Thank you for giving notice that Old Milverton and Blackdown Parish Council has applied for designation as a Neighbourhood Area under Part 2 of the Neighbourhood Planning (General) Regulations 2012.

Historic England has no objection to this proposal.

The proposed neighbourhood plan area contains a varied range of designated and undesignated heritage assets including eleven grade II listed buildings and part of a grade II Registered Park and Garden. Due account should be taken of the conservation of all of these assets and their settings in formulating the neighbourhood plan proposals. Consideration should also be given to the protection of undesignated heritage assets including farmsteads and archaeological remains (both known and potential) within the Parish. Many of these will be recorded in the Warwickshire County Council Historic Environment Record (HER).

Having a sound evidence base for the Plan is important so as to form a properly supportive context for plan policies. The National Planning Policy Framework (paragraph 58) requires Neighbourhood Plans to develop robust and comprehensive policies setting out the quality of development that will be expected in an area based upon an understanding and evaluation of its' defining characteristics. The aim is to ensure that developments (inter alia) "respond to local character and history, and reflect the identity of local surroundings and materials....."

Neighbourhood Plans are a positive way to help communities care for and enjoy the historic environment. Historic England is expecting that as Parish Council's come to you (and perhaps particularly to your specialist conservation staff) to seek advice on preparing Neighbourhood Plans they will value guidance on how best to understand what heritage they have, as well as assistance on preparing appropriate policies to secure the conservation and enhancement of this local heritage resource.

Information held by the Council and used in the preparation of your Core Strategy/Local Plan is often the starting point for Neighbourhood Plans as for example the Historic Landscape Characterisation and the Extensive Urban Surveys completed by Warwickshire County Council. Comprehensive data on Heritage Assets including archaeological remains in your area will be available from the Warwickshire Historic Environment Record held by the County Council and local environmental and amenity groups often also hold useful information.

Plan preparation also offers the opportunity to harness a community's interest in the historic environment by getting them to help add to the evidence base, perhaps by creating and or reviewing a local heritage list, inputting to the preparation of conservation area appraisals and undertaking or further deepening historic characterisation studies.
Historic England has a statutory role in the development plan process and there is a duty on either you as the Local Planning Authority or the Parish Council to consult Historic England on any Neighbourhood Plan where our interests are considered to be affected as well as a duty to consult us on all Neighbourhood Development Orders and Community Right to Build Orders.

Historic England will target its limited resources efficiently. We will directly advise on proposals with the potential for major change to significant, nationally important heritage assets and their settings. Our local offices may also advise communities where they wish to engage directly with us, subject to local priorities and capacity.

Historic England fully recognises that the neighbourhood planning process is a locally-led initiative and communities will shape their own neighbourhood plan as informed by the issues and opportunities they are most concerned about and relevant to the local area. As a national organisation we are able to draw upon our experiences of neighbourhood planning across the country and information on our website might be of initial assistance https://www.historicengland.org.uk/advice/planning/plan-making/improve-your-neighbourhood/

It is envisaged that the website will be progressively updated to share good practice in the management of the historic environment through neighbourhood planning.

Historic England also publishes a wide range of relevant guidance. Links to this can be found in appendix 1 to this letter. Appendix II contains links to a number of Neighbourhood Plans that Historic England consider to be exemplary in their treatment of the historic environment.

Should you wish to discuss any points within this letter, or if there are issues about this Neighbourhood Plan Area where the historic environment is likely to be of particular interest, please do not hesitate to contact me.