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Heritage Service

 
The Heritage Service leads the development, management and implementation of policies and projects concerned with the conservation, enhancement and enjoyment of Shetland’s environment.  This includes the built and natural heritage, outdoor access and flooding and coast protection, including the provision of advice and grants.  The Service influences the development of national and international policy aimed at reducing marine pollution; develops the Council’s policy on nuclear issues, manages the Council’s energy use contracts and promotes energy conservation throughout the Council and by the wider community.  The Service also provides technical Support services and advice to Infrastructure Services and the Council as well as providing mapping support to the public and developers, for example, when submitting planning applications.
In a bit more detail, here are the major activities the Service is involved in:

 

Built Heritage Conservation
  • Planning policy formulation and specialist advice for the range of statutory functions relating to conservation areas, listed buildings and archaeology in terms of development planning and development management including regeneration and advice for the public and developers
  • Operation of the Conservation Grant scheme for buildings of historic interest
  • Trees, including trees in Conservation Areas, Tree Preservation Orders and trees on development sites

 

Natural Heritage Conservation
  • Strategic and local natural heritage policy development and implementation, planning policy formulation and specialist advice in respect of the natural heritage, including special areas (e.g. designated sites) and species (e.g. European protected species), the wider landscape and biological recording
  • Local Biodiversity Action Plan (LBAP) development and implementation through Living Shetland – the local biodiversity partnership
  • Strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of Planning Service plans, programmes and strategies, advice to others preparing such assessments and specialist input to the consideration of EIA documents

 

Environmental Liaison
  • Develop the Council’s input to KIMO (the local authorities environmental organisation), provide the KIMO Secretariat and provide support to Council Members involved with the organisation
  • Manage the Fishing for Litter Project and other projects that directly target marine litter
  • Develop Council policy on nuclear issues and provide support to Council Members involved with Nuclear Free Local Authorities (NFLA)

 

Energy Unit
  • Develop, direct and control energy management, efficiency and conservation strategies and systems to secure optimum savings in Council energy costs.
  • Implement the objectives set out in the Shetland Energy Plan and Home Energy Conservation Act (HECA) reports and undertake fuel poverty surveys
  • Coordinate the Council’s response to climate change through (e.g.) the Local Authority Carbon Management Strategy and Carbon Reduction Commitment

 

Outdoor Access
  • Outdoor access policy and project implementation
  • Core Paths planning and implementation and other duties under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003
  • Protection and maintenance of the core paths networks

 

Coast Protection and Flooding
  • Auditing and overseeing the implementation and condition monitoring of flooding and coast protection works, responding to flooding and coast protection incidents and managing advice and grants assistance
  • Coordinating the Council’s response to the perceived impacts of Climate Change on the coastline and coastal developments/ settlements of Shetland
  • Preparing the statutory local flood risk management plan to the Scottish Ministers; and developing and maintaining the Council’s Coast Protection and Flooding Policy framework

 

The SEA process covers the following stages:
  • Screening
  • Scoping
  • The Assessment
  • The Environmental Report
  • Post Adoption Statement
  • Monitoring and Indicators

 

Technical Support Service
  • Administer and support Geographical Information System and Ordnance Survey Mapping
  • Provide reprographics support/ design service and general ICT desktop support
  • Oversee the provision of Ordnance Survey maps required to be included with (e.g.) applications for planning permission submitted to the Council

 

Charitable Trust Service Coordination
  • Service Coordinator for Shetland Amenity Trust and Shetland Churches Council Trust on behalf of Shetland Charitable Trust

 

 

Contacts

Heritage Section
Infrastucture Services
Grantfield
Lerwick
Shetland

Email: heritage@shetland.gov.uk
Phone: +44 (01595) 744800