Coal hole covers not worthy of listing - it IS official

A very efficient Conservation Officer at my local City Council has directed me to English Heritage's guidance for listing street furniture, which states,

" Fairly standard survivals of nineteenth-century paving are unlikely to be of sufficient special interest, atmospheric as they undoubtedly are; nor are coal hole covers designated, enjoyable as their cast iron forms can be. Nonetheless, examples of rare materials will warrant serious consideration, such as the Victorian patterned bricks that form the listed paving to West Street, Henley-on-Thames, Oxfordshire (listed Grade II). Other mechanisms may exist for their protection, notably their recognition via conservation area appraisals, and their retention during improvements and works."

This is disappointing, although it does indicate that rare coal hole covers could be worthy of protection and that they should be considered for protected during building works, which are both avenues worth pursuing. There are some covers that I've documented here that are rare within Brighton and Hove and worthy of some sort of protection from either developers or over zealous street improvements.