CELG(4) HIS 08

Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee

Inquiry into the Welsh Government’s Historic Environment Policy

Response from The Twentieth Century Society

Can I please draw to your attention an anomaly in the current consultation situation, which I hope can be addressed as part of the current inquiry into the effectiveness of the current systems used by the Welsh Government for protecting and managing historic buildings, ancient monuments, marine and archaeological sites, as well as historic parks and gardens.

On 6 October 2005 The Twentieth Century Society was added to the list of organizations which English local planning authorities must notify of certain applications for listed building consent.   The list for England now comprises the Ancient Monuments Society, the Council for British Archaeology, the Georgian Group, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, the Victorian Society and the Twentieth Century Society. (see http://www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/147534.pdf)

The applications concerned are those  

a) for works for the demolition of a listed building; or

b) for works for the alteration of a listed building which comprise or include

the demolition of any part of that building.

In Wales only the Ancient Monuments Society, the Council for British Archaeology, the Georgian Group, the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, and the Victorian Society are currently statutory consultees on these types of application.  As the UK wide amenity society for buildings from post 1914 onwards we would like to be able to offer our expertise on relevant Welsh cases.  I believe that it has long been recognised that this would be a good thing to do, when a suitable moment arose.  Whilst we are informally notified of some applications (by local authority conservations officers, and by our own members living locally) it would be much more efficient if we could be formally added in Wales.  As I am sure you are aware, applications concerned with buildings of the C20 and with the most recent decades in particular, are often controversial.  In addition,  many local authority conservation officers lack training in best practise for handling applications relating to C20 buildings , which is in any case rapidly evolving.   I hope that we could have a very useful input.