Is there a building, landmark, site or place in Dorchester and the surrounding area that you would like recognised as locally important?

Residents are being encouraged to nominate these to be considered on the new Local Heritage List.

The idea is to make it easy for everyone to nominate and celebrate the heritage that is important to their local area. Dorset's economy relies on the historic towns, seaside resorts, villages and landscapes to draw hundreds of thousands of tourists every year and it is this heritage that is a big part of what makes our county so special.

This is a joint project between Dorset Council and Bournemouth, Poole and Christchurch (BCP) Council, using a grant of £70,000 from the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.

The Local Heritage Lists will provide a free record of non-designated heritage assets, whose conservation will then be a material consideration in planning decisions.

Councillor David Walsh, Dorset Council's portfolio holder for planning, said: "It is very important that we help to promote and protect local heritage and forge stronger connections between people and their local areas.

"And no one knows the area better than local people, so it is vital that everyone is able to add to our Local Heritage List."

Land Use Consultants (LUC), working on behalf of the councils, will consider the public nominations using a set of criteria to create a baseline Local Heritage List. This will be regularly updated with new additions in the future, with the records of all assets being added to Dorset's Historic Environment Record.

Cllr Beverley Dunlop, portfolio holder for culture and vibrant places, said: "This is a significant project that looks at identifying and preserving our local heritage by asking the very people who know our towns and villages the best to get involved and nominate sites for consideration.

"I encourage everyone to nominate the local heritage they love and wish to be preserved in their local areas."

To find out more, visit dorsetcouncil.gov.uk

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