Wirral Council launches Local Listing campaign
The impressive number of historic buildings, structures and landmarks in Wirral are to be recognised in a new Local List – which formally records the important role these historic assets play in preserving the area’s cultural heritage and identity.
Local lists are a way to define and celebrate an area’s heritage, and acknowledge the importance of it in creating a sense of place. It also means that buildings and structures on the list will be given special consideration in future planning applications, and can help to protect buildings that do not meet the criteria for national Listing.
Members of the public are invited to nominate buildings, structures or landmarks of significance via the Local Listing website before 30th April 2025. All nominations will be reviewed by an Assessment Panel, who will meet every two months to evaluate submissions.
Wirral’s Heritage Champion, Councillor Jerry Williams, said:
In partnership with our dedicated heritage and cultural organisations, we are thrilled to launch Wirral’s Local List, to give the community a way to celebrate assets that positively contribute to our culture and shape the place we call home.
“We are lucky to have such a vast number of historically and culturally important buildings and landmarks on our doorstep. This initiative will allow us to formally recognise them to help preserve the borough’s heritage now and into the future.
How to nominate:
- Register online at Welcome - The Local Heritage List for Wirral
- Check the existing list before nominating to ensure that the asset you’re proposing isn’t already on the Local or National List (designated assets can be found on the website map). If it’s not already included, you can go ahead and nominate. If the asset you’d like to nominate is already included in the list as under review, you can submit extra documentation to strengthen the nomination
- Review the selection criteria which outlines the types of submissions being looked for, as well as which elements of architectural and historic significance will be assessed
- Gather your supporting information to assist your nomination, including the address, photographs, and any relevant background information about the building or structure
- Submit your nomination via the website
The Assessment Panel, comprised of Wirral Council Heritage Officers, Councillor Jerry Williams, Wirral’s Heritage Champion and Elizabeth Davey, Conservation Areas Wirral, will meet every two months to evaluate nominations. The results will be made publicly available on the Local Listing website.
What are the differences between local and national listing?*
Buildings that are of special architectural or historic interest can be listed, which gives them legal protection. Listing recognised and provides protection to the nation’s special buildings, and anyone can recommend a building for listing through the application process. All nationally listed buildings are hosted on the National Heritage List for England (known as the NHLE). The NHLE is a publicly available, searchable database which contains information on England’s nationally protected heritage. National listing is more formally known as statutory listing, as maintaining a national list is a statutory (legal) requirement.
Local lists are set up and managed locally, either by the local planning authority or as part of a community led neighbourhood plan. Whilst Local Heritage Lists are not statutory, they are recognised under national planning policy and are given a degree of protection in the planning system, under the National Planning Policy Framework, or NPPF.
Volunteers who would like to get involved in this project to celebrate and preserve Wirral’s heritage should email: heritage@wirral.gov.uk.
For further information, visit the website here: Welcome - The Local Heritage List for Wirral
* Source: Protecting Heritage Beyond the List | Historic England