Memorandum by the Regional Development
Agencies (RDAs) (HIS 33)
1. THE ROLE
OF HISTORIC
BUILDINGS IN
URBAN REGENERATION.
COORDINATED RESPONSE
ON BEHALF
OF THE
REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT
AGENCIES
1.1. Historic buildings play a major role
in many urban regeneration projects sponsored by Regional Development
Agencies. We are therefore delighted to present our views to the
Select Committee. Individual RDAs have already forwarded response
to the consultation request, and provided examples of the many
successful regeneration projects with historic buildings at their
core. This document summarises the collective views of all RDAs
on the six questions posed by the Select Committee.
2. THE CONTRIBUTION
OF HISTORIC
BUILDINGS TO
URBAN REGENERATION
— Historic buildings are often key
to regeneration schemes: individually they can be centrepieces,
landmarks, or symbols of an area; collectively they set a framework,
a context, or an architectural standard.
— Some historic areas are based on
the local vernacular building tradition using materials locally
available, thus they are often unique, and help define the image
of an area. Other historic areas incorporate buildings in a variety
of architectural styles, and materials, and are constructed over
several centuries, here their richness and complexity can be equally
image defining.
— Individually or collectively historic
buildings generate interest even delight in most of us, thus a
well-conserved historic environment can be used to develop heritage
and culture based tourism.
— Their inhabitants often hold historic
areas in great affection; they are very much part of "the
cherished local scene" and their maintenance and improvement
is the subject of great local pride. They contribute to social
engagement, even health and well-being. People enjoy and take
pride in being identified with them.
— High quality historic buildings actually
set the architectural standards for adjacent new development.
In the 1960s new buildings often ignored their historic context
and standards of design in urban areas were often low. We have
learnt from these mistakes, now the very presence of historic
buildings demands sensitive and high quality architecture. Some
of our most exciting and stimulating urban areas derive their
character from an inventive juxtaposition of old and new.
— The historic built form is generally
high-density and promotes pedestrian movement and other sustainable
forms of transport, whilst being less attractive to the motor
car.
— The incremental development of many
historic areas leads to great variety in the type, size, and cost
of accommodation. This can be a more socially inclusive form of
development and can support small and start-up businesses. Developments
built at one time and under one ownership, such as modern shopping
and office complexes, offer fewer such opportunities.
2.1 For these reasons it is difficult to
overstate the importance of historic buildings in urban regeneration,
even those areas not associated with high quality historic environments
often have individual buildings and small areas with attractions
which are highly valued by their residents. The birthplace of
a famous son or daughter, the site of an historic event, a Victorian
factory chimney, all have local resonance and offer a focus for
regeneration opportunities.
2.2 The great variety evidenced in the list
of regeneration schemes, which have taken place in historic settings,
is evidence of this importance. What does appear important is
having a clear strategy for the inclusion of historic buildings
into significant regeneration frameworks, rather than seeking
to address historic buildings in isolation.
3. THE ROLE
AND EFFECTIVENESS
OF THE
PUBLIC AGENCIES
RESPONSIBLE FOR
THE BUILT
AND HISTORIC
ENVIRONMENT IN
ENCOURAGING URBAN
REGENERATION
3.1 The effectiveness of public agencies
varies considerably from region to region, and even within regions.
Some local authorities have the in house expertise and the financial
resources to be both effective and proactive, others lack one
or both of these and are ineffectual. Some authorities, particularly
those with limited numbers of historic buildings or environments,
and social and economic problems, have made a conscious and understandable
decision not to become engaged in this area.
3.2 There is also reluctance on the part
of many local authorities to use compulsory purchase powers to
facilitate regeneration of historic buildings or areas. Perhaps
this is because of lack of resources or because staff with appropriate
expertise in this field are no longer widely available.
3.3 English Heritage has been a very effective
partner in a number of successful projects where their representative
has been embedded in the project team. However in other cases
it is seen as an academic and inflexible barrier. Obsessed with
preserving every ounce of historic fabric, and unable or unwilling
to understand that unless a viable long term use is established
for a particular building or area the preservation of that fabric
becomes almost impossible.
3.4 It would seem that there is a need for
the development of appropriate skills in both the Local Authority
sphere of influence, and within English Heritage, where a better
understanding of the development process would be of benefit.
3.5 Shared objectives at strategic Government
level are required to provide greater joint working by public
sector agencies, together with a willingness to compromise at
operational level in order to take projects forward.
4. WHETHER THOSE
ORGANISATIONS CARRYING
OUT REGENERATION
PROJECTS GIVE
SUFFICIENT REGARD
TO HISTORIC
BUILDINGS
4.1 When the Development Agencies are involved
in partnerships with Local Government, and private sector partners
in regenerating historic areas they ensure that the brief for
the project reflects their value, and the project team incorporates
appropriate expertise. These safeguards have resulted in a number
of very successful schemes, economically viable, architecturally
sensitive, and valued by those who use them.
4.2 When local authorities have the appropriate
staff to deal with historic environments, they too are effective,
but some do not have conservation officers so find it difficult
to respond in an informed and timely fashion. Similarly the lack
of enforcement resources means that unauthorised alteration, even
demolition, can go unnoticed, and unchecked. The level of expertise,
and flexibility within highway sections of local authorities is
also variable, and their willingness to use appropriate, but more
expensive, materials and equipment within historic environments
is debatable.
4.3 The private sector can work effectively
in historic settings, but all too frequently developers fail to
see the opportunities offered by such settings. They are concerned
about the costs of alteration, adaptation, and long-term maintenance
of historic buildings. They fear with some justification that
once they start working on a building they will find a myriad
of expensive repairs that must be undertaken. There is also a
good deal of ignorance within the development industry about the
responsibilities that fall on the owners of listed buildings.
Developers are often more comfortable working on a cleared site,
where project costs can be accurately predicted. Conversely there
have been occasions where developers have started ambitious projects
within historic environments without being aware of the likely
true costs, and have abandoned the work half completed, with serious
consequences.
5. WHETHER THE
PLANNING SYSTEM
AND THE
LISTING OF
HISTORIC BUILDINGS
AID OR
HINDER URBAN
REGENERATION
5.1 The planning system is not in itself
an impediment, however lack of resources both within local authorities,
and within those organisations with which it must consult, leads
to expensive delays. This is another factor in the reluctance
of developers to engage in regeneration of historic areas.
5.2 The absence of informed, timely advice,
both generically, and specifically, from local authorities makes
it difficult for any developer to asses the risk in engaging in
an historic building project, and can frustrate potentially valuable
opportunities.
5.3 Where they are available local authority
officers and English Heritage staff with appropriate skills can
make a significant contribution to the regeneration of historic
areas, but they are most effective when they are integrated into
the project team.
5.4 Again the problem is not lack of concern,
but conflicting demands on limited resources within the two most
important regulatory bodies operating in this area.
5.5 The listed building system has been
reasonably effective in preserving most of our historic buildings.
Practitioners generally understand it and, whilst its detailed
implications are not generally understood, so do the general public.
5.6 Perhaps the reintroduction of the grade
three category, as a local designation, could be considered as
a method for identifying group value for small areas, rather than
utilising the conservation area legislation.
6. WHETHER ALL
GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS
TAKE ADEQUATE
ACCOUNT OF
THE HISTORIC
ENVIRONMENT
6.1 The Regional Development Agencies in partnership
with other government departments and pro-active local authorities
have been successful in developing heritage based regeneration
projects, a number of these have been highlighted by individual
RDAs to the ODPM. In all these cases the historic setting has
been secured through careful design and skilled advice.
6.2 There are a number of initiatives designed
to reinforce this approach, for instance; the NWDA is sponsoring
English Heritage to produce a design guide to aid creating and
restoring good townscape. They are developing an urban design
led approach to small town, and area regeneration, which will
have a strong emphasis on conservation of the historic environment,
and establishing a design review panel.
6.3 Within government departments the will
to consider the requirements of historic environments in development
projects, and access to appropriate advice, is evident. The only
department that performs less consistently seems to be DEFRA where
occasionally departmental views seem to reflect negative attitudes
prevalent in some sections of the agricultural community.
7. WHETHER FISCAL
AND LEGISLATIVE
CHANGES SHOULD
BE MADE
7.1 The role of the public sector will be
greatly assisted by the development of "public sector assistance
for historic environmental regeneration". The gap funding
guillotine at the end of 1999 created difficulty for public sector
intervention to maintain the historic environment alongside the
need for economic regeneration for a range of projects and funders.
What is not inherent in this is extra funding, as this "gap
funding tool" only adds another mechanism to the regeneration
armoury.
7.2 Any fiscal regime which encouraged the
ownership and improvement of listed buildings, and helped close
the gap between the costs of maintaining them and maintaining
a modern building, would help secure their future. Removing VAT
requirements on any works affecting listed buildings would make
matters clearer, and remove the need for technical or legal manoeuvring
to avoid making payments.
7.3 Consideration might even be given to
granting a percentage reduction in council tax for owners of listed
buildings.
8. CONCLUSIONS
8.1 The Regional Development Agencies recognise
the importance of historic buildings in urban regeneration, many
of them are actively engaged in projects rooted in the quality
of their historic setting, and the opportunities this setting
offers. However expertise and other resources in this field are
limited, constraining progress, and in particular, involvement
from the private sector.
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