Historic England and the sensitive approach around infrastructure planning

Above: Cambridge Station at night - historic facade and access enhanced by the CB1 development's public realm improvements.

Future Cities Forum will be including Luke Wormald, Head of East Region and of Infrastructure at Historic England, in our 'Making of our Modern City' event next week, which discusses the sensitive management of infrastructure development in the UK and the place-based approach to planning.

Luke has worked at Historic England for the last five years, and before that as Head of Historic Environment Strategy for The Scottish Government. He is a graduate of the University of York and Edinburgh College of Art.

The panel will include Matthew Yates, TfL's Head of Planning Projects, Emma Talbot, Head of Planning at Lewisham Council, Ed Atterwill, Head of Central London at Aviva Investors, Dr Steve Norris, National Head of Planning at Lambert Smith Hampton and BDP's Architect Director Tom Hewitt.

The debate will look at the future of transport planning in London, the potential for further investment in the Bakerloo Line to support areas such as Southwark and Lewisham, development around Liverpool Street next to Crossrail, the UK's approach to net zero bus travel and stations and the place-based approach around infrastructure, which takes into account historic environment.

Luke will be expanding at the forum on Historic England's written guidance on the impact of new infrastructure and transport planning. It states:

'Improving the nation's infrastructure is one of the government's top priorities, with transport and energy identified as key areas. The roads and railways are currently subject to major investment. The supply of energy in the UK is being transformed with the introduction of a new generation of nuclear power stations.

'A number of these sites are of historic interest and the proposed schemes could have direct or indirect impacts on the historic environment. This needs to be properly assessed so the impacts can be fully understood and addressed, where appropriate.

'Due to their large scale most of these schemes are likely to be defined as nationally significant infrastructure projects where a set of new procedures apply.

'Good transport links are key to our social and economic wellbeing and help support economic growth...Transport improvements affect the historic environment, although many do no significant harm. In many cases there is scope for mitigation of impacts once safety requirements and engineering limitations have been factored in.'