Management Plan - North York Moors National Park

ability of owners to keep their buildings in good repair. Workis ongoing to reduce this number and in 2010/11, 11 buildingswere removed from the ‘at risk’ register. This was achievedthrough a mixture of re-assessment, historic buildings grant,enforcement action, planning approvals for change of use andowner action. Listed Buildings are an irreplaceable asset andmust be protected as an integral part of the cultural heritageand distinctiveness of the National Park.There are a variety of sources of funding available forimprovements to Listed Buildings in the National Park –the National Park Authority runs a Historic Buildings GrantScheme for buildings on the ‘at risk’ register and other sourcesof funding include the Landscape Intervention Fund andEnvironmental Stewardship. The National Park Authority alsooffers advice to owners wanting to make alterations or repairsto Listed Buildings. Partnership schemes in Staithes and RobinHood’s Bay have tackled a number of Buildings at Risk anddelivered significant enhancements to the public realm.Conservation of the historic environment often createsopportunities for enhancement which can facilitate theintroduction of viable new uses, having knock-on benefits forthe economy.detailing and materials of traditional buildings all contributeto the distinctive character of each Conservation Area. TheNational Park Authority has a duty to preserve or enhancetheir character and appearance through careful control ofnew development, and it has carried out pioneering workto help protect these Conservation Areas from erosion ofcharacter through the wide-scale introduction of Article4 Directions. This has brought in additional controls overalterations to features such as doors, windows, boundarywalls and gates in 38 Conservation Areas.The National Park Authority has a duty to publish proposalsfor the protection and enhancement of ConservationAreas. Conservation Area Assessments and ManagementPlans have been produced where necessary in responseto particular local issues and pressures. These identify thefeatures that contribute to the character of the area and setout how they will be maintained through managing changein a sympathetic way and securing improvements whereverpossible. Partnership working between various interestsincluding local communities, landowners, local historygroups, schools, English Heritage, Highways Authorities andthe National Park Authority is key to achieving improvementsin the historic environment.The quality of the National Park’s villages is outstandingwith Thornton-le-Dale a regular winner of the title ‘Britain’sPrettiest Village 23 . There are 42 Conservation Areas within theNational Park which are designated because of their specialarchitectural and historic interest. The relationship betweenbuildings and spaces, traditional street layouts and the design23 www.enjoyengland.comNorth York Moors National Park Management Plan27