Love local landmarks? Protect your favourite Hackney building

Clapton Tram Sheds demonstration outside Hackney Town Hall last year

Hackney residents are being asked to help promote and protect locally-listed buildings.

The Hackney Society, a local conservation and heritage charity, is asking people to nominate buildings to be put forward for local listing.

All the buildings nominated as part of the ‘Love Local Landmarks’ scheme will be considered by Hackney Council for inclusion on the borough’s ‘Local List’.

Local listing lets people know what buildings are of value to the local area and gives them a special status. These buildings are also given due care and consideration by the Council when making decisions that affect their future.

The status does not prevent the buildings from succumbing to regeneration, as the recent demolition of several locally-listed Georgian buildings in a Dalston Lane conservation area demonstrate.

Yet being locally listed means that the Council will have to think twice before allowing a building to be significantly altered or removed.

The ‘Love Local Landmarks’ project, part-funded by English Heritage and Discover Hackney, is being co-ordinated by the Hackney Society in partnership with Hackney Council.

Chair of the Hackney Society, Kevin Moore, said: “I would encourage anyone who wants to nominate a favourite building to do so. I am sure that there will be many new additions to Hackney’s Local List from the nominations we receive.”

“This project provides a unique opportunity for people in Hackney to take part in selecting and protecting some of the borough’s special buildings.”

A building should only be nominated if it is of:

1. Historical interest – has an association with well-known personality or event, and/or demonstrates the borough’s history.
2. Architectural interest – portrays a good example of a particular style or period or is designed by a well-known architect.
3. Environmental significance – makes a special contribution to the environment of a street or locality.
4. Aesthetic or artistic merit – this could include a building, mural or shop sign that ‘arrests the eye’.

The Local List has not been reviewed since 1991 and at present there are a large number of significant twentieth-century buildings that are not included.

Nominations are open from 14 February to 29 April 2011.

To nominate a building, log in here (external site).