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T W E N T Y T H I R D E D I T I O N

PROFESS IONAL SERV I CES

THE NATIONAL HERITAGE BODIES

JONATHAN TAYLOR

LTHOUGH 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.

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.ni-environment.gov.uk

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.

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

(www.coflein.gov.uk

) 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.

JONATHAN TAYLOR

MSc IHBC is the editor of

The Building Conservation Directory

. A former

conservation officer, he studied conservation

at Heriot-Watt University, Edinburgh.

NATIONAL HERITAGE BODIES AND THEIR

GENERAL AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY

ENGLAND

N IRELAND

SCOTLAND

WALES

Heritage

designation

andprotection*

Historic

England DoE HE Div HES Cadw

Archivesand

recording

Historic

England DoE HE Div HES RCAHMW

Historic

properties in

statecare

English

Heritage 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.

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