Planning for the past: Heritage services in local planning authorities in England

Abstract

Abstract This chapter provides an overview of current data on the resources available for local authority conservation staff in England. These staff deal with archaeology, historic buildings, conservation areas, parks and gardens and many other aspects of the historic environment. Their work usually forms part of the local authority's wider role in development control and land‐use planning, although it may also be linked to other activities such as museums, regeneration, urban design or natural environmental management. In general, resources for conservation are static or falling, while public expectations of conservation are rising and staff are being asked to deal with a growing range of activities. It is in this context that the government has announced its intention to review policies for the historic environment and to modernise the planning system. This will create new challenges for an already stretched system. The study on which this chapter is based has shown that there is an urgent need for better quantitative and qualitative data in order to provide a solid evidence base for developing better models of policy and practice in heritage conservation as a whole.