A heritage asset is something which has value because of its contribution to a nation's society, knowledge, or culture. It is usually a physical object, but in some contexts, it may be intangible social and spiritual inheritance.
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In this Dossier
Heritage asset in the context of Designation (heritage assets)
Designation is the act of setting aside something, or devoting it to a particular purpose. In the legal planning context, it is also "the action of choosing a place for a special purpose or giving it a special status".
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.
Heritage asset in the context of Scheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visual disturbance, and destruction are grouped under the term "designation". The protection provided to scheduled monuments is given under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, which is a different law from that used for listed buildings (which fall within the town and country planning system). A heritage asset is a part of the historic environment that is valued because of its historic, archaeological, architectural or artistic interest. Only some of these are judged to be important enough to have extra legal protection through designation.