Historic Environment Records or HERs are information services that provide access to comprehensive evidence about the historic environment in a particular area.
They are an essential source of information for the management, ownership and understanding of the historic environment.
They are maintained by local planning authorities and are used for planning and development control as well as for public benefit and educational use.
HERs and the HPR Programme
Access to consistent, up-to-date and high quality historic environment information through HERs is an important requirement for the delivery of Heritage Protection Reform (HPR) and the new Planning Policy Statement 5. A statutory duty for local authorities to maintain or have access to HERs was one of the key elements of the 2008 Heritage Protection Bill.
Although the Heritage Protection Bill did not make it into the Government's legislative programme for 2009, English Heritage is working to support the position of HERs within local authorities. Planning Policy Statement 5 sets out the requirement for local planning authorities to maintain or have access to a HER and to ensure HERs are used as a matter of course in planning and development matters.
HER case studies
The publication, 'Sites and Monuments Records to Historic Environment Records: Local Authority case studies', gives practical examples of the projects undertaken by local authorities to improve HER data and broaden the range of HER's users. The publication shows some of the benefits and many uses of HERs.
The collection of 19 case studies includes examples of:
- innovative projects which have increased the quality and coverage of information in HERs
- partnership working
- HERs as a tool for giving communities a better understanding of their local area
- technical innovation and improved management of HER information
- the benefits of integrating HER information with other local authority information systems
HPR Compliant HERs funding
In April 2010 English Heritage launched the HER21 scheme to assist in the development of HPR compliant Historic Environment Records (HERs). We received a very positive response to both strands of the scheme (we have tendered for some projects, with the majority of funding being available as grants via applications to the
National Heritage Protection Commissions Programme).
The projects being taken forward cover a number of issues facing HERs including:
- Technical issues of access
- Identification of sources for (and development of) protocols for inclusion of new types of data
- The development of true local government partnerships
- Practical engagement of local communities
- Testing the enhancement of HER capabilities in terms of impact assessments of planning schemes.
Project designs for the grant-funded strand have been commissioned and work began in June. All of the HER21 scheme projects have to be completed by March 2011. We believe all the projects commissioned will provide a wealth of information from which to develop a coherent HPR compliant HER strategy with our partners.
Further information can be found on the Historic Environment Local Management (HELM)website.
