Protecting our Past: Political Philosophy, Regulation, and Heritage Management in England and Scotland

Abstract

Since the adoption of the first heritage legislation in 1882, it is suggested, the nature of cultural resource management in Britain has been inextricably linked to political philosophy in relation to the role of government and different models of public service delivery. This article reviews the development of neoliberal and new public management perspectives and how these in turn have directly and indirectly influenced organizational structures and processes relating to the historic environment sector in England and Scotland. As part of these broader societal changes, regulation and the role of regulators have also come under intense critical scrutiny. The discussion explores the drivers for this and concludes by looking briefly at evolving strategies for the historic environment regulators in the context of regulatory reform.