The IHBC is delighted to welcome and highlight a series of heritage-aware determinations coming from the offices of Communities Secretary Eric Pickles, in particular regarding a suite of wind-related applications and the critical matter of SAVE’s success in the Welsh Streets campaign in Liverpool, as reported last week.
IHBC Chair Mike Brown said: ‘Despite wider concerns and pressures in the heritage sector, these determinations indicate that heritage and conservation considerations loom large in many strategic decision-making processes in England’s planning system. Though all will note the well-documented limitations in capacity and political support our members can face on the ground, it is heartening to see so much more positive news regarding conservation-aware outcomes from central government.’
‘The decisions on wind farms at recovered appeals are also extremely significant. It is rare – perhaps it has never happened – that a Secretary of State has overturned so many recommendations of Inspectors. Essentially what he is saying that heritage concerns (the primary reason for the refusals) have been downplayed both by the developers and by the Inspectors. And with the decisions on Smithfield Market in London (where he agreed with the Inspector) and now the Welsh Streets in Liverpool (where he didn’t), he is also saying that major development proposals in our cities must take heritage issues more seriously than perhaps both developers and local authorities have in the past.’
David Kincaid, IHBC’s Policy Secretary said: ‘It is especially encouraging that Eric Pickles has given heritage such prominence in determining a number of nationally important planning appeals.’
‘Wind turbines have been refused because of the affect of wind turbines on historic landscapes and the setting of listed buildings. For the Welsh Streets decision in Liverpool (for the demolition of 400 terraced houses) Eric Pickles states in his decision letter that he ‘agrees with Save that the Welsh Streets are of considerable significance as non-designated heritage assets of historic, architectural, cultural and social interest…’. Such decisions by the Secretary of State evidently give considerable weight to the historic environment policies contained in the NPPF.’
View the January 2015 statement by the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government on the decisions relating to the Welsh Streets proposals and a summary of recent changes to planning guidance
