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Understanding Place:An Introduction


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Cover Photograph: Queenborough, Kent.

This document introduces historiccharacterisation, and its application inspatial planning. It is aimed at local planningauthorities, regeneration agencies, anddevelopers and their agents. It includesreferences to other English Heritage adviceand guidance available on the HistoricEnvironment Local Management (HELM)website www.helm.org.uk.

Further guidance on practical applicationby Local Planning Authorities can be found inUnderstanding Place: Character and Context inLocal Planning English Heritage 2011 . It setsout a number of case studies where thedifferent approaches have been used singlyand in combination and tailored to meet

specific needs.

INTRODUCTION

Good quality places are an important national,regional and local resource.The character andquality of a place has an influence on health andsocial wellbeing, nurtures community cohesionand inclusion, and draws in economic investment.Building strong places can help address theissues brought by climate change. Improving

the quality of place is at the heart ofsustainable development.

Every place has its own character which isderived from the interaction between peopleand the environment, sometimes over tens,hundreds, or thousands of years.The historicenvironment is a key to our sense of place. Itprovides continuity and a source of identitywhich gives meaning and quality to places wherewe live, work and visit. It contributes to theattractiveness and vibrancy of those places, andso encourages economic investment, supports

tourism, and provides a catalyst for regeneration.It can be a focus for community engagement,education, and recreation, and deliversustainability benefits through the sensitive reuseof buildings. Understanding the value of thehistoric environment and making the most of itspotential is therefore an important element ofplaceshaping.

Historic characterisation is the term given to arange of approaches to the identification andinterpretation of the historic dimension of the

present day landscape (including townscape)within a given area. These approaches can beused singly or in combination, depending on

the purpose, scope, and scale of a project.They can be used alongside the distinctiveand complementary approach of landscapecharacter assessment:http://www.landscapecharacter.org.uk/

High quality places understand the valueof and make the most of their historicenvironment of the infrastructure andbuildings that past generations havebequeathed them.World Class Places, HM Government 2009

The definition of historic landscapeused in this guidance is that of theCouncil of Europes European LandscapeConvention 2000 (the FlorenceConvention) which has been in forcein the UK since March 2007:

Landscape is an area, as perceived bypeople, whose character is the result ofthe action and interaction of natural andhuman factors

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HISTORIC CHARACTERISATION,SPATIAL PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT

Historic characterisation looks further than master-

planning buildings, archaeological sites and other heritage

assets towards a more integrated understanding of place.

It operates at many different scales from whole counties

to complex urban areas, market towns and individual

sites and incorporates time-scales, time-depth and

historical layering.

Landscape will change in response to the evolving

aspirations and needs of society. Historic characterisation

leads to an understanding of how places have evolved

and are currently perceived which helps to manage this

change through the spatial planning framework. It is

particularly effective when carried out as early on in the

process as possible.

Historic characterisation will help local authorities andothers to:

establish the sensitivities of a place and its capacity for

development or change

tunities for new development and inform

its design

estab

place for different stakeholders and co-ordinate with

community neighbourhood aspirations

identify areas where greater protection of the historic

environment is required

manage and target resources.

This issue of Conservation bulletin from 2004is about projects using the principles of historic

characterisation. http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.1292

GIS mapping has become an important tool

in undertaking historic characterisation andenables the characterisation to be combinedwith landscape character assessment, andother environmental and visual assessments,

and economic and social information. Suchintegration is one of its key benefits. It istherefore particularly useful in StrategicEnvironmental Assessment, Sustainability

Appraisal and Environmental Impact Assessment.

They can therefore assist in meeting the government

objectives for sustainable development as set out in the

National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) by:

contributing to a robust Evidence base for

development plans (NPPF paragraphs 126, 156, 157,158, 169 and 170)

indicating where Article 4 Directions may be needed

(NPPF paragraphs 126 and 200)

providing a focus for community engagement in Local

Plan making (NPPF paragraph 155)

Historic area assessments may also be used as a focus

for Localism and community engagement by helping to

influence Neighbourhood Development Plans and Area

Action Plans for places undergoing change.

Historic characterisation is a useful tool, not only for local

authority planners and environmental conservation

specialists, but also for developers, landscape architects,

urban designers and others involved in regeneration

strategies and master-planning. It can provide a context

for both drawing up and assessing development proposals

which affect heritage assets to ensure the significance

of the asset or its setting is not adversely affected (NPPF

paragraph 17, 5th point; paragraph 58 and 4th point;

paragraph 126; paragraph 170).

CURRENT APPROACHES TO HISTORICCHARACTERISATION

Historic characterisation can be undertaken at different

scales and using a number of approaches.The choice of

overall approach will depend on the aims and objectives

of the sur vey, the scale of analysis, and how the results

are to be used. More impor tantly, the approach selected

can be tailored to meet the needs of a par ticular project.

Whilst the main approaches in current use have been

summarised below, a number of historic characterisation

studies use a combination of these approaches or take

one particular approach and develop it. In addition there

are associated methodologies for assessing views and

setting and for using HLC for master-planning. http://www.homesandcommunities.co.uk/hca-english-heritage-guidance

As such the five approaches described here are likely

to evolve and change.

Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC)

This approach takes the form of a national programme,

in partnership between English Heritage and local

authorities, usually at county level. Approximately 80%

of the country has now been characterised using

this approach.The information is available in Historic

Environment Records (HERs), to use as an overarching

framework for planning and land management.The

earliest HLCs focused on r ural landscape, but the

approach has subsequently been used within historic

towns and metropolitan urban areas.The original work is

being updated to include the contribution of farmsteads

and work is in progress to find ways to incorporate

earlier landscape layers, derived in part from below

ground archaeological remains.This approach:

has been carried out as a programme with the

intention of encompassing the whole country

setsout to describe of historic landscape charactertypes

is not initially focused on relative judgements of value

summarises how the landscape has changed over time

but focuses on how the past landscape is perceived in

the present

is mainly desk based

includes semi natural landscape and biodiversity as a

cultural phenomenon

Further information on HLC is available athttp://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/research/landscapes-and-areas/characterisation/

historic-landscape-character/ and in UsingHistoric Landscape Characterisation.

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More than 80% of England had now been

characterised using the HLC approach.


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Historic Seascape Characterisation

This approach maps a cultural understanding of coastaland marine landscapes. It extends the principles of

Historic Landscape Characterisation (HLC) to the marineenvironment, with modifications to take account of thecomplexity of superimposed layers through the watercolumn from the surface to the seabed and below.

Combined with terrestrial HLC , this allows historiccharacter to be appreciated from land through coastalzone to the sea. It is suitable for application alongsidenatural environment data sets.This approach:

is being carried out as a programme with the intentionof encompassing the coast and marine environment

around the whole country

is consistent with HLC on landsetsouttodescribehistoricseascapecharactertypes is not initially focused on relative judgements of valueFurther information is available at http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/professional/research/landscapesand-areas/characterisation/historicseascapecharacter/

Historic Characterisation in Towns includingthe Extensive Urban Survey (EUS)

EUS projects are part of a national programme of

surveys of the archaeology, topography and historicbuildings of Englands historic towns and cities. It coversall the smaller historic towns of England on a county-bycounty basis. Like HLC the information is available

through the Historic Environment Records (HERs),to use for planning and land management.These analysesof archaeological, topographical and historic sourceshighlight areas of sensitivity and target areas for future

research.The use of GIS and digitised information withinthem is central to the work.This approach:

has been carried out as a programme with the

intention of encompassing the whole country

is targeted to elucidate particular issues

is focused on archaeological data and earlier fabric and

topography but seeks to give an overview/synthesisfrom detailed records

is mainly desk basedMore recently EUS projects have adopted app roachesfrom HLC, and innovative and communityfocused

townscape assessment methods have been developed,as in Lincoln, for example.

A full explanation of the Historic AreaAssessment approach is set out in: UnderstandingPlace. Historic Area Assessments : Principles and

PracticeEnglish Heritage 2010.

A short users guide to carrying out HAAs waspublished in June 2010.

Historic Area Assessments

This approach combines researching a wide rangeof documents with field survey to provide a full

understanding of the historical development of an areaor neighbourhood such as a small town, suburb or villageor parts of larger settlements. It sets out to explainas well as describe, and to define significance, within

the historic environment. It is most useful for planningand decision making at the small and medium scale.There are three types of area assessment outline,rapid and detailed with each examining the area more

intensively than the previous method.They can be usedindependently or sequentially to provide lowlevelcoverage of a wide area, whilst reserving more intensivemethods (for example examining the interior of some

buildings) for where they are most needed.This approach:

is targeted at a specic area is related to a par ticular local project leads to an understanding of condition and signicancefocusesonassetswithinthebuiltandcreatedlandscapeDetails of the approach are set out in Understanding

Place. Historic Area Assessments : Principles and PracticeEnglish Heritage 2010.

Guidance can be found at:

http://www.englishheritage.org.uk/professional/research/landscapesandareas/historicareasassessments/

Conservation Area Appraisals

This approach examines the rationale for designation bysummarising the chief characteristics of a conservation

area and its significance and defining its special interest.It draws extensively on field observation and incorporates

the principles of the Historic Area Assessment approachincluding community consultation. A clear, comprehensive

appraisal of the character of a conservation area provides

a sound basis for plan making, development management,and developing initiatives to improve the area, includingConservation Area Management Plans and Article

4 Directions.

This approach:

is targeted at a specic area is related to a par ticular local projectfocusesonassetswithinthebuiltandcreatedlandscape leads to an understanding of condition and signicance

and special architectural and/or historic interest

identies areas under pressure or in decline.Guidance can be found at:

http://www.englishheritage.org.uk/publications/paradisepreserved/paradise_

preserved_20081010174134.pdf/on page 22 of Paradise

PreservedEnglish Heritage 2007.

Conservation Management Plans

This approach is an important tool for understanding

large sites such as historic parks and gardens andidentifying sub areas or character zones within anarea to be redeveloped.This approach:

is targeted at a specic area but looks at the

wider context

is related to a par ticular local project is broad brush identies character areas

focuses on opportunities but identies constraintsGuidance on conservation management plans can befound at http://www.englishheritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.00100200800k00f

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Published by English Heritage June 2010(Revised June 2012)

Product Code: 51609

Images English Heritage

REFERENCES

Clark, J, Darlington, J and Fairclough, G, 2004 Using

Historic Landscape CharacterisationEnglish Heritage andLancashire County Council www.englishheritage.org.uk/HLC

Council of Europe, 2000 European Landscape Conventionwww.coe.int

Communities and Local Government, 2010 PlanningPolicy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment

www.communities.gov.uk

English Heritage, 2010 Characterisation and Spatial Planning

English Heritage, 2007 Paradise PreservedEnglish HeritageConservation Bulletin 47

English Heritage, 2010 Understanding Place. Historic AreaAssessments in a Planning and Development Context

www.englishheritage.org.uk

English Heritage, 2010 Seeing the History in the View

www.englishheritage.org.ukHM Government, 2009 World Class Places:The Governments Strategy for Improving Quality of Place

www.communities.gov.uk

Homes and Communities Agency and English Heritage,2009 Capitalising on the Inherited Landscape.AnIntroduction to Historic Characterisation for Master Planning

Menuge, A (ed), 2010 Understanding Place. Historic AreaAssessments: Principles and Practicewww.englishheritage.org.uk

Thomas, RM, 2006Mapping the Towns: English Heritages

Urban Survey and Characterisation ProgrammeLandscapes7 (1) 2006 6892

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