6 NEWS WHY IS ENGLISH HERITAGE HOLDING BACK? Having promoted the Buildingsa r-Risk programme to gather information on the state of the nation's historic buildings, I would have thought that the benefits to them of promoting some common computing standards would have been obvious. Not least, they would be responding to the criticisms from the Environment Committee. This does not appear to be the case. Anyone who has tried to utilise the BAR programme will be aware of its severe limitations (not to mention its lack of ease of use and problems). This has meant that it is seldom used on a day-to-day basis so that data are increasingly out of date. English Heritage seems to be standing aside while the Royal Commission on the Historical Monuments of England has set up a Standards Committee and has now published a minimum national standard for Sites and Monuments Records. The key difficulty for any local authority wanting to develop a more useful listed buildings database (apart from backwards compatibility with BAR) is what standard to use. I am currently talking ro Data way Ltd which has developed bespoke modular listed building computer programs for some local planning authorities (such as Basingstoke and Deane) and is rewriting the BAR programme in the software Foxpro in such a way rhar the screen design is in colour and there is an opportunity to incorporate photographs and maps. I will report this in a future issue. This is really a plea for English Heritage and the ACO to act together to agree minimum standards quickly - so as to ensure that it does remain possible to get an overall national picture of the condition of historic buildings. Meanwhile - I would be interested to hear from any ACO members who have developed their own ad-hoe systems which go beyond BAR. Dave Sutton, 39 Ashley Hill, Bristol BS6 5JA. Tel: 0111 960 112 I ext 336 DYNAMITING THE DUKE? In October the national newspapers were full of stories concerning the application to be considered by Highland Regional Council to demolish the listed Duke of Sutherland's statue above Golspie. The monument, built of sandstone and standing 100 fr high on a 1,300 foot mountain, dominates rhe hillside above the Dornoch Firth and is a constant local reminder of the brutal displacement of local families by sheep. Although the applicant proposed that it be removed and re-erected in London (?), the proposition prompted numerous suggestions of the destruction of other statues to people who did nor deserve to be honoured. Neil Ascherson, always a perceptive observer in these matters, made some trenchant observations about the principle and about a potential replacement for the statue in the Independent on Sunday and part of his article seemed worth reproducing here. "l should blow him up, not just as a statement about the Clearances but as a gesture about 'Heritage'. The statue is a Grade B Listed Monument. As every local bureaucrat knows, Listed Monuments count as Heritage and therefore as Tourist Potential. The Heritage rules say: Never mind what we think of the Duke himself. His statue is our statue. We have to cherish it. Anyway, it is a Resource. "This is what ought to be challenged. Heritage is nor just about country houses and statues which governments declare sacred and untouchable. It is also memory and the passion carried down from the past. Normal people who inherit something decide whether they will want to cherish it, sell it, or wipe their boots on it. A nation - in this case Scotland - is entitled to consult its own emotions about a piece of Heritage." THECONSERVATIONPORTFOLIO 1n the December 1994 edition of the Portfolio are: Cathedral Communications - Care and Conservation of Historic Garden Landscapes Keymer LtdMakers of Hand Made Clay Tiles POLEMIC - WHY YOU SHOULD GET MORE INVOLVED IN ACO Alan Taylor's informative Notes from Council ( Context 43, p36) succinctly encapsulated the current 'state of flux' which the ACO finds itself in, as well as reporting on its achievements. To my mind, the 'flux' is centred on the growth in the size of the ACO membership and the lack of a funded, full-rime organisational framework to support and administer it. This comment is in no way intended as a criticism of the existing Committee or Branch Representatives for that matter - who all continue to strive on our behalf under adverse circumstances. The situation has now been exacerbated by the imminent resignation of the Chairman (ro join English Heritage) and the prolonged difficulty in filling the vacancy of the post of ACO Treasurer. It has been evident for some years now that a small number of dedicated and committed individuals have given their energy and time on a voluntary basis to keep the ACO going and indeed expand it. Context is highly regarded as a key publication for Conservation Officers and allied professionals and also attracts overseas subscribers. ACO Schools, Conferences and Seminars are well established and provide much needed forums for debate and dissemination of information relating to current historic building conservation issues. ACO achievements are considerable and the time is now surely right to attain the formal recognition and status that this organisation deserves as a leading conservation body in this country. I wholeheartedly support the initiatives being undertaken by Council to investigate Institute status, the profile of the ACO membership and to seek improvements in the ACO administration. I for one, believe that, if the ACO is to be a potent force for historic building conservation, we must be prepared to pay for it. Membership payments at the level of, for example, the RTPI should provide sufficient funding for salaried ACO staff and organisational resources. The ACO has reached a critical stage in its development. The steps necessary to become a financially sound, accredited organisation representing the professional interests of its members need to be taken. Branch Representatives and Council deserve every support in achieving this. It is all too easy to be complacent and wait for 'other people' to take the initiative. Important decisions require a wide basis of grass-roots support in order to accurately reflect membership opinions. Branch Representatives need our views and support on the initiatives mentioned above. If insufficient information has been circulated about Institute status, for example, then it is up ro us individually to seek it via our Branch representative, and appraise ourselves of the issues and take an active interest in order to effect change. Let's act! Sally Stradling (ACO Southern Branch) PETER RICHARDS RETIRES FROM ESSEXCOUNTY COUNCIL - AND ALL THAT JAZZ In October Peter Richards retired from his post as head of the Historic Buildings and Conservation Section with Essex County Council - a job he had carried out since reorganisation in 1973. During that time Peter developed an enviable reputation for both himself and his Section, known and admired throughout the world of building conservation. PeterRichardsdiscussesCharlieParker with Deputy Editor Liz Marten. CONTEXT 44 -.
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