The IHBC has welcomed the new Technical Advice Note (TAN) guidance for Wales on how economic development should be considered in the planning system, including details of the contribution of agricultural buildings for business use where they are sensitively converted, while also highlighting the importance of a future TAN linked to the forthcoming Historic Environment Bill.
The representative for Wales on the IHBC Council, Nathan Blanchard, said: ‘We welcome the references to heritage in this new TAN as it reminds us just how much the management of our heritage reverberates across all aspects of how we should look after our places in Wales.’
‘However a future TAN linked to the forthcoming Historic Environment Bill should prove to be the main driver of quality-led regeneration for sustainable development. That should make the strongest case for utilising existing assets which, with the right conservation skills, can so often be rejuvenated and reinvented to meet the needs of current and future generations without major intervention.’
The newly issued TAN states that the ‘re-use and adaptation of existing rural buildings has an important role in meeting the needs of rural areas for commercial and industrial development, and tourism, sport and recreation… local planning authorities are expected to adopt a positive approach to the conversion of rural buildings for business re-use, especially those buildings located within or adjoining farm building complexes on the basis that:
- they are suitable for the specific use;
- conversion does not lead to dispersal of activity on such scale as to prejudice town and village vitality;
- their form, bulk and general design are in keeping with their surroundings;
- imposing conditions on a planning permission overcomes any planning objections, for example on environmental or traffic grounds, which would otherwise outweigh the advantage of re-use;
- if the buildings are in the open countryside, they are capable of conversion without major or complete reconstruction;
- conversion does not result in unacceptable impacts upon the structure, form, character or setting where the building is of historic and / or architectural interest.’
The Welsh Government writes:
The Publication of Technical Advice Note (TAN) 23 follows a revision to the Planning Policy Wales chapter on Economic Development in November 2012 when the need for a TAN providing detailed policy advice was acknowledged.
A draft Advice Note was published for public consultation last Summer. This attracted 58 responses from a range of stakeholders including local planning authorities and private sector representatives, and these have used in developing the TAN.
Housing and Regeneration Minister, Carl Sargeant said, ‘The Welsh Government is committed to using all the levers at its disposal to address the causes and symptoms of the recession and is determined to support sustainable economic growth across the whole of Wales.’
‘This guidance provides clarity to local planning authorities when preparing Local Development Plans and taking planning decisions. It also explains the importance of local planning authorities collaborating at a regional level and indicates how they can achieve this by pooling skills and resources and preparing joint regional economic studies.’
‘It is important that local planning authorities recognise that they need to take a strategic approach to planning decisions. This includes steering development to the most sustainable location, even if this lies outside their boundary.
‘The planning system has a vital role to play in the success of the Welsh economy and this guidance will ensure that opportunities for job and wealth creation result in a more prosperous future for all communities.’
Download the TAN at: LINK
See the TAN press release: LINK
