This guide provides an overview of built and historic environment practice for conservation professionals across the United Kingdom. It has been developed to raise awareness of the skills and specialisms necessary to properly manage, conserve and develop historic places and buildings. It recognises international, national and devolved UK legislation, policy and statements, and how they operate in practice. Working with historic places and buildings involves a diverse and complex range of specialist skills, across different professional disciplines. It is essential to employ professional teams from the necessary disciplines, with historic and built environment expertise. Conservation sometimes can be portrayed inappropriately as being about resisting change and focusing on the past. Nothing could be further from the truth. Conservation can be at the heart of some of the most innovative and creative regeneration and economic development initiatives. It is not about resisting change, but about positive management of change for the future. Conservation professional practice is challenging, as demonstrated by the many considerations set out in this guide. This requires not just depth of knowledge, but also breadth, due to the wide scope of decisionmaking. Good conservation practice is not about viewing heritage and cultural values in isolation, but considering these as an integral part of planning, place-making and helping places and buildings to adapt to modern needs. This integrated approach is at the heart of specialist, professional practice. The guidance has been prepared by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, the Historic Towns and Villages Forum and Civic Voice. The Institute of Historic Building Conservation is the UK multidisciplinary professional body for practitioners from all sectors with specialist conservation and heritage interests. The Historic Towns and Villages Forum is a UK membership body that includes corporations, private firms, local government and community organisations, ranging from global to neighbourhood levels. Civic Voice is the national charity for the civic movement in England, its goals being to make places more attractive, enjoyable and distinctive and to promote civic pride. These bodies indicate the diversity of interests in heritage care, from professionals to owners and communities. The membership of these organisations includes various built environment professionals, developers, local civic and community organisations, local authorities, professional firms, and other bodies with an interest in heritage. This guidance is aimed at anyone with an interest in heritage, including those procuring work, managing assets, providing professional services or participating in local societies. The Herbert Lane Trust is thanked for partly funding the development of this publication. INTRODUCTION 1
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