# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 9 4RAINING "UILDING IN CONTEXT THEORY INTO PRACTICE -ANY MEMBERS OF THE )("# WILL REMEMBER THE PUBLICATION "UILDING IN #ONTEXT PRODUCED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH #!"% #OMMISSION FOR !RCHITECTURE AND THE "UILT %NVIRONMENT -ANY ) SUSPECT WILL HAVE LOOKED THROUGH THE DOCUMENT AND MADE THEIR OWN JUDGEMENT ABOUT THE CASE STUDIES 4HE ONE ) COULD NOT RECONCILE WITH THE MESSAGE BEING GIVEN WAS THE CHURCH EXTENSION "UT AFTER THAT MY COPY STOOD FOR LONG PERIODS ON THE SHELF DESPITE THE USEFUL SERIES OF QUESTIONS THAT PROVIDED PROMPTS ON HOW TO ASSESS APPLICATIONS WHICH COULD BE FOUND TOWARDS THE END OF THE DOCUMENT !ROUND THE TIME THAT "UILDING IN #ONTEXT WAS PUBLISHED ) WAS INVOLVED IN PROVIDING SOME TRAINING FOR ELECTED MEMBERS IN A LOCAL AUTHORITY IN SOUTH EAST %NGLAND IN ASSOCIATION WITH THE +ENT !RCHITECTURE #ENTRE 4HE FORMAT AN EVENING SEMINAR WAS TRADITIONAL AND THE EVENT WAS PART OF AN INITIATIVE BY OFFICERS TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT DESIGN AND DESIGN QUALITY ) SAW IT AS A GOOD OPPORTUNITY TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT THE HISTORIC BUILT ENVIRONMENT IN A MORE INTEGRATED WAY AND SO WAS HAPPY TO SPEND TIME DISCUSSING WITH MEMBERS THEIR IDEAS ABOUT WHAT CONSTITUTED GOOD DESIGN IN HISTORIC AREAS WHICH SEEMED TO BE ALL ABOUT TRADITIONAL MATERIALS AND TRADITIONAL DESIGN IMITATING PAST STYLES &EEDBACK FROM THE EVENT MAINLY BY COMMENTS AT THE END OF THE EVENING WAS POSITIVE AND ) WENT AWAY THINKING THAT A JOB HAD BEEN WELL DONE ! FEW MONTHS LATER IT WAS AS IF THE TRAINING HAD NEVER HAPPENED -EMBERS APPEARED NOT TO HAVE RETAINED MUCH OF THE INFORMATION THEY HAD BEEN GIVEN 3HORTLY AFTERWARDS ELECTIONS RESULTED IN SUBSTANTIAL CHANGE AMONG MEMBERS WHO WERE ON THE DEVELOPMENT CONTROL AND PLANNING BOARDS )T WAS ALMOST BACK TO SQUARE ONE )N CONSIDERING AND DISCUSSING THESE EVENTS WITH COLLEAGUES IT WAS CLEAR THAT THIS WAS NOT AN UNUSUAL PATTERN /THERS HAD TRIED TO ADDRESS IT IN VARIOUS WAYS %ACH HAD IDENTIFIED AN ISSUE THAT THEY HAD TRIED TO ADDRESS BUT VERY FEW HAD LOOKED AT THE WHOLE PROCESS RATHER THAN JUST THE MESSAGES OR INFORMATION THEY WANTED TO PROVIDE (ENCE THE "UILDING IN #ONTEXT 4OOLKIT WAS BORN AS THE FIRST PROJECT TO BE FUNDED BY THE %NGLISH (ERITAGE 3OUTH %AST 2EGION #APACITY "UILDING "UDGET 4HE PROJECT WAS TO RESEARCH DEVELOP AND PUBLISH A TOOLKIT INCLUDING WORKSHOP GUIDELINES TO ENABLE WIDER UNDERSTANDING OF THE PRINCIPLES OF "UILDING IN #ONTEXT TO A RANGE OF PROFESSIONAL AND COMMUNITY GROUPS 4HE PROJECT AIMED TO DEVISE AND DEVELOP TRAINING THAT MEETS A NEED BUT ALSO DEVELOPS SKILLS SO THAT THE TRAINING ITSELF BECOMES SUSTAINABLE %NGLISH (ERITAGE WAS PREPARED TO FUND THIS PROJECT BECAUSE OF THE FINDINGS IN THE /XFORD "ROOKES #ONSERVATION /FFICER 0ROVISION REPORT THE ASPIRATIONS EXPRESSED IN 0OWER OF 0LACE AND THE GUIDANCE BEING GIVEN IN -ANAGING ,OCAL !UTHORITY (ERITAGE !SSETS 4HERE IS A DESPERATE SHORTAGE OF SKILLS 4HE SKILLS NEED TO BE DEVELOPED IF INFORMED DECISION MAKING IS TO BE ACHIEVED 4HE NEED TO BRING MANAGEMENT OF THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT INTO OTHER WIDER AGENDAS MEANT THAT FROM THE BEGINNING THE PROJECT HAD TO BE DEVELOPED WITH #!"% AND OTHERS IN THE REGION ) WORKED WITH THE +ENT !RCHITECTURE #ENTRE TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP A PROGRAMME OF EVENTS THAT WERE TO BE USED AS PILOTS TO TEST ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF DELIVERING TRAINING 4HE FORMAT AND LOCATION OF THE EVENTS WAS CAREFULLY SELECTED TO TEST TYPES OF TRAINING WITH DIFFERENT AUDIENCES DIFFERENT SCALES OF ISSUES AND AT DIFFERENT POINTS IN THE PLANNING PROCESS )T WAS ALSO IMPORTANT TO DEVELOP TRAINING WITH DIFFERENT ORGANISATIONS IN DIFFERENT PARTS OF THE REGION /NE OF THE FIRST STEPS WAS TO CARRY OUT A SCOPING EXERCISE TO IDENTIFY POTENTIAL PARTNERS AND ISSUES FOR THE PILOT EVENTS 4HE AIM WAS TO HAVE A WIDE VARIETY OF PARTNERS FROM CITY OR UNITARY AUTHORITIES THROUGH MARKET TOWNS AND COMMUNITY GROUPS )T WAS ALSO FELT IMPORTANT TO LOOK AT A WIDE VARIETY OF ISSUES AFFECTING THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT INCLUDING TRANSPORT COMMERCIAL RETAIL CIVIC SPACES MIXED USE DENSITY AND EDUCATION !LL EVENTS HAD TO HAVE AN HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT DIMENSION AND MOST INVOLVED CONSERVATION AREAS 4HE AIM OF THE PROJECT WAS TO DEVELOP A TOOLKIT BY RECORDING EVERY STAGE OF THE PROCESS FROM INCEPTION TO COMPLETION CONTINUALLY ADJUSTING THE PROGRAMME IN RESPONSE TO FEEDBACK 4HE SUPPORT OF THE REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCY 3%%$! THROUGH THE REGIONAL DESIGN PANEL WAS CRITICAL AS IT OFFERED A POTENTIAL POOL OF FACILITATORS TO DELIVER THE TRAINING AND TO DEVELOP A GUIDE OR MANUAL TO PREVENT REINVENTING THE WHEEL FOR EVERY EVENT 4HE PROJECT WAS DIVIDED INTO STAGES 3TAGE WAS PROGRAMME DEVELOPMENT SCOPING THE INITIAL AUDIENCES PARTNERS VOLUNTEERS AND ISSUES )T INVOLVED CREATING AN INITIAL WORKSHOP FRAMEWORK DEVELOPING AND AGREEING EVALUATION MONITORING METHODS AND INITIAL MARKETING OF THE PILOT PROGRAMME 3TAGE WAS THE DELIVERY OF THE PILOT WITH THE FIRST TRAINING EVENT FOR FACILITATORS FROM THE DESIGN PANEL TO BE FOLLOWED BY EVALUATION BEFORE DEVELOPING A FURTHER SIX EVENTS ACROSS THE SOUTH EAST 3TAGE IS THE PROMOTION AND FORWARD STRATEGY WHICH INCLUDES PREPARING A FINAL REPORT ON THE PROGRAMME COMPLETING THE FACILITATOR S MANUAL AND DISSEMINATING THE PUBLICATION THROUGH THE WEB AND MAIL OUT TO PROGRAMME PARTICIPANTS LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND OTHERS 3IX EVENTS HAVE BEEN HELD ACROSS THE SOUTH EAST 4HE FULL RESULTS WILL BE PUBLISHED SHORTLY 4HE FIRST EVENT IN THE PROGRAMME WAS HELD IN -OLE 6ALLEY $ISTRICT #OUNCIL A SMALL AUTHORITY IN 3URREY 4HE SUBJECT OF THE EVENT AROSE OUT OF A LOCAL ISSUE PROVISION OF A RETAIL DEVELOPMENT ON THE EDGE OF A CONSERVATION AREA
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