Homes with History
‘People place a high value on the historic environment … it is seen as a major contributor to the quality of life’ (Power of Place)
Heritage is all around us – from buildings, street patterns, parks and gardens to buried remains, our towns are rich in the historical character and the myriad details that contribute to a special sense of place. This booklet contains advice that will enable you, as a social landlord, to rise to the challenge of integrating that heritage into housing schemes, to the benefit of your tenants and the community at large.
What have archaeology and heritage got to do with it?
As a busy social landlord, archaeology might not be top of your priority list – you might even regard it as just another hurdle to overcome as you focus on your main task: balancing costs and practicality in providing much-needed housing.
But many Housing Association projects do involve archaeology in some form or another – whether you are regenerating a group of terraced houses or developing a brownfield site. By archaeology, we don’t just mean buried remains – we include all the physical evidence of our history, visible in the form of standing buildings, street patterns, and associations with people and events. That heritage is all around us, and it plays an important role in a community’s cohesion and sense of place.
What is more, the historic environment cannot simply be wished away. Because it belongs to us all, and is a precious and non-renewable resource, successive governments have put in place safeguards to ensure that our built and buried heritage is protected from loss wherever possible, and that a record is made for posterity where loss is unavoidable.
This booklet will help you understand the duties of developers with regard to that archaeological heritage and to exercise those responsibilities with due care. It does not attempt to be comprehensive – the proper care, repair and maintenance of building fabric is another important issue for social landlords that is dealt with elsewhere, in such publications as Informed Conservation.
The booklet is concerned too with the added value that heritage can bring, in terms of sustainability, social inclusion and community cohesion. We aim to help you see heritage as opportunity and not as a problem – and to inspire you with examples of outstanding projects that integrate housing and heritage to everyone’s benefit.
The booklet brings together the Housing Corporation, the Institute of Field Archaeologists and English Heritage. We are united in the belief that good housing schemes that build on the past and give it new relevance in the present can play a major role in fostering flourishing communities. Tenants enjoy living in town and city centre buildings with historical character and distinction, and the community at large benefits from the regeneration of sites and buildings that form an important part of the town’s fabric.
‘The historic environment makes a vital contribution to the quality of everyone’s life and is central to our sense of local, regional and national identity.’ (Keith Hill, Minister for Housing and Planning, 2003)
Where do we start?
‘Before we do anything, we need knowledge’ (Power of Place)
The key to all sound housing schemes is to start from a thorough understanding of the site – this makes sense in conservation terms as much as for engineering and design.
The obligations of developers are clear – housing associations are granted no special exemptions and have the same responsibilities as any other developer. This includes assessing the archaeological effects of development, devising and implementing mitigation strategies, preserving sites and structures of national importance, recording historic buildings and excavating significant archaeological sites. English Heritage and local councils will not pay for archaeological work, though they will have a role in ensuring it is carried out to a high standard.
Discuss plans for development with the planning authority at an early stage. Archaeological officers can provide appraisals, and archaeological consultants may be able to simplify the whole process. Conservation officers are important at every stage when listed buildings or historic areas are affected. There should be someone on the development team who has a full grasp of all the heritage issues. Unexpected discoveries can cause delays, increase costs through redesign and lead to rental/sale losses.
Proper understanding of the site and the full implications of proposed changes on the historic environment will put the developer at an advantage in negotiations, simplify application procedures and ensure a more satisfactory and cost-effective scheme. Good relationships between sectors in project teams, from initial planning to topping out, will make projects run more smoothly.
All these factors are going to have an impact on the cost of acquiring and developing the site – and on the likelihood of attracting grants and investment funds for urban regeneration or the restoration of an important listed building.
Estimating archaeological costs before site purchase may enable you to deduct these from the purchase price.
‘Conservation advisers are there not to stand in the way of change, but to negotiate the transition from the past to the present in ways that minimise the damage that change can cause and maximise the benefits. Conservation is thus a process that seeks both to question change and to reconcile modern needs with the significance of that which we have inherited.’ (Informed Conservation)
Who can help: sources of funding and advice
Grants for the repair and regeneration of historic buildings and areas can come from a variety of sources. English Heritage may be able to assist and you should contact the relevant English Heritage regional office for further advice. Other bodies such as Architectural Heritage Fund and Regeneration through Heritage (run by the Princes Foundation) provide advice on how to apply for funds to return neglected historic buildings to sustainable community use.
Local authorities also have discretionary powers to grant aid repairs. Major funds may be accessed through Single Regeneration Budgets, and the Heritage Lottery Fund may be a source of capital and revenue grants.
‘The more clearly the archaeological, architectural, landscape or historical interest of an asset in its setting is understood at the outset, the easier it is systematically to develop a scheme which minimises detrimental impact by recognising both constraints and opportunities. Therefore, understanding the evolution and significance of a heritage asset, as a whole and in its parts, must be the first stage in considering its future, and the result a key component of the eventual application’ (Enabling development and the conservation of heritage assets)
Heritage and sustainability
‘At the moment we have an ambitious challenge to build dynamic, sustainable communities across the country – but that’s not just new-build alone. We need to make sure that we conserve those historic places that give our towns and cities their uniqueness and character’. (Keith Hill, Minister for Housing and Planning)
Housing associations often have to deal with land and buildings that are dilapidated or problematic – but this does not mean that they have no archaeological or historical value or that the best solution is to clear the site and build afresh. There are many benefits to integrating archaeology and historic architecture into housing schemes: not least the provision of high-quality affordable homes that are wonderful to live in because they have real history, prestige and character.
Creative reuse of buildings and land
The recycling of existing land and buildings is an important part of the national strategy for achieving sustainable development. The government requires 60% of development to be built on brownfield sites, many of which have historic value. Local planning authorities are being encouraged not to release new land until potential brownfield sites are used.
Using space over commercial premises plays an important role here. It maximises reuse of existing sites, is an immediate answer to homelessness, and removes blight.
Town centres benefit by gaining quality homes, reducing crime and vandalism, keeping small shops open, revitalising town centres and making them safer at night. Rural areas benefit too, because vibrant town centres are a powerful alternative to out-of-town shopping developments and, by making village shops more viable, can help sustain communities as a whole.
However, it needs a creative approach to managing interaction between uses, so the conservation officer and regulator should be involved at the earliest stage, to make best use of the special provisions in Parts E, L and M of the Building Regulations.
‘Existing buildings embody historic environment capital – the bricks have been fired, the timber felled, and energy and effort have gone into the design and construction (Power of Place)
‘Rehab is labour intensive, and that labour is mostly skilled, encouraging specialist crafts … historic preservation is in and of itself an environmental strategy, one that addresses the demand for uses’ (The Economic Power of Restoration)
Reaping the benefits of archaeology
‘Best value is created when archaeologists share objectives with the clients – that is, the procurement routes chosen affect the design solutions, allow application of risk management processes and return heritage value to the community (Taryn Nixon, Homes with History Conference speech)
Archaeology should not just be treated like a contaminant – something to be got rid of from the site before the ‘real work’ begins. Real community benefits can be gained from embracing the archaeological process wholeheartedly.
People love to be involved in the excitement of discovery, and both newcomers and established residents appreciate the personal ‘sense of place’ that develops when a site is excavated or a historic building restored.
Simply by preserving archaeological and historic features and elements in the landscape we are also maintaining vital educational assets, material for present and future communities to study as they seek to understand our history, origins and identity. However, simple preservation without understanding and community involvement has little value – and can even alienate communities by creating a sense of exclusion.
So to maximise the benefits of archaeology within a housing scheme there needs to be the opportunity for public participation, including on-site interpretation of visible and invisible remains, tours while excavations are in progress, informative physical sign-posting and accessible publications.
And archaeologists need to be used for more than just excavation – they will encourage visitors and voluntary helpers (safety permitting), explain their work effectively to the press, liase with schools and community groups, provide high quality popular publications and display boards while the excavations are in progress, and work with you to integrate the findings permanently into your housing scheme.
‘The fabric of the past constitutes a vast reservoir of knowledge and learning opportunities ... buildings and places can also play a role in developing a sense of active citizenship’ (Force for Our Future)
Social inclusion, community cohesion
‘No one should feel excluded from the historic environment. It has the potential to be both unifying and inclusive’ (Power of Place).
The historic environment provides roots that improved understanding can interpret and expand. These common roots, and a common understanding of ways society has developed over millennia through the interaction of immigrants, long-term residents, traders and craftspeople of every kind, all facing environmental, social and political challenges and technological change, are a healthy force for social cohesion.
At the same time, a good social mix is achieved where historic buildings renovated to a high quality are available to all. An English Heritage survey identified that 76% of people think their own lives are richer because of the historic environment, but that many people still feel excluded from a full appreciation of England’s cultural richness and diversity. More needs to be done to tackle this form of social exclusion. To begin with, we can appreciate that love for historic surroundings extends way beyond those who have traditionally lived at the manor or the country house.
‘The historic environment sector, by exploring the multicultural nature of all history, can make a significant contribution to social cohesion. This should embrace all aspects of ethnicity as well as class and other social groupings such as mining communities’ (Black Environment Network)
‘In Philadelphia it was shown how, though practically all blocks of housing were effectively racially segregated, within historic areas nearly half met the diversity test1 – people of all races living together because of the appeal of the historic neighborhood ‘- and there is also a wide range of income levels (The Economic Power of Restoration).
‘I do not know of a single sustained success story in downtown revitalization anywhere in the US where historic preservation was not a key component … one consequence is that for the first time in two generations people are moving back into the central city ... in nearly every instance the housing they are moving back into is rehabbed housing in historic buildings’ (The Economic Power of Restoration)
Good design: stimulating arts projects
Archaeological remains can provide cues for the layout and design of developments. Sense of place can be created or reinforced by using historical references as well as materials and detailing that respond to the local vernacular. Street names, signs, landscaping, on-site interpretation, maintenance of ancient boundaries – all of these can be used to keep memories alive, stress the individuality of the development and foster a sense of place.
To realise these possibilities clients, their design team, archaeologists and conservation officers need to work together from the start of the design process, and other regulators should be drawn in to provide a ‘development team’ approach. When this is done well, tenants gain a sense of contact with their environment, and by understanding, valuing and engaging with it, to help shape a strong, inclusive and vibrant community.
‘England’s historic environment is one of our greatest national assets … it embodies the history of all the communities who have made their homes in this country (Force for Our Future)
What do I need to know?
The major heritage legislation that might apply to a housing association’s land or buildings is summarised here.
Planning Policy Guidance
Policy guidance can be found in Policy and Planning Guidance No 15: Planning and the Historic Environment and No 16: Archaeology and Planning. Both policy statements are under review at the moment, and the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) will issue a new combined Planning Policy Statement in the near future covering both archaeology and buildings. DCLG has made it clear that the core principles enshrined in both will be retained.
Scheduled monuments
In the rare event that your housing scheme affects a scheduled monument then permission to make any alteration to the site must be sought from the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who is advised by English Heritage. They will be concerned to protect the setting of upstanding remains as well as below ground features. Scheduled monument consent needs to be obtained before application is made for full planning permission.
Other archaeological sites
Even if the site is not scheduled, most city and town sites sit over archaeological remains, and planners usually require an assessment of their extent and importance before any development work can go ahead. This can involve archive research to see what is already known about a site, perhaps supplemented by small-scale survey and excavation to assess the nature and extent of any archaeological remains.
The results of this assessment will be fed back to the design process, because you will need to show how you propose to mitigate any archaeological damage before planning permission can be determined.
Where it is agreed that development resulting in the loss of archaeological remains should proceed, you will be required to arrange and pay for excavation and recording of the remains, analysis and publication of the findings, and deposition of artefacts and excavation records in a suitable store.
There are now a large number of archaeological units who may tender for this work. The IFA Yearbook and directory gives details of these. Use of bodies on the IFA’s list of Registered Archaeological Organisations gives assurance of a high standard of work, carried out to a nationally agreed code of conduct.
Historic buildings
If the buildings on your site are listed, or if the site is in a conservation area, you will have to provide planners with enough information to enable an assessment to be made of the likely impact of the proposals on the building, its significant features and its setting. Good analytical drawings will assist the site engineer, architect, surveyor or landscape architect, and will identify historic features that need to be conserved.
Experts in historic building conservation will be needed to assist you, and, as with archaeologists, they should be suitably qualified and experienced. The professional body for specialists in historic buildings is the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, and a full list of their members can be found in the IHBC Yearbook.
Copyright: The Housing Corporation, English Heritage and the Institute of Field Archaeologists 2003
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