HISTORIC HERITAGE PLANNING GUIDANCE

2010-03-29 12:28:46

The government has just published the above long awaited guidance which brings together many different existing policies which were at times at odds with each other and places them together in one coherent document.

The goal of the new guidance is to simplify the methods by which developers and owners of historic buildings, archaeological sites, parks and gardens and historic battlefields are able to justify and pay for their development. Previously the sole goal of policy was to achieve the upkeep of such properties usually at the owners expense and without giving the owner enough financial generation opportunities to pay for it.

The new guidance employs and whole life of the scheme mentality which will allow owners and developers the opportunity to incorporate larger scale development in order to pay for the costs associated with the maintenance and proper management of the asset in perpetuity. The guidance also incorporates the need to find new ways to ensure that any such regeneration will improve the carbon footprint of existing structures in order to protect the long term sustainability of our historic heritage.

Our view is that we should see over the coming years the improvement of a large part of our historic environment and some interesting and thought provoking enabling development.