Historic Buildings and Area Conservation

The historic environment is all around us and embraces landscape, archaeology and townscape. Both the District’s urban and rural landscapes are essentially man made and reflect within them long traditions of use and development which contribute greatly to sense of place, identity, character and local distinctiveness. These hold significant cultural value – as reflected in various protective designations – while help to underpin local economies and provide a focus for community action.

“The condition of our surroundings has a direct impact on the quality of life and the conservation and improvement of the natural and built environment brings social and economic benefit for local communities” (Planning Policy Statement 1: 18, ODPM 2005)

Quality of design determines the success any given development will have in delivering objectives of sustainability, and will be a determining factor in terms of the impact any development has upon both its surroundings and the broader environment. For this reason design is central to the spatial management of development, anf thus PPS1 states that “Good design is indivisible from good planning”.

Conservation and design are usually dealt with jointly within Central Government guidance on Planning Policy; this is because,

“The historic environment is the context within which new development happens”  (Power of Place, DCMS 2000)

In terms of new development a coordinated and informed approach in terms of design and conservation can help to deliver development which enhances and reinforces those valued qualities of character vested in established rural landscapes, urban townscapes and the sites and buildings they contain.