Conserving Our Landscape Heritage
The Trust is now established as the only organisation able to give the most comprehensive advice on the county’s historic designed landscapes to Local Authorities, environmental organisations, owners and developers. We are also acknowledged by both English Heritage and The Garden History Society (the Government’s Statutory Consultee) as their first point of contact in the county.
Our professionally trained Conservation Team monitors and comments on planning applications for both Registered and Local sites and advises on Local Development Framework documents - in time these will replace Local Plans. Developers are now asking for advice prior to submission of their planning applications and Local Authorities are also consulting the Team on repair and restoration of historic parks and gardens in their ownership.
An English Heritage Project: Building on the work of the Research Group, the Conservation Team is producing a set of Gazatteers for each of the ten local authorities in Hertfordshire. This is three year project to identify the significance of all unregistered sites in the county and to add in the appropriate planning dimension for each of those sites.
Conservation Seminars: The Team organises seminars such as Golf in Historic Designed Landscapes, held at Brocket Hall in partnership with English Heritage and The Association of Gardens Trusts where the views and opinions expressed were included in English Heritage's final policy document on the subject. Notably, the Golf Designers’ Association subsequently asked the Trust for guidance on holding their own seminar in the Midlands.
Email us at hgt.conservation@ashridge.org.uk