The IHBC has welcomed The King’s Foundation new framework – ‘Balancing Heritage Harm and Public Benefit…’, which is intended to underpin ‘proactive, place-based and iterative approach… for balancing harm and benefit’, and promote ‘a shared understanding of significance, explore… and build consensus’.
IHBC Director Seán O’Reilly said: ‘The King’s Foundation launched its new framework document at The Georgian Group’s home on Fitzroy Square in London. The diverse contributions by heritage bodies there captured well the breadth of heritage priorities, skills and concerns that underpin any successful and sustainable conservation outcome.’
‘It may seem difficult and challenging to some – and it can be too.’
‘However a core skill for the Conservation Professional is to support and manage that diversity of needs and interests.’
‘As such this new framework is another tool that members can look to as we try to secure the best and most viable public benefits in conservation.’
The stewardship of our historic buildings and places requires more than technical expertise; it requires processes that enable people to work together in pursuit of the common good.
The King’s Foundation writes:
… Too often, decisions affecting heritage assets are shaped through sequential consultation processes that encourage stakeholders to respond to fixed proposals from the perspective of their individual responsibilities. While this approach reflects established practice, it can inadvertently reinforce fragmentation, delay and unnecessary conflict. If we wish to secure better outcomes for heritage assets and the communities they serve, we must pay as much attention to the quality of the decision-making process as we do to the quality of the final proposal.
The framework presented in this report, based upon the Enquiry by Design process, suggests that a proactive, place-based and iterative approach provides a stronger foundation for balancing harm and benefit, where stakeholders can develop a shared understanding of significance, explore options collectively, test trade-offs transparently and build consensus around an appropriate direction of travel. Applying this framework can therefore support the long-term stewardship of heritage assets, reducing the loss of embodied carbon through the continued use and adaptation of existing buildings and delivering wider public value.
The digital version of the Framework is now available to read and download here:
Balancing Harm and Benefit: A Decision-Making Framework for Heritage Applications
See more on the Enquiry by Design process
