Historic Scotland (HS) has made available for public comment its paper to the Scottish Government’s Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Fiona Hyslop, on the current Policy Review, and the IHBC seeks any initial comments through its Linkedin Group.
The HS paper includes a report on progress with the Review of Historic Environment Policy and related organisational matters, and sets out the emerging themes and next steps.
The report includes the advice that:
We propose to develop a governance model to drive forward the shared vision and strategy. Such an approach might be led by an overarching Board chaired by the Cabinet Secretary which is underpinned by a series of working groups looking at specific areas/themes – some involving capture of existing good practice while others may involve active review of specific issues. For example, there may be value in commissioning:
• a joint review with COSLA on how the historic environment can be managed and regulated through systems, notably planning (territorial, marine and community planning processes; but also through rural and urban development programmes;
• a working group to look at whether education activity within the sector could be better integrated and volunteering activity enhanced; and,
• an expanded Historic Properties Group to look at how we can better integrate and coordinate activity to both manage and promote our historic assets. This would go beyond the designated and should therefore include the construction sector and representatives of individual property owners.
… One of the key priorities universally called for by stakeholders was the mainstreaming of the historic environment across policy and delivery. This arises from the realisation that the historic environment impacts across numerous policy and delivery agendas and that the most effective way to maximise that value is to better integrate with existing policy and delivery streams Ideas suggested include:
• Historic environment integrated across key public policy development and implementation e.g. economic development, rural development, social cohesion; housing, education, construction, tourism
• Historic environment embedded in thinking key delivery agents such as local government (e.g. education, planning and building standards and control), and the third and private sectors (e.g. skills and volunteering, capacity building, construction, repair and maintenance)
• Less tangible and yet significant benefits achieved through the above, including community engagement and planning, leading to empowerment, participation and ownership of the local historic environment, people’s wellbeing, sense of place and appreciation of their environment
• Such a system would benefit from strong championing and advocacy both within and outwith Government, or its agencies, at a national and local level.
Thoughts, comments and suggestions may be aired on the IHBC’s Linkedin Group, and these may be consideration in any IHBC response. Alternatively parties may pass comments direct to consultations@ihbc.org.uk
For a background to the review see: LINK and LINK
Download the paper HERE
For the background to the IHBC’s Linkedin group see: LINK
Contribute to the discussions by joining the IHBC’s Linkedin Group: simply click on the Linkedin logo on the IHBC’s home page at www.ihbc.org.uk and follow the links.
