{"id":36031,"date":"2023-03-28T17:41:41","date_gmt":"2023-03-28T16:41:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsblogsnew.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=36031"},"modified":"2023-03-28T17:41:41","modified_gmt":"2023-03-28T16:41:41","slug":"ihbc-director-features-recent-cpp-appg-inquiry-report-on-befs-blog","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=36031","title":{"rendered":"IHBC Director features recent CPP APPG Inquiry Report on BEFS Blog"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"In a blog on BEFS\u2019 Bulletin<\/em>, IHBC Director Sean O\u2019Reilly has offered his own take on the progress, relevance and application to BEFS and other national networks of the IHBC-supported and UK-wide All Party Parliamentary Group for Conservation Places and People (CPP APPG).<\/h3>\n

<\/p>\n

\u2026 over the first year and a half of the Group it established, launched, closed, and published its first scoping inquiry\u2026<\/span><\/em><\/h2>\n

BEFS writes:<\/p>\n

Following the publication last year of The Value of Heritage<\/a> report, this Bulletin features a blog focussed on Democratic tools for change, and the IHBC\u2019s new advocacy route<\/a>. Sean O\u2019Reilly, IHBC Director has provided insight on IHBC\u2019s work to establish the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Conservation, Places and People (CPP), and the relevance of the five recommendations included in their report for Scotland.<\/p>\n

IHBC Director Se\u00e1n O\u2019Reilly writes:<\/p>\n

The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on Conservation, Places and People (CPP)<\/a>is now the advocate of the diverse benefits of historic and built environment conservation across Westminster Parliament\u2019s broad and diverse remits. Its establishment was led by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC)<\/a>, a UK-wide professional body and a charity.<\/p>\n

APPGs are the democratic equivalent of the Scottish Parliament\u2019s Cross-party Groups. While described in Westminster as \u2018informal cross-party groups that have no official status within Parliament\u2019, they are also \u2018run by and for Members of the Commons and Lords\u2019. As such, they can be the most accessible, transparent and \u2013 potentially \u2013 influential tool in democratic processes to access the networks that help shape legislation.<\/p>\n

Why an APPG?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The IHBC invested in the promotion of an APPG dedicated to all aspects of historic environment conservation as, after many years of active engagement, and informed consultations, it seemed we had made little difference to actual outcomes. Worse still, our pro-active advocacy on more substantial initiatives that would make a huge difference to outcomes \u2013 including funding and supporting research into various forms of conservation-linked VAT relief \u2013 had made even less headway.<\/p>\n

Formation<\/strong><\/p>\n

In April 2018, the IHBC\u2019s Communications and Outreach Committee supported an informal proposal to kick-start a wholly new approach to the IHBC\u2019s advocacy, and take our agenda in its entirety to a place we could see it making a difference across the UK: Westminster.<\/p>\n

After Board agreement, there then followed a long process \u2013 not a little convoluted by the global pandemic \u2013 that resulted in September 2020, when the CPP APPG was established with Layla Moran MP as its first Chair.<\/p>\n

At every stage of the journey our success depended on close liaison and agreement \u2013 and plenty of compromise \u2013 with the MPs and Lords supporting us. In that, our consultant APPG Secretary across the whole process, journalist David Blackman, played a critical role. Not only did he lead on the political interface and in negotiating the not-inconsiderable administrative complexities of Westminster, but he also brought in the political-networked London-based PR team at Powerscourt, who worked pro bono to establish the initial member network.<\/p>\n

Today the APPG, now chaired by James Grundy, Conservative MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester, looks to harness the passion many people feel about the heritage of their local area at the political and legislative levels.<\/p>\n

CPP APPG Inquiry<\/strong><\/p>\n

The CPP APPG Members agreed their Group\u2019s terms as being:<\/p>\n

\u2018To support built and historic environment conservation as the means to deliver successful places, which are economically, environmentally and socially sustainable. This includes using heritage to help places adapt to the diverse needs of current and future communities, whilst supporting enterprise, transport connectivity, health, climate change efforts and quality of life.\u2019<\/p>\n

Following that, over the first year and a half of the Group it established, launched, closed, and published its first scoping inquiry, into \u2018The Value of Heritage\u2019. For that, the group received extensive written evidence demonstrating the substantial economic, environmental and social value that heritage can actually deliver, not least through its sustainable management.<\/p>\n

With input from sector experts at a series of oral hearings, the APPG has also probed what holds back efforts to regenerate historic communities and how heritage could dovetail with the UK government\u2019s broader agenda of \u2018levelling up\u2019.<\/p>\n

The report\u2019s findings and conclusions overall were based on this mixture of written submissions and verbal evidence, some presented to the APPG over oral hearings themed around Economy, Regeneration and Society and Environment.<\/p>\n

The Value of Heritage<\/a> report was launched on Thursday 1 December 2022 at the House of Commons, with lead headlines around cuts in the VAT rate on listed building refurbishments and a presumption against demolition of existing properties amongst the recommendations.<\/p>\n

Relevance to Scotland<\/strong><\/p>\n

The APPG is an entity inside, and a voice around Parliament and its Parliamentary members. As such, the IHBC supported the APPG\u2019s Secretariat through the Inquiry process, advising on conclusions but not controlling them.<\/p>\n

The conclusions of the CPP APPG\u2019s Inquiry, for example, were based on the evidence submitted to them, and that depended in the responses to the public call for evidence. With the APPG as a new and largely unknown advocate for the heritage sector, and in the context of stretched resources and pandemic strains, only a small range of charities and groups could respond to the potential of the process.<\/p>\n

The lack of specific evidence from Scotland was one gap, so it might be useful to review here the final recommendations and their prospective relevance to Scotland. Usefully too, it can help clarify how the Inquiry represents only the first step<\/em> of the IHBC broader strategy to understand and interrogate these parliamentary processes and bring conservation and heritage to that platform.<\/p>\n

Below are extracts of the headline calls, with simple signposts on how a Scottish take might adapt any to suit its own priorities. The full texts are in the published document, but here they are consciously re-cast to highlight some of their potential:<\/p>\n