Heritage

25-May-10

Heritage protection is a significant aspect of the planning system. Legislation, policy and systems extend statutory protection to historic buildings, conservation areas and monuments.  The significance and protection of these places is also a material consideration, to be responded to in development plan and supplementary policy making and in development management decision making.

Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment

The Department for Communities and Local Government released Planning Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment in March 2010 following a consultation in 2009. It sets out planning policies for the conservation of the historic environment. These policies should be read alongside other relevant statements of national planning policy. 

The policies and principles set out in the PPS also apply to the consideration of the historic environment in relation to the other heritage-related consent regimes for which planning authorities are responsible under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

Those parts of the historic environment that have significance because of their historic, archaeological, architectural or artistic interest are called heritage assets. Some heritage assets possess a level of interest that justifies designation (see Annex 2 of the PPS) and particular procedures apply to decisions that involve them. The PPS also covers heritage assets that are not designated but which are of heritage interest and are thus a material planning consideration. The historic environment within National Parks, the Broads and Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty is also the subject of general policies within Planning Policy Statement 7: Sustainable Development in Rural Areas.

Guidance to help practitioners implement this policy, including the legislative requirements that underpin it, is provided in Planning for the Historic Environment Practice Guide. 

Read our 2009 response to the draft PPS here.

Reform Processes

White Paper

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport issued a heritage white paper in 2007.  The RTPI developed a joint response to the white paper with the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors and the Institute of Historic Buildings Conservation - bodies which jointly represent many building conservation and historic built environment experts.

Draft Heritage Protection Bill

A draft Heritage Protection Bill was prepared in spring 2008, setting out the ways in which the government will translate its white paper into legislation.

The Bill has been the subject of widespread consultation.  The RTPI again worked jointly with the heritage professions, the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors, the Institute of Historic Buildings Conservation, the Royal Institute of British Architects, the Planning Officers' Society and the Chartered Institute of Building to prepare a comprehensive response.

Following the 2008 Queen's speech in which the Bill was dropped from the legislative programme to create parliamentary time for new measures responding to the current economic situation, the Bill was also omitted from the 2009 and 2010 Queen's speech and the RTPI is currently seeking clarity from the Coalition Government as to its status. 

The former Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport has written to the RTPI, thank us for our contribution to the development of the Bill and emphasising his view that supporting work.

Protection of World Heritage Sites

The Government gave a commitment to introduce measures to protect World Heritage Sites in its white paper Heritage Protection for the 21st Century, and in May 2008 published a Draft Circular on the Protection of World Heritage Sites with a guidance note from English Heritage.

 

 
Author:
Rebecca Coates
Publisher:
The Royal Town Planning Institute
Date:
25-May-10
Categories:
Policy 
Sections:
What Planning Does

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