14 Y e a r b o o k 2 0 1 1 Local knowledge, international perspectives: delegates at the joint international conference Investing in the Past organised by the IHBC in partnership with the Association of Preservation Trusts and the Glasgow City Heritage Trust, November 2010 (Photo: Neale Smith Photography) standard solutions. My advice would be to use this new enthusiasm for the local to your own advantage. I have found the L-word an extremely positive force. I, along with colleagues at my planning authority, have embarked on a programme of conservation area resurveys. We have developed a new approach not used before in my borough which involves the local community at the outset, weeks before any text is prepared. Within each area we pull together a small working party of parish councillors or members of local amenity societies and together set out issues, possible boundaries, and particular areas on which to focus. The conservation team drafts a text and the local group edits, adds and amends in discussion with us. This document is not written by the local community, but it feels as though the community commissions us to write the document on its behalf. I realise this is not particularly innovative or unusual and I am sure that many others have done something similar but in my borough the results have been extremely positive so far. The local community members involved appeared to really enjoy the process and they do feel fully involved. Arguably, within the planning department where I work, the conservation officers are the only members of staff who are truly ‘local’ in the sense that we are embedded in our conservation area communities. Certainly the feedback from managers throughout the organisation is very positive and the L-word is used frequently. But the interesting thing is that we developed this new approach within the team about two years ago. We did not have any idea about localism when we set out to re-launch the conservation area review. Rather, we looked at which approach would best address the issues and meet the aspirations of the residents, businesses and others in the area and we were emphatic about the whole tone of the process being the management of change not preservation. So I return to my point, localism is not something to shy away from or to denigrate as the latest political fashion. It is part of what we are and what we cherish. Ignore the Royston Vasey ‘local things for local people’ aspect of it all (sorry, this is a TV comedy reference – look it up if necessary). Focus on the concepts: vernacular, distinctive, traditional, community and change. Fashions come and go; political parties too, even coalitions I suppose. But we carry on with our work and our passions and the goals remain steadfast. In light of all this I am tempted to commission T-shirts for the IHBC Council members. They will feature an IHBC version of the public information mantra so fashionable at present: KEEP LOCAL AND CARRY ON. Jo Evans, chair@ihbc.org.uk
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