Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has today (21 Dec 2017) published its 2016-17 Planning Performance Report; the first full-year Planning Performance Report since the merger of Historic Scotland and the Royal Commission on Historic and Ancient Monuments of Scotland in 2015.
The 2016-17 period saw HES involved in a wide variety of initiatives to help planning authorities, developers and communities across Scotland plan for and manage the historic environment within their local areas. These have ranged from assisting Falkirk Council with their Local Development Plan and helping to boost the role of the Antonine Wall in the area, to working with the Venture Trust to give a group of young carers a view of the history and heritage of the Highland Drovers as they travelled through Scotland.
The What’s Your Heritage? project saw the start of a policy review consultation, with people from across Scotland invited to have their say about the historic environment and how it should be celebrated and managed. In January of 2017, Cable Wynd House, Leith, a striking example of 1960s architecture, was listed and a management plan put in place with the cooperation of local residents and City of Edinburgh Council. A further 38 buildings of special architectural significance and 41 monuments of national importance were added to the 55,000 designated sites.
Reporting against the Scottish Government’s Planning Performance Framework, HES has seen:
- 98.6% of development management consultations responded to within statutory timescale
- 98.9% of consultations on listed building or conservation area consent responded to within target timescales
- 261 building or monument records updated
- 91% of the 648 scheduled monuments inspected found to be in optimal or satisfactory condition
- All eleven service improvement measures complete or underway for completion in 2017-18
Barbara Cummins, Historic Environment Scotland Director of Heritage said: “This report outlines excellent performance over the past year in providing advice on development management decisions affecting Scotland’s historic buildings and places in a timely manner. However, it is our continued engagement and work to enable others - such as at Dalkeith Corn Exchange and the Portsoy Sail Loft - that demonstrates the wider benefit of our role.
As we have seen with our Annual Report and Accounts and our Annual Properties in Care Report, the organisation has had an excellent first full year in our role as Scotland’s lead public body for the historic environment."
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Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017
2017 is the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology (HHA), a year that will celebrate Scotland’s people, our distinct culture and traditions, our historic landscapes, attractions and icons as well as our hidden gems and amazing stories. From World Heritage Sites to ancient monuments, listed buildings to historic battlefields, cultural traditions to our myths, stories and legends, 2017 is the year to explore Scotland’s fascinating past. This is a Scottish Government initiative being led by VisitScotland and a variety of partners.
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For further information, please contact:
Seumas Skinner
Historic Environment Scotland Media Office
Direct Line: 0131 668 8714
Mobile: 07776 243 809
seumas.skinner@hes.scot