Monument Designation
Monument designation is the process by which a building or site is designated as a protected municipal monument. This means that the property or site is considered to be of special cultural-historical or architectural importance and that extra protection applies in case of renovations or demolition.
The designation is made by the municipality based on the municipal heritage regulation (erfgoedverordening). It is assessed whether the object meets the established criteria such as cultural-historical value, architectural quality or urban planning significance. Owners can submit an application themselves, but the municipality can also designate monuments ex officio.
Requirements
- Cultural-historical value: The building or site must be of cultural-historical importance to the municipality
- Age: The object must often be at least 50 years old
- Authenticity: The original characteristics must have been largely preserved
- Criteria: The object must meet the criteria from the Model Heritage Regulation or municipal heritage regulation
Procedure
- Application or nomination: The owner or interested party can submit an application, or the municipality can make a nomination ex officio
- Research: The municipal monuments committee or heritage advisor investigates the cultural-historical value
- Advice: Advice is issued on the designation
- Draft decision: The municipality makes a draft decision that is made available for inspection
- Views: Interested parties can submit views
- Final decision: The municipality makes a final decision on the designation
Consequences of designation
- Protection: The monument is protected against unwanted change or demolition
- Environmental permit: An environmental permit for monuments is required for renovation or demolition
- Subsidies: Maintenance and restoration subsidies may become available
- Aesthetic assessment: During renovation, extra attention is paid to preserving monumental values
- Registration: The monument is included in the municipal monument register