Statue of Paralympics founder to be protected

A statue honouring the founder of the Paralympics and a thatched "Mushroom Tree Shelter" have been added to a council's protected Local Heritage List.

​In total 1,466 assets have been added to the list for Buckinghamshire Council, bringing the present amount to 2,237.

The list means buildings, gardens, public works of art and monuments are considered and respected in planning applications.

The authority said protection would be offered to "some of the most important sites in the county that contribute to the character and heritage".

Other new entries included the Hindu Arul gana miku uchi murugan kovil temple in Wycombe, Amersham railway station and its platforms - and Benjamin North & Sons former furniture factory in Piddington.

Members of the public have so far made 3,440 nominations and in January 2023, 771 sites were formally added as part of Phase 1.

The statue of Prof Sir Ludwig Guttmann can be found at Stoke Mandeville Hospital, known as the birthplace of the Paralympic Games in 1948.

The Jewish doctor arrived in Oxford in 1939 having fled Nazi Germany and on the request of the government. In 1944 he opened the UK's first ever spinal injuries unit at the Buckinghamshire hospital.

Steve Bambrick, the council's corporate director for planning growth and sustainability, thanked volunteers who he said had "enthusiasm and passion for Buckinghamshire’s historic environment to this project".

"The Local Heritage List will help us protect local heritage assets for future generations to enjoy," he said.

"For instance, assets on this list will be recognised and considered in any future planning applications", he added.

The scheme is different to Grade I, II and II* listings, Scheduled Monuments and Registered Parks and Gardens, which are assessed nationally by Historic England.

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