REVIT Heritage Report.pdf

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Torfaen County Borough Council REVIT: A Review of the Conservation of Industrial Heritage Assets on Brownfield Sites can provide an attractive location for housing, business and leisure and can provide a stimulus for economic development. 5.2.3 The themes which recur within these case studies include: • Regeneration of former industrial sites by ‘pump-priming’; • Preservation of the industrial and cultural identity; • High standard of environmental and architectural quality; • Integrating a strategy of urban and economic development, creating a social and cultural profile and participation; • Public partnership with private enterprise; • Innovative approaches to large construction projects; • High quality homes, offices and infrastructure; • Fast-track planning process, based on a long-term vision and long-term agreement or covenants; and • Mixed development. 5.2.4 As in many of these case studies the first approach to each site has generally been to make an informed assessment of the importance of the existing historic features. From this an overall conservation plan should be produced specifying the conservation approach for each building, such as: • preservation with minimum repairs; • restoration for museums or interpretation; • complete refurbishment for business or other uses; and • in some cases demolition. 5.2.5 The Dutch model of inputting archaeological values into the Sites and Monuments Record provides a very useful planning tool and, by providing an inventory of potential regeneration sites, allows the protection of the cultural heritage to be maximised. This model stresses that not all sites are of equal importance. In Britain not all heritage databases examine the heritage value of an individual site, and instead concentrate on archaeological and historic background, with less emphasis on relative value and is, therefore, of less useful for planning purposes and decision-making. 5.2.6 Although not all industrial assets are of archaeological, architectural or historic importance, groups of buildings of lesser quality may still add to the overall character of an area. The French model of PSVU makes a direct link between conserving the historic core of an area and encouraging re-development by controlling the regeneration. 5.2.7 The models provided by Blaenavon, Medway and Hengelo, emphasise the importance of the relevant local authorities promoting the statutory protection of important sites as a means of preventing erosion of the area’s historic character after regeneration. 0014021/JM/001 41

Torfaen County Borough Council REVIT: A Review of the Conservation of Industrial Heritage Assets on Brownfield Sites 5.3 Assessing the Impact of Development 5.3.1 A method of preserving the character of our industrial heritage is provided by a toolkit which focuses on the impact of a development on the historic environment. This provides a sustainability checklist of simple questions for development schemes which can help to determine the impact on the historic environment. An example from one toolkit includes the following questions: Will it maintain or enhance the character of the built and historic environment? Will new builds use conservation features and recycled materials? Will it help to reduce the amount of vacant and derelict land and the number of vacant buildings? Will it encourage development on previously developed/Brownfield land? Will it contribute to the character of town centres and respect their historic context? Will it help to protect or enhance ancient monuments, historic parks and gardens and other conservation areas? Will it help to create a well designed and exciting urban environment? Does it respect, protect and enhance existing features of the historic environment such as archaeological remains, buildings, street patterns and landscapes? Will it encourage the repair and re-use of buildings? (From the East of England Development Association website; EEDA) 5.4 The Historic Environment and Sustainable Regeneration 5.4.1 In order to be effective, a heritage-led regeneration project needs to have very clear conservation objectives. Projects need to be big enough to make a visible difference to an area or the funding needs to be concentrated in one place. The local authority or promoting partnership also needs good conservation skills and experience, and it is important that there is staff continuity during the project. 5.4.2 In addition, committing funding upfront, in the form of ‘pump-priming, allows time for other sources of funding to become available. Heritage-led projects, in isolation from other measures, cannot reverse endemic economic problems, but they can act as a catalyst for changing perceptions of an area. Experience shows heritage-led schemes are most effective when they are deployed as part of a wider regeneration strategy. Developments built in one phase and in single ownership, such as modern shopping and office complexes, offer fewer opportunities for social inclusion and can support fewer small and start-up businesses. 5.4.3 Since there are many problems in co-ordinating the different elements of regeneration, as well as funding packages, it is critical for a body with a 0014021/JM/001 42

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