The National Heritage Bodies
Jonathan Taylor
Although the protection of the historic environment follows a broadly similar pattern throughout the UK, significant changes were made in the roles undertaken by the four national heritage bodies responsible, particularly in 2015. These changes are summarised here.
Generally, applications for the various special consents required (see lower table) are made to the local authority, no matter which part of the UK you are in. Applications for scheduled monument consent and some applications for listed building consent are then referred by the local authority to the national heritage body, such as Cadw in Wales.
| NATIONAL HERITAGE BODIES AND THEIR GENERAL AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY | ||||
ENGLAND |
NORTHERN |
SCOTLAND |
WALES |
|
Heritage |
Historic |
DoE HE Div |
HES |
Cadw |
Archives and |
Historic |
DoE HE Div |
HES |
RCAHMW |
Historic |
English |
DoE HE Div |
HES |
Cadw |
| * The national authorities’ responsibilities include the designation and protection of historic buildings and monuments, maritime wrecks, historic parks, gardens and landscapes. Conservation areas, however are designated by the local authorities, and world heritage sites are designated by the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO. | ||||
ENGLAND
In April 2015 English Heritage separated into two organisations: Historic England, which is the new public body responsible for the protection of England’s heritage, including historic buildings and monuments, and English Heritage, a charity which looks after the national heritage collection of more than 400 historic places across England.
Historic England
www.historicengland.org.uk
Historic England is responsible for the
designation of heritage assets in England and
for maintaining the National Heritage List for
England. It has a statutory role in determining
certain applications affecting ‘designated’
heritage assets (listed buildings and scheduled
monuments), and advises local and central
government on their protection. Historic England works to protect the
historic environment through grant aid, skills
development, research, advice and guidance,
and it maintains the Historic England Archive
and Library in Swindon.
NORTHERN IRELAND
Formerly known as the Environment and Heritage Service, the Historic Environment Division of Northern Ireland’s Department of the Environment is responsible for the protection of the historic environment, including monuments and buildings. Since April 2015 most planning responsibilities have been transferred to local authorities, including listed building and conservation area consent applications.
DoE Northern Ireland – Historic
Environment Division
www.doeni.gov.uk/topics/historic-environment
The work of the division is divided between
two units.
The Historic Monuments Unit maintains
Northern Ireland’s 194 monuments and
sites which are in state care. In addition, it
is responsible for the recording, designation
and conservation of historic monuments
more generally by advising on planning
applications that affect them, commissioning
archaeological investigations, and monitoring
and recording their condition. It maintains the
national databases on sites and monuments.
The Historic Buildings Unit produces and
maintains ‘the list’ of buildings of special
historic interest; advises the planning service
on planning applications that affect listed
buildings; provides professional advice on
alterations and technical information on
repairs; where appropriate provides grant
aid for approved schemes; and promotes
awareness of historic buildings, for example
through organising European Heritage Days.
| DESIGNATION | WORKS REQUIRING CONSENT | CONSENT REQUIRED |
Scheduled monument |
All works including demolition, alterations and repairs |
Scheduled monument consent (SMC) |
Listed building |
All demolition work and alterations which affect its character as a listed building – this includes works to the interior, objects and structures fixed to the building, and objects and structures within its curtilage built before 1948 or, in Northern Ireland, 1973 |
Listed building consent (LBC) |
Unlisted building in a conservation area |
Demolition only (‘substantial’ not partial demolition |
Conservation area consent (CAC) or, in England, planning permission |
Some external alterations to houses, which elsewhere would be permitted by right, may require consent under an Article 4 direction |
Planning permission |
|
In addition to the above consents, changes affecting the exterior of a heritage asset may also require planning permission |
||
SCOTLAND
Historic Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) have merged to form a single organisation, Historic Environment Scotland (HES), which became fully operational on 1 October 2015.
Historic Environment Scotland
www.historic-scotland.gov.uk
HES advises on wide-ranging historic
building matters and has a statutory role
in determining applications affecting the
demolition of buildings which are listed or
in conservation areas, and the alteration of
category A and B listed buildings. It also offers
several grant schemes, provides technical
advice, and is responsible for the management and presentation of over 300 historic sites in
the nation’s care.
The archives (formerly maintained by
RCAHMS) provide unique insights into
Scotland’s places, documenting how the
nation’s archaeological, industrial and
architectural environment has changed over
time. They can be accessed online through the
Canmore website.
WALES
In 2014 the Welsh Assembly took the decision to keep the RCAHMW and Cadw as separate bodies, so the structure remains unchanged.
Cadw
www.cadw.wales.gov.uk
Cadw (Welsh for ‘to keep’ or ‘to protect’) is
the Welsh government’s historic environment
service. It manages 129 monuments and sites
in the care of the Welsh Government and
carries out statutory duties in respect of the
wider historic environment, most notably
protection and designation functions, offering
grants, providing general leadership for the
historic environment sector and engaging
stakeholders and communities.
RCAHMW
www.rcahmw.gov.uk
The Royal Commission on the Ancient
and Historical Monuments of Wales is the
investigating body and national archive
for the historic environment of Wales. It
has the lead role in ensuring that Wales’
archaeological, built and maritime heritage is
authoritatively recorded and understood, and
seeks to promote appreciation of this heritage
nationally and internationally. RCAHMW’s
archive can be accessed online through
Coflein together with
selected images and an index to the drawings,
manuscripts and photographs held in the
extensive archive collections of the National
Monuments Record of Wales, which is
maintained by the Royal Commission.
