C O N T E X T 1 4 5 : J U LY 2 0 1 6 35 Notes from the chair We can’t wait for government to take the lead on reform The need for reform of the heritage sector is widely appreciated, especially in the context of the deep decline in public sector provision over the last 10 years, but agreeing on the details is and, I suspect, always will be devilishly difficult. The IHBC has attempted to get ahead of the curve on this, not least because experience has shown that if you wait for government to take the lead on reform you may not like the outcome. Hence, IHBC officers David McDonald and I have been extremely busy on a number of fronts in taking matters forward. Fortunately, others in the sector share our concern and, if I dare say so, our bravery, in tackling the issues involved. InWales the new heritage act embraces the need for better information and understanding to accompany consent applications, and we hope that the proposed heritage impact assessments will show the way for the rest of the UK. The now locally-based conservation provision in Northern Ireland continues to bed in and strengthen protection there. Historic Environment Scotland has published its first corporate plan and, usefully, it has issued clearer guidance to assist practitioners and stakeholders. Meanwhile England continues to drift away on a sea of ill-thought-through ideology. Fortunately, a rock of stability and comradeship can be found through the Historic Environment Forum for England.This meeting place for the heritage sector has generated two important working groups looking at training and client demand issues and has fostered the more comprehensive Historic Environment Protection Reform Group (HEPRG). Regular readers will know that I have been a member of the HEPRG since its inception two years or so ago. An informal collective of bodies including Historic England, owners’ organisations, archaeological and other professional bodies and, of course, the IHBC, we have worked together looking for common solutions that will address the vacuum in protection left by the loss of public sector capacity. Some proposals (such as heritage statements and clearer guidance from Historic England) are agreed by all to be a good thing. Others (such as fee
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