THE INSTITUTE OF HISTORIC BUILDING CONSERVATION http://www.ihbc.org.uk IHBCOfficers Chairman: Dr Malcolm Airs (Department of Continuing Education, Oxford University, Tel: 01865 270395), 39 High Street, Dorchester-on-Thames, Oxon OXl0 7HN, Tel: 01865 340075, e-mail: malcolm.airs@conted.ox.ac.uk Vice Chair: Sarah Higgins, 81 Old Street, Upton on Severn, Worcs. Tel: 01684 592518. e-mail: vicechair@ihbc.org.uk Secretary: Dr Richard Morrice (English Heritage, Tel: 01483 304869), 3 Stafford Terrace, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 4QZ, e-mail: secretary@ihbc.org.uk Treasurer: Robert Parkinson (West Oxfordshire District Council, Tel: 01993 77024 7), The Old Priory, Priory Lane, Bicester, Oxon OX6 7BG, e-mail: treasurer@ihbc.org.uk Membership Secretary: Gus Astley (Bath & North East Somerset Council), Manor House, Wells Road, Hallatrow, Bristol BS39 6EJ, Tel/Answerphone: 01761 453047, Fax: 01761 451153, e-mail: membership@ihbc.org.uk Branches Co-ordinator: Julia Smith (Milton Keynes Council, Tel: 01908 252501), 49 Chaucer Drive, Aylesbury HP21 7LH, Tel: 01296 435187, e-mail: branches@ihbc.org.uk Consultations Co-ordinator: Graham Arnold (Wirral Metropolitan Borough Council. Tel: 0151 691 8197), 13 Sefton Drive, Liverpool LS 3SD Education Co-ordinator: John Preston (Cambridge City Council, Tel: 01223 457166), 90 Riston Road, Cambridge CB4 3JP. Tel: 01223 562534, e-mail: johnp@cambridge.gov.uk Technical Panel Co-ordinator: Jenny Chesher (Mendip Borough Council, Tel: 01749 341320), Cannards Grave Road, Shepton Mallet, Somerset BA4 5BT. e-mail: chesherj@mendip.gov.uk Publicity Officer: David Davidson, 862 Finchley Road, London NWll 6AB. Tel: 020 8731 8238. e-mail: publicity@ihbc.org.uk IT Manager: Peter Badcock. e-mail: it@ihbc.org.uk Branch Officers North: Ian Goodman, Tel: 01670 519391 North West: Sheila Stones, Tel: 0161-793 3770 Yorhshire: Stephen Bateman, Tel: 01274 754551 West Midlands: David Baxter, Tel: 01432 261950 East Midlands: Michael Taylor, Tel: 0116-252 7296 South: Martin Andrew, Tel: 01494 421578 South West: David Stirling, Tel: 01249 760670 East Anglia: Michael Knights, Tel: 01603 611346 South East: Peter Cobley, Tel: 01622 22154 7 London: Rosemarie MacQueen, Tel: 020 7641 2455 Scotland: Ronnie Robertson, Tel: 01343 563287 Wales: Neil Sumner, Tel: 01656 643159 Northern Ireland: Laurence Manogue, Tel: 028 9067 1114 Republic of Ireland: Bernard Dee, Tel: +353 004 737721 Registered as a Charity Number 1061593. Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in England Number 3333780. Registered Office: 3 Stafford Terrace, Tunbridge Wells, Kent TN2 4QZ Context News 4 Conference report 9 Materials 10 Letters 13 Crystal ball gazing in the twentyfirst century. Richard Emerson 16 The conservation officer in post-devolution Scotland. Stuart Eydmann 18 Conservation in Scotland's planning framework. David Leven 21 Editorial When maintenance comes first. Nigel Dann Managing and developing Europe's 25 inland waterways. Nigel Crowe 29 Recent developments in the law, Charles Mynors 31 Education: National Vocational Qualifications in building conservation. John Preston 35 IHBC News 37 Book reviews 39 Newdirectionsat the AnnualSchool2000 "Conservation is like rowing. You move forward whilst looking back," Richard Emerson, Historic Scotland's chief inspector of historic buildings, told the IHBC's Annual School in Glasgow in June. In his more optimistic moments, Emerson thinks of shipping his oars, hoisting sail and looking forward in the direction of travel. "Rowing requires effort and stamina, sailing requires quicker wits. One must know which way the wind is blowing and anticipate its sudden shifts." Are conservationists in any position to do that? Emerson had his doubts. "Today it seems to me that forecasting the future of conservation is more like doing the backstroke. One must thrash along, vainly looking for help from the heavens that will never come, worrying at every stroke what new, unexpected obstacle one will bang into, and unsure whether one is in fact going round in a circle." With its title 'New Directions for Conservation in the Twentyfirst Century', the Annual School could not help looking forward. The experience turned out to be exhilarating. Conservation, it became clear, is at the heart of current debates about economics, sustainability and cultural identity, as the contributions in this issue of Context show. Architectural historian Miles Glendinning, whose Annual School paper we hope to carry in a future issue, was blunt about the challenge that the conservation movement faces. His view of Scotland's predicament has echoes for the rest of the UK as well. '"National heritage' is now just a mask," he said, ''Heritage islands are dotted within the mass-produced sprawl of Clone City, alongside the equally shallow images of the new retro 0 momo signature architecture.'' Reality was papered over with images of national cultural autonomy, Glendinning claimed. "Ruskin's strictures about the lack of authenticity in 'restored' cathedrals could equally apply to this entire identity-structure of 'national heritage', as well as to individual setpieces such as the Miralles Parliament, like a theme-park pavilion in its showy metaphors of 'Scottishness'." Yet, as the Annual School showed, conservation in that small country has some determined allies, and the general standard of design of new and adapted buildings is notably high. As Stuart Eydmann pointed out, if Scotland can't get it right, what hope is there for the rest of the IHBC's constituency? CONTEXT 67 SEPTEMBER 2000 3
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