C O N T E X T 1 0 6 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 0 8 21 IHBC Annual School 2008 IHBC Annual School 2008 IHBC Annual School 2008 place making. The new system will be simpler, more efficient and community-focussed. Following a challenge fromUNESCO,national policy concerning world heritage sites is being re-thought. A draft circular has just been published that helps to protect the outstanding universal vale of world heritage sites. There is a whole series of attempts to strengthen heritage and support communities. This is not just about protection but also about enhancement. In a recent MORI poll 70 per cent of those surveyed said that there was no such thing as ‘community’. Cherishing our heritage and building places that people care for can help to counteract that rather chilling statistic. Baroness Andrews considered that greater opportunity and social inclusion could be delivered through heritage that is open to all communities, prosperity that is spread across society, and regeneration that has heritage at its heart. David Kincaid Steve Bee Elements of constructive conservation With such a title we were put on intensive listening mode – having the promise of an antidote to the negative and uncertain outlook which has pervaded the conservation world in recent years. We were not disappointed when Steve Bee, director of planning and development at English Heritage, started by allaying commonly held fears that reference to conservation areas had not been included in the draft Heritage Protection Bill. The draft bill had not been complete, and conservation areas have now been included. ‘Constructive conservation’ in the eyes of English Heritage comprises three fundamental components: conservation principles, heritage protection reform, and education and training. The principles focus on the importance of considering the historic environment as a shared resource; understanding heritage values; managing places to sustain their significance; contribution by all towards protecting the historic environment; transparency and consistency in making decisions about change; and recording and learning from decisions. The emphasis on wider community involvement in conservation issues reflects the theme of constructive conservation, particularly in terms of encouraging local communities to develop a sense of ownership over elements of their local historic environment. Heritage Protection Reform promises wider consultation, partnership working and greater local responsibility. This should help to encourage the public to break free from what is often a rather narrow picture of historic conservation and the professionals involved. Steve Bee: encourage the public to break free from a narrow picture of historic conservation (Photo: Fiona Newton) Saluting Bramshill: annual school delegates visiting the police college were given an insight into the management of a large secure site and shown the progress on conservation of the Jacobean house. (Photo: Fiona Newton)
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