At last, the Statement on the value of the historic environment - with formal support of all Departments across Whitehall - has been published to complement and underpin Planning Policy Statement 5 and the PPS5 Planning Practice Guide. Until a Heritage Protection Bill is passed, this suite of value statements is the benchmark for the protection of our heritage for the foreseeable future. Is it enough?
The Alliance welcomes the Government’s Statement. It follows in a long line of declarations: A Force for our Future (2001), Better Places to Live (2005), and World Class Places (2009). But this one catches up with the popular interpretation of our heritage; the benefits and solutions it brings to 21st century life.
“The Government believes that the historic environment is an asset of enormous cultural, social, economic and environmental value.” As well as the acknowledgement of intrinsic value, the ways in which historic environment can help Government achieve many of its broader goals are spelt out. The Statement recognises that the iconic buildings and monuments, cathedrals and castles are only a small part of the historic environment: “Our history is equally reflected in the homes of ordinary people, in the street plans of historic towns and cities, in farm buildings and factories, in our public places, the landscapes we have created and the sites beneath our seas”. And “the historic environment should be seen as a vital contributor to improving the quality of place and quality of life for all”.
Significant also is the understanding on page 1 that “By promoting the inherent sustainability of historic buildings and their surroundings and by learning from them and the other types of evidence left by the low carbon economies of the past, we can make real progress in helping to mitigate and adapt to climate change.”
The test for the Statement will be how these warm words are interpreted by other Government Departments whose policies impact directly or indirectly on the historic environment. Phrases like ‘Intelligent management’ and ‘strong and effective partnership’ need to be translated into reality. While the voluntary bodies, owners and developers are expected to play their part, the Government sets out its own six strategic aims - strategic leadership; protective framework; local capacity; public involvement; direct ownership; and sustainable future.
It is up to us all to hold this and future Governments to account; to quote the Statement and to exploit that aspirational first line of the Vision “that the value of the historic environment is recognised by all who have the power to shape it”.
For the Vision Statement, visit: http://www.culture.gov.uk/reference_library/publications/6763.aspx
Sector responses to the Vision Statement:
Tags: 2010, heritage, Heritage Link, historic environment, The Heritage Alliance, Vision Statement, Vision Statement on the Historic Environment