21 years of focusing on heritage:

Sam Howes. Chair, HTF. Kilkenny, 9 July 2009

The forum stands for:

• prosperity and conservation

• high quality outcomes – design, materials, construction

• promotion of local distinctiveness

• sensitive approaches to change in historic places

It achieves this by:

• awareness-raising of issues

• using expertise across a range of disciplines

• securing good quality advice

• lobbying government/responding to consultations

• organising conferences and training events

• disseminating best practice

Focus on:

public realm housing growth

Public realm: the problem:

Responsibility, co-ordination and consultation regarding the street scene in a typical historic town

Element in the Responsible agency Legislative approval Formal co-ordination street scene or L A officer required? or public consultation? Bus shelters Highway engineer No (except adverts) NO (except adverts)Cycle paths Highway eng. & Cycling officer No NOCycle racks Cycling officer No NOFlower baskets Parks officer No NOFootway paving Highway engineer No NOGraffiti cleaning Cleansing officer No NOGuard rails Highway engineer No NOLitter bins Cleansing officer No NOParking ticket machines On-street parking Yes Traffic NOPost boxes Royal mail No NO

Public art Arts officer Yes – T&C Planning NORecycling bins Cleansing officer No NORubbish clearing Cleansing officer No NOSecurity cameras Security advisor No NOShop fronts Planning / Conservation officer Yes T&C Planning YESShop signs Planning / Conservation officer Yes T&C Planning YES

Street lighting Lighting officer Yes Traffic NOStreet traders Market inspectors Yes Street market NOStreet trees Parks & Tree officer No NOTactile surfaces Traffic engineer No NOTelephone boxes Private pay phone company No NOTraffic signals Traffic engineer (signals) Yes Traffic NOTraffic signs Traffic engineer (schemes) Yes Traffic NO

HTF’s concerns:

• Continual erosion of quality• Misconceived alterations and improvements to historic buildings and areas• Need for holistic approach

1999 2003 2003

Putting theory into practice:

Chichester streetscape strategy, 2005

Phase 1 implementation:

Housing Growth: the issues:

• can we successfully assimilate rapid growth into, or near, our historic towns?

• Ely, 2004 –

• a strategic approach (environmental capacity)

• role of the town centre (health check, funding, partnerships)

• City of Ely Perspective

• Transport Study

• public realm enhancements

Housing Growth: the issues:

Cambridge, 2009 ‘Smarter Growth’:

• wider perspective, including mainland Europe

• growth as an opportunity not a threat

• principles of smarter growth (5 C’s):

• Connectivity

• Community

• Character

• Climate

• Collaboration