Because listing entries might apply to more than one building, it is believed that there are around 500,000 real structures listed. This makes the list of British Listed Buildings important and valuable. Listed buildings are defined in law as "buildings or parts of buildings which are designated under section 122 of the Town and Country Planning Act 1990". This means that they have been officially recognized by their local council as being of special architectural or cultural importance. In England, Wales and Northern Ireland these are given legal protection from demolition or modification so that what we see today was once part of a developing landscape that has been preserved for future generations. Listed buildings can be houses, shops, churches, temples, mosques, libraries, museums, schools, hospitals, care homes, restaurants, cafes, bars, pubs, theatres, concert halls, sports facilities, leasable space, storage units, car parks, bridges, roads, paths, benches, fountains, sculptures, trees, flowers, grass, soil, water features, guard rails, railings, signs, lights, etc. In Britain, almost 5% of all buildings are listed. That's about 50,000 structures worth about $150 million at current values.