Historic Buildings & Places is concerned by the government’s proposal to review the status of The Gardens Trust and Theatres Trust as statutory consultees in the planning system.
Statutory consultees play a crucial role in ensuring that planning decisions are informed by specialist advice that enables positive, sustainable change and growth while safeguarding our shared heritage and creating community pride, public wellbeing and sense of place.
We firmly believe that the historic environment is not a barrier to growth. The Gardens Trust and Theatres Trust provide invaluable expertise that support the conservation of heritage landscapes and historic cultural venues and their work enhances our towns and cities, helping to create thriving, vibrant communities that benefit people across the country. Removing the statutory consultee status of The Gardens Trust and Theatres Trust threatens to diminish this essential contribution and risks undermining vital protections for our historic environment by removing expert voices from the planning process.
As a National Amenity Society, we urge the government to recognise the critical role they play in shaping sustainable development and protecting the places that matter to people across the country. The Gardens Trust has launched a campaign to oppose the changes, and we encourage our members and supporters to read their full response here: The Gardens Trust’s response.
We will continue to engage with government to ensure heritage remains at the heart of the planning process and will update our members and supporters as further details emerge about the upcoming consultation.
