Guidance:
- Has your council ever refused planning permission on the grounds of design
quality? CABE's wall chart Design at a Glance is a handy guide for ensuring your council's decisions are based on the latest planning policy statements and guidance
- Are the decisions of your council based on a clear understanding of your local
heritage and its significance? EH's Conservation Principles provide a logical approach
to making decisions and offers guidance on how to ensure sustainable management of
the historic environment
- Does your authority use design and access statements when determining
applications? These are now compulsory for all relevant applications and CABE has published Design and Access Statements: how to write, read and use them which helps assess design quality
- Is your council making the most of heritage assets in regeneration schemes? Understanding how places change, and recognising the significance of their history, is
the key to successful and sustainable regeneration. EHs publication Regeneration and
the Historic Environment sets out the benefits of re-using heritage assets and Shared
Interest showcases successful heritage-led development schemes
- For new housing schemes, is your authority working with the Building for Life standard? CABEs list of 20 common-sense questions comprising Building for Life assess the quality of housing
schemes
- Streets form the backdrop to our everyday lives - does your highways department
recognise the importance of design and heritage in creating quality streets and
pavements? The guidance Manual for Streets emphasises
the importance of design for pedestrians and bicycles. The EH Streets for All manuals set
out good practice for street management and historic features
- Does your procurement team understand the value of good design and heritage? CABE's publication The Value Handbook outlines values that good quality can bring. EH
valuing the historic environment publications provide evidence and methodologies for
measuring the value of heritage projects
Publications are free. CABE guidance can be downloaded and ordered from
www.cabe.org.uk/publications.aspx. EH guidance is available at www.helm.org.uk
or for a hard copy email: customers@english-heritage.org.uk
Building in Context: New Developments in Historic Areas
The original publication, launched in January 2002, showcases fifteen case studies showing how new buildings have responded positively to their historic surroundings, creating places that are attractive, popular and successful. The publication is fully illustrated and offers advice for people embarking on projects in sensitive locations, as well as providing an interesting account of current architectural thinking for more general readers.
The publication has been distributed widely to clients, architects and planning officers involved in working with buildings in a historic context.
Download the publication here:
Building In Context: New Development in Historic Areas - pdf - 2,943kb
Report on the South East Region Pilot Programme 2003-2006
This report records the results of a series of design training events for the south east pilot programme. It flags up other checklists and assessment tools in a form that we hope will reassure others that they can provide a helpful service to their community through the planning process.
Download the publication here:
Building In Context Toolkit - pdf - 2,600kb
Resources for Design and Heritage Champions
The EH Historic Environment Local Management website www.helm.org.uk provides information, training and case studies for those who make decisions about the historic environment.
Email champions@english-heritage.org.uk for further support and guidance on the Champions role.
CABE's dedicated section for Design Champions is at www.cabe.org.uk , which also has an extensive case study library of best practice built environment examples.
Resources for facilitators of Building in Context Toolkit Workshops
The following link provides information and advice to facilitators of the Building in Context Workshops on how to deliver the workshops.
Facilitators pack information sheets - pdf - 98kb