The wider picture: national civic issues

Conservation Areas are increasingly at risk as local authorities look to save money by reducing resources necessary for their protection. England has over 10,000 Conservation Areas but a recent report by Civic Voice, the national charity for the civic movement in England, found that 512 were at risk and there were at least 1000 areas where there was no professional Conservation Officer. Historic England’s ‘Heritage at Risk’ register shows that 10% of the nation’s heritage at risk is in a designated Conservation Area.

Civic Voice’s research demonstrated that reduced resources within a local authority often prevented effective management of the historic environment, leading to lack of or weak enforcement against planning breaches. Every local authority is required to undertake and update as required a survey of Conservation Areas within their boundaries, highlighting current condition, threats and trends and put in place plans to address issues. When this does not happen it is more likely that an area will be deemed ‘at risk’.

A key finding was that Conservation Areas with strong community support are more much more likely to be in good condition than those without. Local knowledge and expertise can be of enormous help to local authorities in the active management of Conservation Areas. We are lucky in Stamford that there is active community involvement in caring for our town and support from local government.

For more information see “What is the future for our Conservation Areas” published on Civic Voice’s website http://www.civicvoice.org.uk/