PPS 15: Planning for the Historic Environment

[Cloudscape]

Planning Policy Statement 15: Planning for the Historic Environment - published July 24 2009

Apologies if this has been covered before. The consultation document is available for download here:

http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/consultationhistoricpps

PPS15 is intended to replace previous policies and guidelines. It's receiving a mixed reaction.

PPS 15: Fears over 'loose' new historic planning policy http://www.architectsjournal.co.uk/news/daily-news/pps-15-fears-over-loose-new-historic-planning-policy/5206589.article

PPS 15 draft under attack http://www.bdonline.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=426&storycode=3146851&channel=783&c=1

English Heritage seem to be OK with it http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.21135

 

[Gareth Hughes]

Yep, it's rubbish, quite frankly. EH are "happy" with it because endorsing its vague waffle shows they aren't against development. Those of us who actually have the day to day task of looking after the historic built environment feel rather differently. We're not against development, but when it's the wrong development in the wrong place we'd like to have something to back us up (as the current PPG15 does).

 

[Moo]

And now this :

Under the new proposals, the Government would increase Council Tax and Stamp Duty for millions of homes that are not energy efficient.
It could also mean families are unable to sell their home unless they spend tens of thousands of pounds on getting their properties insulated and double-glazed.
The measures are widely expected to come into force this autumn.
Politicians and housing experts attacked the measures saying it was yet another stealth tax, but this time dressed up as an environmentally-friendly initiative......
.......Since last October, all homes put on the market for sale or rent have had to have an energy performance certificate, which rate the energy efficiency of a property, giving a rank form A to G.
The energy performance certificates include a report recommending improvements to save money and carbon.

It is understood that Government advisers The Energy Savings Trust wants it to becomes illegal from 2015 to put a home up for sale, which has a rating lower than band E.
An example of a Band F property would be a three-bedroom Victorian terrace property with solid brick walls (no insulation). It would have no double glazing, a standard gas firing boiler with room thermostat, a hot water jacket and energy saving light bulbs.
Measures needed for the property to be pushed up into band D would include installing a condensing boiler, insulating solid walls and double glazing.

A home’s energy ratings is contained in the controversial Home Information Packs, which home sellers must have in place before they begin to market a property. The packs cost £300 on average, but can go up to £500 depending on the provider......
......The Energy Savings Trust said high energy prices means it is more important than ever to have an efficient home. It suggested loft insulation could save a household £155 a year on energy bills, while cavity wall insulation could save around £120 a year.

In today's Telegraph

 

[Flyfisher]

Unbelieveably outrageous!!!

Energy efficiency is not the issue, energy usage is!

A leaky old tudor cottage with woodburners will be 100% 'green' whereas a gas-powered hermetically sealed 'asthma box' will not be.
And what about my choice to live in a cold house and wear loads of jumpers, or only heat one room instead of the whole house?

Why on earth meddle at the fringes of the problem? If fossil fuel consumption is the problem just increase the tax on that.

Bah!

 

[johnp]

Hi all

I've been looking in on this Forum regularly to get a sense of how owners and others involved in the nitty-gritty of historic buildings see things, but haven't joined until now. By way of introduction, I'm a conservation officer / historic environment manager in East Anglia (know Gareth) and also involved in IHBC (Institute of Historic Building Conservation).

I've been spurred to join because of concern that PPUK people don't seem to have picked up on issues raised in the draft PPS 15 Planning and the Historic Environment, and the associated English Heritage draft Practice Guidance. It's now deadline time for responses, due Friday 30th, email OK (I'd meant to give more warning but illness intervened).

Way back in Sept I sent an email to EH (no answers received) including the following:
" Re-reading PPG15 and comparing it with the draft PPS15, I find it very striking that PPG15 combines a Government Statement with guidance to Local Authorities which goes beyond Planning (notably the paragraphs relating to the Building Regulations, and the whole section on Transport and Streets), while draft PPS15 is purely Planning Policy guidance with separate supporting guidance for practitioners, not Authorities. The two-fold question I (and I suspect others) may be asking is 

a) to what extent will the forthcoming Govt Statement provide the over-arching approach needed to make draft PPS15 comparable to PPG15 in reach and effect, at Local Authority level?
and
b) if we are supposed to consider the Statement and the draft PPS together, why has the consultation period been arranged so that the Statement comes only 9 days before the end of the PPS consultation?

[n.b. no Statement has appeared!]]

3. (following on from 2) Accepting and appreciating the constraints of the PPS format, what if any efforts are being made to complement the PPS with guidance to Local Authorities on how to ensure special consideration for the Historic Environment under other legislation, and on the resolution of regulatory conflicts? I have Building Regulations, access, energy conservation and transport works in particular mind, but these are far from the only ones. 


.....
6. why is there only one reference (and that just a footnote) to the Statutory duties which are the key basis for Historic Environment work at local level?



7. As I look strategically at the issues in one of the country's most important historic cities, I'm finding it very hard to get my head round the draft PPS's apparent failure to engage with upcoming climate change issues (e.g. the potential impacts of external insulation on Conservation Area buildings) and its total failure to mention access issues."

If I may suggest, issues PPUK readers may wish to raise include the narrowing of focus (e.g. omission of transport, public realm, access etc); the total failure to mention, let alone join up with, the Building Regs special consideration for historic buildings; the very superficial and hence damaging (through lack of consideration of character / qualities of traditional buildings) references to climate change; the weakening of guidance on works to historic buildings (draft EH guidance much weaker and more diffuse than existing guidance in PPG15); and the Govt's apparent reliance on local authorities to introduce any extra controls on (e.g.) window alterations in conservation areas without offering any resources to enable them to do it.

For those interested, The ihbc website (www.ihbc.org.uk) has near-final comments which include a detailed commentary on the draft PPS.

JohnP

 

[JoceAndChris]

John - A huge welcome to the forum and many thanks for your concerns over this and your interest in us and in historic properties. I am very happy to write a strong complaining letter or email ( fun!) that raises the points you mention but to whom should I send it? I'm also slightly concerned that my letter would not be very well argued, but I suppose the point you're making is that loudly shouting voices may sway things, even if the writers have only a dim understanding of the issues invloved?

 

[johnp]

Thanks for the welcome. I suggest strongly worth raising interest / concern, even if only in brief terms, not least to raise the profile within DCMS of the great majority (as opposed to the great houses able to charge for admisssion!?!) of historic building owners, but primarily because the number and range of responses is significant. Good luck! Johnp

Here's the blurb as included in the consultation document (http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/consultationhistoricpps.pdf):-
"Comments are invited from anyone either directly involved with or having an interest in the historic environment, including planning authorities, developers, owners of historic assets, special interest groups, community groups, and members of the public.

The draft PPS has been produced collaboratively by Communities and Local Government (CLG), the Department for
Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), and English Heritage (EH).
Duration: 24 July – 30 October 2009

how to respond:
Written responses can be submitted by e-mail to PPSHistoric-Environment@communities.gsi.gov.uk
or by post to Phil Weatherby, PSI Division, Communities and Local Government, Eland House, Bressenden Place, London SW1E 5DU (tel. 020 7944 3888, e-mail address phil.weatherby@communities.gsi.gov.uk).

additional ways to become involved:
Draft supporting guidance has been produced by EH, working with CLG and DCMS, and a ‘living draft’ appears on the EH
website (see paragraphs 1.17–1.18 of the consultation document). Comments should be sent to
planning.policy@english-heritage.org.uk"