Green Flag Award - Other Schemes

Guidance Notes for Applicants

1. Background

These guidance notes are intended to assist those who are considering applying to become a Green Heritage Site. This is a new development under the umbrella of the Green Flag Award scheme, the national standard for quality parks and green spaces. Any site that is applying for a Green Flag Award can also apply to become a Green Heritage Site – a supplementary section has been added to the Green Flag Award application form and applicants must complete this if they are applying for Green heritage Site status. The site must first pass the Green Flag Award to demonstrate that it has reached good overall standards in line with the Green Flag Award criteria – it can achieve Green Flag and Green Heritage Site status in the same year as judging can take place at the same time.

Green Heritage Site status is sponsored by English Heritage and promotes the value of, and best practice in, the care and upkeep of parks and other green spaces in England that are of local or national historic interest. Sites do not have to be on the English Heritage Register of Historic Parks and Gardens, but must be at least 30 years old.

The term Green Heritage Site does not mean a literal historic green landscape with archaeological features but any park or green space that is of local or national historic interest. This especially applies to any site that has received Heritage Lottery Funding.

2. What judges will look for

Judging for Green Heritage Site status will be a two-stage process. Judges will look at the extent to which applicants:

understand the heritage value of the site;
acknowledge the heritage value of the site;
share the heritage value of the site; and
conserve, enhance and help people enjoy the heritage value of the site
In March, a Heritage Panel will assess the application and supporting papers. The Panel will comprise two Green Flag Award judges, two regional landscape architects from English Heritage and representatives from the English Heritage Historic Parks and Gardens team, the Garden History Society and the Association of Garden Trusts. The supporting papers should consist of:

an overall management plan
a Conservation or Restoration Plan for the site (this is an essential document and may be combined with the management plan; all those who have received Heritage Lottery Fund grants will have one)
evidence of how the site’s historic value is promoted
a statement of no more than 100 words indicating why the site is special in terms of national or local historic importance
The second stage will comprise a site visit where the judges work through a checklist to decide if the Green Heritage criteria have been met

2.1 Understanding the heritage value of the site

To create a good quality green space it is essential to understand the site, both its history and its social, cultural and economic context. Sympathetic management of a site of historic value needs to be underpinned by knowledge of its social and landscape design origins and evolution. This information should be gathered through a research programme that identifies, describes, analyses and records:

Social chronology of the site from pre-formation to present day
Overall description and assessment of the site’s historic character and identification of the features which give that character including geological or archaeological features.
Maps identifying the location of features of historic interest in and around the site, and their relationship to the views into and out of the site
Landscape evolution, design intention and original layout; changes to the design; views and vistas including those intended, existing or lost; circulation routes; disposition of trees and shrubs, grass and water and their relation to each other
Analysis of design style of buildings and other built structures
Analysis of design style and disposition of planting including selection of tree and shrub species
This information should be gathered together in a report, which may be called a Conservation Plan, Restoration Plan or Conservation Management Plan. The Plan should be, or be combined with, a working document in managing the heritage aspects of the site and research should not stop once the Plan has been produced.

2.2 Acknowledging the heritage value of the site

The detailed research contained in the Conservation Plan is only of value if managers, staff and contractors are made aware of, and able to understand, the importance of the site’s heritage and why it is worth conserving. The overall management plan should highlight the key historical facts of the Conservation Plan.

Once the heritage value of the site has been established and recorded in appropriate plans, it is important that this value is recognized by the council (or other provider) and the statutory agencies and other interested parties. Acknowledgement of the heritage value of the site may be demonstrated by:

Formal adoption of the Conservation Plan by the council (or other provider)
Inclusion and explicit mention of the site in protective Local Plan policies for historic sites
Notification to English Heritage to see if the site merits inclusion in the national Register of Parks and Gardens of Special Historic Interest in England; and to the Department of Archaeology at the University of York for possible inclusion on the UK Database of Historic Parks and Gardens
Inclusion in any local list of sites of historic importance, or using the historical information to justify setting up such a list
Review of unlisted buildings on or around the site to see if they merit addition to the lists
Inclusion of the site in an adjacent conservation area or making the site a conservation area in its own right
Dissemination of research findings to the local ‘Friends of . . .’ group (if one does not exist, you may wish to set one up); interested amenity groups, eg. the Garden History Society, the local Civic Society and conservation societies, local history societies and archaeology groups, county garden trusts and wildlife trusts
2.3 Sharing the heritage value of the site – interpretation

Members of the public may have provided much of the historical information contained in the Conservation Plan and they will want the results of their efforts to be broadcast. If investment and management proposed for a site are to be supported by the public, it is essential that the site’s history and role in the past and present cultural life of the area be appreciated. Telling and sharing a site’s history and its cultural significance may be achieved through:

Interpretation panels
Talks and guided walks by knowledgeable and enthusiastic staff
Guide books, explanatory leaflets, tapes and videos
Exhibitions and events
Educational programme including school visits and links with further education establishments, amenity groups and local history societies
Newsletters, annual reports and council committee papers
Engagement of volunteers in celebrating the heritage value of the site
Raising public awareness through the press, television and radio.
In addition there should be a feedback mechanism that enables the applicant to ascertain whether the amount, depth and quality of information are right and also to encourage the public to come forward with more information.

2.4 Conserving, enhancing and enjoying the heritage value of the site

Conserving a site of historic value requires a blend of skills, including historic conservation, arboriculture, horticulture, ecology and landscape design. The ultimate test of whether a site should become a Green Heritage Site will depend on how well its heritage value has been conserved and enhanced, and how much people enjoy the site’s historic character, appearance and features.

What judges will be looking for here is how well the heritage assets of the site are performing. It is important that, as well as an appreciation of the site’s historic appearance, the historic features and facilities continue to play a role in the present life of the site. An assessment of the site’s performance in heritage terms will include an appraisal of the condition and use of historic features, eg:

Are repair and maintenance of historic buildings and structures carried out to appropriate conservation standards? For further guidance see:
The 1964 ICOMOS Venice Charter (http://www.icomos.org)
Christopher Brereton The Repair of Historic Buildings: Advice on Principles and Methods published by English Heritage
Kate Clark Informed Conservation published by English Heritage
Are the right materials used in the right way to conserve historic character?
Are unique historical features given extra care and prominence, for example by drawing particular attention to them by the way they are maintained and presented? Is there evidence of pride in having these assets?
Are efforts made to retain or replace ornamental detailing on buildings and other infrastructure?
Do replacement and new features and furniture conserve or enhance the site’s historic character or appearance?
Are buildings, monuments and memorials used as the focus for cultural activities?
Do the style and standard of horticultural displays harmonize with, or enhance, the site’s historic character? Do choice and location of tree and shrub species and cultivars strengthen the historic character?
Are efforts made to provide for continuity in historic collections of (often exotic) trees and shrubs?
Are there plans to remove or re-site discordant features, eg. poorly located trees and shrubs, poorly sited and designed ‘improvements’ that detract from the site’s heritage value?
Applicants should bear in mind that new buildings and other structures in the site need not be designed as historical pastiche, but their design quality should be at least equal to the original and they should ‘fit’ or enhance the pre-existing layout. Contemporary buildings and structures, sensitively designed, may enhance the park and fit comfortably into their historic surroundings without dominating them. A park’s historic context may actually inspire the design process and result in responsive new buildings that enrich our architectural heritage.

Guidance Notes for Applicants

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