Management of World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom

1. Management of World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom Christopher Young Head of International Advice National Advice Team English Heritage

2. World Heritage • World Heritage Sites (WHS) are places of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), authenticity and integrity. OUV is defined by the World Heritage Committee as “ so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and of importance for present and future generations of all humanity”.

3. World Heritage Sites in the UK • There are 28 World Heritage Sites in the UK

4. World Heritage Sites in the UK • World Heritage Sites can be cultural, natural or mixed

5. World Heritage in UK • WHS range from the iconic (usually the early inscriptions with little involvement of anyone else at the time) to the innovative (not nearly so eye-catching but involving everyone in the nomination process) • WHS are often seen as primarily tourist attractions or as drivers of economic regeneration • Recent research by Price Waterhouse Coopers and by the Lake District candidate WHS has looked at benefits and challenges of WHS status • WHS involve people

6. World Heritage • Blaenavon to Durham

7. World Heritage • Whatever their focus, universal recognition can help develop social cohesion and community pride • Obligations as well as benefits to WHS status • UK government commitment to the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission of WHS to future generations • Done by actions of national government and agencies, regional and local government, owners and local communities • Does this in context of overall approach to conservation

8. Conservation and Change • Bulk of historic environment is not owned/ managed directly for conservation • Change is inevitable • If we do nothing, sites will decay • Change necessary for places to continue their use or find a new one • Change necessary to adopt historic environment to needs of modern society • Change must be managed • Management must be sustainable

9. World Heritage • To be inscribed on the World Heritage List a proposed site must • have OUV, authenticity and integrity • Fulfil the criteria set out by UNESCO • Be unique • Be protected by national legislation • Have an effective management system in place

10. At time of inscription, World Heritage Committee adopts a Statement of Outstanding Universal Value as baseline for future management Summarises in one or two pages why a place is on World Heritage List Summary of factual information Summary of qualities (values, attributes) Criteria (values and attributes which manifest them Integrity (all sites) Authenticity (criteria i – vi) Protection, & management & protection requirements Statement of Outstanding Universal Value

11. What is a Management System? UNESCO Operational Guidelines: • The purpose of management is to ensure the effective protection of the nominated property for present and future generations • Effective management involves a cycle of long-term and day-to-day actions to protect, conserve and present the nominated property • The system will depend on the type, characteristics and needs of the property and its cultural and legal context. • A system could include traditional practices, existing urban or regional planning instruments and other planning and control mechanisms, both formal and informal

12. What should a Management System Include? Operational Guidelines say that common elements of a management system could include: • Thorough shared understanding of the property by all stakeholders • Cycle of planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and feedback • Involvement of partners and stakeholders • Capacity building • An accountable transparent description of how the system works

13. UK management system • Designation (cultural or natural) of specific assets within World Heritage Sites • World Heritage Sites are a key material consideration • Planning authorities should include policies in their local plan to protect the Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage Sites • Each World Heritage Site should have an agreed Management Plan • Local authority commitment to the protection, promotion and management of World Heritage Sites in their area • A stakeholder steering group and support from the key partners, including major owners, managers and communities. • Effective coordination, normally by a dedicated Coordinator

14. Management Plans • Sites have multiple values • Many are in multiple ownership • Several have continuing uses (eg worship) • All have multiple stakeholders • The Plan has to reconcile and balance their interests and manage change • Plan must balance conservation, access, local community interest and sustainable economic use • Plans must be capable of being implemented

15. Coverage of Management Plans • Appraise the significance and importance of the site based on agreed definition of OUV • Ensure the physical conservation of the site to the highest standards including assessment of risks eg flooding, climate change • Protect the site and its setting from damaging development • Ensure that management and use are sustainable and in line with OUV • Provide policies for promotion, interpretation and education • Provide clear policies for tourism as it affects the site • Plans should be in a form which stakeholders can use

16. To achieve a successful outcome, it is necessary to know • what is there, • what is important and why, • what makes those values vulnerable, • what policies need to be in place to protect them.

17. Develop the Plan logically • Description of the Site, covering all its aspects, including uses, and not confined just to those which give its World Heritage values • Identification of the Site’s values through analysis of the description. All values should be identified and if necessary prioritised. • Identification of ways in which the values of the Site are vulnerable, and also of ways in which they can be enhanced and used sustainably • Development of policies to counter the vulnerabilities and to enhance the character of the Site and its sustainable use. • Identification of the ways in which the Plan will be implemented, and of arrangements to monitor and review its effectiveness

18. Three stages of Planning • The preparation of the Plan through involvement of all stakeholders; discussion and participation to produce the draft Plan. Public consultation is the last step of this stage • Publication of the agreed Plan and its adoption by all the key stakeholders; • Implementation: agreed means for implementation is essential • Effective Steering Group • Plan must have a champion = Coordinator • Coordinator must work through others. • Coordinator must review and monitor the Plan

19. World Heritage • The overall aim should be to have a document that is logically set out, to the point and easy to use • There should always be a section on monitoring and implementation with an action plan (identifying priorities, target dates, who is responsible and funding) • It should set out up front the function of the Management Plan and how it has been developed • If it is a review of an earlier Management Plan then there should be a section assessing the previous plan

20. World Heritage current policy context This includes • Planning policy framework • Relationship to other statutory and management plans • Planning, historic environment and other designations • Relationship with regional and local planning organisations and others

21. Management Context • It is useful to set out the management context early in the plan • Governance arrangements • Organisations • Funding • structure • Ownership and Site management arrangements • Role of statutory organisations and others

22. World Heritage Values • WHS Management Plans should contain • Statement of Significance/Outstanding Universal Value • includes assessment of authenticity and integrity • Criteria site inscribed under • Attributes (tangible/physical manifestation of OUV) • Management and protection • Clear mapping of boundaries and any buffer zone • Both Statement and boundaries should have been agreed by World Heritage Committee

23. Types of Value • It is helpful to identify (as appropriate) • cultural and heritage values • Landscape and other values • Educational and research values • Social, artistic, spiritual values • Scientific and technological values • Tourism and economic values • Community values • Not all part of OUV but need to be taken into account

24. World HeritageKey Management Issues • Summary of key issues • Planning and policy • Conservation of the WHS • Infrastructure, development or other issues • Risk assessment and mitigation • Visitor, tourism and education and other uses • Research • Other • Monitoring arrangements

25. OUV as the basis of management • OUV is now recognised within the planning system (each English WHS has a statement of significance or OUV agreed by its SG. Pre 1997 statements have been approved by the World Heritage Committee and post 1997 ones are awaiting approval). More work needs to be done to make sure that all sites have Statements of OUV ready for submission to UNESCO in February 2011 • Plans should identify key views and how these are to be protected • Plan reviews should examine boundaries, any buffer zones and to see if these need to be revised (if so proposals need to be submitted to UNESCO by the UK Government) as well as looking at protection of the setting and the site itself

26. World Heritage conservation of the WHS • This should set out • Condition of the key elements of the WHS • Setting • Management practices • Landscape and biodiversity challenges • Key issues eg B@R, restoration v recreation, regeneration, change of use, micro regeneration • Priorities for further work

27. World HeritageRisk Assessment and Mitigation • Management Plans should identify key risks and mitigation strategies. These are likely to be • Climate change related eg coastal erosion • Flood • Fire • Earthquake/subsidence • Business continuity • Other (eg terrorism, hurricanes, pandemics etc)

28. World HeritageRisk assessment and mitigation • Mitigation includes • Sound emergency plans for key sites • Liaison arrangements with Emergency planners, resilience fora and the emergency services • A good network

29. Sustainable Uses of World Heritage Sites • It is important that WHSs are not seen as immaculate ivory towers divorced from their communities • Many have uses (eg worship) relating to OUV • Many WHS are part of thriving communities which bring challenges and opportunities in equal measure • All have uses relating to local community (eg farming) • Need to engage and include local community/ies

30. World HeritageVisitor, tourism and education • This section should address • Sustainable tourism • Public Access and carrying capacity • Transport • Visitor management • Visitor facilities • Signage and branding/marketing • Outreach and education (ideally a range of activities for all ages

31. World Heritage Aims and Policies • Clear definition of vision, aims and policies is essential • Vision and aims are long term • Policies should be c5 years • Clear description of how the Plan will be implemented is also essential (governance and coordination) • Annual action plans are essential

32. World Heritage PlansMonitoring and review This should identify monitoring arrangements • Monitoring indicators • Timetable • Review timetable