Local authorities have an essential role in the protection and management of the historic environment. One of the ways that they can strengthen this role is through the appointment of a historic environment champion.

Champions are usually Councillors who have chosen to take a particular interest in protecting, supporting and working with their local heritage assets. They perform a vital function in advocating the role of the historic environment in key areas of the council’s work and in its decision making fora. They do this by making use of both their own local knowledge and through the support and resources of English Heritage.

Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage said   “Champions are heritage heroes. Because of their local expertise they understand what matters in their areas. They know how to see the historic streets and buildings around them as an asset to help bring in grants, trigger renewal and boost the area’s culture.  English Heritage is delighted to support their work.”

Champions receive not only access to support from English Heritage’s regional offices, but also regular updates on policy development, expert advice when needed, invitations to high level networking opportunities and an array of training opportunities.

One such opportunity was the Building in Context workshop, held in Lichfield on 19 February, one of a series which took place throughout England. The Building in Context toolkit, developed by English Heritage and the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE), with the Kent Architecture Centre, raises awareness of the role that design has to play in planning, and in particular how important good quality design is in successfully integrating new buildings into the historic environment.

 Image of Lichfield
 

Urban Vision North Staffordshire, the event organisers, working closely with English Heritage and Lichfield District Council, created a programme that incorporated case studies from different developments. These included a contemporary new development on the former Arts Centre site and a site appraisal for an existing car park adjacent to Minster Pool, as a potential place for redevelopment; in each case participants explored how the existing historic environment should influence and complement new design.  

Design and Historic Environment Champion from Stoke on Trent City Council, Councillor Peter Kent-Baguley thought that "The event enabled Design and Historic Environment Champions to focus on issues of design and heritage, rejuvenating one's level of understanding...one key valuable part of the day was the site visits enabling Champions to debate issues on design with built environment professionals, putting the historic environment in to context."

If you want to learn more about either the next round of Building in Context workshops, or the network of Historic Environment Champions then please contact English Heritage at champions@english-heritage.org.uk or go to www.helm.org.uk.

Owain Lloyd-James, May 2008