# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 9 )("# STATEMENT )T S ABOUT MORE THAN JUST VISITOR SITES )("# RESPONSE TO THE $#-3 CONSULTATION DOCUMENT "ETTER 0LACES TO ,IVE GOVERNMENT IDENTITY AND THE VALUE OF THE HISTORIC AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT AND 4ESSA *OWELL S ESSAY 4HE )("# WELCOMES THIS FOCUS ON THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT AND THE RECOGNITION OF ITS INTRINSIC VALUE (OWEVER THE INSTITUTE IS ALSO EXTREMELY CONCERNED WITH THE NARROW SCOPE OF THE PAPER IN PARTICULAR ITS FOCUS ALMOST EXCLUSIVELY ON VISITOR SITES AND ITS FAILURE TO DEAL WITH THE PLANNING REGENERATION AND SUSTAINABILITY AGENDAS 4HE SUGGESTION THAT HISTORIC BUILDING LOSSES ARE NECESSARY TO PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES FOR NEW BUILDINGS IS ALSO OF EXTREME CONCERN FAILING TO RECOGNISE THE VERY SMALL PROPORTION OF BUILDINGS THAT ARE PROTECTED OR THE REAL ISSUE OF ADDRESSING MEDIOCRE DESIGN IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF BROWN FIELD SITES )N RESPONSE TO THE SPECIFIC QUESTIONS RAISED IN THE PAPER THE )("# WOULD MAKE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS A (OW SHOULD HERITAGE ORGANISATIONS GIVE LEADERSHIP TO AND CONTRIBUTE TO NATIONAL DEBATE ON IDENTITY AND "RITISHNESS ! KEY ROLE FOR NATIONAL ORGANISATIONS IS CAPACITY BUILDING 4HE AIM SHOULD BE TO ENSURE THAT THE VALUE OF HISTORIC PLACES IS UNDERSTOOD 4HIS IN TURN WILL ALLOW PEOPLE TO INTERACT MORE EFFECTIVELY WITH HERITAGE BODIES AND THE PLANNING PROCESS TO ENSURE THAT FULL CONSIDERATION IS GIVEN TO PROTECTING PLACES AND BUILDINGS VALUED BY LOCAL POPULATIONS )N ADDITION THERE NEEDS TO BE A MUCH FULLER APPRECIATION OF THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC VALUE OF BUILT HERITAGE .ATIONAL BODIES SHOULD PROMOTE AWARENESS OF THE IMPORTANCE OF PROTECTING LOCAL CHARACTER TO SECURE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SUPPORT LOCAL COMMUNITIES AND DELIVER MORE SUSTAINABLE FORMS OF DEVELOPMENT 4HIS INVOLVES CAPACITY BUILDING IN LOCAL AUTHORITIES REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT AGENCIES AND OTHER FUNDING BODIES )N ORDER TO PROTECT LOCAL AND NATIONAL IDENTITY IT IS ESSENTIAL THAT NATIONAL BODIES MAINTAIN EFFECTIVE GRANT PROGRAMMES ESPECIALLY TARGETED AT AREAS OF MARKET FAILURE )T IS ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT TO SEEK TO INFLUENCE PRIVATE SECTOR DEVELOPERS THROUGH EFFECTIVE QUALITY CONTROL IN PLANNING 4HE EROSION OF LOCAL AND NATIONAL IDENTITY MOST OFTEN OCCURS THROUGH NEW DEVELOPMENT THAT PLACES LITTLE EMPHASIS ON THE QUALITY OF URBAN DESIGN OR ARCHITECTURE )T IS ESSENTIAL THAT HERITAGE IS FULLY INTEGRATED WITH PLANNING AND REGENERATION AT NATIONAL REGIONAL AND LOCAL LEVELS 4HE INSTITUTE IS DISAPPOINTED THAT EDUCATION DOES NOT SEEM TO HAVE BEEN ADDRESSED EXCEPT IN TERMS OF VISITOR SITES 4HE EDUCATIONAL VALUE OF THE HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT IS MUCH WIDER IN SCOPE B )S MY 4ESSA *OWELL S ANALYSIS OF THE VALUE OF THE HISTORIC AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT AS ) HAVE DEFINED IT CORRECT 4HE )("# WELCOMES THE RECOGNITION OF THE INTRINSIC IMPORTANCE OF HERITAGE AND LOCAL IDENTITY BUT IS CONCERNED ABOUT THE LIMITED SCOPE OF THE ANALYSIS )T SEEMS TO FOCUS ON VISITOR SITES SUCH AS THOSE RUN BY THE .ATIONAL 4RUST AND %NGLISH (ERITAGE AND NATIONAL ICONS )T PAYS LITTLE ATTENTION TO THE VAST MAJORITY OF HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND PLACES SUCH AS PUBLIC BUILDINGS TRANSPORT STRUCTURES AND THE PLACES AND BUILDINGS IN WHICH PEOPLE LIVE WORK AND SPEND LEISURE TIME -ANY HISTORIC BUILDINGS ARE SMALL IN SCALE ,ISTED BUILDINGS RANGE FROM MODEST WORKERS HOUSING AND PUBLIC HOUSES TO INDUSTRIAL MILLS AND SOCIAL HOUSING BLOCKS %VERYDAY HERITAGE IS A BIG MESSAGE IN THE $#-3 S OWN DOCUMENT ! &ORCE FOR OUR &UTURE AS WELL AS IN 0OWER OF 0LACE )T IS THE BUILDINGS AND PLACES THAT FORM THE FABRIC OF EVERYDAY LIFE THAT HAVE DELIVERED THE MOST DRAMATIC BENEFITS IN TERMS OF URBAN AND RURAL RENAISSANCE PROMOTING DIVERSIFICATION CITY LIVING ECONOMIC TRANSFORMATION AND THE CREATION OF SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES )NDEED THE ANALYSIS MAKES NO MENTION OF THE SOCIAL ECONOMIC AND ENVIRONMENTAL VALUE OF THE HISTORIC AND BUILT ENVIRONMENT 4HE ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THAT THERE IS A TENSION BETWEEN CHANGE AND MODERNISATION AND HERITAGE PROTECTION )N REALITY HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND PLACES HAVE BEEN A CATALYST FOR CHANGE ESPECIALLY IN REPOPULATING INNER CITIES AND DECLINING INDUSTRIAL AREAS 4HEY HAVE PLAYED A KEY ROLE IN RURAL DIVERSIFICATION !ND THEY ARE ESSENTIAL IN ACCOMMODATING NEW BUSINESSES CREATIVE INDUSTRIES AND INNOVATION 4HE ANALYSIS SUGGESTS THAT MUCH PROGRESS IS REQUIRED TO MOVE THE HERITAGE SECTOR BEYOND WHITE MIDDLE CLASS INTERESTS 4HIS APPEARS TO FOCUS ON THE MEMBERSHIP OF THE MAIN NATIONAL HERITAGE BODIES RATHER THAN THE ACTUAL BUILT HERITAGE ON THE GROUND )N REALITY HISTORIC BUILDINGS AND PLACES CATER FOR DIVERSITY IN A WAY THAT NEW DEVELOPMENT DOES NOT DUE TO THE NATURE OF DEVELOPMENT FINANCE AND THE DEVELOPMENT PROCESS (ISTORIC AREAS PROVIDE A RANGE OF FLOORSPACE AND RENTAL LEVELS THAT ARE ESSENTIAL TO CATER FOR LOCAL COMMUNITIES MINORITIES AND PEOPLE OF LIMITED MEANS (ISTORIC PLACES ALSO TEND TO ACCOMMODATE A WIDER MIX OF USES (ISTORIC TOWN CENTRES PROVIDE A FOCUS FOR RETAIL AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES ARE OFTEN MORE ACCESSIBLE BY PUBLIC TRANSPORT AND PROVIDE SUPERIOR URBAN DESIGN CHARACTERISTICS SUCH AS PEDESTRIAN CONVENIENCE AND PERMEABILITY 4HE ANALYSIS IGNORES MOST OF THE MAJOR ISSUES FACING THE HERITAGE SECTOR INCLUDING THE SUSTAINABILITY AGENDA THE /$0- S SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES POLICY HERITAGE LED REGENERATION CITY LIVING RESOURCES FUNDING PROGRAMMES SOCIAL INCLUSION EDUCATION ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT RESPONSIBLE FISCAL POLICY AND HOUSING RENEWAL 4HE SUGGESTION IN THE ANALYSIS THAT THERE IS A CONFLICT BETWEEN PRESERVING
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