The historic environment is the context within which new development happens. Major inner city renewal, rural development and diversification, housing provision, transport schemes: all have the potential to enhance or degrade the existing environment and to generate time- and resource-hungry conflict.
An early understanding of the character and value of the historic environment prevents conflict and maximises the contribution historic assets can make to future economic growth and community well-being.
Conservation-led regeneration in town and countryside encourages private-sector investment both by retaining businesses and people in an area and by providing an incentive to relocate to it. Putting resources into a neighbourhood because of the value of what is already there, rather than labelling it as deprived, builds community and business confidence. So do works to improve the maintenance of the public realm of streetscape and public spaces.
Understanding how places change, what makes them distinctive and the significance of their history is the key to regeneration. The historic environment is part of successful regeneration because it contributes to:
- Investment: Historic places attract companies to locate, people to live, businesses to invest and tourists to visit. Market values in historic areas are often higher than elsewhere.
- Sense of place: People enjoy living in historic places. There is often greater community cohesion.
- Sustainability: Re-use of historic buildings minimises the exploitation of resources. There is evidence of lower maintenance costs for older houses.
- Quality of life: The historic environment contributes to quality of life and enriches people’s understanding of the diversity and changing nature of their community.
Planning for regeneration and renewal requires strong, effective partnerships at local and regional level. Local authorities play a central part in the management of the historic environment. The Local Authority Historic Environment Services pages give more information about the role of local authorities.
Conservation-led regeneration is successful because places matter to people. Neighbourhood renewal works because the quality of the places in which people live directly affects their quality of life. When communities are helped to develop their own sense of what matters for them, and why, the results can transform a neighbourhood and act as a catalyst for further private- and public-sector investment.
Regeneration and the Historic Environment
Our policy statement 'Regeneration and the Historic Environment: Heritage as a catalyst for better social and economic regeneration', published in January 2005, sets out the English Heritage approach to regeneration. It looks at how the re-use of heritage assets is important to sustainable development and helps to retain local character and distinctiveness.
A living and working countryside
The historic environment is an important asset in the economic development and regeneration of rural areas and has the potential to make an even greater contribution in the future.
The diversity of historic character in our rural landscapes, villages and market towns is fundamental to their strong sense-of-place and should be protected for its own sake. This sense-of-place also contributes to community cohesion and underpins a quality of life which stimulates in-migration and significant inward investment, as well as providing a major asset for tourism which is a significant contributor to rural economies.
Caring for the historic character of rural places does not mean preserving them unchanged, but rather ensuring that changes are carefully planned, well-designed and take account of local historic character. English Heritage is committed to a living and working countryside as well as one in which the historic environment is conserved, enhanced and recognised as an important asset for communities.
Pressures arising from globalisation, agricultural intensification and poor quality or contextually illiterate development are eroding the historic character and local diversity of some rural landscapes. Rural development projects, particularly community-based initiatives, have the potential to prevent and reverse this erosion of character and strengthen sense-of-place.
- In deprived rural areas, particularly former industrial areas, interpretation and presentation of the industrial heritage can help to stimulate the local economy.
- Many traditional farm buildings are becoming functionally redundant as the economic basis of farming changes. Many have the potential to be converted to community, business or residential uses.
- Some places of worship face an uncertain future as the result of changes in rural communities and society at large. These also present opportunities for adaptive re-use.
- The distinctive character of historic market towns can provide a major asset for local businesses.
- As well as ensuring local distinctiveness is maintained, traditional craft skills provide important training and employment opportunities.
- An understanding of the character of rural settlements and local building styles will be an important factor in delivering high quality affordable rural housing which enhances local sense-of-place.
Rural development
EU rural development policy seeks to put in place a lasting framework for guaranteeing the future prosperity of rural areas and promoting the maintenance and creation of employment by:
- strengthening the agricultural and forestry sector
- improving the competitiveness of rural areas
- preserving the environment and rural heritage
English Heritage is a stakeholder in the delivery of the Rural Development Programme for England 2007-13 (RDPE) administered by Defra and delivered by the Regional Development Agencies, Natural England and the Forestry Commission and through the community-based LEADER approach.
All Axes of the RDPE programme, including the Environmental Stewardship Scheme under Axis 2 have the potential to make a major contribution to local communities through conservation and enhancement of their cultural heritage.
