Hundreds of buildings, structures, archaeological sites and landscapes which residents feel help make East Cambridgeshire special have now been documented for the first time.

A total of 678 entries – ranging from war memorials, telephone boxes and fenland cottages – across all 35 parishes have been added to the Cambridgeshire Local Heritage List Project’s website.

The aim is to capture sites which are valued by local people and contribute positively to character and identity of the district but fall below the threshold for national listing.

It means they often have little or no protection, and over time can be lost.

The website Home - Cambridgeshire's Local Heritage List records where each asset is located and summarises what is significant or special about it.

By adding these heritage assets to Local Heritage Lists their local importance will be officially recognised in the planning process. If a planning application is made that affects one of the assets on the list, the local planning authority will have to take this into account when considering the application. While this does not provide the same degree of protection that is given to nationally listed buildings, it should help to preserve the character and heritage of our local area.

Thanks to the project, 15 assets have also been accepted by Historic England for inclusion in the National Heritage List.

Cllr Lucius Vellacott, Heritage Champion at East Cambridgeshire District Council, said: 

“We are extremely lucky to live in an area that is rich in history and has lots of impressive buildings, parks, gardens, landmarks and structures which are important to local communities. 

“This is about capturing what makes East Cambridgeshire special and helping to keep it that way to preserve what we love about our district now, and for the future.

“The fact that 15 of these have now been accepted by Historic England for inclusion in the National Heritage List is a testament both to the quality of East Cambridgeshire’s built heritage, and to the rigour and thoroughness of the local listing process.” 

The completion of the local list in East Cambridgeshire will help ensure that a much wider and more representative selection of the district’s built heritage will be recognised and protected for the future. 

Lucius added: “East Cambridgeshire is the first participating district in the Cambridgeshire Local Heritage List Project to reach completion, and it will stand the council in good stead when the forthcoming National Planning Policy Framework makes the provision of local lists a mandatory requirement. 

“I would encourage anyone who thinks an asset is worth preserving to visit the website where they will be able to make a nomination, comment on an existing application or even volunteer their time to help with the process.”

The Cambridgeshire Local Heritage List Project was one of 22 funded by the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (now the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government) which invited councils in England to create pilot projects for Local Heritage Lists in their areas. 

Nominations made on the website are considered by an assessment panel of heritage professionals to check they satisfy the criteria for selection. 

The selected assets are then taken forward by the individual district councils for adoption onto a Local List. Once adopted these lists will be published on the project website with links to each of the district council’s websites. 

For more information and ways to get involved visit Cambridgeshire's Local Heritage List website or email Project Officer christopher.patterson@cambridgeshire.gov.uk.