Chilton Town Council is bringing forward its application to list St Aidan’s Church and the Miners Welfare Pavilion as non-designated heritage assets based on residents’ feedback in the community consultation for the Chilton Neighbourhood Plan (NP) and associated sources, which has placed significant importance on preserving our heritage for future generations.
Local heritage plays an important role in creating and being part of our collective sense of place and the National Planning Policy Framework (2023) which is used as a basis for developing both Local and Neighbourhood Plans gives great weight to the protection of heritage assets and their significance.
Early discussions with DCC and the attendance of a member of the Planning Team at the Chilton Neighbourhood Plan public meeting have provided positive signals that we should progress with the applications.
If awarded non-designated heritage status for St Aidan’s Church and the Miner’s Welfare Pavilion (unlike formal listings) it does not impose additional planning restrictions on the building, but it does impose a need for planning officers, when assessing a planning application to have a regard to the scale and harm or loss of the significance of the heritage asset. As such unless there are demonstrable public benefits to a development, which would outweigh the harm, the following types of development affecting the building would normally be resisted:
- Total or substantial demolition
- Inappropriate alteration or extension
- Development that would have a detrimental impact on the setting or context of the asset
- And plans for the long-term maintenance and future restoration will be encouraged.
Given the current situation with the proposed closure of St Aidan’s and work that is currently ongoing to look at options, the Town Council has agreed that it is important that we act quickly to action practical solutions to ensure that the church building remains a key heritage landmark in Chilton.
