The ICCROM-IUCN World Heritage Leadership (WHL) programme was in London for a workshop to help integrate impact assessment for World Heritage in local authorities' planning and decision-making processes. This collaborative effort by Historic England, through ICCROM Council Member Alexandra Warr, and WHL was a step towards ensuring the wide involvement of local authorities and communities in decision-making for these invaluable sites.
The workshop consisted of an online workshop held on 20 February 2024 for Historic England staff and collaborators and an in-person workshop held on 23 February 2024 for local authorities.
How to better support local authorities in evaluating impacts on heritage
The online workshop guided Historic England staff on how to best support local authorities and developers in aligning the international requirements with the national and local impact assessment processes. Participants explored the necessary measures to empower local authorities to confidently guide and support local and national actors through World Heritage-specific impact assessment.
Identifying areas for streamlining World Heritage in planning policies
The in-person workshop brought together representatives of local authorities and impact assessment specialists, together with Historic England staff, to discuss the step-by-step methodology outlined in the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context.
The workshop explored how impact assessment processes are integrated into the existing planning and decision-making processes of Historic England and local governments and how they can be strengthened. International examples of impact assessments for World Heritage properties were also presented, offering valuable insights into existing good practices. These discussions aimed to identify areas for further alignment and streamlining of World Heritage processes in national and local procedures.
Ensuring sustainable safeguarding of World Heritage in the UK
This workshop has paved the way for a more robust and integrated approach to safeguarding World Heritage properties in the UK by fostering collaboration between Historic England, local authorities and impact assessment specialists. The impact assessment process is essential to support good and sustainable development while also ensuring the conservation of our cultural and natural World Heritage.