DAVIDLEVEN Conservationin Scotland'splanningframework Planningandconservationneedto evolveto managechangeinthe historicenvironment moreeffectively. The Scottish Executive is committed to the continuing protection of the built heritage. It also recognises the important role that conservation can play in the delivery of wider policy objectives: such as sustainable development, improving the quality of governance, social justice, lifelong learning, urban regeneration and delivering a high-quality environment. But realising its potential in contributing to all these things is perhaps the key challenge for conservation. Positive conservation strategies can result in highquality, sustainable and popular solutions to the ongoing improvement, revitalisation and regeneration of towns and cities. They also have an important part to play in improving quality of life. But equally, there are conflicting pressures that sometimes seem to undermine the objectives of conservation. First, I want to reflect upon how the planning system helps with the management of change within the historic environment. Secondly, I want to talk about how planning and conservation might evolve over the next few years to become more effective in this respect. The fact that so much of the historic environment has survived is a remarkable achievement, and is largely a result of the efforts of the conservation movement and latterly the planning system. But alongside the protection given to the heritage, it is probably also fair to say that long-term survival of many buildings has been helped by the lack of any real political or economic pressure for change in some areas. A sufficient supply of land and buildings for new development outside historic areas, in town and city extensions and new towns even, has contributed to this. It is remarkable that so much of our daily lives still take place within historic buildings and areas. Not only have we managed to safeguard its architectural and historic qualities, but we have been able to reconcile, exploit even, the economic and social implications of conservation, to sustain the economic and social fabric of areas and improve quality oflife. The wider benefits of this have recently come to be known as the 'heritage dividend'. This has been achieved in a way that ensur·es historic areas generally continue to provide enough space, of the right quality, at the right price, so that people can choose to live, work and relax in them. But there is no room for complacency. The latest Civic Trust Buildings at Risk Bulletin lists page upon page of historic buildings that have survived for one, two or even three hundred years, but are unlikely to be here in another 50. That is unless the techniCONTEXT 67 : SEPTEMBER 2000 cal, financial and administrative constraints of conservation can be addressed and, most important of all, new uses found for them. In other areas the pressure for redevelopment is considerable. For example, in Glasgow and Edinburgh it could be expected, in any calendar year, that around 20 per cent of all listed buildings would be subject to an application for listed building consent. The Scottish average is around 7 per cent. This is equivalent to saying that between now and 2013 we could expect every listed building in Scotland to have been subject to a proposal for change by their owners or users. In Glasgow and Edinburgh the pressure is equivalent to a five-year cycle of change. All of this demonstrates the need for historic buildings and areas to continue to be able to demonstrate robustness and flexibility over the long term. The Scottish Parliament has provided much more scope for focus and scrutiny of the needs and issues that matter most to people living in Scotland. It has also instilled a renewed sense of optimism and expectation. There are whole range of policy areas in Edinburgh skyline from Calton Hill. David Leven is senior planner with the Scottish Executive Development Department's Planning Services Division. 21
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