New heritage protection system
What are the changes?
The way in which historic buildings and places in Jersey are to be protected changed in January 2011. The new system of designation is much simpler, clearer and fairer.
To assess whether their heritage value merits protection under the new system all of the Island's heritage assets are to be resurveyed*. Following resurvey and review any protected building or site will become either:
- a Listed Building or Place (un bâtisses et endraits historiques) and will be assigned a grade (1-4)
- or be removed from the list
Owners will be involved in this process and will be able to challenge any proposed designation should they wish.
To ensure that there is a smooth transition to the new Listing system the Department of the Environment will now use the description ‘Listed Building or Place’ or ‘potential Listed Building or Place’ when referring to heritage assets that are presently protected. This will not affect the existing planning controls applied to the property.
There may be some change to the planning controls applied to a property once it has been resurveyed and formally re-designated and these control changes are explained in the table below.
| * Most buildings and places, including archaeological sites, reviewed since 2005 will not be resurveyed but will, where necessary, be formally redesignated and assigned a non-statutory grade. In the case of buildings and places already designated as Sites of Special Interest since 2005, there is no requirement to formally re-designate these sites and they will be assigned a non-statutory grade. |
| Previous designation |
Existing control over work |
New designation (following re-survey and formal designation to list*) |
Future control over work
|
| Site of Special Interest |
Any work to the interior and exterior of the building that would affect its special interest requires permission |
Listed building or place (Les bâtisses et endraits historiques) (Grade 1-3) |
No change |
Proposed Site of Special Interest
|
Development of the exterior of the building that would affect its special interest requires permission |
Listed building or place (Les bâtisses et endraits historiques) (Grade 1-3) |
Work to the interior and exterior of the building or place that would affect it’s special interest requires permission |
| OR |
OR |
| Listed building or place (Les bâtisses et endraits historiques) (Grade 4) |
No change: development of the exterior of the building that would affect it’s special interest requires permission |
| Building of Local Interest |
Development of the exterior of the building that would affect its character requires permission |
Listed building or place (Les bâtisses et endraits historiques) (Grade 1-3) |
Work to the interior and exterior of the building that would affect it’s special interest requires permission |
| OR |
OR |
| Listed building or place (Les bâtisses et endraits historiques) (Grade 4) |
No change: development of the exterior of the building that would affect it’s special interest requires permission |
| Archaeological Site |
Development that would affect its archaeological interest requires permission |
Listed building or place (Les bâtisses et endraits historiques) (Grade 1-3) |
Any work to the site that would affect it’s special interest requires permission, including any excavation |
Protected areas
In addition to Listed Buildings and Places there are areas of the Island that are also of heritage value. Presently, this is limited to the designation of Areas of Archaeological Potential (AAPs).
Areas of archaeological potential
This designation protects those areas of land where there is likely to be archaeologically sensitive material but where this has yet to be conclusively determined, through finds or other evidence. They are, therefore, often associated with known sites of archaeological interest (designated as SSI or AS) or based on old map evidence and place names that suggest potential archaeological interest.