ACO BUSINESS NEWS NOTES FROM THE CHAIR Chris Smith By the time this edition of Context lands on your desk, there will already have been discussions with training officers or bank managers about the possibility of attending the next annual conference in Durham. I hope that as many members as possible will find some way of getting there. A good turnout repays the efforts of the organisers and makes sure that there is plenty of fruitful discussion to suplement the speakers. This year, there will be internal matters to discuss as well as external, professional ones. One important issue which will arise will be a proposal to change the association's constitution. The need for change has arisen both for reasons of technical clarity and correctness and also, more significantly, because of changing circumstances. The current constitution makes it quite clear that a conservation officer is employed by, or advises, a local planning authority. That definition has given rise to one anomaly already - ever since the GLC Historic Building Section was airlifted from the foundering of its parent authority, there have been a great many people working in every way as conservation officers but employed by HBMC. The number of similar cases is growing rapidly. Several Urban Development Corporations now have conservation staff. The transfer of the conservation staff of one County Council to the employ of the local Building Preservation Trust is imminent, and many urban regeneration project staff are carrying out what all would recognise as conservation work for yet another kind of employer. All this has become particularly relevant to me in a way which will become clear to anyone who has carefully read the list of officers at the front of the magazine. Ring Avon County and I will not be there. I have moved to become the project officer for the Stroud Valleys and look forward to doing conservation work there in new and exciting ways. Like others who have worked in this field, and like the Civic Trust who promote urban regeneration schemes, I am convinced that the assumption that conservation and urban regeneration go hand in hand is a vital and positive one which will help us all counter slurs about conservation being negative and elitist. I hope that you will agree, but also hope that you will discuss the whole matter of the definition of an ACO member and make your views known to your local representative or me as you feel appropriate. Full details of any specific proposed alteration to the constitution will of course be made widely and properly available before the next AGM - at which I hope to see you. BOOK REVIEWS LOCAL ISSUES a selection of recent publications Local authorities produce many publications which are intended as guidance to the lay public or developers on planning, design and conservation issues. The other type of publication - rather more rare - analyses and reports on a particular area or problem, either as a 'oneoff' or as part of studies towards a Local Plan or Structure Plan Review. In some areas, however, the local planning authority may not be aware (or appears not to be) of the critical nature of a conservation issue, prompting a local group to produce its own evidence. The publications received recently aptly illustrate both the 'model' local authority production - and the 'model' production by an independent local group which hopes to prod its local authority into action, or at least an acknowledgment of the problem. In the latter case, the local authority is seen at a disadvantage and one needs to have inside knowledge to judge whether, for instance, the allegations of inaction against Hackney are justified. Local Authorities' Publications Norfolk Countryside Strategy: Historic Landscapes and Archaeology Topic Paper No. 6 (Consultation Draft) Norfolk County Council 1988, 34pp Describes the importance of the historic landscape and underlying 26 archaeological evidence - the historic back-ground to today's landscape. Identifies threats to historic landscapes and concludes urgent action needed to protect and record. Recommends some new initiatives, e.g. locally-based survey team, approach to HBMC to start Monument Protection Programme, pressure on DoE and HBMC for new legislation to prevent damage to field monuments from ploughing, seeking support for stronger powers to protect ancient monuments, initiating a programme of information and education. Norwich Historic Buildings Survey 1986/87. City of Norwich 1988, 79pp £5.00 The City Council, in conjunction with architects Purcell Miller Tri ton, carried out a systematic survey of the historic buildings in the centre of Norwich in 1986/7. A total of 1430 buildings was surveyed, two thirds listed. Four categories were established, depending on urgency of repair work; 19 buildings were category 1,233 category 2 (urgent repairs required within 12 months and 5 years respectively). The costs of external repairs to these buildings was estimated at £3.Sm, or between £Sm and £10m if internal repairs and improvements are included. The report is a model of its kind, and is being used to establish a working priority for grant aid, and for planning policies to encourage investment and bring vacant buildings back into use.
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