Heritage Protection for the 21st Century, is the first white paper on the historic environment for a generation, and includes proposals to:

• create a single system for designating historic places to replace listing, scheduling and registering, with published criteria for selection, and devolve responsibility for the designation system in England from the DCMS to English Heritage,
  
  
• improve designation through greater public involvement by opening up the system to greater public consultation and scrutiny, and by creating a single new Register of Historic Buildings replacing all existing lists and schedules,
  
  
•  introduce ‘interim protection’ for historic assets while they are being considered for designation, and create new appeals procedures against designation,
  
  
• put the historic environment at the heart of the planning system, and streamline regulation by merging listed building consent and scheduled monument consent, and conservation area consent with planning permission, and
  
  
• clarify and strengthen protections for World Heritage Sites, and enhance protection for archaeological remains in the marine environment and on cultivated land.

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Tessa Jowell said:

“Our built heritage and historic environment matter to us all.  The heritage protection system is about how we protect and sustain it, both for today and for generations to come.  We all want a system that provides the right levels of protection, but we also want one that is easy to use and allows everyone a stake in it.

“The benefits of getting this right are great.  In a time of rapid change, our reforms will put heritage protection on a sound footing for the future.

“The proposals we are setting out today are the result of long consultation and I am grateful for all the contributions, from individuals and organisations alike, that have played such a big part in their development. “

The white paper proposals are largely focused on reforming the position in England and Wales.  However it also contains UK-wide proposals for developing an improved system of marine heritage protection.  To do this, the Government will:

• broaden the range of marine historic assets that can be protected;
• make designation decisions easier to understand, introducing simpler and clearer records;
• introduce interim protection for marine historic assets while they are being considered for designation; and
• consider the scope for a new flexible consents system, including provision for voluntary management agreements.

Legislation to enact the proposals will come before Parliament when Parliamentary time allows.

Notes to Editors

1. The white paper, Heritage Protection for the 21st Century, was published on the 8 March 2007.