Number of buildings 'locally listed' across Horsham district towns and villages

During a meeting of the cabinet on Thursday (March 23), buildings in Storrington, Steyning, Pulborough, Henfield and Billingshurst were adopted along with others highlighted in the Neighbourhood Plans of Ashington, Nuthurst, Rusper and Southwater.

The buildings covered a variety of ages and architectural styles, ranging from the 19th century Methodist church, in Ashington, to Southwater’s Iggy the Dinosaur, to the 1960 SME building, in Steyning.

Philip Circus, cabinet member for recycling & waste, acknowledged that there had been a few raised eyebrows over a couple of the buildings included.

But he added: “These things are in the eye of the beholder.

“It’s very good that we are moving towards this additional protection because we are stewards of the built environment, just as we are stewards of the green environment.

“This is evidence that this council takes the stewardship of the built environment just as seriously as it does the green.”

A list of locally important historic buildingsand structures, which was presented by the Steyning Society included more than 40 buildings, structures and sites.

One of the more fascinating inclusions was a 17th century mounting block in Dog Lane, which would have been used to help people mount their horses.

Another was the Saxo-Norman to Medieval fields, in Mouse Lane, which has given up pottery from the Prehistoric to late Post-Medieval period and suggests a settlement was established there in the 11th century.

Horsham already has a local list for the many buildings of interest within the town itself.

Liz Kitchen, cabinet member for planning & development, told the meeting that local listing would be looked into for sites across the rest of the district – the report simply covered those that were ready to be included now.

Being locally listed does not give a site, structure or building the same protection as those which as nationally listed – such as Grade I and Grade II buildings.

But it does mean that the importance of the building would need to be at least considered during the planning process.