After Southport: the road to public benefits

Organisers: Taryn Nixon (MOLA) and Peter Hinton (IfA)

In Southport in April 2010, conference delegates resolved to seize the opportunity presented by a new PPS5, to chart the practical steps that would need to be taken if the investigation of the historic environment in planning were really to deliver public benefit as heralded. The ‘Southport Group’ initiative that ensued conducted a series of consultations and prepared a draft report which was published in July 2011. By April 2012, we will have seen considerable changes in our operating environment, with the National Planning Policy Framework in England, budget cuts in local government, continuing depression in property and development markets, yet no doubt also some highly successful historic environment projects and outputs.

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