Dover District Heritage Strategy has won the category of ‘Excellence in Planning for Built Heritage’ at the RTPI South East Awards for Planning Excellence 2015, as produced by the Heritage Conservation Group of Kent County Council, commissioned by Dover District Council and English Heritage.
The judge’s citation states:
This useful and thorough document has all the elements of a strategy (where are we now? where to we want to be? how do we get there?) with an action plan for monitoring. Planning and development are involved in all but three of 27 recommendations for action and the methodology of the Strategy is sound. Heritage significance is tabulated by degree and vulnerability covers planning related allocated sites; enterprise zones; permitted development; and land use changes. The Strategy articulates how the high level policy for the historic environment can be taken account of in the development of local plans and be used in local decision-making.
The tagline for the Local plan / Core Strategy is: ‘ambitious for the future, sensitive to the past’ and states that ‘Dover’s rich heritage should play a key role in any regeneration scheme in the District. The incorporation of heritage as a keystone in a holistic regeneration approach brings a number of benefits.’
There is strong argument for the role of heritage in regeneration and tourism growth, and its role ‘in the sustainable development agenda promoted by the Government in the NPPF and the positive improvements to people’s quality of life that this now requires planning to deliver…Conforming with Government policy for localism through neighbourhood planning, the Strategy promotes an agenda of further understanding of the historic environment, engagement and access where the public play a leading role in delivering the outcomes of the strategy and shaping where they live, work and visit.’
‘The role of the local authorities and their heritage professionals and advisors, town and parish councils wherever possible should be one of acting as a focus, facilitating, coordination and providing advice, information and support to the community to deliver the desired outcomes. The Dover District Heritage Strategy has the potential to be an exemplar of the ‘Big Society’ concept in action, delivering gains and benefits that would not otherwise be realised solely through public funding.’
The creation of a District-wide historic environment forum may help to take the Strategy forward. The work was undertaken by the Heritage Conservation Group of Kent County Council, commissioned by Dover District Council and English Heritage (now Historic England) to ensure that the heritage of the District plays a clear role in shaping any future regeneration, development and management decisions.
It is intended that the strategy provides a strategic and clear approach to dealing with Dover’s heritage and that the document might act as a pilot exemplar for similar schemes elsewhere in the country for planning authorities and all who are involved in decisions on Heritage Assets.
View the full list of award winners and the judges citation
