Volunteers are to be trained up to become protectors of some of the most precious buildings across Broadland after the success of a pilot scheme aimed at preserving the district's heritage.

Broadland District Council was picked by English Heritage to be one of 19 council areas to take part in a pilot project looking into whether to create a building-at-risk register for Grade II-listed buildings.

Buildings listed at Grade I and Grade II* are already on English Heritage's national building-at-risk register – those buildings considered at risk from decay, vandalism, misuse or collapse.

The Broadland Heritage at Risk pilot was launched in February by Broadland District Council and Ingham Pinnock Associates, with volunteers recruited to help.

More than 100 of the 900-plus listed buildings in the district were surveyed and assessed by a mix of community volunteers and heritage professionals.

The buildings ranged from historic walls, barns, village pumps, telephone kiosks, residential and commercial properties and even a set of village stocks.

The team behind the pilot was determined the project was not just about identifying buildings that needed help but also about putting steps in place to repair them and bring them back into use.

Workshops with English Heritage and other specialists have already been held to review some of the buildings in detail and develop strategies to deliver repairs and maintenance and help bring them back to life. Shaun Vincent, Broadland District Council's portfolio holder for planning, said: 'We are so impressed by the response from the public and town and parish council that we will shortly be setting up a Heritage Warden Scheme.

'We will train volunteers to work with town and parish councils to protect and preserve their special buildings. We will also train volunteers to help with local listing projects.'

Listed buildings in Broadland include the Duel Stone in Cawston; the Earle Arms in Heydon: Hainford Hall; the Buckinghamshire Arms in Blickling, the Village Stocks in Haveringland and St Andrew's Hospital in Yarmouth Road, Thorpe St Andrew.