The human version (we wrote this, not the council)
This policy addresses the tension between conserving heritage assets and tackling climate change. Proposals to improve the environmental performance of historic buildings will be supported where a well informed, sensitive design approach avoids compromising the asset's significance, and schemes that undo past inappropriate alterations will be viewed favourably. Applicants must understand how the building performs and its historic value, and assess reasonable alternatives that could avoid harm. Where conflict is unavoidable, the public benefit of cutting carbon emissions will be weighed against harm to the asset.
An unofficial plain English summary. The official wording below is
what counts at examination; check it before you rely on anything here.
The text below is extracted automatically from the official PDF and may
contain artefacts; the PDF is authoritative.
ndscapes special.
Policy BN.12
Sustainability and Heritage Assets
The challenges of balancing the conservation of heritage assets with the need to
mitigate and adapt to climate change are recognised.
Proposals to enhance the environmental performance of heritage assets will be
supported where a well informed and sensitive approach to design and specification
ensures that the significance of the asset is not compromised by inappropriate
interventions. Proposals which address previous inappropriate interventions will be
viewed favourably.
Proposals must be based on an understanding of the asset and how it performs as
well as the historic significance of the asset. Proposals must show how this
understanding has been taken into account in the design of the initiatives and include
an assessment of reasonable alternative solutions that could avoid or mitigate any
harm to the heritage asset.
Where conflict between climate change objectives and the conservation of heritage
assets is unavoidable, the public benefit of mitigating climate change and reducing
carbon emissions will be weighed against any harm to the significance of heritage
assets and their settings.