Historic Scotland (HS) will remove the S from C(S) category listings on 3 September 2012.
Elizabeth McCrone, Head of Listing and Designed Landscapes at HS, writes:
As part of our programme to simplify the system for protecting and managing the historic environment, Historic Scotland will remove the S from C(S) category listings on 3 September 2012.
I am therefore writing to you to confirm that as of 3 September 2012 we will refer to the categories of listing as A, B and C.
In 2008 Historic Scotland completed the review of all non-statutory C buildings and added these to statutory lists where they were found to meet the listing criteria as buildings of special or architectural interest. As there are no longer non-statutory C listings there is no longer a need to distinguish category C(S) listings with an S.
The list descriptions will be revised from this date to show category C and our website will also be updated. Other printed documentation will be updated as and when required. As the change is not statutory this will have no bearing on legislative or policy matters.
I have attached some information for background about the evolution of the C category (see below for info contained in the attachment). If you have any queries or concerns about the letter please contact me, Elizabeth McCrone, Head of Listing and Designed Landscapes, on 0131 668 8760 or by email at elizabeth.mccrone@scotland.gsi.gov.uk
I would also take this opportunity to announce our improved listed building search function on the Historic Scotland website, which facilitates searches on the textual information contained within the list descriptions. The new search remains accessible from our webpage at: LINK
BACKGROUND: The S in C(S)
The categories of listing were first created in the 1930s, long before any statutory listing took place. Based on the model of Amsterdam’s non-statutory city list of 1930, it was agreed to name them A, B and C.
The majority of the first listings took place in the early 1970s. Buildings identified at categories A and B formed the statutory list, but it had been agreed that those which fell into the C list would be non-statutory i.e. they would have no legal weight.
In 1974 statutory listing of category C(S) was agreed and the lists then consisted of categories A, B and C(S) – with the S denoting that these were statutory listings, not to be confused with the non-statutory C category. Category C listings remained on the list in decreasing numbers for a number of years until they were finally all reassessed by 2008 and either made statutory or removed from the list.
Although the categories themselves are not statutory and have no legal weight they exist to give an indication of the relative merit of a building. As there are now no non-statutory C listings remaining on the lists there is no need any more to distinguish category C(S) listings with an S. From 3 September we will therefore refer to the categories of listing as A, B and C.
The lists will be revised from this date to show category C and our website will also be updated. Other printed documentation will be updated as and when required.
