Farnham has many beautiful buildings, which contribute to its appeal as a wonderful place to live, work and visit.

While some of the area’s buildings are listed, there are others that do not meet the Department of National Heritage’s listing criteria but that we feel should be protected.

Protecting local buildings

Buildings that are of local architectural or historic interest can be designated as Buildings of Local Merit. This means that they will appear on a register compiled by Waverley Borough Council.

Nominating a building of local merit

Farnham Town Council is working with the Farnham Society to put together a list of buildings which it feels should be recognised as Buildings of Local Merit. Please contact us to find out how you can nominate a building for consideration. Together with input from community groups across the Town Council area we have compiled a list of buildings that have potential to be put forward as Buildings of Local Merit. There is still time to add to this list if you feel there is a building that should be considered. Please use this form to tell us about any other buildings. Return the completed form to info@farnham.gov.uk and entitle your message ‘Building of Local Merit’.

We will check that all the nominations meet the criteria for listing. The criteria for listing these buildings are similar to those used for national statutory listing, but allow for local rather than national importance. This includes the following categories:

• Older buildings, pre-1700 and up to 1840, that may have been altered or extended, but  retain the essential form and characteristics of their period.
• Buildings constructed between 1840 and 1914, which retain some quality and character. Selection should include the modest work of principal architects and the principal work of modest architects and other buildings of quality, which display particular local features or materials.
• Buildings  post-1914 to the present day that pertain a defined quality.
• Buildings of special value within their type, which display technological innovation, form part of a significant group, serve as an important landmark or are associated with a well-known character or event.

Once the buildings have been assessed as meeting the criteria we will write to the owners to confirm they wish their building to be listed. We will then pass the list to Waverley Borough Council as the Local Planning Authority for consideration for formal listing as Buildings of Local Merit.