Written evidence submitted by English
Heritage
BACKGROUND
English Heritage is the Government's principal
adviser on the historic environment in England—including
historic buildings and areas, archaeology and the historic landscape.
Alongside our statutory duty to conserve the heritage, we are
also required to advance its understanding and accessibility to
the public. We are sponsored by the Department for Culture, Media
and Sport, but work closely with the Department for Environment,
Food and Rural Affairs, who along with the Department for Communities
and Local Government contribute to the setting of our corporate
objectives. Whilst we are not directly involved in agriculture
or its related industries, our interest in environmental and landscape
issues provides us with a stake in the implications of farming
and land management policy.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
There is a concentration of environmental assets—both
cultural and natural—within the uplands which give them
their distinctive character. The management and conservation of
these highly valued assets also generates wider public benefits,
principally through tourism, which in turn brings money into rural
economies. The particular concentration of these assets within
the uplands does however places a disproportionate burden upon
the farmers and land managers in these areas. It is appropriate
therefore that the restoration and maintenance of these environmental
assets is both recognised and continues to be adequately incentivised
through the Common Agricultural Policy.
MAIN SUBMISSION
1. The Commission for Rural Communities
noted that 75% of the uplands are designated as National Parks
or Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty. England's uplands include
some of the nation's most iconic historic landscapes and an outstanding
array of historic settlements, buildings, and features. The low
intensity land use (particularly during a post-war period which
has seen major intensification of lowland agriculture) together
with the frequent use of stone as a building material has ensured
that the archaeology of the uplands exhibits an exceptional degree
of survival and visibility.
2. The importance of these archaeological
landscapes is reflected in the level of statutory protection afforded
to them, meaning that archaeological issues assume a higher profile
in upland land management policy than they do elsewhere. Although
occupying only 12% of England's land surface, the uplands (as
defined by Severely Disadvantaged Areas) include 5,624 nationally
important (scheduled) ancient monuments (approaching one third
of the national total), 13,324 listed buildings and parts of three
World Heritage Sites. Together with local customs, this heritage
underpins the identity and cohesion of upland communities and
is in turn supported by local craft skills and a variety of traditional
land management practices. However, maintaining this heritage
for the public good is not done without cost, a significant proportion
of which is borne by upland farmers and communities.
3. The open and accessible nature of upland
landscapes means their heritage is also amongst the most visible,
visited and publicly appreciated aspect of the nation's historic
environment. England's upland National Parks alone receive nearly
70 million day visits every year. The strong character of the
upland built environment is a major stimulus for tourism, and
indivisible from the natural character of the wider landscape.
Research commissioned by Defra on public attitudes to a range
of environmental values in the Severely Disadvantaged Areas (SDAs)
indicated that this cultural heritage was rated particularly highly.[2]
4. Historic farmsteads and isolated farm
buildings are also an important characteristic of upland areas
and, in some areas, such as the Yorkshire Dales, together with
their associated field walls, are a dominant landscape feature.
Research commissioned by Defra within the SDAs has indicated that
the presence of traditional farm buildings in the landscape is
particularly highly valued by the public.[3]
This farm building stock represents a considerable economic asset,
whether through continued agricultural usage, through adaptive
re-use to new farm or alternative business uses, conversion to
residences or, indirectly, through the contribution they make
to cherished and much-visited landscapes. Although many remain
in active use, a significant proportion of these buildings are
now functionally redundant, a factor linked to increasing rates
of disrepair and dilapidation. The character and location of many
of upland farm buildings (eg field barns) will often limit the
options for adaptive re-use and a noticeably lower proportion
of these buildings have been adapted to new uses in upland areas
than in the lowlands.[4]
5. Changes in farm support payments and
the merging and restructuring of farm holdings may pose significant
challenges for the continuance of traditional farming practices
in the uplands, and consequentially for the traditional building
stock and associated historic field patterns. Research by English
Heritage and Defra has however pointed to the significant financial
contribution that the conservation of historic farm buildings
and walls makes to the creation of full time jobs and in building
a skill base available for private-sector funded work.[5]
6. The uplands also have a nationally important
industrial heritage, particularly in terms of the extractive industries,
with many former industrial sites having important nature conservation
value as well as historic importance.[6]
There is a strong correlation between cultural heritage and sites
of high nature value and balancing the needs of the two in the
same location can sometimes be challenging. Attempts to prevent
over-grazing for nature conservation may lead to the growth of
scrub and bracken which can physically damage archaeological remains
and reduces the visibility and public appreciation of certain
historic landscapes. But in managing the uplands for environmental
and public benefits, we are aware that many upland farmers feel
that they are pulled in many different directions. This issue
was addressed in an exemplary way by the Dartmoor Futures project
in which conservation agencies worked together to establish a
mosaic of management priorities (for wildlife, landscape, archaeology
and natural resources) across the National Park. Similar considerations
should apply to increasingly frequent proposals for "re-wilding"
projects which will need to be managed carefully to avoid damage
to important archaeology or the loss of its visual amenity. In
general though, because of their multi-objective, whole-farm nature,
agri-environment schemes provide a particularly effective mechanism
for delivery.
7. Nevertheless, changes in farming practices
and land tenure lead to declining knowledge of craft skills, and
pose a threat to the continued maintenance of many aspects of
the upland historic environment. Training initiatives are important
in maintaining these skills, but agri-environment and other land
management initiatives, together with affordable housing policy,
all have a strong role to play in sustaining the skills base which
underpin the essential character of upland landscapes.
8. In the light of the above, we would agree
with the CRC's assertion that upland farmers are major producers
of public goods and services, and we believe that cultural heritage
is integral to the definition of "environmental public goods".
The provision of these goods and services and the concentration
of environmental features within the uplands puts a disproportionate
burden upon farmers and land managers in these areas.
9. We think that it is appropriate therefore
that farmers and upland communities should continue to be incentivised
for the provision of these goods and services through the Rural
Development strand of the Common Agricultural Policy. In this
respect we do however have reservations about the potentially
narrow definition of environmental services currently emerging
from debates around reform of the Common Agricultural Policy,
and believe that the value of cultural landscapes should be explicitly
recognised.
October 2010
2 Economic Valuation of Environmental Impacts in the
Severely Disadvantaged Areas: Final Report Submitted to Department
for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 3 January 2006, EFTEC. Back
3
For the purposes of the EFTEC report, cultural heritage was taken
to include "the visual presence in the landscape of traditional
farm buildings; less visual aspects may be the presence of animals
on the hill, traditional breeds, or traditional farming practices
such as shepherding with sheep dogs". Back
4
For example c. 20% in National Parks are converted and c. 30%
nationally: c. 25% in sparsely populated areas and c. 50% in the
urban fringe. Back
5
English Heritage and Defra 2005: Building Value: public benefits
of historic farm building repair in the Lake District and
English Heritage and Defra 2007: Building Value: Public benefits
of historic farm building and drystone wall repairs in the Yorkshire
Dales National Park. Back
6
Former mineral extraction, such as the lead rakes of the Peak
District, and metal working sites often support a rare metalophyte
flora. Back
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