For the Achievement of Valued Places for People through Design

Emily Hadden, Susan Coates

    Research output: Book/ReportCommissioned reportpeer-review

    83 Downloads (Pure)

    Abstract

    This review aims to provide information to assist the management of valued places through good design through core strategies of local authorities in a reformed Northern Ireland planning system.Current CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) documentation, ‘Planning for Places’, advocates an approach to planning for the design of places which is parallel to the approach already embodied within the European Landscape Convention (which became legally binding in the UK in 2006). Nation states signing up to the European Landscape Convention are obliged to identify and ‘characterise’ all landscapes within their boundaries, evaluate and define objectives for them, and track and manage change within them. The authors maintain that the terms place and landscape are interchangeable; both result from the interaction between human communities in specific environments (see fig. 1). The European Landscape Convention enacts a process of visioning and management of change, and as such the authors advise its adoption as a design process in Northern Ireland for the achievement of valued places and landscapes. A brief review of steps taken throughout the UK and Ireland towards the implementation of the European Landscape Convention illustrates that despite the characterisation of all landscapes in Northern Ireland for the Department of the Environment (NI) in 2000, full implementation of the process embodied in the European Landscape Convention is inadequate. The authors advocate that a body in Northern Ireland should be clearly responsible for the implementation of the European Landscape Convention in Northern Ireland, and task that body to work for the achievement of valued places and landscapes through its processes (as in the examples reviewed in UK and Ireland). The authors attest that a ‘gap’ analysis should be urgently undertaken to evaluate where the requirements of the European Landscape Convention are not being met in Northern Ireland. The authors reiterate statements by the Ministerial Advisory Group for Architecture and the Built Environment in Northern Ireland (MAG) and the Landscape Institute Northern Ireland branch (LINI) that, in order to achieve valued places and landscapes, it is essential to retain design expertise within the planning process. The authors perceive the current planning reform in Northern Ireland to be an opportunity to address the obligations of the European Landscape Convention and to successfully work to the achievement of valued places and landscapes in Northern Ireland.
    Original languageEnglish
    PublisherUnknown Publisher
    Number of pages32
    Publication statusPublished (in print/issue) - Dec 2010

    Bibliographical note

    Reference text: Clark J, Darlington J, Fairclough G (2003) Pathways to Europe’s landscape, Heide, EPCL/EU

    CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment), (2009b) The Grey to Green Campaign, www.cabe.org.uk/grey‐to‐green, accessed November 2009

    CABE (Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment) (2009a), Planning for places Delivering good design through core strategies, CABE, London.

    Cabinet Office strategy Unit (2009), Quality of Place: improving the planning and design of the built environment. An analysis of issues and opportunities, Cabinet Office Strategy Unit, London.

    CNCC (Council for Nature Conservation and Countryside) (2010a) Council,
    www.cnccni.gov.uk/index/council.htm, accessed March 2010

    CNCC (Council for Nature Conservation and Countryside) (2010b), conversation and email correspondence with Patrick Casement, Chair of CNCC, and Peter Archdale and Jim Jackson, CNCC Board members, 8 March & 15 September

    Council of Europe (2010) Parties to the Convention,
    http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/Commun/ChercheSig.asp?NT=176&CM=8&DF=&CL=ENG accessed April 2010

    Council of Europe (2000) The European Landscape convention, Council of Europe, Florence, http://conventions.coe.int/Treaty/en/Treaties/Html/176.htm

    Countryside Agency & Scottish Natural Heritage (2002) Making sense of place, Landscape character assessment, Summary guidance for England and Scotland

    CCW (Countryside Commission for Wales) (2010a), LANDMAP,
    http://landmap.ccw.gov.uk/, accessed Jan 2010

    CCW (Countryside Council for Wales) (2009a), Welsh endorsement of ELC,
    www.ccw.gov.uk/landscape‐wildlife/protecting‐our‐landscape/european‐landscape‐convention.aspx, accessed November 2009

    CCW (Countryside Council for Wales) (2009b), The Green Infrastructure Framework for Ecosystem Services, Countryside Council for Wales

    Degeant‐Pons, M (2009) European Landscape Convention in The Irish Landscape 2009: looking around, looking ahead, Heritage Council, Ireland

    DCAL (Department for Culture Arts and Leisure) (2008) Architecture and the Built Environment for Northern Ireland, DCAL, Belfast

    DCLG (Department for Communities and Local Government) (2010) Summary of the Requirements of the SEA Directive,
    www.communities.gov.uk/documents/planningandbuilding/pdf/summaryrequirementssea.pdf, accessed May 2010

    DoEHLG (Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government) (2009), Government Policy on Architecture 2009-2015, The Stationery Office, Dublin

    EHS (Environment and Heritage Service) (2008) State of Environment report, “Land and Landscape management”,
    www.ni-environment.gov.uk/stateoftheenvironmentreportfornorthernirelandlandand landscapemanagement.pdf, accessed April 2010

    ERM (Environmental Resources Management) (2000) Northern Ireland Landscape Character Assessment 2000: an appreciation and analysis of the landscapes of the region. Leeds: Corporate Document Services.

    Foreign and Commonwealth Office (2006), Explanatory Memorandum on the European Landscape Convention, www.fco.gov.uk/en/about-us/publications-and-documents/treaty-command-papers-ems/explanatory-memoranda/explanatory-memoranda-2006a/euroland, accessed May 2010

    Heritage Council (2010a) People and their Place: report on the Heritage Council landscape conference 2009, Heritage Council, Ireland

    Heritage Council (2010b) Introduction to Landscape Character Assessment [CPD training course information], Heritage Council, Ireland

    Heritage Council (2010c) About Us, www.heritagecouncil.ie/about-us/, accessed March 2010

    Heritage Council (2009) The Irish Landscape: looking around, looking ahead, Heritage Council, Ireland

    HBC (Historic Buildings Council) (2010), Council, www.hbcni.gov.uk/index/council.htm, accessed April 2010.

    HMC (Historic Monuments Council) (2010b) Council, www.hmcni.gov.uk/index/council.htm, accessed April 2010

    HMC (Historic Monuments Council), (2009) Historic Monuments Council for Northern Ireland 1st report 2003-2009, www.hmcni.gov.uk/hmc13109.pdf__draft_8__-_final.pdf, accessed April 2010

    Jardine, I & Brookes, S (2009) Taking the High Road in The Irish Landscape 2009: looking around, looking ahead, Heritage Council, Ireland

    Julie Martin Associates (2006) Final report to Heritage Council: Landscape character assessment in Ireland: Baseline audit and evaluation, The Heritage Council, Ireland

    Julie Martin Associates and Carys Swanwick (2003) Overview of Scotland’s National
    Programme of Landscape Character Assessment, Scottish Natural Heritage.

    Kirby, V (2009) Character and Convention: Natural England’s role in implementing the European Landscape Convention in The Irish Landscape 2009: looking around, looking ahead, Heritage Council, Ireland

    Landscape Character Network, (2010), Database,
    www.landscapecharacter.org.uk/db/index.html, accessed Feb 2010

    Landscape Institute (2007), Development Plan 2007‐2012,
    www.landscapeinstitute.org/about/future_developments.php, accessed November 2009

    Landscape Institute (2009) Landscape Institute and the European Landscape Convention, Draft 1, Landscape Institute, London

    LINI (Landscape Institute Northern Ireland) (2009b) Reform of the Planning System in Northern Ireland: your chance to influence change, Consultation Paper by DOE, Response of the Landscape Institute Northern Ireland branch, LINI, Belfast

    LINI (Landscape Institute Northern Ireland) (2009a) Draft PPS21 Sustainable Development in the Countryside, Consultation Paper by DOE Environmental Policy Group, Response from the Landscape Institute Northern Ireland branch, LINI, Belfast

    LINI (Landscape Institute Northern Ireland) (2008) Draft SPG 18 Wind Energy Development in Northern Ireland’s Landscapes, Consultation Paper by DOE Planning and Environmental Policy Group, Response from the Landscape Institute Northern Ireland branch, LINI, Belfast

    Observatori del Paisatge (2009), Landscape Observatory,
    www.catpaisatge.net/fitxers/OBS_eng.pdf, accessed November 2009

    Magee B (1999) Policies and Priorities for Ireland’s Landscape, The Heritage Council, Ireland

    MAG (Ministerial Advisory Group for Architecture and the Built Environment in Northern Ireland) (2009a) Raising Expectations, MAG, Belfast

    MAG (Ministerial Advisory Group for Architecture and the Built Environment in Northern Ireland) (2009b) Response to the Consultation on Reform of the Planning System in Northern Ireland, MAG, Belfast

    Natural England (2009), Natural England’s ELC Action Plan,
    www.landscapecharacter.org.uk/files/u1/Natural_England_ELC_ActionPlan_09-10.pdf, accessed November 2009

    Natural England (2007) A Framework for Implementation in England,
    www.naturalengland.org.uk/Images/tcm232117_tcm6-8169.pdf, accessed Jan 2010

    Newcastle University Landscape Research Group (2009) Establishment of a baseline for, and monitoring of the impact of, the European Landscape Convention in the UK, Newcastle University LRG, Newcastle, England

    NIEA (Northern Ireland Environment Agency) (2010b), Home, http://www.ni-environment.gov.uk/, accessed March 2010

    NIEA (Northern Ireland Environment Agency) (2010c), About NIEA, http://www.ni-environment.gov.uk/index/about-niea.htm, accessed March 2010

    NIEA (Northern Ireland Environment Agency) (2010g) Built Heritage Senior Organisational Structure, www.ni-environment.gov.uk/bhdirectoratestructure.pdf, accessed April 2010

    NIEA (Northern Ireland Environment Agency) (2010h) Natural Heritage Senior Organisational Structure, www.ni-environment.gov.uk/nhdirectoratestructure.pdf, accessed April 2010

    NIEA (Northern Ireland Environment Agency) (2007), Landscape Character Areas,
    http://www.ni-environment.gov.uk/land-home/landscape_home/country_landscape.htm, accessed May 2010

    Northern Ireland Environment Link (NIEL) (2010a), About Us,
    www.nienvironmentlink.org/aboutus/, accessed March 2010.

    Nogue, J (2009) The Landscape Observatory of Catalonia in The Irish Landscape 2009: looking around, looking ahead, Heritage Council, Ireland

    O’Regan, T (2008) A guide to undertaking a landscape circle study in seven easy steps, Landscape Alliance Ireland, Cork

    O’Regan T (1997) Irish Landscape Forum, the second Landfall, a voyage of discovery through your Landscape, Landscape Alliance Ireland, Cork

    Planning Service (2010) Our Aims and Objectives,
    www.planningni.gov.uk/index/about/about_aims.htm, accessed March 2010

    PNRD (Planning and Natural Resources Division) (2010), Planning and Environmental Policy Group About Us, www.doeni.gov.uk/index/epd_about_us.htm, accessed April 2010

    RECEP‐ENELC (European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention) (2009a) The European Landscape Convention, http://www.recep-enelc.net/elc.php?&lang=en, accessed November 2009

    RECEP-ENELC (European Network of Local and Regional Authorities for the Implementation of the European Landscape Convention) (2009b), conversation and email correspondence with Amy Strecker, RECEP-ENELC, November 2009

    SNH (Scottish Natural Heritage) (2010), email correspondence with Simon Brookes, Scottish Natural Heritage, Policy and Advice Manager - Landscape, January 2010

    SNH (Scottish Natural Heritage) (2009), Scotland and the European Landscape Convention: A ‘Gap’ analysis of progress, Scottish Natural Heritage

    SNH (Scottish Natural Heritage) (2005) SNH’s Landscape Policy Framework, Scottish Natural Heritage

    Swanick, C and Land Use Consultants (2002) Landscape Character Assessment: Guidance for England and Scotland, Countryside Agency and Scottish Natural Heritage

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'For the Achievement of Valued Places for People through Design'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this