CBA Welcomes Publication of Heritage Planning Policy and Government Statement

Submitted by Seren Langley on Tue, 2010-03-23 10:29
in

Today, the Government has published three major new documents on heritage; the new planning policy statement for the historic environment, PPS5, the associated Practice Guide, and a Government ‘Statement’ on the historic environment in England.

Westminster The CBA welcomes the new planning policy statement, PPS5, Planning for the Historic Environment, published today together with the Historic Environment Planning Practice Guide prepared by English Heritage. Alongside these the Government has also published its Statement on the Historic Environment. Together this suite of documents now replaces the 1990s’ guidance in PPGs 15 and 16 and provides the framework for a modernised, integrated approach to planning and to protecting and enhancing all aspects of the historic environment.

The three documents can be found here:

The Government’s overarching aim in PPS5 is that the historic environment and its heritage assets should be conserved and enjoyed for the quality of life they bring to this and future generations. In its Statement on the Historic Environment, the Government’s vision is ‘that the value of the historic environment is recognised by all who have the power to shape it; that Government gives it proper recognition and that it is managed intelligently and in a way that fully realises its contribution to the economic social and cultural life of the nation’.

CBA Director Mike Heyworth commented:

It is a landmark that for the first time planning policy formally includes the contribution that heritage makes to our knowledge and understanding of the past. PPS5 recognises the public value that lies in capturing evidence from archaeological investigation of the historic environment, whether it is in buildings, landscapes or buried remains. The CBA is particularly pleased that the sensitivity of archaeological interest in an historic site or building is fully recognised and that the key principles of PPG 16 have been retained and strengthened. Once lost, heritage assets cannot be replaced and their loss has cultural, environmental, economic and social consequences which must be taken into account. PPS5 also promotes an important new principle about the contribution that the historic environment can make to creating sustainable places and in adapting to climate change.

The CBA looks forward to progress with the draft legislation that includes other key elements of heritage protection reform and to engaging with an early review of the implementation of the new Guidance in practice.

Further commentary on the Heritage Protection Process can be found on our Heritage Protection Reform pages. The CBA response to the Government’s consultation on PPS5 in October can be found here. For an up-to-date list of consultations relating to the historic environment, visit our Consultations section.