Issues

RESCUE helps people campaign for local heritage issues all over Britain.

You can also explore sites where we are involved via our Issues Map.

Save Greenwich WHS from the Olympics: a beneficial cut

As reported in RN 109 in January this year LOCOG applied for planning permission for the construction of temporary structures required to stage the Olympics 2012 equestrian events and modern pentathlon events at Greenwich Royal Park. These events are set to take place in July and August 2012, while the Paralympics dressage competitions would take place in September 2012. At a planning meeting to consider the application at Greenwich Town Hall on 23 March 2010 more than 30 speakers, who opposed the plans, took up an hour and 40 minutes of the 5 hour meeting to make their arguments known saying that they feared important archaeological evidence and historic artefacts would be damaged and disturbed important environmental habitats disturbed, historic trees including some sweet chestnut trees which were up to 300 years old. damaged and an important habitat of bats interfered with. Objectors included: RESCUE: the British Archaeological Trust: It can't be considered legal, reasonable or appropriate for such a significant heritage landscape to be put under serious threat of irreparable and widespread damage for a transient sporting event. Residents are now hoping that following the recent change of Government the decision to stage these events in Greenwich Park can be revisited as part of the review of costs of Olympics 2012, and the benefits of moving the event to the more suitable existing facilities at Windsor Great Park can be revisited and more fully explored....
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PPS5 (Planning for the Historic Environment) : Rescue Responds

The Government has this week published PPS5, the policy document that replaces PPGs 15 and 16. This document and its supporting Practice Guide will dictate the way that planning applications affecting heritage sites and features are processed and determined. For the first time, all heritage features – from standing historic buildings, to archaeological features, battlefields, historic landscapes and conservation areas – will be subject to the same set of policy criteria by which to assess the nature of any threat to their significance through planning proposals.

Whilst we welcome the Government’s interest in the Historic Environment and its attempts to address it more holistically, RESCUE remains unconvinced by the arguments in favour of the homogenous unified protection regime as outlined within PPS5. We do not believe that the wide range of “heritage assets” covered by this policy can be adequately protected by generic “one size fits all” policies. The ‘heritage importance’ of these different types of site will vary in each case - in some it has yet to emerge or be fully understood, yet this unified approach effectively denies the essential differences in their nature and therefore surely compromises proper assessment of the specific protection measures they might require.

RESCUE is also disappointed that PPS5 has been released without adequate prior consultation with relevant stakeholders. As with the earlier version, its drafting has taken place under an inexplicable and deliberate veil of secrecy which we cannot support. This lack of consultation is clearly visible in the finished document and the accompanying Practice Guide, which both continue to suffer from a lack of detail and vague terminology in important areas. This will likely cause problems in the future, as the practical implementation of the policies and guidance is attempted.

Now this process has been completed and the document has been released,...
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Stonehenge Update (January 2010)

The planning application for a new Stonehenge visitor centre and associated works was considered by Wiltshire Council’s Strategic Planning Committee on Wednesday 20 January. http://www.salisbury.gov.uk/planning/development-control/planning-applications/2009/1527/application-documentation.htm In summary, the scheme proposals are for closure of the A344/A303 junction at Stonehenge Bottom and greening of the A344 up to the Henge; removal of parking and other facilities from the present location to Airman’s Corner, at the junction of the A344 with the A360 on the western edge of the WHS; retention of a small, partly underground facility for security etc. on the present site; and use of the A344 as a visitor-transit route between the Henge and new visitor-facilities at Airman’s Corner. The Stonehenge Alliance, of which RESCUE is a member organisation, objected to the planning application (see Alliance letter on the website link, above, at ‘Consultee Response’: 1 December 2009). Although we welcomed proposals to close the A344 to general traffic and removal of the visitor-facilities from the vicinity of the Henge, we objected to the extensive new car and coach parks to be set in the open countryside of the World Heritage Site, and the departure from planning policies for the WHS; and we raised a considerable number of questions about matters on which insufficient information had been provided and on which we felt further consultation was needed before a planning decision could be made. We also raised matters concerning the Appropriate Assessment of possible impacts of the development on nearby European Special Areas of Conservation. An Appropriate Assessment is required under European law and must be undertaken by the determining authority in advance of determination of the application. The Alliance, being of the opinion that the application would be best considered at a Public Inquiry, wrote to the Government Office for the South West (GOSW), asking for a call-in to be recommended to the...
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Save Colchester Circus: Rescue backs the campaign

Rescue has now been told that the initial campaign to raise £200,000 has been successful - many congratulations to the campaigners - see http://www.romancircus.org/2010/03/01/thank-you-appeal-reaches-its-200000-target/ Destination Colchester and Colchester Archaeology Trust are together trying to raise funds to buy the Sergeants’ Mess building and garden of Abbey Fields from developers Taylor Wimpey to save a unique site from redevelopment and help preserve Colchester’s town’s unique heritage. Deadline now February 2010 The Appeal has had the deadline to raise enough money to buy the land containing the 8 starting gates of Britain’s only known Roman chariot racing circus extended, from the end of January 2010 by one month. The gates lie within the front garden of the former garrison sergeants’ mess at the northern end of Abbey Field. This distinguished Victorian Grade 2 listed building is otherwise destined to become private housing, closing off public access to an important section of this unique archaeological site. The appeal organisers believe that Roman Colchester including the Roman circus, the Roman walls, the Temple of Claudius, the Roman theatre and other sites should become a national visitor attraction, giving the town a strong identity, bringing business into the centre and helping to revitalise Britain’s oldest recorded town. The aim is to preserve the site as a celebration of the town’s unique Roman heritage. The Sergeants’ Mess building will provide a new and highly appropriate home for the Colchester Archaeological Trust as well as somewhere for people who live, work and visit Colchester to enjoy and learn about our historic past. Working with local councils and county councils, the majority of the circus site will be transformed into an archaeological park. Where possible, earth mounds will be built to show its great size and...
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Rescue adds its voice to concern over damaging Olympic proposals for Greenwich Park

Rescue is backing a campaign led by NOGOE - No to Greenwich Olympic Equestrian Events to ensure that The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games (LOCOG) fully considers the archaeological implications of the planned Olympic Equestrian events in Greenwich Park. Greenwich Park is an area of intense archaeological interest, within the World Heritage Site.

A Roman temple complex was discovered in 1902 on a mound in the Park by the then Superintendant, A D Webster and the noted Blackheath antiquary, Herbert Jones. Further excavations led by Harvey Sheldon in 1978 – following the felling of Elms on the mound – and in 1999, by Time-Team, for their Millennium series, suggest that the building was part of a temple complex. The park also contains a Saxon barrow cemtery. The Royal park is of 15th-century origin, laid out in the 1660s, with continued development until the 20th century and contains some unrivalled garden features, such as the parterre garden designed by Andre Le Notre....
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PPS Alert

The Consultation period for a new Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 15: Planning for the Historic Environment ended on the 31st October. Rescue responded, together with an array of institutions with interests in the future  of British Archaeology. We have tried to collate below as many links as possible to relevant responses. However, please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like a link to your response to be added. These links open in a new window unless otherwise stated. ...
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Heritage Bill Dead?

The Queen's Speech, setting out the Government's legislative programme for the forthcoming year, has once again failed to include provisions to enact the much delayed Heritage Bill. There was little prior expectation this time around of the Bill appearing however, with very few within the heritage profession still clinging to the suggestion that this ill-fated piece of legislation might ever see the light of day. Queen's speechWith the November 2009 publication of a new policy statement on Scheduled Monuments by DCMS (which would be unnecessary if the Bill were to proceed), we realistically have to now conclude that the Government has abandoned this project entirely. Rescue looks forward to an official statement clarifying the position. Links ...
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Government U-turn on PPS 15

PPS 15RESCUE is pleased to see that the government has acknowledged the widespread concern over the content of the proposed PPS expressed by bodies concerned with heritage and conservation. We welcome the comment by the spokesman for the The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) quoted in the Daily Telegraph
"The redraft is extremely welcome news, though we will need to examine the final policy closely to make sure that it addresses our serious concerns"
RESCUE will be scrutinising the revised draft carefully to ensure that the concerns that we highlighted in our response to the consultation have been acknowledged and addressed. Further Information ...
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Rescue responds to PPS15

PPS 15Rescue have responded to the Consultation paper on a new Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 15: Planning for the Historic Environment. The Department for Communities and Local Governement says "PPS15 reflects a more modern, integrated approach which defines the historic environment in terms of heritage assets to be conserved in accordance with a set of principles and in proportion to their significance." You can read Rescue's response below. PPS 15 Consultation Rescue Response

PPS Planning for the Historic Environment:

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Rescue Responds to the Permitted Development Consultation

The Department for Local Government and Communities is current consulting on proposals to improve permitted development. You can find out more, and download the original consultation here: http://www.communities.gov.uk/publications/planningandbuilding/improvingdevelopmentconsultation You can read Rescue's response below. Communities & Local Government Improving Permitted Development Consultation Comments by RESCUE: the Briti... ...
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