over 60 resources, offering local and national information relating to England’s heritage. Click here for full details of the range of records that you can search on this website

Statement of Common Ground and Schedule of Minor Modifications drafted in response to concerns raised by English Heritage during consultation on the Publication Version of the Faversham Creek Neighbourhood Plan in December 2014

Swale Heritage Asset Review 2015