2009 Yearbook

18 Y e a r b o o k 2 0 0 9 BUILDING · CONSERVATION INSTITUTE · OF · HISTORIC · all aspects of the content of the draft bill. In the submission to the main draft, the joint professions explained extensively their view that this was not dealing adequately and appropriately with planning controls in conservation areas. We had hoped that the publication of the specific Conservation Areas Clauses would help to address some of these issues, but were disappointed to note that this was not the case. It was felt that the bill contained no clearer protection system nor any stronger vision for the future of conservation areas than can be found in the current legislation, and that in some respects it reduced the effectiveness of designation and conservation management. The local development framework process can appear complex and cumbersome and the institute therefore supported the thrust of the DCLG proposals on streamlining local development frameworks through Planning Policy Statement 12: Local Spatial Planning . However, the institute was dismayed that such a major document on planning policy was being proposed with no reference to heritage and its value as a component of regeneration, design and the place-making agenda. In February 2008 the institute made a submission to the Communities and Local Government Committee’s inquiry into the skills capacity within local government to deliver sustainable communities. The IHBC’s memorandum drew the committee’s attention to the IHBC’s own developing consultation document, How to Care for Places and People: Historic Environment Conservation Skills and Services . This document begins to define the skills needed by professionals working in historic environment conservation and the level of services that should be expected from historic environment conservation bodies especially in local government. The gamut of conservation activities are individually defined and the lead officer and local government department for each identified activity are linked closely to the IHBC’s Areas of Competence (see page 10). The submitted memorandum also strongly endorsed the institute’s belief that there are already insufficient conservation officers in local government and that this provision is likely to fall still further in the future. We were ultimately unhappy that neither the issues we raised nor our fundamental point that action is required to increase the numbers of qualified conservation professionals were taken on board by the committee, whose concluding report focused on planning without any mention of conservation skills. Consultations this year have been related to broad high-level policy issues such as Our Seas (DEFRA), Ensuring the Sustainable Management and Conservation of Wildlife (DEFRA), and also to government initiatives such as Eco-towns: Living a Greener Future (DCLG). A variety of the consultations responded to were concerned with the operational practicalities of the planning system and included the Housing and Planning Delivery Grant (DCLG), proposed amendments to the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations (DCLG), Tree Preservation Orders: Improving Procedures (DCLG), Protection of World Heritage Sites (DCLG), Technical Advice Note 12 (WAG) and Scottish Planning Policy 23: Planning and the Historic Environment (Directorate for the Built Environment). A significant number of consultation responses have been centered around proposals aimed at decreasing energy use, such as Part L of the Building Regulations (DCLG) and the Promotion of Energy End-use Efficiency and Energy Services (DEFRA), and at increasing energy production as shown in the Strategic Environmental Assessment Scoping Report for Proposed National Policy Statement for New Nuclear Power (DBERR), Towards a Nuclear National Policy Statement (DBERR), and Permitted Development Rights for Domestic Microgeneration Equipment (Directorate for the Built Environment). Other consultations were related to the strategic operation of government departments and related non-governmental organisations at national, regional and sub-regional levels. In our response to Prosperous Places: Taking forward the Review of Sub-national Economic Development and Regeneration we highlighted the contribution of the historic environment to regeneration and asked for this to be made explicit in developing regional strategies. The IHBC submission to the resulting DCLG inquiry into The Role of Regional Development Agencies (RDAs), which proposed widening the remit of RDAs, recommended that members of RDA boards should be given specific responsibility for sustainability, place- making agenda and heritage issues. The process of consultation response allows the IHBC to promote wider awareness of the benefits of the historic environment to decision- makers and opinion-formers. The institute’s views, perspective and philosophy are fed back to government ministers and departments and other national and regional bodies. The IHBC’s consultation responses are formulated by input from an email panel of volunteers who seek to represent the variety of views and perspectives of our eclectic multi- disciplinary membership. You are urged to consider contributing to the work of this panel to widen its views and enhance the current excellent standard of response. Copies of all past consultation responses are available on the IHBC website at www.ihbc.org . uk/consultations_archive.htm. Fiona Newton, projects@ihbc.org.uk