Developing a Local Heritage List for Dursley

The Dursley Neighbourhood Development Plan 2018-2031 sets out a number of projects that the Town Council would like to deliver over its lifetime.

https://dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk/neighbourhood-plan.html

The Project

This project was launched at a public meeting in March 2022, with the aim of recruiting volunteers to develop a Local heritage Asset List for Dursley. Residents stepped forward, many with specialist subject knowledge, and worked with the Town Council, Stroud District Council and the Dursley and Cam Society to create a local list of assets which are not formally recognised but play an important role in defining the character of the Town. These local areas are at risk of being overlooked and losing their significance through alteration or in some cases complete demolition.

A list can cover all types of non-designated heritage assets including buildings, monuments, sites, places, areas or landscapes, which have been identified as having a degree of significance.

These assets are not the same as Listed Buildings which are designated at a national level by Historic England https://historicengland.org.uk

Why create a Local heritage Asset List?

• To raise awareness of an areas's local heritage assets and their importance to local distinctiveness.
• To inform developers, owners, council officers and members of the public about buildings within the parish boundary that are desirable to retain and protect.
• To provide guidance and specialist advice to owners to help protect the character and setting of those buildings, structures, sites and landscapes.
• To help the council in its decision making when discussing proposals and determining planning applications.
• To record the nature of the local historic environment.
• The Local Heritage Listing is a means for a community and a local authority to jointly identify heritage assets that are valued as distinctive elements of the local historic environment.

Tiled Floor - entrance to Bristol House (Belle's Kitchen)

How the List was created

The project group surveyed every street within the parish between March 2022 and December 2023 to identify assets for nomination. Historical information and photographs were gathered for these and then a proforma for each asset was completed. The completed nomination forms were assessed, by the group, against Historic England's selection criteria as set out in 'Historic England's Advice Note' second edition 2021.

Selection criteria for asset nomination to the local heritage list

• Age
• Rarity
• Architectural and aesthetic value
• Group value
• Evidential value
• Historic association
• Archaeological interest
• Designed landscape
• Landmark status
• Social and communal value
• Degree of completeness

More detailed information about the criteria is below

The process continued

A panel, made up of project team members, and representatives from Stroud District Council and the Stroud Preservation Trust reviewed the initial list of over 70 nominations in January 2023. A few nominations were removed as the panel members with specialist subject knowledge did not find that these assets met the selection criteria.

Consultation on the remaining 66 nominations on the Dursley Heritage List was carried out between April and September 2023. Residents were invited to comment on the list via several news articles on our website and shared with local social media as well as having a stall at the Town's Summer Festival in July 2023. As part of the consultation process, where possible, owners were notified that there asset had been nominated to the list.

All feedback was reviewed by the project team in September 2023. The project team made recommendations for the final list which was considered by the Planning Committee in October 2023. At the Town Council Meeting, held in November 2023, a vote was held and a majority agreed to accept the Planning Committees recommendations and the final list was agreed.

Dursley's Local List

The final list is below and was confirmed by Stroud District Council on 16th April 2024. We shall submit our list to Gloucestershire Historic Environment Record in the near future.

Edwardian drains in Garden Suburb

Former Bethany Chapel in Upper Poole Road

Next steps for the Project - Spring 2024

Dursley's local list is being mapped on Stroud District Council's in house planning system and once complete we will insert a link to this here. The list is now being used to inform development enquiries and proposals.

As part of the Neighbourhood Development Plan Review (on hold at present due to the pause of the Stroud District Local Plan), we shall formulate a planning policy which allows for assets on the local heritage list to be considered in any development proposals.

A Legacy for the project was discussed by the group members at a meeting on 14th March 2024. The volunteers would be continuing to meet as part of the Cam and Dursley whose remit also broadly includes a focus on conservation, regeneration and preservation of the heritage buildings and other assets in Dursley. Plans would also be put in place to promote the assets on the list.

Is there an asset you would like to nominate for inclusion on the list?

If you want to nominate a building, garden, park or townscape feature please fill in a nomination form (see below) with as much information as you can and email with a photo to: projects@dursleytowncouncil.gov.uk. Only buildings, features and structures within Dursley Parish can be considered. The Town Council will review new nominations for inclusion on the list once a year.