Historic England have refused to list the remaining buildings on the historic site but given a pointless giant metal number 8 out side an office building grade 2 listing why? They say Other buildings on the site were also assessed for listing in 2004 and 2005: the former LNWR Goods Yard Office; former Smithy; the Sawmill; the Joiner’s Shop and the power house. Despite the acknowledged historic importance of the site, these buildings were considered not to be listable because they do not have the same level of architectural achievement as the listed buildings and are significantly more altered.We have carefully considered further applications made to list the unlisted buildings at Wolverton in 2014, 2015 and 2018. In 2015 we re-assessed the buildings again as substantial new information had been supplied, but having considered the additional research we recommended to the DCMS that these, and other unlisted buildings as itemised in the attached report, should not be listed for the following reasons:

 * Historical interest: the structures are of lesser interest in the national context of the development of the railway system than those recognised by listing. The stated survival of Second World War camouflage on at least one building is of some historical interest but survival is fragmentary at best and does not outweigh other considerations;

* Architectural interest: the buildings are of a utilitarian standardised design with little evidence of high-quality craftsmanship or distinctive decoration;

* Alteration: virtually all the buildings have been subsequently altered, enlarged or re-roofed;

* Machinery: with the exception of the travelling crane and some later machinery in the Boiler House, no machinery of any historic interest is understood to survive in situ;

* Group value: the concentration of workshop buildings and the boundary wall clearly have group value. Group value alone, however, is not a sufficient criteria for listing and their unified character has been significantly compromised by the combination of alteration and extension to individual buildings.

 The DCMS agreed with our recommendation. In November 2018 we declined to re-assess the unlisted buildings because there was no substantial new information which would justify us doing so. I appreciate that you are disappointed by the recommendations we have made but we have very carefully considered the claims to special interest and have found repeatedly that the unlisted buildings on the Wolverton Railway Works site should not be added to the List. I have question what is the point to the listing system if they refuse to list an historic site but yet list a metal bit of rubbish