The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act (ERRA) was passed by Parliament in May 2013, as part of the UK Government's aim to support economic growth and streamline regulation.
There are a number of measures which will affect heritage and, in particular, the historic built environment. Most of the provisions of the ERRA are aimed at encouraging early developer consultation with local stakeholders, historic environment consultants and statutory advisors such as English Heritage.
Provisions include:
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- Enabling a legal definition of the extent of a listed building's special interest
- Enabling application for a Certificate of Immunity from listing to be applied for at any time
- A new system of Listed Building Consent Orders
- New Certificates of Lawfulness of Works to listed buildings
- When demolition of an unlisted building in a conservation area is sought, replacing Conservation Area Consent with a requirement for getting planning permission (except in Wales)
- A new statutory Heritage Partnership Agreement (HPA) for listed buildings whereby early consultation and engagement with local stakeholders can set out the parameters for ongoing discussion of a scheme and avoid unnecessary delay in the later stages of a project
If these changes affect any of your schemes please don't hesitate to contact us. The ERRA supports wide and early consultation, all stages of which MOLA can advise on and facilitate.
Further information can be found on the Historic Environment Local Management (HELM) website.
