By Fiona Hyslop
A new body has been formed to understand, protect and promote Scotland’s historic environment. It is called Historic Environment Scotland (HES). As well as being central to telling the story of our nation, the historic environment already supports more than 40,000 jobs, contributes more than £2 billion a year to Scotland’s economy and adds to the wellbeing of our communities. There is no reason why it cannot offer more. The historic environment lies at the heart of our cultural identity. It plays a key role in defining who we are, and our place in the world. It tells Scotland’s story. It has intrinsic and instrumental value, over and above any economic considerations. It merits our most careful stewardship for those reasons alone.
As well as delivering on our commitment to public service reform by creating a single public body for Scotland’s historic environment, I am pleased that, for the first time, all of the work carried out by the bodies will be set within a single strategic framework.
The new body will lead and enable delivery of Our Place in Time, Scotland’s first environment strategy to ensure our diverse historic environment is understood and valued, cared for and protected, enjoyed and enhanced, now and for future generations.
This week, I launched the first annual report on delivery of Our Place in Time: the Historic Environment Strategy for Scotland. The report sets out a wide range of achievements that have been delivered across the historic environment. Of course, the creation of HES is a major milestone in the delivery of the strategy, but it’s just some of the work that’s been taking place in Scotland over the past year, both in government and much more widely, that is reflected in the annual report.
Earlier this summer the Forth Bridge, known as one of the industrial wonders of the world, became Scotland’s sixth World Heritage Site, an honour that recognises the bridge’s unique place in our history.
The Scottish Government, its agencies, individuals and organisations across the country work together to ensure our diverse historic environment, from the industrial heritage of the Forth Bridge and New Lanark to the neolithic heart of Orkney, continues to makes a strong contribution to the wellbeing of the nation and its people. HES will be at the forefront of these efforts..
But it’s not just about world famous sites and national organisations. An enormous amount of vital work is taking place at grass-roots level to preserve our historic environment, and this work should be recognised. This week I was privileged to attend the first Scottish Heritage Angel Awards. It was a pleasure to see the ambition, drive and commitment to protect and celebrate our historic environment demonstrated by ordinary people the length and breadth of the country. From the Joseph Thomson Group in Penpont to the Hebridean Connections in Ravenspoint, people are enthusiastic and passionate about their heritage.
HES brings together Historic Scotland and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS). The complementary nature of these two bodies has long been recognised. Uniting them to create a strong and effective single lead body is the next logical step to sustain and enhance this.
HES will continue to undertake the work previously done by Historic Scotland and RCAHMS. The organisation will continue to have an important role as a regulator but will carry out decision-making functions in its own name rather than on behalf of Scottish ministers, in the same way as other non-departmental public bodies such as Scottish Natural Heritage, with a right of appeal against some decisions.
HES is a statutory consultee for a variety of consenting regimes in the planning system, and can be consulted on works affecting listed buildings, scheduled monuments, inventory battlefields, gardens and designed landscapes, world heritage sites and historic marine protected areas. The organisation will work to give decision makers a clear understanding of the impact of any development on the heritage assets involved.
I am confident that HES will deliver a better service for the Scottish people, and help to guarantee that our unique heritage is enjoyed for many generations to come.
Fiona Hyslop is Culture Secretary in the Scottish Government.
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