Why is a park or garden included on the Register?
The 'Register of Parks and Gardens' includes designed landscapes of all ages, right up to the fairly recent past. As with other designations, a sliding scale of significance is employed: the more recent the site, the higher the level of interest required for inclusion on the Register. Designed landscapes which are less than 30 years old are unlikely to be considered unless they are of outstanding importance and under threat.
Whether or not a site merits national recognition through registration will depend primarily upon the age of its main layout and features, its rarity as an example of historic landscape design and the quality of the surviving landscape.
Cemeteries, institutional landscapes including university campuses, and other types of designed landscape each have particular characteristics that warrant recognition through the Register.
Will I always be notified and consulted if my park or garden is being considered?
In the vast majority of cases, yes. However, if it can be demonstrated that the site is at substantial risk of imminent damage or destruction then English Heritage may choose not to notify or consult the owner or local authority.
Will English Heritage always visit?
In most cases, yes. A visit can provide valuable information about the site in question, and the owner will be contacted to arrange a suitable time to visit. Occasionally an application will supply so much information that a visit is unnecessary. In a few cases, it will be clear from the initial application that the site falls short of the criteria for registration. In such cases we will write to the applicant explaining this decision.
How long will it take?
English Heritage aims to complete the whole process within five months. This sounds like a long time, but we need time to carry out research, consult with relevant parties and complete the assessment of the site. However, if a site is under threat this timescale will be reduced.
How can I apply for a park or garden to be registered?
If you would like to put forward a park or garden for registration you can use our online application form to do so.
Can I find out who put my park or garden forward for registration?
You can make a request under the Freedom of Information Act to find out who an applicant is, but we would always check with private individuals whether or not they would be comfortable with this information being released. Applications from groups or public bodies are not subject to the same protection, and the information would be released.
How will registration affect me?
Although the inclusion of an historic park or garden on the Register in itself brings no additional statutory controls, local authorities are required by central government to make provision for the protection of the historic environment in their policies and their allocation of resources.
Registration is a material consideration in planning terms so, following an application for development which would affect a registered park or garden, local planning authorities must take into account the historic interest of the site when determining whether or not to grant permission.
To ensure that local planning authorities have the appropriate professional advice when considering such applications, they are required to consult English Heritage where the application affects a Grade I or II* registered site, and the Garden History Society on all applications affecting registered sites, regardless of the grade of the site. Many designed landscapes have listed buildings within their boundaries: these assets, including their setting, can have their own planning controls which can affect proposals within a registered landscape too.
Local planning authorities are also specifically guided towards protecting registered parks and gardens when preparing development plans. As a result, most Local Development Frameworks now contain policies to help safeguard such landscapes. These plans usually stress in particular those sites included in the national Register, as well as parks and gardens of more local interest.
If you have enquiries concerning planning related matters, grant aid, or management issues, please see our parks and gardens management pages. English Heritage's Landscape Architects provide advice and guidelines on issues relating to the care and conservation of registered parks and gardens.
Can I see the Register?
Register entries are available from The National Heritage List for England where you can also download individual entries with maps.
Copies of the Register entries for your particular district or county can usually also be consulted in the Historic Environment Record which will be maintained by your local authority's planning department.
The online database Parks and Gardens UK http://www.parksandgardens.ac.uk/York already holds abridged Register entries and the registered areas are mapped on www.magic.gov.uk, the information being taken from The National Heritage List for England.
What if I only want to request a minor amendment to a park or garden List entry?
It is not necessary to go through our entire application process if you wish to request a minor edit to an existing entry on the National Heritage List for England. Minor amendment requests can be sent by email to minoramendmentstothelist@english-heritage.org.uk. Details of what constitutes a minor amendment can be found here.
