The Conversation Area Audit is a way for a community to assess the condition of a conservation area. It is your “first step” to managing the change in your conservation area and has been designed so that anyone can use it without requiring external support. However, attending a general workshop and meeting other communities who have used it is a good idea.

 

The audit provides a simple framework to gain a snapshot of the key issues affecting your conservation area at a point in time, which can then be used to support you in developing an action plan to address those issues.

 

The audit provides prompts for discussions, allowing you to consider all the issues potentially impacting the conservation area in a methodical manner. The audit will help you identify where the conservation area needs to change or improve its condition.

 

The audit is simple and consists of 20 questions which cover the common issues in a conservation area, as identified by Civic Voice members in a survey in 2016. When you answer the questions, you must fill in a simple form to help interpret the results. Civic Voice can support you at this point.

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To download the Civic Conservation Audit please select:

1. Civic Conservation Audit Guidance Notes

2. Civic Conservation Audit Template

3. Conservation Area Audit_Assessment Sheet

4. Conservation Area Assessment Action Plan Template

5. Civic Heritage High Street Audit (the same tool as above, but more emphasis on a high street)

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With the cooperation of Civic Voice members, this audit was initially created in 2017 to identify the problems affecting conservation areas and supporting local management efforts. It is a management audit rather than a character evaluation so that we may aid in halting further deterioration of conserved areas. We acknowledge that implementing proactive measures is the best form of management and that local authorities frequently lack the time or resources to handle them. This audit is intended to stimulate community discussion about what "we can do" to effect change.

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You might notice that a number of problems are highlighted as tasks to solve when a conservation area is in risk. However, even if your conservation area is not classified as being at risk, this audit is still helpful because it will enable you to spot the early "yellow flags" or warning signs of something that might become a problem so that you can address it through early intervention and take action before it actually does.