REVIT Heritage Report.pdf

Torfaen County Borough Council
REVIT: A Review of the Conservation of Industrial Heritage Assets on Brownfield Sites
3.4 England
3.4.1 English Heritage produces a register of historic parks and gardens, and local
authorities also produce historic landscape characterisation studies. These
areas currently have no statutory protection in law, but are protected by local
planning policies and are a material consideration in determining planning
applications.
3.4.2 Planning guidance concerning archaeological remains is provided to local
planning authorities by ‘Planning Policy Guidance Note 16: Planning and
Archaeology’. This document established a presumption in favour of the
preservation in situ of nationally important sites. Remains which are of
regional or local importance may also be worthy of preservation in situ or,
alternatively, preservation by record. The key tenet of these documents is that
the ‘polluter pays’ i.e. the developer is responsible for paying for the cost of
preserving sites or the excavation of unknown sites within the development.
3.4.3 In England the guidance to planning authorities concerning the built heritage is
set out in ‘Planning Policy Guidance 15: Planning and the historic
environment’. This document establishes that it is an objective of the planning
system to secure the preservation of all listed buildings and any features of
special architectural or historic interest, which they might possess.
Conservation Areas are protected as areas of special architectural or historic
interest, which it is the duty of the local authority to preserve or enhance. The
setting of a listed building or Conservation Area is also a material consideration
in then planning process when determining the effect of developments in close
proximity. The settings of SAMs, Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas are
protected. However, there is no statutory duty to maintain historic buildings.
3.4.4 Recent government proposals are moving towards the integration of dealing
with all cultural heritage issues under a single all-embracing legislative and
planning policy environment.
3.4.5 The planning system recognises the importance of historic buildings of interest
and quality, and both statutory controls and grant assistance may be used to
secure their preservation or sympathetic alteration. Townscapes are now
receiving particular attention, both through town schemes in which English
Heritage and local authorities participate and an allied initiative launched by
the Heritage Lottery Fund. The Townscape Heritage Initiative is working
alongside organisations such as the English Partnerships to achieve
regeneration. Locally listed buildings are protected by Local Authority Planning
Policies.
3.5 Wales
3.5.1 Cadw produces a Register of historic parks and gardens, but only in Wales is
there also a register of Historic Landscapes. There is currently no statutory
protection in law for historic landscapes, parks and gardens, but they are
protected by local planning policies and are a material consideration in
determining planning applications.
3.5.2 In Wales planning guidance relating to archaeological sites is established in
Circular 60/96 'Planning and the Historic Environment: Archaeology'. This
established a presumption in favour of the preservation in situ of nationally
important sites. Remains which are of regional or local importance may also
be worthy of preservation in situ or, alternatively, preservation by record. The
key tenet of this document is that the ‘polluter pays’ i.e. the developer is
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