Caring for the Historic Environment

Your involvement will ensure the historic environment is taken into account in  local policy making and decision making.. We hope that, by raising awareness amongst you and your colleagues, HELM will encourage good practice in local authorities.

Heritage and Planning Policy

PPS5 Planning for the Historic Environment and the accompanying Practice Guide were published in March 2010. 

Policy HE2.1 says that local planning authorities should ensure that they have evidence about the historic environment and heritage assets in their area and that this is properly documented.

Policy HE3 requires local planning authorities to set out a positive, proactive strategy for heritage assets in their area, taking into account the contribution of heritage assets to an area’s sustainability and sense of place – including the various economic, cultural and social benefits

Policy HE6 puts the onus on the applicant to provide sufficient information  with an application to understand the impact of the proposal on the significance of any heritage assets that are affected by it. This policy is applicable to all heritage assets, whether or not they are designated, and their settings. Pre-application discussions ensure that  the impact is taken into account at a sufficently early stage to influence the design of any proposed scheme.

The PPS5 Practice Guide sets out details on the scope of the information required, including a written scheme of investigation when this is required.
Data on heritage assets will improve the quality of  development management and conservation management decisions. Historic Environment Records are highlighted in PPS5 as an important source of local information., The use of appraisal, characterisation, local lists, management plans, supplementary planning guidance and policy in local plans, etc. assist long term management of the historic environment, and can be used to develop  the criteria against which applications will be assessed.

Heritage Champions

Has your local authority got a Heritage Champion? If not, you might like to  consider nominating one of your elected members who would be prepared act as an advocate for the historic environment.

The website

This website provides a range of guidance to assist you with the management and protection of the historic environment. You  may also find it useful for  your own Continuing Professional Development (CPD) by keeping up to date with technical developments. This online resource includes case studies showing good practice across the country that could form the basis of training presentations given to others. We would welcome further case studies, particularly where effective conservation management solutions have been found.
Guidance can be accessed through the website's five topic buttons: Regeneration & Design, Understanding & Recording, Place & Placemaking, Managing & Protecting and Funding. English Heritage documents can also be searched and downloaded as a PDF by using the Guidance Library.
The HELM website has a list of guidance produced by local authorities, amenity groups and relevant bodies which can also be found using the Guidance Library. Case Studies may be searched for examples of good practice across the country.
 
HELM offers training for councillors and officers in local authorities and government agencies.