Charles Wagner
BSc DipTP MA IHBC MRTPI FSA FRSA
Charles has 35 years’ experience in heritage and planning. After his civil engineering degree, he studied vernacular architecture before being awarded a SPAB Lethaby Plunkett Scholarship in the repair of old buildings. Following this he carried out the re-survey of listed buildings in Hampshire, before joining the London Division of English Heritage in 1986.
Having qualified as a Chartered Town Planner, Charles moved to English Heritage’s historic areas work in East Anglia and the East Midlands, helping to revive market towns and industrial settlements. In 1999 he returned to the London team to develop historic areas work and the public realm advice, resulting in the Streets for All London Streetscape Manual in 2000, similar manuals for the English Regions in 2005, and the Save our Streets campaign to improve the Public Realm in all streets and public spaces.
For 10 years until April 2015 Charles was Head of Planning and Urban Advice at English Heritage, leading a team covering Planning, Environmental Assessment, Regeneration, Housing, Infrastructure, Transport, Public Realm, Local Government (including Heritage Champions) and Localism (Neighbourhood Planning and community assets transfer). He helped to draft parts of the National Planning Policy Framework and its Planning Practice Guidance, as well as the recent Historic England Good Practice Advice Notes on setting and heritage in local plans. Charles has also produced or contributed to advice covering conservation areas, retail in historic areas, heritage advice for developers, enabling development, community asset transfer, CABE / Design Council’s Advice on Tall Buildings, renewables and micro-generation, and broadband and mobile network infrastructure.
Charles is on the South East Design Review Panel, the Haringey Quality Review panel and the Place Alliance. He teaches at the Building Crafts College on the history of conservation and conservation and the planning system. He is helping to establish Neighbourhood Planning in West London. He is involved in bids to the HLF to rescue listed buildings at risk for the Mausolea and Monuments Trust and his local Friends of group for cemeteries.
Charles is a Chartered Town Planner, a member of IHBC, President of the ASCHB, Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, Guardian of the SPAB, and Co-Chair of the Heritage Alliance’s Spatial Planning Group.
