Management of World Heritage Sites in the United

Kingdom

Sue Cole Senior International Advisor

National Advice TeamEnglish Heritage

World Heritage Sites in the UK • There are 28 World

Heritage Sites in the UK

World Heritage Sites in the UK • World Heritage

Sites can be cultural, natural or mixed

World Heritage

• World Heritage Sites (WHS) are places of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), authenticity and integrity. OUV is defined by the World Heritage Committee as “ so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and of importance for present and future generations of all humanity”.

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• WHS range from iconic (usually the early inscriptions with little involvement of anyone else) to the innovative (not nearly so eye-catching but involving everyone in the nomination process)

• WHS are often seen as primarily tourist attractions or as drivers of economic regeneration

• Recent research by Price Waterhouse Coopers and by the Lake District candidate WHS has looked at benefits and challenges of WHS status

World Heritage • WHS are often seen as primarily tourist attractions

or as drivers of economic regeneration• Recent research by Price Waterhouse Coopers and

by the Lake District candidate WHS has looked at benefits and challenges of WHS status

• Whatever their focus, the fact that WHS are universally recognised can help with social cohesion and community pride as well

• There are obligations as well as benefits to WHS status

• By signing up to the Convention the UK government is committed to the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission of its WHS to this and future generations

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• Blaenavon v Durham>

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• Nomination dossiers and accompanying management plans submitted by the UK have to show that the proposed site has– OUV, authenticity and integrity– Fulfils the criteria set out by UNESCO– Is unique– Is protected by national legislation – Has an effective management system in

place – the emphasis is on management system not just a management plan!

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Management Plans now in place for all UK WHS and these set out the systems in place to protect, promote, preserve and transmit WHSs to future generations

• Plans should• Appraise the significance and importance of the site• Ensure the physical conservation of the site to the highest

standards including assessment of risks eg flooding, climate change

• Protect the site and its setting from damaging development• Provide policies for promotion, interpretation and education• Provide clear policies for tourism as it affects the site

• Stakeholder Groups to oversee development, implementation and review of WHS Management Plans

• Each WHS should have Coordinator if they are to be successful• Each WHS MP should be publicly consulted upon and engage

communities

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• The overall aim should be to have a document that is logically set out, to the point and easy to use

• There should always be a section on monitoring and implementation with an action plan (which identifies priorities, target dates, who is responsible and funding)

• It should set out up front the function of the Management Plan and how it has been developed

• If it is a review of an earlier Management Plan then there should be a section assessing the previous plan

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Appraise the Significance of the Site • WHS Management Plans should contain

– Statement of Significance/Outstanding Universal Value (includes assessment of authenticity and integrity based on original documentation at time of inscription)

– Criteria site inscribed under– Attributes (tangible/physical manifestation

of OUV)– International and national comparators – Clear mapping of boundaries and any

buffer zone

World HeritageAppraise the Significance of the Site

• It is helpful to identify (as appropriate)– cultural and heritage values – Landscape and other values– Educational and research values– Social, artistic, spiritual values – Scientific and technological values– Tourism and economic values– Community values

World Heritage current policy context• It is helpful to set out the

current policy context• Planning policy

framework• Relationship to other

statutory and management plans

• Planning, historic environment and other designations

• Relationship with regional and local planning organisations and others

World HeritageManagement Plans • It is useful to set out the management

context early in the plan– Governance arrangements

• Organisations• Funding • structure

– Ownership and Site management arrangements

– Role of statutory organisations and others

World HeritageKey Management Issues• Summary of key issues

– Planning and policy– Conservation of the WHS– Infrastructure, development or other

issues – Risk assessment and mitigation– Visitor, tourism and education – Research– Other – Monitoring arrangements

World Heritage Management issues

-Planning and Policy

Spatial planning system developed since 19th century and is underpinned by statute supplemented by national ‘guidance’, circulars etc. These documents have considerable legal weight

• System of regional and local spatial plans defining what can be done where

• Such plans have legal status in planning system

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Two strands for heritage protection within the UK planning system

• Specific designations as listed buildings, ancient monuments, conservation areas. Others are protected via national registers such as parks and gardens, battlefields

• Inclusion of appropriate policies in planning documents for protection of all heritage whether designated or not (vital for WHS)

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Based on these key points• WHS have OUV as set out in a Statement of

Significance or Statement of OUV and approved by the World Heritage Committee

• Attributes encapsulating OUV need to be identified • All or part of a WHS can be designated • BUT not all of a WHS need be of OUV• Planning Authorities should have policies in

regional and local plans to protect WHS, their settings and any buffer zone as a whole

• Local authorities should have regard to Outstanding Universal Value of WHS “a key material consideration” when making decisions on planning applications

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Protection for World Heritage Sites has been increased by the following :

• More control of minor changes which incrementally could have adverse effect on OUV (inclusion in Article 1(5) Land alterations to GPDO October 2008

• New ‘call-in’ regulation where planning authorities refer to the Secretary of State applications adversely affecting WHS they are minded to approve against English Heritage advice

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• Publication of 07/09 Circular on Protection of World Heritage Sites and accompanying English Heritage Guidance note (endorsed by CLG and DCMS)– Circular restates WHS are important and

WHS status is a key material consideration that planning authorities must consider when deciding applications. The objective should be the protection and sustenance of each WHS through the conservation and preservation of its OUV

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• It emphasises the key role that planning authorities have in protecting, promoting, interpreting and enhancing WHS. The circular says Planning authorities should include policies to identify, protect and sustain WHS, their setting and any buffer zone

• OUV is now recognised within the planning system (each English WHS has a statement of significance or OUV agreed by its SG. Pre 1997 statements have been approved by the World Heritage Committee and post 1997 ones are awaiting approval). More work needs to be done to make sure that all sites have Statements of OUV ready for submission to UNESCO in February 2011

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• Circular 07/09 recognises the relationship of the planning system to WHS SGs and the role of WHS Management Plans and relevant policies in WHS Management Plans are key material considerations “in making plans and planning decisions”

• It recognises the need to protect “the area around a WHS in which change or development is capable of having an adverse impact on the WHS including an impact on views to or from the Site” and identifies different ways of achieving this including buffer zones

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• Use of other landscape designations eg AONB, Green Belt

• Specific view protection strategies – Seeing the History in the View which has

been tested on 2 London WHS (and this is being evaluated at the moment following public consultation in 2008

– SPDs eg Liverpool – Other setting studies eg Saltaire and

Bath of which more later

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• The accompanying English Heritage guidance gives more background on what WHS are, the international context, key players, WHS and the planning system and management of WHS

• It explains the role and function of management plans and steering groups in more detail

World Heritage conservation of the WHS• This should set out

– Condition of the key elements of the WHS– Setting– Management practices– Landscape and biodiversity challenges– Key issues eg B@R, restoration v

recreation, regeneration, change of use, micro regeneration

– Priorities for further work

World HeritageRisk Assessment and Mitigation

• Management Plans should identify key risks and mitigation strategies. These are likely to be – Climate change related eg coastal erosion– Flood– Fire– Earthquake/subsidence– Business continuity – Other (eg terrorism, hurricanes,

pandemics etc)

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Risk assessment and mitigation

• Mitigation includes– Sound emergency plans for key sites– Liaison arrangements with Emergency

planners, resilience fora and the emergency services

– A good network

World HeritageVisitor, tourism and education

• This section should address– Sustainable tourism– Public Access and carrying capacity – Transport – Visitor management– Visitor facilities– Signage and branding/marketing – Outreach and education (ideally a range

of activities for all ages

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Consultation and engagement

• It is important that WHSs are not seen as immaculate ivory towers divorced from their communities – Many WHS are part of thriving

communities which bring challenges and opportunities in equal measure • Engagement• Inclusion v exclusion

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Monitoring arrangements + action plan

• This should identify monitoring arrangements– Monitoring indicators – Timetable – Governance – Action plan – Review timetable

World Heritage Aims and Policies • Many plans have a separate section

at the end setting out the vision, key aims and policies together with an action implementation plan