SAVE Britain's Heritage and the Amenity Societies

Abstract

Effective conservation depends upon a committed, educated and inspired voluntary sector, capable of handling casework on a daily basis, reacting to urgent threats and undertaking or commissioning research projects as circumstances demand. SAVE Britain's Heritage is part of this movement; yet it is distinct in its methods. It is long established but unconventional, playing its role in a bold fashion now recognized as the hallmark of its operations. Since SAVE's founding in 1975, threats to the historic environment have become ever greater and more sophisticated, prompting SAVE (and the amenity movement as a whole) to become ever more professional and effective with their resources. As new threats emerge, SAVE and other amenity bodies incur greater workloads in responding to development proposals and in educating and informing decision-makers and the public. This paper first considers the value and role of amenity societies generally before exploring the work of SAVE Britain's Heritage, and the manner in which it applies its ideas, convictions and resources.