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Submission from ALGAO:England Sally Embree 6/6/07 Dear Sally Conservation Principles, Policy and Guidance for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment: Response by the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers for England General Comments ALGAO supports the document in principle. However, before fully endorsing it we would wish to see examples of the practical application of the concepts and policies, especially the conservation policies and guidance, to a range of heritage places and conservation scenarios. Currently, we are unsure whether the full rage of heritage places and conservation issues that ALGAO members deal with can successfully be accommodated within the proposed principles, policy and guidance. We suggest that such testing could initially be undertaken in one or more day seminars for key organisations in the historic environment sector. The terminology adopted in the document is interesting and appears to be innovative. In particular, the concepts of place and the types of value (aesthetic, communal, evidential, historic etc). We are interested to know if there are any references to the previous use of these terms in this context, or whether they are original to this document ? In either case, given their potential importance and likely adoption in other policy documents, we would very much like to see more information as to how the definitions of these terms were arrived at including any relevant sources. Specific Comments Page 10, Concepts and Terms: In paragraph 2, With reference to the developing and implementing of management strategies, we think it is important that there is some reference to the non heritage values of a 'heritage place' especially those of the natural environment such as biodiversity and aesthetic landscape. The interaction between 'heritage' and the natural environment is subtle and often complex with overlapping interests and it is important for these to be recognised as part of developing management plans. Page 23, Preamble paragraph 3: the reference to heritage values often being reflected in high market values is an assertion which will need to be supported by evidence. Page 25. We are unsure about the distinction between evidental and historical value and between the definitions of illustrative and associative historic value. To be of use, these concepts need to be robust and work - or least be understood - in all situations. It would therefore be useful to test them (if this has not already been done so) on a range of issues and problems including for instance heritage places showing many phases of time depth ranging from prehistory to the 20th century and which have complex conservation issues. Page 26 Paragraph 13: the reference to historic value taking on resonance when it is associated with an important person, event or movement. Whilst this may be true, it places (or appears to) undue emphasis on what are 'received' and known interpretations of history recorded from the viewpoint of particular social and ethic groups. If it is to be of use, historic value must be wide-ranging and inclusive of the range of human interpretation of what is important. For instance, historic value can also be enhanced and have resonance if the place is nominally mundane and not unique as it can be easier to associate with our own experiences. Page 30: Paragraphs 33-36, Understand the fabric and evolution of the place: It would be useful to include a reference to the dynamic nature of interpretation, especially for archaeological sites, whereby understanding is not definitive and evolves by the continual testing of hypotheses and theories. This is obviously less true for most aspects of most historic buildings although it arguably operates at the broader social and historic level for all heritage? Page 38, paragraph 61: the term 'habitat' should to be defined. Yours sincerely
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