Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance - English Heritage

Preamble
ENGLISH HERITAGE CONSERVATION POLICIES AND GUIDANCE
108 This section summarises the policies that will guide English Heritage in
offering advice or making decisions about particular types of change affecting
significant places. More than one type of change may of course be included
in any particular proposal. English Heritage is primarily concerned with the
effect of proposals on the heritage values of places, and its policies are
framed accordingly.
109 While some of the policies have a close relationship to particular principles
(for example ‘New work and alteration’ to Principle 4.6), it is important that
all the policies are interpreted in the framework of the Principles as a whole.
110 Tension between conservation and other public policies usually arises from
a perceived need to harm the heritage values of a place in order to achieve
another important public policy objective, or to sustain the place itself
(paragraph 150). The converse is ‘enabling development’ contrary to public
policy, which is proposed in order to sustain a significant place (paragraph
158). In both cases, it is important to keep a sense of proportion, and not
automatically to assume that cultural or natural heritage values must prevail
over all other public interests. Such tensions are usually best reconciled by
integrating conservation with the other public interests through dialogue,
based on mutual understanding and respect.
Routine management and maintenance
111 The conservation of significant places is founded on appropriate routine
management and maintenance.
112 The values of landscapes and buildings tend to be quickly obscured or lost if
long-standing management and maintenance regimes are discontinued. Such
regimes are often closely linked to historic design, function and stewardship,
and dependent on traditional processes and materials. Since most habitats in
England are the result of long-established land management practices, sustaining
their ecosystems can depend upon continuing those practices. Reinstating a
lapsed regime can help to recover both cultural and natural heritage values.
113 Regular monitoring should inform continual improvement of planned
maintenance and identify the need for periodic repair or renewal at an early
stage. If a permanent solution to identified problems is not immediately
possible, temporary works should be undertaken to prevent the problems
from escalating. Temporary solutions should be effective, timely and reversible.
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