Development management policies

Policy DM9 Safeguarding Norwich's heritage

All development must have regard to the historic environment and take account of the contribution heritage assets make to the character of an area and its sense of place (defined by reference to the national and local evidence base relating to heritage, including relevant detailed advice in conservation area appraisals.
Development shall maximise opportunities to preserve, enhance, or better reveal the significance of designated heritage assets and that of any other heritage assets subsequently identified through the development process. It will also promote recognition of the importance of the historic environment through heritage interpretation measures.

Where proposals which involve the unavoidable loss of any designated or locally identified heritage asset are accepted exceptionally under this policy, a legally binding commitment from the developer must be made to implement a viable scheme before any works affecting the asset are carried out.

​Locally identified heritage assets

Where locally identified heritage assets are affected by development proposals, their significance should be retained within development wherever reasonably practicable. Development resulting in harm to or loss of significance of a locally identified asset will only be acceptable where:

a) there are demonstrable and overriding benefits associated with the development; and

b) it can be demonstrated that there would be no reasonably practicable or viable means of retaining the asset within a development.

In the defined areas of archaeological interest, development that will disturb remains below ground will only be permitted where it can be demonstrated through an assessment that:

a) there is little likelihood of remains being found and monitoring of works will take place during construction; or

b) remains which should be preserved in situ can be protected and preserved during construction and significant artefacts are displayed as part of the development; or

c) remains that would not justify preservation in situ will be removed and displayed in an appropriate location and context.

​Other heritage assets

Consideration will be given to the protection of heritage assets which have not been previously identified or designated but which are subsequently identified through the process of decision making, or during development. Any such heritage assets, including artefacts, building elements or historical associations which would increase the significance of sites and/or adjoining or containing buildings, will be assessed for their potential local heritage significance before development proceeds.

Where heritage assets newly identified through this process are demonstrated by evidence and independent assessment to have more than local (i.e. national or international) significance, there will be a presumption in favour of their retention, protection and enhancement.

Where heritage assets newly identified through this process are demonstrated to have local significance, development proposals affecting them will be determined in accordance with the criteria for existing locally identified heritage assets as set out in this policy. Any assessment of local significance should be made in accordance with the criteria set out in Appendix 7 of this plan.

​Historic environment record

Development proposals affecting designated and locally identified heritage assets will be expected to show that the significance of these assets has been adequately assessed and taken into account by reference to the Historic Environment Record and the relevant local evidence base.

Where a heritage asset is lost or its significance harmed the asset must be recorded and placed on the Historic Environment Record.

Supplementary text

9.1      Norwich has a history spanning more than a thousand years and therefore has a wealth of heritage assets. The government’s objective in the NPPF is that the historic environment and its heritage assets should be conserved and enjoyed for the quality of life they bring to this and future generations. A heritage asset is defined in the glossary to the NPPF as “a building, monument, site, place, area or landscape positively identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions.” The definition goes on to state that “heritage assets are the valued components of the historic environment. They include designated heritage assets and assets identified by the local planning authority during the process of decision-making or through the plan-making process (including local listing).”

9.2      In this plan, heritage assets are taken to include both assets designated at the national level and those identified at the local level for their contribution to the historic environment of Norwich.

Nationally designated heritage assets

9.3      Heritage assets considered to be of national significance include Scheduled Ancient Monuments, Listed Buildings, registered parks and gardens and Conservation Areas. These national designations give statutory protection to the asset. The principles to be followed in protecting and conserving such assets are set out in Section 12 of the NPPF: Conserving and enhancing the historic environment. This plan does not therefore have detailed policies covering nationally designated heritage assets, but acknowledges that there will be a presumption in favour of protection except where there is exceptional and overriding justification for loss of or harm to their significance. All opportunities to protect, conserve or better reveal the significance of nationally designated assets should be taken in new development.

9.4      Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs) are protected by statutory powers under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. There is the presumption in favour of their protection, preservation and enhancement and any development that would be detrimental to these objectives should be refused. In Norwich there are 25 SAMs, mainly medieval structures in the city centre, including the cathedral gates, the castle and the city wall. It is also important that development in proximity to SAMs respects their importance and wherever possible allows for public access and interpretation.

9.5      There are around 1500 Listed Buildings in Norwich. A Listed Building is one that has been placed on the statutory list because of its special architectural or historic interest. The city council will continue to promote the repair, reuse and enhancement of the setting of Listed Buildings. Demolition will be resisted and development resulting in substantial harm to or the loss of Listed Buildings will only be permitted in exceptional circumstances.

9.6      Norwich has a number of important public parks and private open spaces of historic significance. The English Heritage National Register of Historic Parks and Gardens contains a list of registered parks and gardens.

9.7      There are 17 Conservation Areas within Norwich. Conservation area appraisals analyse and describe the character and appearance of each of the areas. These appraisals will be used alongside planning policies, detailed guidance and site specific development briefs or policies to provide additional information for development proposals.

9.8      Information on the majority of nationally designated heritage assets can be found by consulting the Norfolk Historic Environment Record (HER) via http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/gateway/

Locally identified heritage assets

9.9      There are a number of historic assets already identified at the local level. The Norfolk Historic Environment Record can provide information on some of these locally identified assets and it is supplemented by a number of other information sources. Locally identified assets are being progressively added to the HER.

9.10    Locally identified heritage assets already recognised as contributing towards Norwich’s distinctive character include the council’s established local list of buildings within Conservation Areas, as well as certain parks and gardens and other open spaces which are of local heritage significance but are not afforded national protection. Norwich’s local list has recently been expanded by the addition of locally significant heritage assets which fall within the outer ring road but are located outside conservation areas, identified through a comprehensive survey undertaken by the Norwich Society in partnership with the city council in 2010-12, using the objective criteria for assessing the significance of local heritage assets set out in appendix 7. An extension to the Norwich local list based on the Norwich Society’s work was adopted by the city council in January 2014. Norwich is cited as a best practice example of such joint working arrangements for local listing in English Heritage’s Good practice guide for local heritage listing (May 2012).

9.11    For all identified heritage assets, there should be a presumption in favour of their conservation and the more significant the asset, the greater the presumption in favour of its conservation should be. The loss of or harm to significance will only be acceptable if it can be demonstrated that there are overriding public benefits and it is not viable to retain the asset within the development.

9.12    The Area of Main Archaeological Interest is also locally identified and is defined on the Policies map. It covers the former walled city and suburbs such as Heigham Street and Bracondale. This policy provides the basis for judging a development proposal according to the significance of any remains likely to be found on-site. Any development within this area which may disturb remains below ground, should be subject to an archaeological assessment and agreement on a programme of works. The assessment of archaeological significance must be prepared in consultation with the Norfolk Historic Environment Service (which is part of Norfolk County Council) or another approved archaeological contractor.

Other heritage assets

9.13    Heritage assets also include currently undesignated or unidentified assets which may be identified during the process of decision making, or may be revealed in the course of development. These may include assets of established community value and assets which contribute towards giving areas their sense of place and neighbourhood feel.

9.14    As part of the planning application process, consideration should be given to whether a heritage asset whose significance is not recognised or appreciated currently but becomes apparent through the application process merits formal protection. Where, following assessment, such an asset is judged to be worthy of protection, the principle to be followed is that any proposals resulting in harm to or loss of significance will be assessed according to the degree of significance the asset is agreed to possess, in the same way as would apply if it had already been recognised.

9.15    An independent assessment of heritage significance would normally be undertaken by English Heritage (or any equivalent successor body that becomes responsible for heritage asset protection during the currency of this plan). Where the significance of newly discovered assets is adjudged not to be so great as to merit national protection, there may be a case for some form of local recognition, typically by including the asset, or the building or structure in which it has been discovered or of which it forms part, on the council’s local list. Assessments of local significance should use the criteria currently used to assess locally significant heritage assets and take account of the views of the community, local and national heritage bodies and conservation and design professionals in reaching a balanced judgement on the significance of the asset.

Heritage interpretation

9.16    The city council attaches considerable importance to the need for people to be able to understand and interpret the heritage of Norwich. The council will continue to negotiate for the provision of heritage interpretation within new development schemes where they will have community value. This will be secured either through direct provision on-site or by means of an agreed financial contribution to providing or enhancing interpretive measures elsewhere in the vicinity. There is considerable potential to provide heritage interpretation in imaginative and creative ways with the scale and location of such provision depending upon the size of the scheme proposed and the significance of the asset affected.

The Historic Environment Record

9.17    Heritage impact assessments are required for all applications which affect heritage assets, their content and scope being set out in the city council’s local validation checklist. The Historic Environment Record should be regarded as an essential source of information for prospective developers to use in understanding and appreciating the value of assets affected by development proposals and in compiling this impact assessment. Developers are, consequently, advised to consult the local Historic Environment Record at an early stage in the application process and to show how it has been used in evolving proposals. Where significance of a heritage asset is either harmed or lost, the applicant is responsible for ensuring that the asset is recorded and placed on the Historic Environment Record. Where the loss of significance concerns its community or cultural value, elements of that significance should be either preserved on-site through appropriate interpretation, or financial contribution must be provided, to allow that significance to be reinstated elsewhere in the vicinity. Further detail on heritage interpretation will be set out in a Supplementary Planning Document.

References

• NPPF, CLG 2012: Section 12, Conserving and enhancing the historic environment.
• National Planning Practice Guidance, CLG 2014: Conserving and enhancing the historic environment.
• JCS policy 1: Addressing climate change and protecting environmental assets.
• JCS policy 11: Norwich city centre.
• Greater Norwich historic characterisation and sensitivity assessment (2009).
• Conservation area appraisals, Norwich City Council, various dates.
• Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
• The National Heritage List for England.
• Norfolk Historic Environment Record (HER).
• Good practice guide to local heritage listing, English Heritage 2012.