1. Management of World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom
Christopher Young
Head of International Advice
National Advice Team
English Heritage

2. World Heritage
World Heritage Sites (WHS) are places of Outstanding Universal Value (OUV), authenticity and integrity. OUV is defined by the World Heritage Committee as “ so exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and of importance for present and future generations of all humanity”.

3. World Heritage Sites in the UK
There are 28 World Heritage Sites in the UK

4. World Heritage Sites in the UK
World Heritage Sites can be cultural, natural or mixed

5. World Heritage in UK
WHS range from the iconic (usually the early inscriptions with little involvement of anyone else at the time) to the innovative (not nearly so eye-catching but involving everyone in the nomination process)
WHS are often seen as primarily tourist attractions or as drivers of economic regeneration
Recent research by Price Waterhouse Coopers and by the Lake District candidate WHS has looked at benefits and challenges of WHS status
WHS involve people

6. World Heritage
Blaenavon to Durham

7. World Heritage
Whatever their focus, universal recognition can help develop social cohesion and community pride
Obligations as well as benefits to WHS status
UK government commitment to the identification, protection, conservation, presentation and transmission of WHS to future generations
Done by actions of national government and agencies, regional and local government, owners and local communities
Does this in context of overall approach to conservation

8. Conservation and Change
Bulk of historic environment is not owned/ managed directly for conservation
Change is inevitable
If we do nothing, sites will decay
Change necessary for places to continue their use or find a new one
Change necessary to adopt historic environment to needs of modern society
Change must be managed
Management must be sustainable

9. World Heritage
To be inscribed on the World Heritage List a proposed site must
have OUV, authenticity and integrity
Fulfil the criteria set out by UNESCO
Be unique
Be protected by national legislation
Have an effective management system in place

10. Statement of Outstanding Universal Value
At time of inscription, World Heritage Committee adopts a Statement of Outstanding Universal Value as baseline for future management
Summarises in one or two pages why a place is on World Heritage List
Summary of factual information
Summary of qualities (values, attributes)
Criteria (values and attributes which manifest them
Integrity (all sites)
Authenticity (criteria i – vi)
Protection, & management & protection requirements

11. What is a Management System?
UNESCO Operational Guidelines:
The purpose of management is to ensure the effective protection of the nominated property for present and future generations
Effective management involves a cycle of long-term and day-to-day actions to protect, conserve and present the nominated property
The system will depend on the type, characteristics and needs of the property and its cultural and legal context.
A system could include traditional practices, existing urban or regional planning instruments and other planning and control mechanisms, both formal and informal

12. What should a Management System Include?
Operational Guidelines say that common elements of a management system could include:
Thorough shared understanding of the property by all stakeholders
Cycle of planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and feedback
Involvement of partners and stakeholders
Capacity building
An accountable transparent description of how the system works

13. UK management system
Designation (cultural or natural) of specific assets within World Heritage Sites
World Heritage Sites are a key material consideration
Planning authorities should include policies in their local plan to protect the Outstanding Universal Value of World Heritage Sites
Each World Heritage Site should have an agreed Management Plan
Local authority commitment to the protection, promotion and management of World Heritage Sites in their area
A stakeholder steering group and support from the key partners, including major owners, managers and communities.
Effective coordination, normally by a dedicated Coordinator

14. Management Plans Sites have multiple values
Many are in multiple ownership
Several have continuing uses (eg worship)
All have multiple stakeholders
The Plan has to reconcile and balance their interests and manage change
Plan must balance conservation, access, local community interest and sustainable economic use
Plans must be capable of being implemented

15. Coverage of Management Plans
Appraise the significance and importance of the site based on agreed definition of OUV
Ensure the physical conservation of the site to the highest standards including assessment of risks eg flooding, climate change
Protect the site and its setting from damaging development
Ensure that management and use are sustainable and in line with OUV
Provide policies for promotion, interpretation and education
Provide clear policies for tourism as it affects the site
Plans should be in a form which stakeholders can use

16. To achieve a successful outcome, it is necessary to know
what is there,
what is important and why,
what makes those values vulnerable,
what policies need to be in place to protect them.

17. Develop the Plan logically
Description of the Site, covering all its aspects, including uses, and not confined just to those which give its World Heritage values
Identification of the Site’s values through analysis of the description. All values should be identified and if necessary prioritised.
Identification of ways in which the values of the Site are vulnerable, and also of ways in which they can be enhanced and used sustainably
Development of policies to counter the vulnerabilities and to enhance the character of the Site and its sustainable use.
Identification of the ways in which the Plan will be implemented, and of arrangements to monitor and review its effectiveness

18. Three stages of Planning
The preparation of the Plan through involvement of all stakeholders; discussion and participation to produce the draft Plan. Public consultation is the last step of this stage
Publication of the agreed Plan and its adoption by all the key stakeholders;
Implementation: agreed means for implementation is essential
Effective Steering Group
Plan must have a champion = Coordinator
Coordinator must work through others.
Coordinator must review and monitor the Plan

19. World Heritage
The overall aim should be to have a document that is logically set out, to the point and easy to use
There should always be a section on monitoring and implementation with an action plan (identifying priorities, target dates, who is responsible and funding)
It should set out up front the function of the Management Plan and how it has been developed
If it is a review of an earlier Management Plan then there should be a section assessing the previous plan

20. World Heritage current policy context
This includes
Planning policy framework
Relationship to other statutory and management plans
Planning, historic environment and other designations
Relationship with regional and local planning organisations and others

21. Management Context
It is useful to set out the management context early in the plan
Governance arrangements
Organisations
Funding
structure
Ownership and Site management arrangements
Role of statutory organisations and others

22. World Heritage Values WHS Management Plans should contain
Statement of Significance/Outstanding Universal Value
includes assessment of authenticity and integrity
Criteria site inscribed under
Attributes (tangible/physical manifestation of OUV)
Management and protection
Clear mapping of boundaries and any buffer zone
Both Statement and boundaries should have been agreed by World Heritage Committee

23. Types of Value It is helpful to identify (as appropriate)
cultural and heritage values
Landscape and other values
Educational and research values
Social, artistic, spiritual values
Scientific and technological values
Tourism and economic values
Community values
Not all part of OUV but need to be taken into account

24. World Heritage Key Management Issues
Summary of key issues
Planning and policy
Conservation of the WHS
Infrastructure, development or other issues
Risk assessment and mitigation
Visitor, tourism and education and other uses
Research
Other
Monitoring arrangements

25. OUV as the basis of management
OUV is now recognised within the planning system (each English WHS has a statement of significance or OUV agreed by its SG. Pre 1997 statements have been approved by the World Heritage Committee and post 1997 ones are awaiting approval). More work needs to be done to make sure that all sites have Statements of OUV ready for submission to UNESCO in February 2011
Plans should identify key views and how these are to be protected
Plan reviews should examine boundaries, any buffer zones and to see if these need to be revised (if so proposals need to be submitted to UNESCO by the UK Government) as well as looking at protection of the setting and the site itself

26. World Heritage conservation of the WHS
This should set out
Condition of the key elements of the WHS
Setting
Management practices
Landscape and biodiversity challenges
Key issues eg restoration v recreation, regeneration, change of use, micro regeneration
Priorities for further work

27. World Heritage Risk Assessment and Mitigation
Management Plans should identify key risks and mitigation strategies. These are likely to be
Climate change related eg coastal erosion
Flood
Fire
Earthquake/subsidence
Business continuity
Other (eg terrorism, hurricanes, pandemics etc)

28. World Heritage Risk assessment and mitigation
Mitigation includes
Sound emergency plans for key sites
Liaison arrangements with Emergency planners, resilience fora and the emergency services
A good network

29. Sustainable Uses of World Heritage Sites
It is important that WHSs are not seen as immaculate ivory towers divorced from their communities
Many have uses (eg worship) relating to OUV
Many WHS are part of thriving communities which bring challenges and opportunities in equal measure
All have uses relating to local community (eg farming)
Need to engage and include local community/ies

30. World Heritage Visitor, tourism and education
This section should address
Sustainable tourism
Public Access and carrying capacity
Transport
Visitor management
Visitor facilities
Signage and branding/marketing
Outreach and education (ideally a range of activities for all ages

31. World Heritage Aims and Policies
Clear definition of vision, aims and policies is essential
Vision and aims are long term
Policies should be c5 years
Clear description of how the Plan will be implemented is also essential (governance and coordination)
Annual action plans are essential

32. World Heritage Plans Monitoring and review
This should identify monitoring arrangements
Monitoring indicators
Timetable
Review timetable