Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance published

Conservation Principles front cover English Heritage has published a major document that sets out for the first time the fundamental propositions that serve as the foundation for the way the organisation engages with every aspect of the historic environment.

Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance is the result of four years of extensive debate and consultation within English Heritage and more than 1,000 external consultees. The recently launched Heritage Protection Bill will provide an improved legislative framework for managing change in historic environment in the 21st century; Conservation Principles will serve as its philosophical foundation. One of the main sections is devoted to identifying and explaining the different values – aesthetic, evidential, communal and historical - that make historic places special to people. Six high level principles will be supported by a suite of detailed policies and guidance on how to reach decisions on a wide range of problems such as repair, new development, alteration and restoration.

Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance sets out six high level principles:
- The historic environment is a shared resource;
- Everyone should be able to participate in sustaining the historic environment;
- Understanding the significance of places is vital;    
- Significant places should be managed to sustain their values; 
- Decisions about change must be reasonable, transparent and consistent; and 
- Documenting and learning from decisions is essential

The Principles are intended primarily for use by English Heritage, in guiding both the management of its own estate and its advice to others. It is hoped, however, that they will also be used by all those concerned with managing the historic environment, such as conservation and planning officers and the councillors of local planning authorities, and those proposing and influencing change, such as developers and their professional agents and the amenity societies.

Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: “We hope that the document’s immediate benefit will be to help our staff formulate and communicate the advice we give to owners and local authorities on a consistent and explicable basis. In the longer term we believe that it will be increasingly used by all who are involved in managing change in the historic environment.

“The pace of change in this age of technological revolution and globalisation has brought a new urgency to our response to the changing world in which we live, but the principles and dilemmas are not new in themselves.  English Heritage has been practising them for a number of years but by writing it down for everyone to see, we are seeking to be more open and accountable. People will be able to understand our decisions more easily and become more familiar with the systematic approach in debating and deciding the outcome.”

Conservation Principles Policies and Guidance April 08To download a copy, please click here:

 

Requests for hard copies can be made to conservationprinciples@english-heritage.org.uk.