Proposed heritage guidance warning
The Government’s proposed new planning policy guidance on the historic environment will put the country’s heritage at risk, two professional bodies have argued. The warning has come from both the Royal Town Planning Institute and the Institute of Historic Building Conservation. RTPI president Martin Willey said: “The biggest problem with this new guidance is that it assumes that heritage stands in the way of development and economic recovery, which is patently untrue. Historic buildings and places are an asset not a burden.”
The Government proposals are contained in the first integrated planning policy for protecting the historic environment. The draft planning policy statement (PPS) covers archaeology, historic areas, buildings and landscapes and includes a new concept – that of heritage asset – which does not appear in any current legislation. Ministers have stressed that the proposed guidance sends a clear message that the historic environment should be seen as an asset, not an obstacle to development. Housing and planning minister John Healey said: “Our historic assets are hugely important for local people and for the tourist industry and we need to conserve and protect them for future generations.”
