(L.45) Crystal Palace Park - Listing Status, as of May 2009

(My) confusion about the historic status of the NSC (there were some errors - now corrected) in the picture report describing its regeneration, led me to seek further. I discovered that a record of listed buildings is not currently available on-line and so I enquired of English Heritage what the listed status of various parts of the park was (see below). Here are also some notes on the Listing process itself - and some links...

Planning Policy Guidance 15: Planning and the Historic Environment (14 September 1994)

Planning Policy Guidance 15 (PPG15) provides a full statement of Government policies for the identification and protection of historic buildings, conservation areas and other elements of the historic environment. It explains the role played by the planning system in their protection. It complements the guidance on archaeology and planning given in PPG 16.

• In addition to normal development controls, the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 provides specific protection for buildings and areas of special architectural or historic interest. In many instances there is a close link between controls over listed buildings and conservation areas and development control decisions. In such cases development and conservation issues will generally need to be considered together.
• The function of the planning system is to regulate the development and use of land in the public interest. It has to take account of the Government's objective of promoting sustainable economic growth, and make provision for development to meet the economic and social needs of the community.
• Section 1 of the Act imposes on the Secretary of State for National Heritage a duty to compile or approve lists of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.
• Once a building is listed (or is the subject of a building preservation notice), section 7 of the Act provides that consent is normally required for its demolition, in whole or in part, and for any works of alteration or extension which would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest.
• The issues that are generally relevant to the consideration of all listed building consent applications are:
  
  • the importance of the building, its intrinsic architectural and historic interest and rarity, in both national and local terms;
  • the particular physical features of the building (which may include its design, plan, materials or location) which justify its inclusion in the list: list descriptions may draw attention to features of particular interest or value, but they are not exhaustive and other features of importance (e.g. interiors) may come to light after the building's inclusion in the list;
  • the building's setting and its contribution to the local scene, which may be very important, e.g. where it forms an element in a group, park, garden or other townscape or landscape, or where it shares particular architectural forms or details with other buildings nearby;
  • the extent to which the proposed works would bring substantial benefits for the community, in particular by contributing to the economic regeneration of the area or the enhancement of its environment (including other listed buildings).

Processes of classification are necessary for the practical purposes of identifying and protecting individual sites and areas. This is achieved through the statutory systems for scheduling ancient monuments, listing historic buildings and designating conservation areas. Scheduling and listing are undertaken by the Secretary of State; designation of conservation areas is the responsibility of local planning authorities. In addition, English Heritage compiles registers of parks and gardens of special historic interest, and of historic battlefields. Identified in these ways, the historic environment may be protected through the development control system and, in the case of listed buildings and conservation areas, through the complementary systems of listed building and conservation area control.

Listing helps us acknowledge and understand our shared history. It marks and celebrates a building's special architectural and historic interest, and also brings it under the consideration of the planning system so that some thought will be taken about its future.

• Grade I buildings are of exceptional interest, sometimes considered to be internationally important. Just 2.5% of listed buildings are Grade I.
• Grade II* buildings are particularly important buildings of more than special interest. 5.5% of listed buildings are Grade II*.
• Grade II buildings are nationally important and of special interest. 92% of all listed buildings are in this class and it is the most likely grade of listing for a home owner

Buildings are added to the statutory lists in two main ways:

• as a result of systematic resurvey or review of particular areas or building types; or
• following proposals from local authorities, amenity societies or other bodies or individuals that particular buildings should be added to the list ('spot listing').

All buildings built before 1700 which survive in anything like their original condition are listed; and most buildings of about 1700 to 1840 are listed, though some selection is necessary. After about 1840, because of the greatly increased number of buildings erected and the much larger numbers that have survived, greater selection is necessary to identify the best examples of particular building types, and only buildings of definite quality and character are listed. For the same reasons, only selected buildings from the period after 1914 are normally listed. Buildings which are less than 30 years old are normally listed only if they are of outstanding quality and under threat. Buildings which are less than ten years old are not listed.

Lists: The current listing position in England (1993) is, to the nearest thousand:

CRYSTAL PALACE PARK*

NOTES [Ed. Ray Sacks]

*
I am grateful to the Heritage Protection Department of English Heritage for this information which is currently not easily accessible.

Department of Communities and Local Government : http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/ppg15

English Heritage: http : //www.english-heritage.org.uk/

About Listed Buildings : http://www.heritage.co.uk/apavilions/glstb.html#a

Top of Page; Go to Legal Index;

1/06/09 Last Updated 1/06/09