To receive a report relating to the above titled item.

Jenifer Jackson outlined the above titled item. The report sought the agreement of a brief for the development of a Borough wide Heritage Strategy and Action Plan Supplementary Planning Document as part of the Local Plan and emerging Borough Local Plan. The documents sought to identify and celebrate the importance of the Borough’s heritage, provide strategies for its protection and enhancement and consider how best to interpret and harness this special resource for the benefit of the community, visitors and the local economy. Members were informed that a key element of the Council’s future approach to the Borough’s historic environment was contained within para 11.2.1 of the Borough Local Plan Submission Version and that this advised a Heritage Strategy Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) be produced and adopted to guide the implementation of the Council’s Historic Environment Policies.

The Panel was informed that the SPD would intend to set out a clear strategy for the borough to guide conservation and heritage activities. The Borough has a unique and distinctive heritage which should be preserved and enhanced for present and future generations. Members were told that the historic environment was a valuable asset which had contributed to a broader strategic objective including economic development, good urban design and planning, provision of informal and formal education, development of skills and achieving sustainable development. It was noted that the strategy would flow from the development plan it will not be a planning policy document. The Heritage Strategy should provide a vision and key aims and objectives for the borough’s heritage; it should be supported by a detailed Background and Action Plan document. It was highlighted that many local authorities already have Heritage Strategies, these tend to be varied in their approach and content and include lists of formally designated assets- listed buildings, conservation areas and scheduled ancient monuments. It was hoped that interested parties, local people, groups and other stakeholders together to generate a shared vision for the future of the borough’s heritage and to provide priorities and proposals for how these would be implemented. Key aims of the Heritage Strategy would be to promote partnership and collaborative working between the councils, its partners and key stakeholders and to generate educations, cultural and economic benefits for the Borough as whole.

Members were informed that an appointed consultant would be required to provide a community led strategy document, and it was anticipated that it would cover a 15 year period although it would be designed so that it can be reviewed by the Council as part of a rolling programme. The issues and priorities identified will then be addressed through a number of agreed actions, such as projects, improvement schemes, guidance and events that would form part of the overall Action Plan. It was suggested that this would be designed to be reviewed and updated annually and that progress would be monitored through a steering group made up of stakeholders. The Panel was informed that it would be likely that in the long term the project would require a project officer and that Historic England had indicated that it may be willing to assist with the cost of such a post. It was anticipated that, if agreed, the project would go out to tender in May 2019 and following this the initial tender bids/responses would be assessed by officers and selected prospective consultants would then be interviewed. After this a council tract would then be awarded to the successful consultant.

Panel members were advised that the first three years of the project would be used to establish the Strategy and commence the first two years of the Action Plan with provision for the review and updating of the plan. Councillor Walter raised concern that he did not feel this piece of work was necessary and that it did not explain or protect heritage assets in great enough detail. It was discussed that this strategy would not become a planning policy. Councillor Walters felt that there was not enough importance placed upon this strategy for it to effectively protect and preserve any existing heritage assets. Councillor Beer stated that he had serious concerns with the Heritage Strategy not being a planning policy document and felt that it could destroy any legal authority and could be exploited by aggressive developers and planning inspectors at appeals and he stated that this could lead to a reduced adopted policy document with an unenforceable wish list. Councillor Beer also highlighted that he felt that there was a fundamental contradiction in the status of the strategy in the opening item 2.1 of the report which referred to the BLPSV para 11.2.1 advising that that the strategy would not be a planning policy document but that there were frequent references to this document becoming an SPD later in the report.

Members discussed the need to have consultant input moving forward and the resource needed for this piece of work to be carried out. Jenifer Jackson confirmed that a post would be needed in the future to fulfil this role but at the moment as the report outlined, trusted consultants were needed to carry out the substantive work relating to engaging with stakeholders and wider groups. Councillor Hunt stated that she was in agreement with the document and the position taken to look at emerging heritage assets across the borough. Victoria Goldberg confirmed that the document would be periodically reviewed and that the strategy had been suggested by Natural England as the borough was rich with heritage. It was outlined that a mineral rich site had been found in Datchet and that Anglo Saxon remains had been excavated and were unique to the borough. Ways in which these sites could be preserved and looked after were discussed and it was noted that this strategy went beyond Windsor with its historic heritage and would focus on the whole of the borough.

RESOLVED: That the Planning and Housing Overview and Scrutiny Panel endorsed the recommendations within the Cabinet report.

(Councillors Beer and Walters wished for their dissent to be placed on record).