Listed status is given to buildings of special architectural and historic
interest and buildings more than 30 years old are usually eligible.

The childhood homes of Lennon and McCartney are Grade II listed status because
of their significance in popular culture for being where the duo wrote many
of The Beatles’ songs.

In a statement refusing to include the current Coronation Street in its
portfolio of properties, English Heritage said the set was “certainly
unusual”.

They wrote: “The criteria against which we must assess the architectural
significance of buildings – or in this case, a television set – is extremely
strict.

“The oldest buildings are just less than 30 years old – and most do not
have interiors and therefore exist as facades, most of which have been
altered.

“The set as it stands today is an active reminder of the long-running
television programme, rather than a survival of an earlier era of television
productions.”

Other listed buildings in the UK are the Grade I Blackpool Tower, Palace of
Westminster and Albert Dock in Liverpool.

The country has 19,717 scheduled ancient monuments, 1,601 historic parks and
gardens, 43, registered historic battlefields, 46 designated wrecks, 9,080
conservation areas and 17 UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

An ITV spokesperson said: “ITV continues to consider the future use of
the Coronation Street set ahead of our planned move to MediaCity.”