Participating in the Past: Appendix 4 – The CBA's Stakeholder Survey

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Appendix 4: The CBA’s Stakeholder Survey

Summary and Conclusions

This summary outlines the results of work undertaken by the CBA examining the needs and means of promoting the involvement of voluntary sector historic environment stakeholders in strategic land-use planning (and other policy issues) in England. The project has been supported by a grant from English Heritage’s Heritage Grant Fund.

The project was undertaken against a background in which Government policy for planning has been substantially reviewed through the Planning Green Paper and subsequent Planning and Compulsory Purchase Bill currently before Parliament, accompanied by a significant amalgamation and redrafting of Planning Policy Guidance Notes PPG15 and PPG16, which is still ongoing. These proposals include a major restructuring of regional, strategic and local planning frameworks, and will seek to encourage more community and grass roots involvement in planning. The Government’s high level policy statement, The Historic Environment – A Force for our Future, the first English State of the Historic Environment Report, surveys of historic environment provision in local planning authorities, and the start of reviews of designations and potential for a single consents regime all provide further context fro the study.

A bibliographic review of sources of existing information, research, documentation and guidance on strategic planning and plans was undertaken together with identification of other relevant initiatives in similar areas of stakeholder interest in strategic planning.

The project has surveyed how participating in strategic planning issues relates to the other activities priorities and needs of the CBA’s Regional Groups and affiliated county and local organisations. The Questionnaire survey of the CBA Regional Groups and local groups achieved a creditable 39.65% response, with 138 Survey forms returned. Key findings were:

  • Fostering communication and understanding through lectures, seminars conferences is the is most commonly rated as an important activity (90%), followed equally by campaigning and input to conservation policy (70-50%) and local history and archaeological research 65-50%, and then educational outreach (40-36%), landscape and townscape assessment (39%) and casework (35%).
  • Enthusiasm for getting more involved with these activities followed a similar overall pattern (ranging from 33% down to 6%) but with relatively higher priority being given to doing more education and outreach.
  • 21% of local societies felt that they had good links with local authorities, and a more encouraging 62% had previously contributed to or commented on reviews of development plans at the County and sub-County level.
  • Only a tiny minority (just over 4% of groups) reported good links with regional bodies covering planning or environmental issues, and a very large majority (76%) had never commented on, or been involved in, Regional Development Plans.
  • The main barriers to more involvement with planning were reported as lack of consultation by the relevant local, regional and national government bodies (61%), compared with far fewer who felt it would be inappropriate to comment, reported lack of expertise or lack of time (12-9%). Only 7% felt commenting on planning issues was not relevant to them.
  • In terms of measures to enhance local groups’ input to the planningprocess fact-sheets and handbooks were rated highest (58-53%), with locally-based mentoring or training seminars and workshops next (48-47%).
  • Groups were very or quite interested in learning more about Local and Unitary Development Plans, Conservation Plans and Conservation Area Appraisals and Statements (86-82%), followed by English Heritage Extensive Urban Surveys Individual Planning Applications Landscape Character Assessments County Structure Plans Planning Briefs (82-72%) and Regional minerals waste and other thematic plans (63-51%)

In addition to this report, outputs of the project include 10 guidance notes/fact sheets available online and through circulation/ application and a well-received pilot seminar on a variety of aspects of strategic planning and landuse.

The principal conclusions of the study are that:

  • There is a substantial technical literature covering the historic environment in planning, and much general guidance on public participation in the planning process, but very little user-friendly guidance for non-specialists on how to promote archaeology and the historic environment through strategic land-use planning.
  • There are several valuable initiatives aimed at promoting more grass-rots involvement in landuse planning (eg by the CPRE, Civic Trust and TCPA) but these on the whole are fairly generalised and/or targeted at particular development issues or aspects of the environment, leaving a dearth of initiatives tailored to a holistic view of the historic environment, or to enhance HE input through other initiatives.
  • Involvement with strategic planning is not a high priority for most local archaeological and historical groups but there is nevertheless a significant degree of interest and a desire to become more involved.
  • The main ways to promote more involvement are through i) More consultation and dialogue with voluntary sector stakeholders initiated by regional agencies, county and local planning authorities and their specialist staff; ii) More user-friendly guidance material about the planning process oriented towards the historic environment; iii) More training/mentoring at local/regional level; iv) Better identification and support for individuals who are keen to become involved.
  • Activity in terms of involvement with strategic land-use planning at regional level is poorly developed in the historic environment voluntary sector. Pro-active advice and encouragement through professional support is needed if more active involvement at this level is to be developed.
  • This project has explored and piloted needs within one substantial, but far from complete cross section of the historic environment voluntary sector. Its outputs can be disseminated more widely and the pilot seminar replicated, adapted and built on to suit local needs, but a broader-based grass-roots approach now needs to be developed at regional and local level.
  • All these conclusions indicate the need for closer collaboration between historic environment and general amenity groups
  • Representing the voluntary sector, with more support and encouragement from regional agencies and local government.

The report recommends that:

  • English Heritage Regions have a major role to play in providing advice and support to encourage the voluntary sector to engage with regional land use planning.
  • National non-government bodies representing local historic environment and amenity groups and interested individuals (notably the National Trust, CBA, CPRE, Civic Trust, Association of Building Preservation Trusts) could work more closely together to provide support and encourage liaison and collaboration amongst their members and affiliated groups.
  • Organisations representing historic environment specialists in local government (ALGAO, IHBC) have a role to play in examining ways to promote more pro-active and effective consultation of local stakeholders.
  • Heritage Link has a potential role to play (eg through its planning working group) in helping to facilitate the collaboration recommended above.
  • Further investment in professional support and capacity building is needed if the full interest and potential of the historic environment voluntary sector stakeholders in strategic land-use planning is to be realised.

The full report is available online at http://www.britarch.ac.uk/conserve/planning/stakeholder.html

September 2003