The Conservation of Historic Areas and Public Participation

Abstract

The creation of conservation areas by the Civic Amenities Act of 1967 is often linked, with the rise of conservation as a popular movement within the United Kingdom. Recent government and English Heritage guidance to local authorities has increasingly emphasized the importance of public engagement in conservation issues. At the heart of the conservation area system appears, however, to be a tension between assessment and administration by experts and public participation; this is exemplified by the phrases ‘special architectural and historic interest’ and ‘the familiar and cherished heal scene’. This paper reports the findings of a survey of public participation in the designation and management of English conservation areas. The survey also canvasses the attitudes and opinions of the conservation professionals who administer this system with regard to the value and effectiveness of public consultation. Finally, these views are briefly considered in the terms of Arnsteins seminal ‘ladder of citizen participation’.

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