English Heritage (EH) has outlined its new internal structures following ongoing swingeing budget cutbacks in government funding.
Chris Smith, National Planning and Conservation Director at EH, writes:
In response to the changes to the planning system and to our budget cuts, and after consultation with external partners, we have reviewed the activities and services delivered by our planning department. Rather than just reducing headcount, we undertook a thorough review which responded comprehensively to external feedback and the changing context of our work.
The service we provide has not been reduced and we continue to deliver national expertise on managing change in the historic environment at a local level. Essentially, we are harnessing the skills and expertise of our staff in a new, service-led way. We are reinforcing this process by transferring our technical conservation teams into this department as well.
The role of our planning and conservation teams is to add value to the decision making process on changes to the historic environment through our expertise and national perspective. We lead and facilitate projects that reduce heritage at risk and we work with communities in enhancing local places.
Our nine local offices now comprise the following teams who will work together and who are now supported directly by colleagues within building conservation and research, conservation architecture, civil and structural engineering and quantity surveying.
Historic Places Team will support communities (through local authority partners when appropriate) by promoting the effective use of the planning system at strategic and local levels; building capacity; engaging with communities to identify opportunities and funds for enhancement and championing historic places.
Heritage at Risk Team is responsible for delivering the Heritage at Risk strategy through using our resources (including e.g. grant-aid to enable repairs and legal expertise) and helping to unlock partners’ resources, and by supporting local authority partners in using their powers to safeguard the significance of heritage assets at risk.
Development Management Team promotes the constructive application of national historic environment policies to proposals for change, engaging where we add most value to decision-making through our distinctive contribution as national experts.
Business Support – This team provides support across all three local service teams’ work and will take a proactive role in service delivery, dealing directly with customers and managing the delivery of grant-aid and advice.
Our development management teams will concentrate on early engagement and pre-application discussions and the provision of constructive advice.
The new Heritage at Risk (HAR) teams create nearly a 50% increase in our capacity to deliver projects on the ground and the HAR Architects/Surveyors will be working alongside owners of at risk assets to encourage and support them in making the first step towards repairs.
Our Planners are teaming up with Local Engagement and Historic Places Advisers to work more closely with local communities to help shape the way historic places can and should change. They will be aligning their work with local growth priorities and with partners’ strategies.
Our ability to use our grant-aid flexibly to enable HAR or place-shaping projects is matched by the new flexibility and versatility of our support teams, although there will be named first points of contact for customers so that our flexibility does not leave them uncertain of whom to ask for advice.
Working with these teams we have a central Directors’ office with a team that will liaise with national stakeholders; monitor performance and best practice and deliver the national heritage at risk strategy.
The changes will allow a greater focus on the needs of our partners and will enable us to respond flexibly to changing future demands.
We look forward to working more effectively with you in managing change to the historic environment. Please do get in touch with me if you have any queries.
