The quality of the environment brings with it many benefits for those living, working, visiting and seeking to invest in the area. Proper management of our shared heritage is therefore vital for a whole range of reasons including:
- Sense of Place
Heritage provides the unique character that helps to make communities distinctive. - Economic Prosperity
Heritage attracts visitors and these in turn help to bring wealth and prosperity to the area. - Regeneration
Heritage can support the revitalisation of deprived or run down areas through character, location and use. - Civic Pride
Heritage contributes to a joint sense of pride. The legacy and past reinforces our history and echoes of the past. - Sustainability
Physical life of heritage assets is often greater than their functional life – bringing them back into use is an effective use of resources. - Education
Opportunities to access and understand heritage can have a positive impact on learning and attainment. - Leisure and Tourism
Heritage can provide a focus for leisure activities from simply visiting and enjoying a place to providing a focus for detailed research and interpretation. - Health and Well-being
Exploring heritage helps people in maintaining a healthy physical life-style and can help reduce stress and mental health issues.
Plans should set a strategy that takes account of...'the wider social, cultural, economic and environmental benefits that conservation of the historic environment can bring'. NPPF Para 185
When considering heritage value in relation to a specific proposal it is vital to understand what makes a heritage asset important as this knowledge will help to inform and direct any decisions or works affecting the asset. The diagram above indicates the kind of considerations which go into assessing heritage value.