Irish Walled Towns

Preparation of National Guidelines for the Sustainable Management, Protection, Conservation and Enhancement of Historic Walled Towns in Ireland

Project Description: Formulate National/All-island Guidelines in partnership with EHS NI and others dealing specifically with the long-term sustainable management, protection, conservation and enhancement of historic Walled Towns in Ireland, both north and south.

The National/All-island Guidelines will aim to formulate aims, objectives and policies in relation to the sustainable management, protection, conservation and enhancement of Ireland’s historic walled towns, to be included within statutory development plans and strategies at a regional, county and local level. The Guidelines will be set out in two parts: first, to examine the conservation and preservation of remaining town and city walls/monuments; and second, to set out a clear framework for future planning and development within Irish walled towns.

It is recommended that the Guidelines be prepared in accordance with ICOMOS’s Bruges Resolutions, which have specific relevance “to historic towns where distinctive qualities and value are deemed as being worthy of retention and enhancement’.

ICOMOS recommends that planning in historic towns should endeavour to:

Observe the existing scale of the town in all new developments, to respect its character, its dominant buildings and its relation to the landscape;
Retain the specific visual qualities of urban spaces, streets and squares not only in isolated ‘tradition islands’ but throughout the town’s fabric, so as to provide at the very least, a continuous network linking the main points of interest;
Avoid the destruction of historic elements which at first sight, might seem to be of minor importance but those whose cumulative loss would be irretrievable; and search for appropriate new uses for empty buildings, which would otherwise be threatened with decay.

In addition, the Guidelines will be prepared in accordance with the International Walled Towns Friendship Circle’s Piran Declaration 2003, which is endorsed in the Irish Walled Towns Network Draft Action Plan 2006-2008. The Piran Declaration states that:

‘Walled Towns are unique inheritances from times long past and should
be treasured, maintained and safeguarded from neglect and destruction
and passed on to perpetuity as irreplaceable Time-stones of History’.

Project Elements: At this stage of the conception phase, it is envisaged that the study will involve the following main packages, as follows:

• Project Management (PM) and Quality Assurance;
• Legislative and Planning Context Review (International/UNESCO, European, National, Regional and Local);
• Review of International Best Practice Models, e.g. Italy and France, e.g. review use of cordon sanitaires in French Walled Towns, etc.;
• Desk-Top Review (Review of Sites and Monuments Record (SMR), Record of Monuments and Places (RMP), Register of Historic Monuments (RHM), Record of Protected Structures (RPS), etc.) – GIS capabilities;
• Key Stakeholder Consultation;
• Formulation of Draft Guidelines and GIS model for consultation including methodology for monitoring and controlling;
• Public Consultation of Draft Guidelines;
• Formulation of Final Guidelines – Launch of Guidelines.

Project Benefits: The Guidelines will ensure the long-term sustainable development of these unique national heritage assets for the enjoyment and benefit of current and future generations in Ireland and further afield.

Project Partners:

• The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government;
• Environment and Heritage Service Northern Ireland (EHS NI);
• Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland;
• Irish Planning Institute (IPI);
• Northern and Southern Branches of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Project Timescale: 1 year (mid 2007-mid 2008)

Cost of Project: €200,000.