Welsh Historic Gardens Trust Ymddiriedolaeth Gerddi Hanesyddol Cymru THE VIEW OF CONSERVATION MATTERS FROM ACROSS OFFA’S DYKE Margie Hoffnung Assistant Conservation Officer, The Gardens Trust 24 th October 2015

THE GARDENS TRUST OBJECTIVES The charitable objects of The Gardens Trust are: To promote the study of the history of gardens and gardening, landscape gardening and horticulture in all its aspects To promote the protection and conservation of historic parks, gardens and designed landscapes and to promote and advise on their conservation To promote County and Country Gardens Trusts and through them education, appreciation and involvement of the public in matters connected with the arts and sciences of garden land. To encourage the creation of new parks, gardens and designed landscapes

THE GARDENS TRUST - STRUCTURE Board of Directors assisted by 5 Committees : Administration & Finance Conservation Education, Publications & Communications Events Membership

CONSERVATION COMMITTEE MEMBERS Marion Harney (Chair) Sarah Dickinson (Vice Chair) Chris Clarke Gillian Clarke Chris Gallagher Julian Gibbs Kate Harwood David Lambert Judith Norris Elizabeth Whittle Observers : John Sales & Jenifer White (Historic England)

SOME OF THE CONSERVATION COMMITTEE OBJECTIVES Fulfilling the requirements of being a statutory consultee on planning applications impacting on registered parks and gardens Registering planning application consultations and gathering information on the outcomes and decisions Maintaining the Casework Log Involving and supporting CGTs to respond in appropriate cases Commenting on major planning applications

Central ParksHampshireSouthampton CC 5/01857/FUL uthampton.gov.uk/planning/pl anning- applications/de fault.aspx uthampton.gov.uk/planning/pl anning- applications/de fault.aspx E15/ II*PLANNING APPLICATION Re- development of the site. Demolition of the existing building and erection of a part 8-storey, part 9-storey and part 11-storey building to provide a commercial unit and purpose built student accommodation (44 cluster flats, 97 studios total bed spaces) with associated facilities. Voodoo Lounge, Vincents Walk, Southampton. EDUCATION Crucial to get applications onto Casework Log so they are appropriately responded to and included in figures submitted to Conservation Committee and Historic England WEEKLY CASEWORK LOG Unique database which records all planning consultations received by GHS/TGT for over a decade and the responses made

WEEKLY CASEWORK LOG Look at each entry individually on appropriate Local Authority website Forward them to local CGT if appropriate for further comment/action All entries are assigned categories used by HE for its Heritage Counts Assessments

PROBLEMS 33% Drop in conservation staff in Local Authorities since 2006 Remaining staff time poor Staff lack in-depth conservation knowledge Staff often unaware of TGT as statutory consultee & do not always notify us of applications Rapid staff change over means that carefully nurtured relationships with LAs often short lived

THINGS TO BEAR IN MIND 32% of LAs were unable to correctly quantify the number of registered parks & gardens in their area (with the general tendency being to under-estimate) Role of statutory consultees poorly understood 82% of LAs did not have specific guidance on HP&G set out in their Supplementary Planning Documents 25% of LAs have no officer with specific responsibility for HP&G and only 2% have a dedicated officer for this 57% of LAs who required Statement of Significance (SOS) did not then check the adequacy of statements before validating the application Significance poorly understood Parks & Gardens perceived as low profile assets

POSITIVES Increased awareness of existence of HP&Gs & higher profile of CGTs Most LAs consult their HERs when responding to applications Many LAs would welcome further support in the development of their understanding of HP&Gs and guidance of the assessment of significance 70% of responding LAs require submission of SOS before relevant applications can be validated

COMMUNICATE

WHAT CAN WE DO ? Talk to your local planning officers They are desperate for the knowledge and experience you possess and can help them with CGTs are a vast source of research on a vast number of things. Talk to each other and don’t reinvent the wheel Or send an to : leapthehaha-

CONSERVATION/PLANNING SETUP WITHIN AVON CGT Avon has been divided up into four areas, each of which is covered by different CGT member(s) : BRISTOL SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE BATH AND N/E SOMERSET NORTH SOMERSET They have monthly planning meetings and the planning committee discuss local applications The Chair of Avon CGT, Ros Delany, signs off the response letters and a copy is sent back to the Casework Log for monitoring purposes.

MAY-JULY 2015APPLICATION REF. NO:AGT LETTER SENT?PLANNING DECISION: SOUTH GLOUCESTERSHIRE: CRIBBS CAUSEWAYPT14/0565/ONoPending decision-still DYRHAM SOLAR FARMPK14/2339/FYes, Object ref to Sec of State-still pending 4 CLEEVE LAWNSPK15/0885/FNo. Not a registered park or garden Approve with conditions STOKE PARKPT15/0493/FNo. Not a registered park or gardenpending-still STOKE GIFFORDPT15/0510/F STOKE PARKPT15/1179/0Not yet, Hybrid planning appRuth monitoring OLDBURY COURTPT15/1511/PND Council decision - no objection SOUTH GLOS LOCAL PLANGHS ref: E15/0335Yes - favourable view S.GLOSPK15/2573/CLP BRISTOL: ST MATTHIAS CAMPUS14/02640/FYES, OBJECT. 2nd letter object. Pending consideration- still BOWER ASHTON DEPOT14/04219PRE-APPYES 1st. option ongoing-no results found BOWER ASHTON15/00291/PYes, lodged concernspending consideration BRISTOL ZOO GARDENS14/05455/FYes, no objection granted-subject to conditions ARNOS VALE CEMETERY14/05948/FYes, No objection granted-subject to conditions

NEW PLANNING LEAFLET FROM THE GARDENS TRUST “The Planning System and the Protection of Historic Parks and Gardens: What You Need to Know”.The Importance of RP&G/listing explained.Statutory Consultation Requirements.Dealing with planning applications – clear LPA duties identified.Determining Significance – HE conservation principles.Checklist of planning stages and actions required at each.Other tools : Local Plans/Local lists/CGTs/TGT/HE including contact information

PARKS & GARDENS UK project/resource-hub Click CONSERVATION Scroll down to HISTORIC LANDSCAPE PROJECT Click RESOURCE HUB From here you have a large selection of topics to choose from with everything from template letters, access to Conservation Casework Log, HE Guidance, Research & Recording, Setting, Significance, Social Media etc. as well as links to Events and Courses being run either by individual counties or the Historic Landscape Project

THANK YOU FOR INVITING ME