21 INTRODUCTION : REVIEW AND ANALYSIS CARING FOR HISTORIC PLACES DAVE CHETWYN HISTORIC PLACES constantly adapt to meet changing needs. This reflects changes in technologies, work practices, social attitudes, economic means and numerous other factors. Sometimes the rate of change accelerates, and for historic places this may involve large-scale changes of use of floorspace. Covid, Brexit and other global factors have all affected the rate of change in, for example, local economies, high streets and work patterns. At the same time the term ‘crisis’ is increasingly used to describe the effects of climate change and loss of biodiversity. These are major factors in the management and care of historic places. SUSTAINABLE NEIGHBOURHOODS It goes without saying that change can be positive, but ill-considered change can harm historic character. This is particularly relevant where sustainable neighbourhoods are concerned. (These are areas which typically include a mixture of residential buildings, shops, businesses and other employment opportunities in close proximity, good access to green spaces and low dependency on the car.) Change can be positive, neutral or negative. Just as it is necessary to analyse and understand ‘special interest’ and ‘character’, it is also necessary to understand what makes historic places sustainable. The importance of sustainability has been documented previously, for example, in Conservation Professional Practice Principles, published by IHBC with the Historic Towns and Villages Forum and Civic Voice. Historic neighbourhoods tend to have a finer grain of mixed use with employment, community facilities and living accommodation in the same neighbourhood. The high population densities of many modern developments result in a similar urban grain, but the manufacture of materials and construction represents a massive investment of carbon. This is a key consideration in balancing refurbishment with redevelopment. Historic places also tend to have good pedestrian connectivity and permeability, so support active travel. Green infrastructure is a further factor and historic parks, green routes, village greens, verges, street and garden trees, hedges, historic landscapes and rural settings are just some examples where conservation of historic character and maintaining a sustainable neighbourhood are closely related. For individual historic building projects, it is necessary to consider the wider context of place. The socioeconomic and physical context affect the feasibility and viability of different uses. For example, demographic characteristics, population catchments, land and property economics and local infrastructure can all have a fundamental impact on the viability of heritage projects. This is why planning for heritage needs to be undertaken as an integral part of the wider planning for an area, rather than being an isolated activity. CONSERVATION OF HISTORIC AND NATURAL ENVIRONMENTS Recent changes to planning legislation and policy have highlighted the correlation between heritage conservation and conservation of the natural environment. This applies to a diverse range of areas. In garden suburbs for example, the conservation of gardens, green spaces, trees and hedges protects not only their character, but also their amenity and biodiversity. Similarly, in rural villages biodiversity and character are closely related, including consideration of green spaces and landscape settings. The same applies to urban areas, where parks and green spaces contribute character and support good physical and mental health as well as biodiversity. However, their conservation and management must also ensure that these spaces remain flexible to changing recreational needs. This close correlation between conservation of the historic and green environments and biodiversity has been recognised in some neighbourhood plans and have Altrincham Market, Greater Manchester: proposals for the regeneration of the town centre and the refurbishment of this historic market building brought together a range of stakeholders, which was fundamental to achieving high street recovery and contributed to the successful regeneration of Altrincham
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