The proposals for heritage protection in the 21st century are set out in a joint England and Wales white paper and are based on three core principles. These are:
- The need to develop a unified approach to the historic environment
- Maximising opportunities for inclusion and involvement
- Supporting sustainable communities by putting the historic environment at the heart of an effective planning system
The paper sets out a vision of a unified and simpler heritage protection system which will have more opportunities for public involvement and community engagement. The proposed system will be more open, accountable and transparent. It will offer all those with an interest in the historic environment a clearer record of what is protected and why and it will enable people who own or manage historic buildings and sites to have a better understanding of what features are important. It will streamline the consent procedures and create a more consultative and collaborative protection system.
This is a white paper for England and Wales with some UK-wide elements. The first part sets out legislative change and implementation arrangements for England. The second covers implementation arrangements in Wales and the third part covers legislative change affecting the marine historic environment across the United Kingdom.