What’s Your Heritage?

© Julie Howden.

Since the launch of the What’s your Heritage? project HES have analysed the responses to the survey and workshops and used this to form the basis for our review of the Historic Environment Policy Statement. Building upon the findings of What’s Your Heritage? we have been holding conversations with colleagues and stakeholders about what a replacement to HESPS should look like.

HES have:

• Consulted widely on our approach with external stakeholders from the heritage sector, development industries, local authorities and academia.
• Consulted on our approach with colleagues from across the organisation, who have a role in in producing guidance or strategy, and whose work will influence or be influenced by HES’ historic environment policy.
• Carried out an online survey on our approach as part of this programme of consultation. This survey received over 100 responses.
• Shared drafts of the document with external and internal peer reviewers, throughout the content drafting process; their comments and input have helped shape the content of the policy and have been overwhelmingly positive about our approach and the draft content
• Invited colleagues to comment and road test the document as we continue to draft content.
• Kept colleagues in Scottish Government Culture and Heritage Division and Planning appraised of progress

HES were told that our new historic environment policy should be a high level, principles-based document that sets out how all of Scotland’s historic environment should be looked after and managed and that HES ought to lead that process at a strategic level.

What will a new policy achieve?

• Consolidate our role as the lead public body for the historic environment
• Demonstrate leadership amongst other agencies who do not have single accessible strategic policy documents
• Demonstrate leadership in heritage management by producing our first strategic policy document
• Focus on the whole of the historic environment
• Show that we have responded to public and stakeholder views
• It will be an accessible document
• Align with OPiT

This is in direct response to needs identified when we asked the public and the sector how Scotland’s historic environment should be valued and managed, and what HES’ role should be; it is a response to what the people of Scotland, sector stakeholders and HES colleagues have said they want from the replacement to HESPS and seeks to represent their voices and expectations. The draft policy will be out for formal public consultation in September 2018.

Reviewed: September 2018