The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the professional body for built and historic environment conservation specialists, is providing guidance on how you can identify your local Conservation Officer (CO) or service, if you still have one, and how important it is to push for it if you do not!
John Preston, IHBC Education Secretary, said: ‘ Local conservation services have been terribly devalued, especially in recent years, but as local communities will now be allowed to shape their future direct, they need to make sure that a proper service is being provided’.
‘Identifying the service is crucial too, as it can be very difficult to see who is really responsible for advice, and to know if they have the right skills!’
‘The Conservation Officer should ideally be a full member of the IHBC – or working towards it, as an ‘Affiliate’ – as that is an easy way to confirm that their professional skills conform to international conservation standards as well as planning priorities.’
‘Also, just now we have a new ‘National Occupational Standard’ (NOS) defining skills and operations in conservation planning, which the officer ought to be able to cope with if they are doing conservation properly, even if they are not IHBC. The Standard has been written in partnership with planners and building controllers, and under the guidance of the sector skills council for construction, ConstructionSkills, so it has all the right credentials. As it maps directly to IHBC membership criteria, then IHBC membership is again the handy rule of thumb for spotting the skilled officer.’
‘The Conservation Officer also ought to know both the local area and the local people, so that they can achieve what locals need by tapping into wider planning priorities. Whether through shaping policies in the local plan, or applying policies in the management of development, the officer or service responsible for seeing to the needs of their locality needs a wider range of special skills as well a deep knowledge of the area. If you have access to that combination, suitably underpinned by IHBC membership, then you are in the best position to respond to current planning priorities.’
For research on the added values of Conservation Officers and Services see: LINK
To understand why local authorities need Conservation Officers: LINK
Find the download link for the NPPF here: LINK
