Some 150 delegates attended a conference on 6 September 2010 at
Newcastle University.
Summary
The UK has committed to sourcing 15% of its energy from
renewable sources by 2020. This target represents a major increase
in the share of energy obtained from renewables from about 2.25% in
2008.
Wind energy is expected to make a significant
contribution towards achieving this target, leading to increasing
pressure to accommodate major wind farm developments throughout the
UK.
Onshore wind farms are among the most
conspicuous forms of renewable energy development, with the current
generation of wind turbines typically being between 100 – 130m
high. Although individual wind turbines are perceived as occupying
a relatively small construction footprint, windfarm developments
can require significant ancillary works, including the construction
of road and track networks, associated earthworks and the provision
for connection to the national grid.
Unless careful consideration is given to the
location, scale and layout of proposals at the design stage, wind
energy developments have the potential to impact both the fabric
and the setting of historic assets.
The conference explored the extent to which
the objectives of renewable energy policy and the sensitivity of
the historic environment can be accommodated within the planning
process without compromising either interest.
Programme
The conference included contributions from
national and local government representatives and heritage
advisors, representatives of the renewable energy industry,
cultural heritage professionals, barristers specialising in
renewable energy casework and other professionals working in the
sector.
The following downloads are available:
Some of the presentations from the conference
can be downloaded as PDFs here:
SESSION 1: Policy background and
application
Adrian Smith (Renewable Energy and Planning
Consultant)
Simon Power (Associate Director, Environment,
Planning and Energy, Arup)
Philip Lewis (Principal Planner,
Atmos consulting)
SESSION 2: National and regional curatorial advice and
guidance
Nick Best (Assistant County Archaeologist,
Northumberland County Council)
Barbara Cummins (Deputy Chief Inspector,
Historic
Scotland Inspectorate)
Carol Pyrah (Planning & Development
Regional Director, North-East Region, English Heritage)
SESSION 3: The setting of heritage assets
George Lambrick (Archaeology and
Heritage Consultant)
David Hardy (Partner, Cobbetts LLP)
SESSION 4: Examples in practice - project development,
assessment, mitigation ... inquiry
Dr Antony Firth (Head of Coastal and
Marine, Wessex Archaeology)
- Avoiding, minimising and mitigating impacts to the historic
environment (not yet available)
Richard Conolly (EIA Project Manager,
Headland Archaeology)
Paul
Tucker QC, (Kings Chambers)
Links to related training, policy and guidance notes
Training:
The
Setting of Heritage Assets and Places: current approaches
(618KB)
Wednesday 9 - Thursday 10 March 2011, University
of Oxford
Planning Policy (England):
Planning Policy Statement 1: Delivering Sustainable Development
Planning
Policy Statement: Planning and Climate Change - Supplement to
Planning Policy Statement 1
Planning
Policy Statement 5: Planning for the Historic Environment and
Practice Guide
Planning
Policy Statement 22: Renewable Energy and Companion
Guide
Non statutory guidance
(England)
English
Heritage:
Climate
change
Position Statement: Wind Energy and the Historic Environment
(2005)
Position Statement: Climate Change and the Historic Environment
(2008)
Position Statement: Microgeneration and the Historic Environment
(2008)
Position Statement: Micro Wind Generation and the Historic
Environment (2008)
Conservation Principles: Policy and Guidance for Sustainable
Management of the Historic Environment (2008):
The Setting of Heritage Assets– CONSULTATION DRAFT July
2010
Guidance
(Scotland)
Historic
Scotland:
Managing Change in the Historic Environment – Setting –
CONSULTATION DRAFT – August 2009
COWRIE (Collaborative
Offshore Wind Research Into the Environment) guidance:
Historic environment guidance for the offshore renewable energy
sector (2007)
Guidance for Assessment of Cumulative Impacts on the Historic
Environment from Offshore Renewable Energy (2008)
Other conferences:
Institute for
Archaeologists – past conferences
Wind Turbines and the
Historic Environment (September 2009) Landscape Design
Trust
Making Room for Wind Energy Conference (March 2010) Natural
England
Other useful information:
ICOMOS Xi’an Declaration on the conservation of the setting of
heritage structures sites and areas
IfA Working
Group – The Setting of Cultural Heritage Features: Setting
Standards: A Call for Action (2008)
IfA Working
Group - The Setting of Cultural Heritage Features: etting
Standards: A Review (April 2008)
Contact Us
For further information please contact us at archaeology@northumberland.gov.uk
or telephone 01670 620305.
