Countryside Policy

English Heritage has a significant stake in rural affairs. The majority of the historic properties in our care are located in the open countryside or in rural settlements, as are the majority of scheduled monuments, archaeological sites, and registered landscapes that we are charged with protecting. Success in conserving the historic character of the countryside and protecting its archaeological sites will be dependent in large part on future land-use and agricultural policy. The repair and sympathetic adaptation of many threatened historic rural buildings will be closely linked to the effectiveness of rural development policy.

English Heritage therefore works closely with other major rural stakeholders including the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA), the Environment Agency, the Forestry Commission and Natural England. Alongside these agencies we are partners in the England Rural Development Programme. We also work in partnership with voluntary sector organisations with a close interest in rural affairs, particularly the National Trust, The Council for the Protection of Rural England, and the Council for British Archaeology.

A small countryside policy team co-ordinates our involvement in rural affairs, including our interests in coastal zone management. The team is responsible for liaison with DEFRA and its agencies, for responding to key consultations on rural matters and for commissioning research on rural issues and producing or contributing to papers and publications on the rural historic environment.