Appendix Six

 Draft World Heritage Site Management Strategy

City of York Council will have to commission a World Heritage Site Management Plan (YWHSMP) to accompany a Stage 3 application to UNESCO World Heritage Committee.  At this stage in the application process (Stage 1), it is not necessary to commission a draft YWHSMP. Instead, this report suggests that the existing frameworks and documentation be considered as forming the basis of a Management Strategy and a framework for a future YWHSMP.

In York, it is clear that existing statutory protections and supporting documentation will provide a suitable framework to protect Outstanding Universal Value of York and inform the production of a World Heritage Site Management Plan:

o Emerging Local Plan and emerging York Minster Precinct Neighbourhood Plan

o the Historic Core Conservation Area Appraisal (2011) which includes Management Strategy and Views Analysis;

o Historic Core Conservation Area designation and surrounding/adjoining Conservation Areas (the setting of Conservation Areas must be taken into consideration in planning process when assessing sites outside of the designated boundary);

o Area of Archaeological Importance designation;

o Designation of Scheduled Monuments and Listed Buildings;

o Conservation Management Plans relating particularly to York Minster, the City Walls, Clifford’s Tower and Mint Yard;

o Greenbelt protection – currently given weight under Yorkshire and Humber Regional Spatial Strategy (policies YH9 and Y1) and the National Planning Policy Framework. The green wedges and strays form part of the proposed Green Belt in the Examination Draft of the City of York Local Plan.

The YWHSG recommends that as part of Stage 3 City of York Council should prepare a World Heritage Site and its Setting Supplementary Planning Document that will provide an authoritative, comprehensive document to help manage any threat either to the site or its  setting of the site.

The Central Historic Core Conservation Area Appraisal was adopted by City of York Council in 2011.  The Appraisal was commissioned by City of York Council, in association with English Heritage, who appointed Alan Baxter & Associates to carry out the first in-depth study of the Conservation Area encompassing the medieval walled city and the early suburbs since its first designation in 1968. 

The Appraisal states that it “will help the Council to fulfil a statutory duty to draw up and publish proposals to preserve and enhance conservation areas”; and that it “is conceived as one of the documents that will form the basis for a World Heritage Site Management Plan if a future nomination bid is successful.” 

Part Two of the document distils this evaluation into a series of practical management recommendations, to enable the City of York Council and its partners to address the threats and opportunities identified in Part One. The Conclusion draws out from these over-arching principles for future management and the priorities for action. The issues addressed range from the fundamental questions of the nature of the city and the delivery of the proposals, to designation and enforcement, the nature of new development, the future of streets and spaces and the specific problems and opportunities associated with the City Walls and rivers, and the skyline and views.

The Management Strategy proposed in the 2010 Bid was formulated in accordance with Guidance Notes issued by the UK Government for the completion of applications at that time.  At present, no revised Guidance Notes for applications to a new Tentative List has been issued by Department for Digital, Culture, Media, and Sport.

The YWHSG recommends that no Buffer Zone is designated around the proposed York World Heritage Site. The YWHSG therefore recommends that as part of Stage 3 City of York Council should prepare a World Heritage Site and its Setting Supplementary Planning Document that will provide an authoritative, comprehensive document to help manage any potential “threat” to both the site and the setting of the site.

It is therefore proposed that the existing frameworks and documentation be considered as forming the basis of a Management Strategy and a framework for a future YWHSMP.

York World Heritage Steering Group March 2022