Response by SocietyTantallon Castle

The protection of the historic environment is not about preventing change. Change should be managed intelligently and with understanding to achieve the best outcome for the historic environment and for the people of Scotland.

The key responses are:

1. To enhance and improve legislation, policy, and advice and guidance.

  • The Historic Environment (Amendment) (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament in January 2011. It tackles some long-standing practical issues relating to the care and management of Scotland's historic environment. The Bill provides a much-improved legislative tool-kit for those working on the front line. It will improve the ability of owners, tenants, business, the voluntary sector and the regulatory authorities to manage it
  • The Scottish Historic Environment Policy (SHEP) sets out Scottish Ministers' policies, providing direction for Historic Scotland and a policy framework that informs the work of a wide range of public sector organisations
  • Historic Scotland publishes guidance on the management of change for use by planning authorities and other interested parties; and guides for owners

2. To promote and support planning processes that protect the quality of the historic environment and enable sustainable economic growth. 

The planning process provides much of the balance needed to manage change in the historic environment.

Many developments do not have a significant impact on the historic environment but, when they do, historic environment concerns must be taken account of. A local authority may impose a condition on a development to safeguard the historic environment and, in rare instances, may refuse a planning application. 

Scottish Government Planning Performance Statistics are available from the Scottish Government website.

  • Local authorities decided 39,536 planning applications in 2009/10, 13% fewer than in 2008/9
  • Listed building consent (LBC) must be obtained from the relevant planning authority to demolish, alter or extend a listed building in any way that affects its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest
  • Unlisted buildings in conservation areas have protection through conservation area consent (CAC). CAC is normally required before unlisted buildings in conservation areas can be demolished. Around 8% (3250 in 2009/10) of all planning consents involve LBC or CAC. Numbers of consents have been relatively constant since 2000/01 and around 90% are granted annually
  • Scheduled monument consent (SMC) is required from Scottish Ministers (through Historic Scotland) for any works that may impact on a scheduled monument. The protection of monuments and their setting is a material consideration in the determination of planning applications. Historic Scotland received 238 SMC applications in 2009/10 and 284 in 2008/9. All of these SMCs were granted, mostly with conditions to preserve historic significance

3. To improve the condition of the historic environment, working in partnership with local authorities and the wider sector – providing grants and advice to owners. 

4. To support, develop and promote Scotland's traditional building skills and the use of traditional building materials.

5. To increase knowledge and understanding of Scotland's historic environment, history and culture so that it can be enjoyed without damaging it.

6. To ensure that the historic environment sector contributes to the Scottish Government's Climate Change target to cut 80% of all carbon emissions by 2050.

7. To ensure that the needs of the historic environment are reflected in flood prevention approaches, such as the national flood risk assessment being developed by SEPA.

8. To develop a land use strategy that takes account of historic environment needs. The Scottish Government is developing a Land Use Strategy which sets out an agenda for sustainable land use.

9. To encourage the development of management plans for heritage assets.

10. To ensure that accurate data are gathered, disseminated and used in decision making for the historic environment.

Funding

Maintaining investment in the repair and maintenance of heritage assets is a key pressure. Funding for the historic environment comes from a wide variety of sources.

  • In 2009/10 the Scottish Government, through Historic Scotland, spent £75.9 million, a 1.2% increase in real terms on the previous year
  • In 2009/10 the Heritage Lottery Fund awarded a total of £7.2 million in grants to 85 different heritage projects in Scotland - a reduction in funding from 2008/9 and 2007/8
  • The Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA) figures show that in 2008/9, local authorities' net expenditure on heritage was £5.3 million, a decrease of 13% on 2007/8
  • The voluntary sector plays a vital role in caring for the historic environment in Scotland and each year spends money from grants and charitable donations. For example, in 2009/10 the National Trust for Scotland's total expenditure was £36.1 million, a decrease in real terms of 10.2% on the previous year
  • Private investment is the largest source of funding for the historic environment. Most assets are privately owned and the ability of private owners to invest sufficiently in the maintenance of historic buildings and places is crucial to the long-term management of the historic environment
Share our website