Inventory of Historic Battlefields - Revisions to Selection Guidance

Overview

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is seeking views on revisions to Annex 4 of the Designations Policy and Selection Guidance (2019).

This is the guidance we use use to assess battlefields for designation on the inventory of historic battlefields, or to review existing inventory entries. 

Since the inventory of historic battlefields was established in 2011 it has identified 40 sites where a nationally important battle took place and provided information about them to inform their management through the planning system.  When a battlefield is included on the inventory it becomes a material consideration in the planning process. This means that it has to be taken into account when deciding planning applications.  

Why are we undertaking this work?

HES is proposing revisions to the battlefields selection guidance in response to recommendations made by Lichfields UK in a report we commissioned in 2021 to inform best practice in the designation and management of inventory battlefields in the planning system.

We have used these recommendations and feedback we received on them from battlefields stakeholders to inform a series of actions we propose to take to deliver improvements to how the inventory of battlefields is working in the planning system.

One of these actions is to revise the selection guidance for the inventory of historic battlefields. 

No other parts of the Designations Policy and Selection Guidance 2019 will be changing as part of this review. 

Why your views matter

Many organisations and individuals play an important role in looking after Scotland's historic battlefields.

Your views will help to shape the changes we are making to the guidance we apply when we are designating inventory battlefields. 

The survey has 15 questions and should take around 30-45 minutes to complete.

Thank you for your time.

What happens next

When the consultation closes, we will be analysing the views we have received.

We will take account of your views in finalising the selection guidance for the inventory of historic battlefields (Annex 4). This will be published on the HES website as part of a revision to the Designation Policy and Selection Guidance. No other parts of this document will be changing as part of this review.