Designation (heritage assets)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Designation is the act of setting aside something, or devoting it to a particular purpose.[1] In the legal planning context, it is also "the action of choosing a place for a special purpose or giving it a special status".[2]
The process of designation confers a legal status on a property by a specific law and provides a degree of legal protection (which varies by country). The term 'designation' is used when referring to the formal protection by legal statute for a wide range of heritage assets, including listed buildings and World Heritage Sites as well as many others.
The UK Government publication Planning Policy Statement 5: (Planning for the Historic Environment) states that a designated heritage asset can be: a World Heritage Site, scheduled monument, listed building, protected wreck site, registered park and garden, registered battlefield or conservation area.[3]
Each type of heritage asset is designated as such using different legislation.