16 C O N T E X T 1 2 1 : S E P T E M B E R 2 0 1 1 Annual School ual School 2011 ool 2011 IHBC An 11 IHBC Annual S HBC Annual School School 2011 IHBC IHBC Annual Scho world. Indeed it is the only thing that ever has.’ His message was that the potential for community groups to become decision makers marked a dramatic shift from the way the planning system currently worked. Community groups argued that they were never asked for their views; planning authorities did not listen; jargon was used far too often; their views were not respected; and they were patronised and ignored. The proposals of the Localism Bill would allow a town or parish council to draw up its own neighbourhood plan and have it adopted, supplementing the local plan. Proposals would need to receive a 50 per cent vote of confidence from a referendum but would not need local authority approval. There would be a requirement to follow national policy. This raised concerns from a number of local government officers about the ability of community groups to make decisions in the wider public interest. Burton said that heritage did not feature in the Localism Bill. Was this conscious or an accident? Either way there was a heritage challenge: heritage professionals talk about the ‘significance’ of places and buildings, whereas local people focus simply on the places they love. The audience raised concerns about the capability of community groups, especially in areas where there is a lack of professional skills. There were concerns over the consistency of approach, the time needed to work with and guide the community groups, and whether groups were sufficiently representative. Simon Robertshaw and Amy Longford Thoughts from the Wild West From the adventures of his unfortunate and misguided alter-ego Dai, through to the philosophical musings of Schumacher and Maslow, we accompanied Phil Roach of the Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority on a personal, intriguing and thought-provoking journey, exploring the relationship between Wales, its politics, people and heritage through these challenging times. The presentation was one of the most engaging of the Day School, and thoroughly well received. To quote Roach: ‘When you’re really up against it you need kit and expertise, but also a positive attitude, you need to believe that what you are doing is right. Keep believing.’ Challenging the localism agenda, Roach rightly reinforced the need for in-depth knowledge to facilitate context-based decision making. The two concepts need not be mutually exclusive, but conservation professionals need to be able to tread the path with care. Exploring the concepts of culture, context and place, Roach described the landscape of Wales as varied and scattered, rather than nuclear, presenting unique issues when making judgments on particular aspects of heritage. Roach challenged us to consider and communicate how we judge valued or defined significance. An 18th-century Welsh dresser is considered an object of significance but a sash window of the same age, by the same carpenter, is discarded in favour of poor quality modern alternatives. Roach used this example to great effect to describe the risks associated with a lack of knowledge and a populist, romanticised and selective view of the past. Roach considered the issue of the evaluation of heritage in Wales, when so much of its multi-layered history is intrinsically linked to external influences, such as invasion or, particularly in the case of North Wales, the industrial cities of northern England. The presence of the government in Cardiff can tend towards an inward-looking approach which needs to be managed with care. He convincingly argued that this sometimes shallow understanding could lead to a wider lack of a sense of place, which latterly could translate into poor-quality decision making. Looking at the prospects for the future, Roach drew on Maslow’s hierarchical analysis of need, by way of a quick analysis of Swansea’s prospects in the Phil Roach: keep believing TheWelsh flag flies over Conwy Castle (Photo: RobertWalker)
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MjgyMjA=