A senior figure at Historic England has refuted claims the government advisory body played a part in delaying repairs to bridges and other developments in Bristol. The public organisation, tasked with safeguarding historic buildings, has come under fire from local councillors for several notable instances in recent years.
The Kingsweston Iron Bridge was eventually reopened last year, nearly 10 years after its closure, but without disabled access after a dispute over how ramps would "harm the heritage" of the area. The bomb-damaged Vauxhall Bridge remains shut, while construction on a city centre office development, which drew criticism from Historic England, is yet to start.
In a new interview, a director at the government agency said they only oppose 1% of planning applications and maintain a constructive relationship with local councils and developers. Historic England provides guidance to communities, local councils, and developers, including matters related to listed buildings and scheduled monuments.
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Recently in Bristol, this has included developments near Temple Meads and the forthcoming regeneration plans for the Western Harbour. The Western Harbour area houses three historic bonded warehouses, among other significant heritage sites.
Speaking to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, regional director Ross Simmonds said: "Clearly the city has aspirations there, it wants to develop housing, and they basically asked us to go in and have a look at all of the buildings in the area, review those that were already listed or scheduled, have a look at the ones that weren't."
He added: "That allows us to provide clarity and certainty. What you don't want is an issue coming up at the development stage with somebody saying 'that should be listed'. We've actually done that exercise, we know it's not listable. It allows us to provide certainty around what the important sites are."
Speaking of the balance between preservation and growth he said: "We're trying to balance that preservation of what's important about Bristol and its historic environment, and recognising that we need sustainable growth and development. Balancing that is primarily the local authority's job, but we'll help support them in trying to come up with solutions."
The organisation offers grants to support heritage buildings at risk, such as Jacobs Wells Baths in Hotwells. The Grade-II listed property dates back to the 1890s but has stood vacant for almost a decade.
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Currently, Trinity Community Arts is undertaking renovation of the baths with the aid of a grant. It was noted that Historic England previously provided assistance at the Trinity Centre too, which is situated in a former church in Old Market.
Just a short distance from Historic England's offices in Finzels Reach lies another ancient church, encircled by derelict structures and recently erected wooden fencing. At the western fringe of Castle Park, the St Mary le Port project plans to demolish these abandoned buildings to make way for new offices, shops, and restaurants, while also undertaking repairs on the historic ruins.
"That's the Anglo-Saxon heart of the city, where Bristol started" Mr Simmonds remarked. "Completely flattened in the Second World War, most of the earthworks you see walking through Castle Park are just piled up rubble from bombed out buildings. There's many good aspects about that scheme, like the old mediaeval vaults underneath it."
However, some councillors have labelled the organisation, which operates as an independent government body, as "absolutist", accusing it of impeding development or repair initiatives. The regional director has contested this view, asserting that Historic England typically collaborates with developers before they lodge a planning application.
"In Bristol we deal with about 150 planning applications a year. Across the country it's something like 18,000. We object to like one per cent of them. In large part we try to resolve problems in pre-app work. A building that's empty is of no value to anybody - unless it's an empty church.
"We're concerned about quality and making sure new tall buildings are in the right place. A big-boned city like Manchester could probably accommodate a lot of tall buildings and you probably wouldn't even notice them. Bristol's character is very different, it's a lot more intimate, its scale is more modest. Even in that context it's appropriate to have tall buildings, in most places but not all."
The protection of historic structures is pivotal as it "ties people to where they're from", giving a sense of belonging, shared narratives and distinctiveness. The architectural flair of locations such as Temple Meads sets Bristol apart from cities like Manchester or Bath.
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Similarly, the old docks represent another instance; once at risk of being filled and paved, they've now been conserved and reinvigorated, contributing to the Harbourside area today.
Nevertheless, some recent guidance by Historic England has provoked dissent among councillors. Last October, the quality of the body's advice was derided as akin to a "chocolate teapot - they don't carry water, hot or cold".
Developers wanted to reconstruct offices near the Cornubia pub on Victoria Street, but councillors were informed that Historic England had raised objections against the proposal.
A proposed new office development, marginally taller than the existing Canningford House, has raised concerns with Historic England. From a specific vantage point, the new building would be partially visible behind a historic 12th-century church.
Despite this, councillors have given the green light for the project. However, due to Historic England's objection, the application will be referred to the government, which may intervene.
Mr Simmonds said: "We provide advice. We didn't object to the scheme per se, we didn't have a problem with it in principle at all. We objected about one very particular aspect, which was the setting of the 12th-century church. It survived the blitz, and very significantly has leaned since its first construction.
"We still think it could have been resolved simply, with a slightly better design, not to reduce the scale or size of that across the piece, and still provide them with the density required. That wasn't an objection, and it's for the local authority to balance that. It doesn't need to go to the secretary of state to approve that, just because we've raised a concern about something."
He added: "I don't accept that the historic environment should ever be seen as a blocker to development. It's something we press with the team - always try and find solutions to problems, not create our own problems."
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