New app goes live to help safeguard local heritage

South Lakeland District Council media release

People across Cumbria are being invited to help protect local heritage as part of a county-wide project led by South Lakeland District Council (SLDC).

A new app has been launched to enable the public to pinpoint those places they would like to see safeguarded. Photos and location details can be uploaded from phones, laptops and tablets, and it is hoped the app will encourage young people to take part while out and about by nominating anything from a park to a pub, garden, house or historic street sign. You can find the app at: www.southlakeland.gov.uk/LocalList

Cumbria secured £70,000 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing & Communities for its county-wide Local Heritage Listing campaign. The Government’s £1.5 million campaign is designed to help protect the “commonplace or everyday” heritage assets valued by people locally but with no existing protection under planning law. Cumbria’s campaign roll-out is being led by conservation and planning specialists at SLDC and the partner organisations. Nominations will be considered in spring 2022.

SLDC Leader Councillor Jonathan Brook, Portfolio Holder for Promoting South Lakeland and Innovation, said: “A non-designated heritage asset can be anything from a piece of street furniture to a house designed by a local architect or lived in by someone noteworthy; an old pub or barn; a park or garden; a statue or carving; or a site with importance for agriculture, commerce or industry – anywhere or anything that you think deserves to be protected.

“We are very excited to be leading this Local Heritage Listing campaign for Cumbria, which has been made possible thanks to the successful county-wide funding bid made by our friends at Allerdale Borough Council last year.

“As we all know, Cumbria is famed around the world for the richness of its heritage. Many of these assets already benefit from the protection given by such designations as Listed Buildings, Scheduled Monuments, Registered Historic Parks, Tree Preservation Orders, Conservation Areas and UNESCO World Heritage Site status.

“However, for every treasure such as Kendal Castle or Ulverston’s Hoad Monument, there are dozens of lesser-known heritage assets on people’s doorsteps that are non-designated. This means they do not have any special protection or rights of consideration in place when planning applications are made.

“The Local Heritage Listing campaign will allow people across Cumbria to tell us about the places and features they cherish and why they want to see them protected for future generations by being placed on a Local Heritage List for the county.

“As well as residents, we are hoping that civic societies, town and parish councils and local history groups will share their considerable local knowledge with us by taking part now that the app has gone live.”

Historic England’s Advice Note on Local Heritage Listing states that, once finalised, Local Heritage Lists are to be linked to the mapping systems used by planning authorities such as SLDC to ensure that “planning applications affecting locally listed assets can take full account of the significance the community attaches to those assets”.

To take part, go to: www.southlakeland.gov.uk/LocalList