Generate Publicity

Generate publicity and encourage public interest

It is very difficult for planning applications to be just pushed through if a historic site is well known. The more people are aware of a site, the greater interest they have in the planning outcome. This can sometimes have an influence on the outcome of a planning decision.

A good example of publicity being used to influence a planning decision is the Donald Trump planning application at Balmeadie, just outside of Aberdeen. Donald Trump wishes to convert a huge area of protected and environmentally sensitive land into one of the Scotland's biggest golf resorts. With all the publicity generated by those either for or against the development, it became a hot topic of conversation throughout the North East. This made the Aberdeenshire Councillors acutely aware of the public scrutiny they faced as they undertook their planning decision.

Raising public awareness of historic planning issues is quite difficult though if the site or building is not already well known.

Contact your local history groups and societies, and bring the planning application to their attention. These local individuals share a passion in our heritage, and you may gain some valuable support from them. Also try searching online, because there are trusts which deal exclusively in the preservation and protection of listed buildings. A few national organisations worth trying include:

Sometimes it might take a bit of creativity to get the site under threat publicised, but here are a few ideas:

  • Bodies like the National Trust usually do open days or free entry weekends through the year, so it might be worth approaching them to see if your historic site can be included.
  • Approach the local newspapers and see if they would like to do an article on the site and its history. For more on this see our Media Support section.
  • If the site justifies it, write an article on Wikipedia or similar online encyclopaedia and illustrate how it fits in with the local area.
  • Contact your local history societies and invite them to a site visit.
  • Create a website to generate public interest and awareness.

SUMMARY

Planning applications are often difficult to push through if the public are aware of the site and its importance. Publicise the historic site as much as possible. You may like to try:

  • A website
  • A local press article
  • The National Trust for inclusion in an open day
  • Local history societies