Last chance for residents to have their say on protecting former banks, airfield and rare surviving cottage in Harborough

Residents are being asked for their views on nine places of special interest being protected in the Harborough district.

The sites have been identified by Harborough District Council as worthy of protection because of their historic, architectural or archaeological interest. A consultation into the plans is due to end tomorrow (Tuesday February 27)

Places put forward to be added to the list include Husbands Bosworth Airfield which is an example of Second World War infrastructure. It was built with three runways and was tasked with training crews to undertake night bombing operations.

Auburn Place is a large arts and crafts style house designed by William Brandreth Savidge. Built in 1928, it was described as a ‘dazzling exercise in 20th century new-tudor’. Also on the list is Tollgate Cottage – built in the mid-18th to early 19th century, it is a rare surviving example of a tollhouse which would have been common along the route where tolls were collected and access to the road was controlled.

If approved, these sites would be known as Non-Designated Heritage Assets – those that have a ‘degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions’ as to the effect on the building or the surrounding area. They add to the community’s local character and distinctiveness and can be taken into account when local plans are put forward but do not meet the criteria for Designated Heritage assets.

Other places included on the list in Market Harborough are the Engineering Factory on Fairfield Road, the former Barclays Bank and former HSBC, both on the High Street and the former NatWest on St Mary’s Road. In Kibworth Beauchamp the former station could be protected, as could the village shop in Medbourne.

Harborough District Council’s heritage champion, Cllr Darren Woodiwiss, said: “Heritage assets such as these are an irreplaceable resource and should be conserved in a manner that is appropriate to their significance so that they can be enjoyed for future generations. We must carefully consider where development is located in order to ensure that important heritage assets are not adversely affected.”