1. The role of the Gardens Trust in the planning process
The Historic Landscape Project has been set up to increase capacity in CGTs to carry out this work and to facilitate communication between the GT and CGTs, and also to help CGTs build relationships with other organisations such as HE, HEROs, PGUK, other amenity societies and, of course, their local planning authorities.
Linden Groves
Historic Landscape Project Officer
The Gardens Trust

2. + = Research Conserve Campaign
The Gardens Trust was formed in July 2015 when the Garden History Society merged with the Association of Gardens Trusts. The aims of the Gardens Trust are:
to promote the study of the history of gardens, landscapes and gardening through research and education
to promote the conservation of historic designed landscapes
to campaign for the protection and understanding of landscapes
Research Conserve Campaign
Historic Landscape Project

3. Historic Landscape Project
Not just gardens – our remit includes parkland, garden squares, public parks, cemeteries, kitchen gardens, playing fields, institutional landscapes, and covers all periods, including modern landscapes. (pics clockwise: Barbican in London; Gulliford Burial Ground in Lympstone, Devon, courtesy of Carolyn Keep DGT; Hill Close Gardens in Warwick, courtesy Jonathan Lovie; Victoria Park, Truro, courtesy Jonathan Lovie; Croome Park in Warwickshire courtesy Steffie Shields)
We also work to promote appreciation and involvement in historic designed landscapes and encourage the creation of new gardens and landscapes. We hold lectures and visits and an annual conference, publish a journal and newsletters, as well as our conservation work, which is carried out by a small staff and lots of volunteers.
Historic Landscape Project

4. What are County Gardens Trusts?
Autonomous charitable organisations which are all members of the Gardens Trust
Membership varies from 50 to 400+
Research & Recording Groups
Conservation Groups
Education and working with schools
Events and garden visits
36 CGTs – one for each county in England – are members of the Gardens Trust, which also has individual members. We also have close links with the Welsh Historic Gardens Trust and Scotland’s Garden and Landscape Heritage. CGTs are involved in a range of activities, but all are individually structured and governed and pursue their own particular interests.
Historic Landscape Project

5. Pictures show a selection of the activities CGTs get up to, including visiting landscapes, research and recording (including site surveys, working with archives, training (eg on significance), contributing to local lists, PGUK and HERs), publishing books, articles and newsletters, education (including lecture programmes and working with schools), raising the profile of local landscapes, and undertaking work in the planning system.

6. Historic Landscape Project
Statutory status
Requirement for consultation: Article 18/Schedule 4 of the Town and Country Planning (Development Management Procedure) (England) Order 2015.
Before granting planning permission for development, LPAs are required to consult the Gardens Trust and Historic England.
Historic England in relation to Grades I and II* registered sites
The Gardens Trust in relation to Grades I, II* and II registered sites
Statutory consultation requirements have been in place since 1995 in relation to ‘development likely to affect’ registered parks and gardens, passed to the GT from the GHS. LPAs must consult the Gardens Trust on planning applications affecting all sites on the Register of Parks and Gardens. Please send consultations to
Many CGTs also comment on applications affecting unregistered sites in their local area – more in a minute.
Historic Landscape Project

7. Historic Landscape Project
New planning leaflet
Need to introduce the Gardens Trust to local authorities
Need to restate the statutory consultee obligations
Need to ‘introduce’ the County Gardens Trusts and explain their role
New leaflet: ‘The Planning System in England and the Protection of Historic Parks and Gardens’
Distribution to local authorities summer 2016
With the formation of The Gardens Trust and the passing of statutory consultee status from the Garden History Society to the Gardens Trust, we feel that it’s time to set out who we are and what our role is in the planning process. The Gardens Trust has just published a leaflet which clarifies roles, working relationships, obligations, and the position of historic parks and gardens in the planning system, and will be available to all LPAs and other organisations, such as national and local amenity societies.
Historic Landscape Project

8. How does the Gardens Trust manage the consultation process?
The Gardens Trust receives local planning authority consultations relating to Grade I, II* and II landscapes
All applications are logged in the GT Casework Log by the GT Casework Manager and circulated in a weekly list to CGTs
The GT Conservation Officer goes through the weekly list and determines which applications require a response
The GT turns to CGTs for help –their local knowledge, research, site visits and advice is invaluable
A response is written, sometimes by a CGT, sometimes by the GT and sometimes by both.
The Gardens Trust (GT) is a statutory consultee. This obliges local planning authorities to consult it on planning applications affecting registered landscapes. The GT conservation team consists of a part-time conservation officer and a part-time Casework Manager and we are supported by members of CGTs to provide local expertise to allow us to respond to planning applications.
The consultation process works like this:
The Gardens Trust receives local planning authority consultations relating to Grade I, II* and II landscapes
All applications are logged in the GT Casework Log by the GT Casework Manager and circulated in a weekly list to CGTs
The GT Conservation Officer goes through the weekly list and determines which applications require a response
The GT turns to CGTs for help –their local knowledge, research, site visits and advice is invaluable
A response is written, sometimes by a CGT, sometimes by the GT and sometimes by both.
Additionally, many of the most capable CGTs are commenting on planning applications effecting sites of local designation, being consulted direct by the lpas.
Historic Landscape Project

9. Last year, the GT is was consulted on around 1700 applications affecting historic landscapes in England, which we suspect is probably rather less than we should have been, and we hope that the planning leaflet will help to ensure the GT is more widely and consistently consulted.
We also collate information on the outcome of planning applications, which is added to the Casework Log and gives a more complete picture of the conservation of historic designed landscapes, and demonstrates the impact of our work in the sector.
Don’t forget that many CGTs are working on local list landscapes as well as the statutory consultation ones from the National Heritage List – increasingly this work is recorded on the Log also.

10. Historic Landscape Project
Research
Researching local landscapes
Site survey and recording
Writing up concisely, consistently, professionally
Statements of Significance
Local listing
Historic Environment Records and
So that’s CGTs and planning. But just a quick note that one of their vital strengths is in their research work, and this is key to conservation, especially with the emphasis now on understanding Significance.
CGTs are busy researching local landscapes that would otherwise go unrecognized (as well as ones of national importance).
This work includes days in the archives, but also involves walking the ground with a site survey and recording and an appreciation and noting of what survives in the landscape today as well as finding the details of its past.
CGTs and their research work are also at the forefront of the conservation move to ensure an understanding of the significance of sites.
And of course, what you’ll see about CGT research is that we are increasingly making sure that work is written up concisely, consistently, professionally.
This research is largely being inputted to HERs and PGUK, also into Local Lists and Local Plans
Historic Landscape Project

11. Get to know your County Gardens Trust
Contact details at
Direct planning application consultations – national and local designation
Pre-application relationships and discussions
Sharing of research: Statements of Significance, Local Lists
Do contact your local CGT.
Because:
they may be busy working on planning consultations with the GT and direct consultation of them as well as GT will speed up the process. Consult on locally designated sites!
Their skills and knowledge can be invaluable in shaping a proposal at a pre-application stage and many CGTs are happy to be involved here.
Tap into their research – carrying out detailed research, many writing SoS, can help produce Local Lists or Local Plans
Historic Landscape Project

12. Historic Landscape Project
Let’s stay in touch!
@leapthehaha
Historic Landscape Project