UK Heritage Protection System - Coursework Example

UK Heritage Protection System Introduction English Heritage in the United Kingdom is not just a romantic concept. Since the early 1980’s, it is the name for a government body that is charged with the historical environment of England. It is an extensive supervisory and organizational responsibility and has been the subject of some criticism. English Heritage has been lauded as well for its protection of historic buildings; some believe the noblest and most worthwhile of ventures. “The richness of this country’s architectural heritage plays an influential part in our sense of national and regional identity” (About Listed Buildings 2006). These national treasures are ‘finite assets’ that connect the ages, protect our ancestor’s memories and preserve our heritage. All of the structures that identify Britain are our inheritance. “English Heritage has the task of identifying and protecting this inheritance in England. The main means of doing this is by listing recommending buildings for inclusion on statutory lists of buildings of special architectural or historic interest” (About Listed Buildings 2006). This discussion will appraise the English Heritage protection system by examining its brief history and present responsibilities along with how its various policies are perceived by the public. It will critique the current aspects and roles of English Heritage and outline opportunities for reform as well as listing its various accomplishments, technological advancements in the system and future goals. Background/ Responsibilities of HPS The Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, commonly referred to as the English Heritage, is a non-departmental government sponsored public organization supported by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) (Wikipedia English Heritage 2006). The Town and Country Planning Act of 1932 introduced the first implementation of building preservation regulations. The first historic buildings list of England was provided for all areas in the 1950’s and 1960’s. In 1970, a criterion for building selection for listing was established so that the lists could be updated. This step was in preparation for impending legislation. “The Secretary of State for the Environment is required to compile lists of buildings of special architectural or historic interest, for the guidance of local planning authorities in the exercise of their own planning functions under the Town and Country Planning Act 1971” (About Listed Buildings 2006). English Heritage’s role is the stewardship of important historical and archaeological sites with powers and responsibilities detailed in the National Heritage Act of 1983. Established in 1984, it gives advice regarding the registration and protection of historic places to Parliament through the Secretary of State for the DCMS. In its duties overseeing manmade structures, English Heritage also bears considerable accountability regarding conservation projects working together with another non-departmental public body, English Nature, which promotes the conservation of wildlife and unspoiled lands within England. Both entities give advice to the Secretary of State regarding policy and in individual cases such as registering structures that are officially designated as being of special architectural, historical or cultural significance (Listed Buildings) and archeological sites (Scheduled Ancient Monuments). English Heritage is the Governments legislative consultant on the historic environment and has direct ownership over some historic sites and coordinates with private owners of historic places which are managed under guardianship arrangements (Wikipedia English Heritage 2006). “Listing is not meant to fossilise a building. Its long-term interests are often best served by putting it to good use. If this cannot be the one it was designed for, a new use may have to be found. Listing ensures that the architectural and historic interest of the building is carefully considered before any alterations, either outside or inside, are agreed” (About Listed Buildings 2006). English Heritage selects a building to be listed for a variety of reasons. The structure may have played a part in the life of a famous person, has architectural value, was the scene for an important event or is important simply for its age. The older a building is, the more likely it is to be listed. “All buildings built before 1700 which survive in anything like their original condition are listed, as are most built between 1700 and 1840. After that date, the criteria become tighter with time, so that post-1945 buildings have to be exceptionally important to be listed” (About Listed Buildings 2006). Government policy dictates that English Heritage be an unelected body that the general public may join. Membership does not imply a voice in the operations of the organization (Wikipedia Quango 2006). English Heritage operates with a considerable degree of power and access to public money derived from taxation and is controlled to a greater or lesser extent by Ministers of Parliament (Wikipedia English Heritage 2006). The present heritage system has evolved for more than a century gradually building a comprehensive framework of implementing protective legislative measures for the historic environment. These include “archaeological sites and monuments, historic buildings and areas, historic parks and gardens, battlefields and marine archaeology” (Department for Culture 2003 p. 1). English Heritage works with DCMS, the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM) and the Department for the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) to provide an integrated, unified designation and regulatory system for the historic environment (Department for Culture 2003 p. 2). Opportunities for Reform of HPS Although the present designation system has worked well protecting England’s historic resources over the past hundred years, the current designation system is perceived by many as an obstruction to the understanding, effective management and appropriate development of historic sites. “The number of separate designation systems, and the different basis on which designation decisions are made, makes the system difficult to understand, particularly for non-professionals” (Institute of Historic Building Conservation 2005). Some historically selected sites are subject to multiple designations. It is possible for the title-holders to have property catagorised as several different types of historic asset thus listed under several various designations. This dilemma has certainly been perplexing and exasperating for both owners and the heritage protection staff who administer the classifications, especially given the numerous regulatory regimes attached to diverse designations. “The designation process itself is perceived by many to be opaque and secretive, with little opportunity for dialogue with owners or for wide consultation. The wording of designation documentation is seen as academic and hard to understand and there is a lack of user-friendly access to information on what is designated” (Institute of Historic Building Conservation 2005). The designation process is usually a slow, tedious procedure. “The average time taken to process a listing application is six months, with widely varying response times, very urgent cases can be turned around in a matter of days, whereas very complex cases can take years. Similarly, the time taken to schedule an ancient monument can vary from weeks to years” (Institute of Historic Building Conservation 2005). No one argues that some designation decisions need to be taken more quickly than others but organizational impediments are a considerable source of frustration to both applicants/owners and system administrators. Reforms of the heritage listing and consent system should always assure that current levels of protection for historic assets are maintained. Reform the List of Historic Sites and Buildings of England “The Government considers that the current criteria are broad and unclear and that the practice used by English Heritage when assessing buildings for listing needs to be clarified” (Lammy 2005). Bringing together the different regimes for protecting the historic environment into a single national list of historic sites and buildings of England would be a major contribution to a more comprehensive inventory of the historic environment of England. A centralised list compiled by English Heritage with a local sector compiled by local authorities all working within nationally agreed and openly published criteria and procedures would offer a much needed integrated basis for managing the historic environment (Department of Culture 2003 p. 3). English Heritage could be accountable for maintaining the List subject to a few caveats. English Heritage would act in an open manner regarding public policy and readily available Government listing policies and criteria. There would be continued authority for the Secretary of State to review exceptional cases and a requirement for English Heritage to give an annual account to the Secretary of State of its stewardship of the List. In addition, the legislated right of appeal for owners and applicants should be inherently adopted (Department of Culture 2003). English Heritage should construct an easily accessible appeals process regarding listing decisions. This would improve transparency to the listing system. “The grounds of appeal should, however, be limited to challenging whether English Heritage had reached its decision through correctly applying the statutory process and criteria and any published policy guidance, and the right of appeal limited to owners and local planning authorities” (Department of Culture 2003 p. 7). English Heritage should move to ensure listings are made transparent and easily accessible to the public. Entries should have all pertinent information regarding historical properties such as maps showing precisely where a structure is in an area. In addition, the List should include a ‘statement of significance.’ This would state what the particular significance about property and the reasoning behind a listing. It would also outline English Heritage procedure for which consent would be needed. List reform should also “provide a statement of reasons for each decision not to list. Require owners, local authorities, amenity societies, parish councils and the public to be informed and consulted when a proposal is made to place an asset on the List and provide protection during the consideration of listing as if the asset were already listed” (Department of Culture 2003). To sustain a more open system and to achieve the goals to alleviate listing concerns, Listing inspectors should involve themselves in extensive consultation and cooperation with owners and parties of interest. It is not widely recommended, though, that third party concerns be evaluated as this would place too much strain on an already overburdened system (Department of Culture 2003 p. 7). “The designation process itself is perceived by many to be opaque and secretive, with little opportunity for dialogue with owners or for wide consultation. The wording of designation documentation is seen as academic and hard to understand and there is a lack of user-friendly access to information on what is designated” (Department of Culture 2005 p. 2). The listing and designation process is a slow one. “The average time taken to process a listing application is six months. With widely varying response times, very urgent cases can be turned around in a matter of days, whereas very complex cases can take years. Similarly, the time taken to schedule an ancient monument can vary from weeks to years. Clearly, some designation decisions need to be taken more quickly than others, but administrative delays are a significant source of frustration to applicants and operators of the system alike” (Department of Culture 2005 p. 2). Appraisal of HPS To many people, the English Heritage appears as simply an arm of the government, an environment/architectural type agency. Taking custodianship for posterity sake as well as for today is what English Heritage wants to project but how successful it is in conveying the long view in terms of conservation, long-term costs and overall feasibility beyond their immediate goals of preservation is of concern. Perception of English Heritage’s objectives is undermined because its perceived lack of understanding in the managing of a sustainable historic environments future is at times questioned. In the past few years, the English Heritage has continued advancements and work in historic environment and an overall broader policy objective. This has re-enforced the Governments stance on sustainable development and has served as some justification for the English Heritage. While no one doubts English Heritages very important tactical contributions to UK’s heritage, it should be recognized that in the crucial analysis, the question is not whether the English Heritage is relevant, but what kind of involvement is needed from English Heritage. “How can it contribute most effectively to tackling its tasks in conjunction with the ways they are addressed by different parts of the historic environment sectors? How should responsibility to tackle them be shared by government, business, professions, voluntary groups and communities as a whole? What role does English Heritage have in defining such responsibilities?” (Council for British Archaeology 2002). Some people have questioned whether English Heritage is managing its resources effectively and if it could more efficiently pursue its purpose by combining its resources with other entities. English Heritage “released a major new funding stream for archaeology, and its work in demonstrating the benefits of conservation-led regeneration, which if generally adopted by others has potential to make a major improvement to the quality and public value of innumerable redevelopment schemes” (Council for British Archaeology 2002). Developments of HPS Since April, 2005, English Heritage has been responsible for the administration of the listing system. By updating and expanding the listings, English Heritage has been attempting to make the heritage protection system simpler, more transparent and easier for the public to use. “English Heritage protection and planning are undergoing a cultural change to bring about greater openness, fairness, flexibility and accountability” (Lammy 2005). New information packs for owners and new notification procedures for owners and local authorities are being introduced in 2005/2006 as well as clearer and more expansive property records in list entries. English Heritage introduced an official consultation phase to the listing process allowing owners as well as local authorities the chance to comment on English Heritage’s suggestion to the Secretary of State before it is put forward. The new information packs provide owners with information about the administrative process of having a property listed and instructs them to further resources of guidance in the matter. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport held a public discussion on the ideology of assessing buildings for listing last year. “These changes are the first stage of the Government’s wider proposals for reform of the heritage protection system. More information on these reforms can be found in the Department for Culture, Media and Sport’s Decision Report published in June 2004. The proposed revisions will not change the type of building that are listed or increase or reduce their overall number or change the level of protection afforded to historic buildings” (Lammy 2005). English Heritage, since taking sole control of the protection list, has made great technological strides by publishing (on its website) an inventory of archaeological sites and historic buildings in England online using PastScape Human Computer Interface. This impressive and user friendly interactive guide leads the user to English historical structures by a myriad of methods. “The four-year research behind English Heritages PastScape project has examined many of the issues associated with Human Computer Interface (HCI) and Virtual Reality (VR)” (Pringle 2001). PastScape takes its information from the National Monuments Record (NMRs). This national historic environment database includes approximately 400,000 records on the archaeology and buildings of England and its territorial waters. “These records contain descriptions of any interesting archaeological details, picture and links to maps and aerial photographs on other websites. This online resource from English Heritage’s NMR provides an easy-to-use way to find information about many of Englands ancient and historical sites, buildings and monuments” (PastScape 2006). In reaction to an evolving Internet and the innovative technologies it offers, the English Heritage re-evaluated and significantly updated its approach to the quantity of data management and quality of information accessibility. English Heritage is increasingly becoming more proficient with making data more widely available, convenient and usable. “As an indirect consequence of new government initiatives (Modernising Government), English Heritage is making concerted efforts to make more of its own archival material available to much wider audiences than previously” (Barrett & Maglio 1998). PastScape is just one of the interactive additions to the new and improved English Heritage. Also included on the English Heritage website are Images of England, Viewfinder, Geophysical Survey Database, Heirport, The Environmental Archaeology Bibliography and the Archaeology Data Service. Images of England is a groundbreaking initiative which creates a digitised photographic record of Englands 500,000 listed buildings. This information is made freely accessible to the public by the Images of England section of PastScape. Viewfinder is a browsable picture library of historic images from the NMR archive. “The Picture Gallery and Stories contain illustrations of the industrial age, social history, architecture and archaeology, dating from the 1840s to the present day” (Online Resources 2006). The Geophysical Survey Database provides an on-line catalogue of the archaeological geophysical surveys by the Archaeometry Branch of the Ancient Monuments Laboratory. Heirport is described as a portal for Historic Environment Information Resources. It allows cross-referencing of a wide range of databases. “It contains recent news stories about the historic environment and links to educational resources and community spaces where issues are discussed and debated” (Online Resources 2006). The Environmental Archaeology Bibliography (EAB) is a compilation of bibliographic references to published reports on environmental archaeology from the whole of the British Isles (Online Resources 2006). Archeological Data Search is a map search that allows the user to search a specific geographic area. This site fits well within English Heritage’s vision for open access to information resources regarding historic environment. It is based on the situation in the United Kingdom and on experience gained by the Archaeology Data Service. It is hoped that this experience will appeal to a larger audience. The value of access to cross-cultural resources will depend upon a shared approach. “There is a large number of Historic Environment Information Resources (HEIRs) with little co-ordination. There is considerable overlap and duplication between HEIRs; there is also no ‘one-stop-shop’ for the user. Creating a single integrated system is not an option. This was proposed for a time in the 1960’s and 70’s as archaeologists began to harness information technology, but it was rapidly realised that it could not be accomplished as it was neither politically acceptable, theoretically desirable, nor practically possible” (Richards 2000). Conclusion The British historic environment is something in which all citizens identify with and take pride. It is our inheritance which we want to hand down to future generations. This present-day society has made great strides in protecting our heritage therefore enhancing the perception of historic monuments. This is important as future citizens will make choices that differ from ours but must have the same principles in mind as ideologies change but monuments do not. The role of English Heritage is to, in conjunction with the government, defend the historic environment. Reforms to this system should make it easier to access and understand rather than adding complication. English Heritage has enhanced data collection and moved to a more transparent system, vital steps toward a comprehensive knowledge base and therefore, greater understanding of our non-renewable heritage. The better we and future generations understand the historic environment, the better we can protect it. The level importance we put in our legacies and the steps we take to preserve it will determine how future generations view it and how they act to cherish it. We cannot afford to view English Heritage as just another impersonal arm of government burocracy. It aids the link to our past, not just for us but for our children thousands of years into the future. It is much of what identifies us and will define them as British. It is part of us and will be part of them. History belongs to the ages, the past as well as the future but for this to be, it must be protected in the present. It has been said that if we don’t learn from past mistakes we are doomed to repeat them. In Britain, we have a glorious history with structures to illustrate it. We look upon these monuments as a living history and not just some ink on a page. If we don’t protect these impactful reminders of the past our past, surely history will fade in our collective minds and we are more likely to forget thus more suseptable to repeating past mistakes. English Heritage is indeed not just a romantic concept but are the guardians of our most sacred trusts. How we accept and deliver on this trust is a responsibility of epic proportions and importance. How we act will determine how future generations act in the preservation of our legacies and to responsibly answer the call of protection is the best way to repay past generations for the gift of our British identity. English Heritage is a major part of the protection of our heritage. Still in its infancy, it has, by and large, performed well in its duties and has positioned itself for positive future growth. Ironic as it may seem, the use of high technology by English Heritage will serve to aid a streamlined, efficient and more effective method of protecting the ancient treasures. References “About Listed Buildings.” (2006). Pavilions of Splendor Architectural Heritage. Retrieved 22 February 2006 from Barrett, R. & Maglio, P. P. (1998). “Informative Things: How to Attach Information to the Real World.” Proceedings of the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology. pp. 81-88. Retrieved 23 February 2006 from Council for British Archaeology. (January 2002). “English Heritage Quinquennial Review.” Department for Culture, Media and Sport. Retrieved 23 February 2006 from < http://www.britarch.ac.uk/conserve/ehqreview.html> Department for Culture, Media and Sport. (July 2003). “Protecting Our Historic Environment: Making the System Work Better.” Architecture and Historic Environment Division. Retrieved 23 February 2006 from Department for Culture, Media and Sport. (August 2005). “Reforming Heritage Designations.” Heritage Protection Report. Retrieved 23 February 2006 from < http://www.heritagelink.org.uk/docs/HPR_update_designation.doc> Institute of Historic Building Conservation. (August 2005). “Reforming the Heritage Consent Regimes.” Heritage Protection Review. Retrieved 23 February 2006 from Lammy, David. (25 July 2005). “Have Your Say on Listing Buildings Criteria.” Tottenham. Retrieved 23 February 2006 from “Online Resources.” (2006). English Heritage. Retrieved 23 February 2006 from < http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/> “PastScape.” (2006). English Heritage. Retrieved 23 February 2006 from Pringle, M. J. (2001). "Using Virtual Reality to Improve Public Access to Heritage Databases over the Internet." In: Stancic, Z. & Veljanovski, T. (Eds.), CAA2000 - Computing Archaeology for Understanding the Past, British Archaeological Reports International Series. (Forthcoming) Retrieved 23 February 2006 from Richards, J.D. (2000). “Digital Data: Preservation and Re-Use.” Archaeology Data Service. Retrieved 23 February 2006 from Wikipedia contributors. (2006). “English Heritage.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23 February 2006 from Wikipedia contributors. (2006). “Quasi-Autonomous Non-Governmental Organisation.” Wikipedia, The Free Encyclopedia. Retrieved 23 February 2006 from < http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Quango> Read More