10 national organisations have joined the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) in expressing serious concern at the way a government department is using new principles on consultation to reduce the time it plans to seek views on options for changing the system of listed building consents to just four weeks and over what is both the Summer holiday period and during the Olympic games.
In a letter sent to the Department of Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), the expert bodies highlighted the unease felt about restricting the consultation period from 26 July to 23 August.
Trudi Elliott, RTPI Chief Executive said:
\"We do not believe that the new guidance is being followed properly. There is a responsibility on DCMS to ensure that fair and reasonable consideration is given to timeframes for consultation which should be both proportionate and realistic in order to allow stakeholders sufficient time to provide a considered response. The default response to consultation time scales should not be four weeks or less.\"
Trudi Elliott also signed the letter on behalf of:
Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), The Heritage Alliance (representing 92 heritage organisations*), Institute for Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), The Law Society, Listed Property Owners Club (LPOC), National Infrastructure Planning Association (NIPA), Planning Officers Society (POS), Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) & the Town & Country Planning Association (TCPA).
Whilst the Government's new Consultation Principles may allow for greater flexibility, the 30 day period in this instance is particularly unhelpful and ill judged when:
- It largely falls in the holiday/Olympics month of August
- parts of the proposals are known to be contentious and a question has already been raised about their legality
- English Heritage, in arranging briefing events with stakeholders, has been forced to acknowledge that \"we recognise that it may be difficult for representatives to attend these meetings.\"
- the result is likely to be counterproductive, since respondents will have insufficient input from those fully engaged with the subject to fully compose their responses on this vital issue.
The signatories believe that the new principles have been breached. The letter asks that urgent consideration be given to extending the closing date to allow stakeholders adequate time to respond to the proposals.
Friends of the Earth wrote to Cabinet Office Minister Rt Hon Francis Maude MP on the 27th July to express concern at the changes to Government guidance on consultation. Friends of the Earth support the RTPI's concern at the manner in which DCMS is using the new principles on consultation to reduce the time it plans to seek views on options for changing the system of listed building consents to just four weeks.
DCMS Consultation on Improvements to the system of Listed Building Consents can be found here
Cabinet Office, Consultation Principles 2012 can be found here
*Heritage Alliance Members:
Ancient Monuments Society/Friends of Friendless Churches
Architectural Heritage Fund
Association for Industrial Archaeology
Association for Studies in the Conservation of Historic Buildings
Association of English Cathedrals
Association of Gardens Trust
Association of Independent Museums
Association of Preservation Trusts
Association of Small Historic Towns and Villages in the UK
Battlefields Trust
Black Environment Network
British Institute of Organ Studies
B'nai B'rith UK
Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)
Cathedral Architects Association
Cathedral Camps
Chapels Society
Church of England Archbishops Council, Cathedrals & Buildings Division
Churches Conservation Trust
Churches Tourism Association
Cinema Theatre Association
Civic Voice
Conference on training in Architectural Conservation
Conservation Course Directors' Forum
Construction History Society
Council for British Archaeology
Council for Independent Archaeology
Country Houses Foundation
Country Land and Business Association
Ecclesiastical Architects and Surveyors
The Federation of Archaeological Managers and Employers
The Federation of British Historic Vehicle Clubs
The Garden History Society
The Georgian Group
Greenspace
The Greenwich Foundation for the Old Royal Naval College
Heritage Crafts Association
Heritage of London Trust
Heritage Railway Association
Historic Chapels Trust
Historic Farm Buildings Group
Historic Houses Association
Historic Libraries Forum
Historic Royal Palaces
Historic Towns Forum
ICOMOS UK
Institute for Archaeologists
Institute of Conservation
Institute of Historic Buildings Conservation
Jewish Heritage UK
The Kemp Town Society
The Landmark Trust
The Leche Trust
The London Forum of Amenity and Civic Societies
Maintain our Heritage
Maritime Heritage Trust
National Association of Decorative and Fine Art Societies
National Association of Road Transport Museums
National Churches Trust
National Heritage Ironwork Group
National Piers Society
The National Trust
Norfolk Archaeological Trust
North of England Civic Trust
Norwich Heart
Oxford Preservation Trust
The Pilgrim Trust
The Prince's Regeneration Trust
Ramblers Association
The Railway Heritage Trust
RESCUE: The British Archaelogical Trust
Register of Architects Accredited in Building Conservation
RIBA Conservation Group
RICS Building Conservation Forum
RTPI Historic Environment Network
Sandford Awards for Heritage Education
SAVE Britain's Heritage
Society of Antiquaries
SPAB: Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
The Theatres Trust
Tiles and Architectural Ceramics Society
The Transport Trust
Twentieth Century Society
Victoria County History
Victorian Society
The Vintage Motor Cycle Club
The Vivat Trust
War Memorials Trust
Waterways Trust
West Midlands Amenity Societies Association
World Monuments Fund in Britain
Youth Hostels Association
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