Key partners, including IHBC, are supporting a joint Local Government Association (LGA) & English Heritage initiative to provide project-based support, study and advice, including promotion of successful new organisational strategies, to local authorities currently undergoing change, with a closing date for nominations at 21April 2011.
Other partners include the Planning Officers Society (POS) and ALGAO, while the project will operate under the title ‘Historic Environment: Local Authority Capacity’ (HELAC).
The project, including its context, is described as follows:
Reductions to budgets mean that nearly everything local government does is being re-evaluated and historic environment services, which are non statutory and have often evolved to meet the needs of the local community, are not exempt.
To respond to this key stakeholders have got together to try and support authorities as they make these difficult decisions, to explore how to retain a focus on strategic heritage outcomes, reduce unnecessary bureaucracy and process and pool resources across public bodies and engage civic societies more effectively. HELAC represents a partnership initiative with English Heritage and the LGA being joined by the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers, the Institute of Historic Building Conservation and the Planning Officers Society. The first phase will see the partners working closely with a number of nominated areas as they adapt services to meet new pressures. That process should see a variety of different options for delivering a successful service emerge, each with an emphasis on partnership working, reducing unnecessary process and working more effectively with other bodies.
We are now inviting expressions of interest for those areas who wish to take part in the first phase of the project. We are seeking interest from single authorities, authorities in partnership with other organisations, or groups of authorities. We are looking for areas focussed on delivering quality outcomes in their planning duties to the historic environment. This may be as part of the process of changing how historic environment services are provided, or having already settled on a structure of service provision.
In particular, we would be keen to hear from areas which feel that they have developed, or are developing, imaginative new approaches to providing these services successfully in the context of the wider Localism agenda. We will then share that learning with other authorities as the second phase of the project. To support that process there will be a small associated grant.
If you would like to express an interest in being part of phase 1 or would like more information, then either email helac@english-heritage.org.uk or go to www.helm.org.uk. Deadline for nomination is Friday 21 April.
