3. Significance and Outstanding Universal Value

OUV refers to the exceptional qualities of a site that make it of global importance, which is articulated through attributes of OUV. The OUV of a WHS should be sustained or enhanced through the conservation of these attributes. Sites must meet at least 1 of 10 criteria agreed by the World Heritage Committee to be inscribed on the World Heritage List.

Significance refers to the importance of the site in a broader sense that can take more account of local, national, and contextual factors. In England's planning system it is the significance of designated heritage assets which is considered. Attributes of OUV form part of a WHS's significance but are unlikely to encompass all the heritage values of the property. Significance can refer to a range of values which may not always meet the criteria for OUV but are still important on a national level (15). The World Heritage Resource Manuals explain the importance of understanding all the values of a property and advocate for the structuring of overall management through this understanding (16).

3.1 Statement of Outstanding Universal Value

The Statement of Outstanding Universal Value (SOUV), published on the World Heritage List, is the key reference for discussing OUV and the future management of the property. The SOUV is taken as the benchmark during any reporting on a World Heritage property through statutory processes to the Convention (for example, State of Conservation reporting), and direct reference to it will be expected in those processes.

The SOUV can be replicated, or sign-posted, in this section for reference. Where updates to the SOUV have been adopted by the World Heritage Committee since the last management plan, the plan can also briefly record these changes.

3.2 Attributes of Outstanding Universal Value

Attributes are those elements that individually and collectively convey the Outstanding Universal Value of the property. They can be tangible elements or intangible e.g. processes or cultural practices. It is important to identify and document the attributes of OUV as they should be the focus of protection and management measures (17). Understanding the attributes is key to understanding how factors affecting the property (addressed in Section 5: Factors Affecting the Property) impact OUV, and to undertaking effective Impact Assessments for projects with potential to impact OUV.

If attributes have not yet been defined for the property, either the management planning process or the World Heritage property action plan can provide the mechanisms to compile these. Tool 1 in the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context and Tool 1 in EOH 2.0 are useful resources for assessments of proposed attributes (18) (19).

Where attributes are agreed, these could be presented in this section alongside the material and spatial elements of the property to which each attribute relates.

The UK State Party is undertaking a process of sharing World Heritage property attributes with the World Heritage Centre and its Advisory Bodies to ensure all stakeholders have a shared understanding of the OUV. If this confirmation process has not yet been undertaken, then Historic England could support this process during a plan review period.

3.3 Values of the Property

Values associated with the architectural, historic or archaeological interest of the property, but not associated with World Heritage status, should also be considered. Conservation Principles provides a method, which could be employed here, of considering heritage values systematically for management purposes using the following categories:

• Evidential value
• Historic value
• Aesthetic value
• Communal value (20)

Understanding of the full range of property values, their relative importance and interrelatedness is essential to support decision-making at a property. Worksheet 1a in EOH 2.0 can support the process of undertaking and presenting such an analysis of values (21).

This section should include a summary of all property values, including their relative importance, commonalities between values and conflicts of interest between the protection and management of different values.

3.4 Designated Assets

World Heritage status does not currently offer any additional statutory protection to a property. It is important to understand and harness the protections offered by other designations where these overlap with or intersect with World Heritage properties. This might change if the provisions under the Levelling Up and Regeneration Act are brought into force (22). They would introduce new duties to give special regard to the OUV of WHS in exercising planning functions.

This section could:

• Introduce relevant non-World Heritage and statutory provisions, and the areas or features they apply to. This may include designations related to the historic environment such as listed buildings and conservation areas and/or the natural environment such as AONB and National Parks. A comprehensive list of these could be helpfully held in the Appendices or linked to if available elsewhere
• Present a map(s) of designations in conjunction with the WHS boundary

3.5 Legislative and Planning System

England protects its World Heritage properties and their settings, including any buffer zones or equivalent, through the statutory designation process and through the planning system. World Heritage properties are heritage assets of the highest significance to be considered by:

• The relevant authorities in plan-making, determining planning and related consent applications (including listed building consent, scheduled monument consent, development consent orders and Transport and Works Act Orders)
• And, where relevant, by the Secretary of State in determining such cases on appeal or following call in (23) (24)

Effective management of World Heritage properties involves the identification and promotion of continuity and positive change that will conserve or enhance the management and enjoyment of the property, its authenticity and integrity, and with the modification or mitigation of changes which have a negative impact on those values (25).

This section of the plan will need to provide an overview of the legislation and policy which forms the framework for decision-making about change:

• Present all relevant planning documents at national, regional, and local levels (National Planning Policy Framework, Planning Practice Guidance, Local Development Plans, Neighbourhood Development Plans). Summarise how each interacts with, offers protection to and supports conservation and enhancement of the WHS
• Introduce the overall spatial strategies in relevant plans, and how the approach in these plans interacts with the World Heritage property. This should address both World Heritage property-specific policies, site allocation policies, and overarching spatial strategies

Footnotes

15. For further detail on significance in a national context: Historic England (2008). 'Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance'. (Accessed 19 February 2025)
16. UNESCO., ICCROM., ICOMOS., and IUCN (2012). 'Managing Natural World Heritage', UNESCO, 37. (Accessed 19 February 2025)
17. UNESCO (2024). 'Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention', para 105. (Accessed 19 February 2025)
18. UNESCO., ICCROM., ICOMOS., and IUCN (2023). 'Enhancing Our Heritage Toolkit 2.0', UNESCO, 30-35. (Accessed 19 February 2025)
19. UNESCO., ICCROM., ICOMOS., and IUCN (2022). 'Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context', UNESCO, 68-79. (Accessed 19 February 2025)
20. Historic England (2008). 'Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance', 72. (Accessed 19 February 2025)
21. UNESCO., ICCROM., ICOMOS., and IUCN (2023). 'Enhancing Our Heritage Toolkit 2.0', UNESCO, 30-34. (Accessed 19 February 2025)
22. See https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/2023/55/contents
23. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (2024). 'National Planning Policy Framework', GOV.UK, Para 202 & 213b (PDF). Accessed 19 February 2025)
24. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (2024). 'Planning Practice Guidance', GOV.UK, Paragraph 026, PPG: 18a-026-20190723. (Accessed 19 February 2025)
25. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (2024). 'Planning Practice Guidance', GOV.UK, Paragraph 026, PPG: 18a-026-20190723. (Accessed 19 February 2025)