2008 Yearbook

28 Y e a r b o o k 2 0 0 8 BUILDING · CONSERVATION INSTITUTE · OF · HISTORIC · The fruits of this project will be launched as a guidance document on 30 April 2008. Some historic towns and cities have had more difficulty with taking ‘pride in their place’ than others; in particular those with an industrial past which, with the passing of heavy industry, have had to reinvent themselves while attempting to use the buildings and social legacy which once made them great. Newcastle upon Tyne was an ideal location for a conference which looked at the value of our industrial heritage; not only the buildings but the ghost identity which only thinly veils the pride beneath the surface. Once uncovered, this can offer a foundation for regeneration which is just as sound as the built fabric itself. In 2008, one of our major concerns will be one on which we anticipate working closely with the IHBC. In response to EHTF members’ concerns, Townscape in Trouble was published by EHTF in 1992. It shaped much of conservation area designation, but then no more. Issues which had been causing disquiet among conservation officers for some time were aired and potential solutions were openly discussed. In an effort to support the officers and to pull together their collective expertise, the forum published Conservation Area Management - a guide to practice in 1998, which although dated in appearance, still offers very relevant guidance, especially to inexperienced and/or hard pressed officers. But everything moves on. We have had government guidance on conservation and archaeology (Planning Policy Guidance 15 and 16), and performance indicators (Best Value Performance Indicator BVPI 219 – now withdrawn). And where are we now? Where are we with conservation area appraisals and management plans? Our recent survey of EHTF members and a series of training seminars in 2006 revealed a real belief in their worth, but a lack of resources to carry them out adequately. Conservation has slipped down the agenda, but remains fundamental to the historic built environment. So we will be reviewing Townscape in Trouble and its agenda for action and asking not only where we are now, but where we should be going. Conservation area management is no longer (if it ever was) a straight-forward issue. Environmental concerns, disability access, sustainability, all impact on the subject. Working with IHBC and others we will be uncovering the problems and trying, once again, to identify solutions and encourage good practice. As the director of EHTF, I am privileged to work with some of the most passionate, dedicated and hard pressed people, and their passion has been contagious. So much of life can be influenced through the intelligent management of our historic places. We can learn from them, relax in them, enjoy their beauty and build on their sustainability: most of them have been there for over a thousand years after all. In well managed environments we behave better, linger longer, yet move about more efficiently, and we thrive both economically and socially. See www.ehtf.org.uk for information about EHTF and its activities, including membership information and publications, or contact ehtf@uwe. ac.uk or chris.winter@uwe.ac.uk. Conservation area appraisal training seminar (All images copyright EHTF) Streetscape and public realm issues formed the focus for the forum in Leicester in July 2007.