Decision 46 COM 7B.17

Derwent Valley Mills (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) (C 1030)

The World Heritage Committee,

1. Having examined Document WHC/24/46.COM/7B.Add.3,
2. Recalling Decision 45 COM 7B.61 adopted at its extended 45th session (Riyadh, 2023),
3. Thanks the State Party for the timely invitation of a joint World Heritage Centre/ICOMOS/ICCROM Advisory mission, following its recommendation, notes with concern the findings of the mission that the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the property continues to face significant ascertained and potential threats, in particular as a result of development pressures and a fragmented management system, and requests the State Party to implement the recommendations contained in the report of the Advisory mission;
4. Also notes that preparatory work for the Landmark project has begun and that the ‘Bradshaw Way’ and ‘Eagle Quarter’ developments in Derby as well as the ‘Amber Rock Resort’ proposal in Crich are still pending determination in their current form and reiterates its previous request to the State Party to reconsider the approval of the Landmark project and not to approve the implementation of the ‘Bradshaw Way’, ‘Eagle Quarter’ and ‘Amber Rock’ proposals in their current form in order to avoid the negative impacts they will have on the OUV of the property;
5. Further notes the State Party’s efforts to find alternative and sustainable proposals to address the poor condition of the Belper Mills complex, and also requests that details of a revised proposal, together with the commissioned study of the proposals and the associated Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) based on the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies prior to any approvals that may be difficult to reverse;
6. Regrets that the ‘Belper Lane’ development of 118 homes has been completed against the advice of ICOMOS and that the ‘Derwent Street’ development of 114 homes has almost been completed without prior notification to the World Heritage Centre and, given the significant number of developments in Belper, further requests that all developments of the Belper 2021 Neighbourhood Plan be promptly and fully notified to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies, prior to any final decision, if they are likely to affect the property, its buffer zone or wider setting;
7. Also regrets the construction of the Leonardo Hotel Derby - Formerly Jurys Inn and the Premier Inn Derby City Centre (Cathedral Quarter) Hotel within the buffer zone of the property without notification to the World Heritage Centre and requests furthermore that the proposed extension to the latter, the so-called Full Street project, not be approved and, should a revised scheme be envisaged, that it be submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies prior to any irreversible decision;
8. Requests moreover that an assessment be made of the cumulative impact of all projects undertaken within the boundaries of the property and its buffer zone since the inscription of the property in order to establish a baseline for any individual impact assessment; and further requests that in the case of projects in the process of being decided upon, a thorough HIA based on the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context be undertaken against the above baseline, including the systematic evaluation of real comparisons with less impactful project alternatives, thereby adopting a precautionary approach to all new development projects and ensuring that projects are assessed for their cumulative impact on its OUV;
9. Acknowledges that the Local Plans are currently under review, reiterates its concern that review processes do not appear to be coordinated or their potential impacts on the OUV of the property assessed cumulatively, which has led to intrusive development projects, particularly in Belper, and also reiterates its request to the State Party to ensure that all new local plans and policies affecting the property, its buffer zone and its wider setting are assessed through integrated HIAs in conformity with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context, and that draft plans and relevant HIAs are submitted to the World Heritage Centre for review by the Advisory Bodies prior to their adoption;
10. Further reiterates its request to the State Party to initiate a review of the management system of the property with the aim of establishing a fully functioning management system that provides for:
    1. A management authority with the legal jurisdiction and agency to ensure that the OUV of the property is safeguarded, including by coordinating the spatial and other plans of the various authorities with spatial mandates over the various sections of the property and its buffer zone and wider setting,
    2. Legal status for the Management Plan of the property,
    3. A legal mandate for the execution of HIAs, as prescribed by the Operational Guidelines, in conformity with the Guidance and Toolkit for Impact Assessments in a World Heritage Context;
11. Further requests that in the above process:
    1. The attributes listed in the 2020-2025 Management Plan for the property be augmented to reflect more fully how they both truthfully and credibly convey the OUV of the property and how the buffer zone and the wider setting of the rural landscape support OUV,
    2. A risk management and emergency preparedness plan for the entire World Heritage property be included;
12. Reiterates its grave concern that development pressures on the property, coupled with the inability of the management system to safeguard its OUV, are reaching such proportions that, if not addressed as a matter of urgency, ascertained or potential threat, as defined in Paragraph 179 of the Operational Guidelines, could be confirmed if the recommendations of the 2024 joint Advisory mission to the property are not followed;
13. Finally requests the State Party to submit to the World Heritage Centre, by 1 February 2025, an updated report on the state of conservation of the property and the implementation of the above, together with an action plan to implement the recommendations of the Advisory mission, for examination by the World Heritage Committee at its 47th session, considering that the urgent conservation needs of this property require a broad mobilization to preserve its OUV.