CAAG Revised Report
CAAG Meeting: 2nd June 2009
The Berwick-upon-Tweed Conservation Area Advisory Group
(CAAG)
Introduction
The Berwick-upon-Tweed Conservation Advisory Group was created in 1999,
superseding the Berwick Conservation Partnership, whose principal remit was
to oversee the Berwick-upon-Tweed and Holy Island of Lindisfarne
Conservation Area Partnership Schemes.
The CAAG has primarily been concerned with the following:

Heritage Economic Regeneration Schemes.

Site specific and partnership projects in Conservation Areas.

Conservation policy and Conservation Area Appraisals.

Identifying the need for the designation of new Conservation Areas.

Examining site specific proposals.
Over a 10 year period the CAAG has responded to significant shifts in
emphases and changing local, regional and national priorities for the
protection and enhancement of the historic environment.
The Group has
contributed to:

The conclusion of the HERS.

The overall management of Berwick Borough’s Conservation Areas.

Resourcing and securing further enhancement and partnership work.

The production and adoption of Conservation Area Character Appraisals
and Management Strategies for the Berwick-upon-Tweed, Spittal and
Tweedmouth Conservation Areas.

The Local Development Framework and sister plans and strategies.

The development management process.

A methodology and protocol for responding to development schemes.

The submission of further external funding bids.
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The Group last reviewed its structure and remit in July 2006 to ensure it would
continue to work efficiently in a partnership that responded to changes in
policy; could effectively contribute to a number of regional and local
strategies; provide credible comments on planning applications and support
submissions for new heritage based funding bids.
The Group concluded as part of this review that the geographic remit of
CAAG would be confined to the Conservation Areas of Berwick-upon-Tweed,
Spittal and Tweedmouth and that it be called the “Berwick-upon-Tweed
Conservation Area Advisory Group”.
It extended membership to incorporate
organisations and groups that had a geographic or thematic interest in the
three Conservation Areas. Since 2006 meetings have been held monthly.
CAAG comments, through the nominated HELM have formed part of the
development management process. The Group has devised its own checklist
and protocol for assessing the design of new development and commented
on national and regional consultations concerning the heritage protection
reform and changes to the listing process.
Significantly, CAAG has
contributed to three major pieces of interrelated work that encompass the
three conservation areas:

The formulation and adoption of detailed Character Appraisals and
Management Strategies for Berwick, Tweedmouth and Spittal.

Berwick’s Future Master Plan and Regeneration Strategy.

The submission of 2 Area Partnership Schemes and Townscape
Heritage Initiative bid.
Undertaken as part of wider collaborative working with Berwick Borough
Council, community stakeholders and regional partners, the Berwick-uponTweed CAAG has been called an exemplar in the region. Keen to continue in
partnership with the new Northumberland County Council (effective from the
1st April 2009), the Berwick-upon-Tweed CAAG needs to reaffirm its remit and
relationship with the new authority. With the successful award of national and
regional funding for the next 3-5 years, the role of the Group is critical to the
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successful implementation of the two Area Partnership Schemes and THI.
The CAAG is formally identified in the delivery plan and partnership structure
as providing support to the project delivery team; enabling local community
input and providing an additional level of scrutiny as schemes progress.
The purpose of this report is to reflect the changes in local government; to
reaffirm CAAG’s commitment and remit; to review membership and structure
and to identify any adjustments that will enable the Group to work effectively
and efficiently in a partnership that will assist in the protection and
enhancement of the three conservation areas and delivery of the partnership
schemes.
1.
The Membership of CAAG
1.1 CAAG formerly comprised representatives from the following authorities,
organisations and groups:
Berwick-upon-Tweed Borough Council

The Chair of Planning Committee

Ward Members for Elizabeth and Spittal

The Council’s Historic Environment Local Management Champion

Borough Surveyor

Conservation Officer

Principal Planning Officer (Forward Planning and Conservation)
Northumberland County Council

Elected Member nominee

Archaeologist
English Heritage
Berwick-upon-Tweed Civic Society
Castlegate Area Residents Association
Spittal Improvement Trust
St Bartholemew and St Boisil’s Residents’ Association (Tweedmouth)
West End Resident’s Association (Tweedmouth)
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Berwick-upon-Tweed Community Development Trust
Berwick-upon-Tweed Chamber of Trade and Commerce
Town Council (recent nomination)
2.2 With the advent of the Northumberland County Council, the former
borough and county representatives need to merge to reflect the new
unitary authority structure and political decision making process.
It is
important to establish however, that should a North Area Planning
Committee Member attend the CAAG and planning applications are
discussed that could come before the North Area Committee, then the
elected Member should leave the meeting during the debate, so as not to
prejudice or influence the statutory process. The role of the Town Council
also needs to be formalised on the group. It is proposed the following
representatives be included on CAAG:
Northumberland County Council

NCC Conservation Team Manager (North Team)

NCC Conservation Officer (North Team)

NCC Area Development Manager (North Area)

NCC Surveyor/environmental maintenance

NCC Regeneration Manager (North Team)

North Area Planning Committee Member*

Executive Member for Regeneration and Development

NCC HELM and/or Design Champion
* On the understanding that the Council Member would need to leave when discussion
taking place on planning applications.
Berwick Town Council
2.3 Representatives from the local amenity groups should be confirmed from;

Berwick-upon-Tweed Civic Society

Castlegate Area Resident’s Association

Spittal Improvement Trust
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
St Bartholomew and St Boisil’s Residents’ Association (Tweedmouth)

West End Resident’s Association (Tweedmouth)

Berwick-upon-Tweed Community Development Trust

Berwick-upon-Tweed Chamber of Trade and Commerce
CAAG may wish to consider extending an invitation to Bridge Street
Traders and the Berwick Recording Group, particularly in relation to
the delivery of the Area Partnership Schemes and THI as part of the
ongoing recording, monitoring and archiving of local material.
2.4 The role and input of English Heritage to the Berwick-upon-Tweed CAAG
has recently been affirmed and explained. English Heritage is also part of
the wider steering group and regional partnership that is seeking to deliver
the Berwick’s Future Regeneration Strategy. A major funder for the two
Area Partnership Schemes, English Heritage should continue to be
involved in the Berwick CAAG.
CAAG may wish to consider extending an invitation to the Heritage
Lottery Fund as a significant partner/funder in the Townscape
Heritage Initiative, particularly during critical phases of the Stage 2
development work and implementation of the projects.
3. Functions and Relationships
3.1 The functions of CAAG can be summarised as follows:

The provision of advice on new policy emerging from central
government,
the
Local
conservation policies),
Development
Framework
(particularly
and advocacy for the integration of
conservation into the policies and strategies of other relevant
organisations;
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
The provision of advice in relation to the adopted Conservation Area
Character Appraisals and Management Strategies for Berwick,
Tweedmouth and Spittal;

The provision of advice and comments on Supplementary Planning
Documents, Area Action Plans and development briefs in and near to
the three conservation areas;

The provision of advice on the sourcing, distribution and scrutiny of
funding schemes;

The identification and provision of advice on major public realm
schemes;

The provision of advice on major and significant proposals for
development in and near to the three Conservation Areas through an
agreed methodology and protocol.
3.2 The group’s role is advisory; it has no statutory powers and is not
accountable to the local community. Where the CAAG offers advice on
proposals for development, the weight attached to its observations or
comments in the statutory planning process will be less than that given to
a statutory consultee, e.g. English Heritage or The Georgian Group.
Nevertheless the experience and knowledge held within the group should
be acknowledged as a valuable resource and members should therefore
offer considered and objective advice on behalf of the organisation which
they represent, and in accordance with its policies and objectives.
3.3 The nature of the development process means the planning authority will
be the focus of pre and post planning application discussions. However
the government has signalled that it wants to see communities becoming
involved in decision making at an early stage. The new Northumberland
County Council Statement of Community Involvement (SCI) sets out the
methods and standards that it will encourage developers to adopt in
engaging and consulting the community over their proposals.
CAAG may wish to consider the following:
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i) A request that CAAG be added to the SCI list of General
Consultation Bodies for the new authority;
ii) Mandating the NCC Conservation Team (North) to request the
referral of development proposals to the CAAG;
iii) The means by which the group’s views be reported to the North
Area Development Management Team and other relevant authorities
and organisations.
iv) The means by which CAAG continues to receive appropriate
training and shared learning as part of the consultation process.
3.4 In addition to conservation input to the development management process
CAAG will also be involved in the delivery of the two area partnership
schemes and THI. Whilst the grant funding bodies will have their own
grant application processes, financial and monitoring procedures, CAAG
has been identified as providing support and additional level of scrutiny at
a local level. CAAG may wish to consider therefore, how it intends to deal
with potentially sensitive information through;
The establishment of a protocol for dealing with sensitive financial
and ownership information as part of the monitoring and scrutiny of
the Area Partnership Schemes and THI, including potential conflicts
of interest that may arise from any member of CAAG.
4. Working Arrangements
4.1 Northumberland County Council will continue to provide administrative and
secretarial support. To maintain the group’s independence the group will
be chaired by the NCC Conservation Team Manager (North) with a vice
chair selected from one of the amenity groups when required.
The
Conservation Officer (North) and Area Development Manager (North) will
continue to offer advice to the group in connection with conservation
related matters and development management proposals.
The agreed
checklist and protocol for receiving architect’s presentations to CAAG will
continue to be used and promoted when assessing schemes.
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4.2 Meetings will continue to be held monthly. The Town Council has agreed
to host meetings at the Town Hall for the foreseeable future and the
practice of inviting relevant speakers or guests will continue.
The
opportunity to visit sites within the three conservation areas should be
taken whenever possible, particularly as schemes progress.
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