English Heritage has always been involved in highways and transport matters as they frequently have significant impacts on the historic environment. English Heritage has had greatest involvement in new road proposals and major upgrading activities, but also comments on strategy documents, appraisal systems and policy issues. Other forms of transport, including recent and proposed tram and light transit systems, railways and canals also feature in our work.
New developments are likely to have the greatest impact on the historic environment, but the existing transport network can also have an impact particularly where there are high levels of congestion which can intrude visually and aurally on historic areas. Small developments may have a cumulative impact, either permanently (such as piecemeal dualling of trunk roads) or in a way that may be reversed (such as the acumulation of signs and other street clutter in historic areas).
Local authorities are key deliverers of transport. In addition to the statutory enviornmental appraisal of local transport plans and schemes, LAs can contribute to enhancing the quality of the local historic environment, for example by improving the streetscape, reducing congestion, or developing innovative transport plans that avoid the need for new and potentially damaging infrastructure.
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