Cultural Heritage Policy

Heritage Agenda 2022-2026

executive board adopted the 2022–2026 Heritage Agenda on Tuesday, January 25, 2022. The Heritage Agenda is the result of a comprehensive evaluation of the policy. The ambition of the Heritage Agenda is to strengthen the building blocks that have proven their value within the existing policy frameworks and to better harness the power of heritage through course corrections. We will continue our current approach and the implementation of our statutory duties, such as inspiring and encouraging owners and others to preserve, make heritage more sustainable, and repurpose it. In addition, we will establish connections with other policy areas as part of the “ omgevingswet.”

Heritage Agenda 2022-2026

Future Vision Religious Heritage

Churches have been important in our village for centuries. However, times are changing, and the position of churches within our villages is changing as well. 

Many places of worship are losing their purpose or functionality due to changes in the religious landscape and in society. Many church buildings are therefore undergoing a transition to ensure they remain viable for the future. This may involve taking on secondary functions alongside religious use or adopting an entirely new function. The “Kerkenvisie” is not a municipal vision, but the result of a “ dialogue ” involving all stakeholders regarding the future of religious and cultural heritage, in which the owners of this heritage play a key role.

In 'Keeping the church in the middle', the municipality establishes its vision for a sustainable future perspective regarding the religious heritage of our (civil) municipality. This heritage is inextricably linked to the core values of society and helps determine the quality of our living environment. Therefore, religious heritage deserves a shared vision for the future. This vision outlines how the municipality intends to anticipate future issues and how this vision will be embedded in policy.

Church Vision

Transcript of this video

Keeping the church in the middle.

Working together towards a future for the religious heritage of Voorschoten.

Religious heritage encompasses everything associated with the history of a religious site. The surrounding area with the cemetery, the fence, the rectory. We call this the church biotope. Furthermore, the interior, such as the baptismal font or the pulpit, and the church collection, including paintings and even stories, archives, customs, and traditions, are part of the religious heritage we wish to cherish.

A church building stands right in the middle of the village or centrally located in a neighborhood. Church buildings are social meeting places with significant historical and emotional value. Churches have meant a great deal to our society for centuries.

Society is changing. Their role is shifting, yet the buildings retain their significance. Many people feel a strong connection to them. Therefore, we want to preserve these buildings for the future.

Working together to keep the church in the middle means reflecting on the future of church buildings. This is not solely the responsibility of the church owner. We share the responsibility for the future of this heritage.

If we work together on the future, we must consider appropriate uses for the religious community EN the neighbourhood residents. Preferably fitting the social-community function that the churches have always had. Or renovating for an entirely new function, such as residential use.

In doing so, we must take into account the historical significance and honour it. At the same time, the church buildings must also be used sustainably. We will seek a balance between preserving historical value and sustainable use.

Let us work together towards a future in which historic church buildings remain at the heart of our society. All those involved form a heritage community. We exclude no one. We have respect for each other's faith, for each other's role, for everyone's interests. We keep the church in the middle.

Heritage Policy Framework 2013-2017

At its meeting on November 21, 2013, the Voorschoten Municipal Council ( municipal council ) adopted the response memorandum, the 2013–2017 Heritage Framework Memorandum, and the 2013–2028 Cultural History Structural Vision.

The policy framework contains the vision of Voorschoten, stating that it considers its cultural-historical qualities to be of essential importance to the spatial and social identity and recognizability of the municipality. The past lays the foundation for the future.

The goal of heritage policy is to carefully and judiciously pass on cultural-historical heritage in good condition to future generations, so that they too can build upon it for their future and continue to see, experience, and feel it. The Heritage Policy Framework includes an implementation programme detailing how it intends to achieve these objectives.

In the evaluation The Power of Heritage (2021), it was stated that the vision of the Policy Framework remains fully in effect. Additions can be found in the Heritage Agenda 2022-2026.

Heritage Policy Framework

Structural Vision for Cultural History 2013-2028

The Structural Vision for Cultural History serves as a framework for policy and developments in the field of spatial planning for cultural history. This vision aligns with the existing policy of the municipality and higher authorities. This contributes to the general Heritage Vision, which focuses on handling cultural heritage in a careful and balanced manner. The Structural Vision describes a number of cultural-historical core qualities, which have been translated into several structures. These involve water, greenery, and the built elements and structures, provided with policy guidelines. These policy guidelines are the directives for the development and implementation of spatial plans within the municipality.

Structural Vision for Cultural History 2013-2028

Heritage Bylaw

The municipality of Voorschoten has an integrated heritage ordinance that governs all matters pertaining to cultural heritage. Since 2009, every municipality has been required to adopt an ordinance establishing a historic preservation committee that can provide mandatory advice on environmental permits fulfil (Article 15 of the 1988 Historic Monuments Act). The heritage ordinance governs the designation and modification of monuments and developments within protected village landscapes. 

Heritage Bylaw

National Monuments

A national monument is a building that is of general interest at the national level due to its beauty, significance for science, and/or cultural-historical value. The goal is to preserve its monumental value. These can be buildings such as a village church, mill, or memorial, but residential houses and archaeological sites can also be nationally protected.

The municipality of Voorschoten has 53 national monuments that are of national value due to their age, (construction) history, architecture, urban planning coherence, or rarity.

You can view a description of the national monuments via the website of the Cultural Heritage Agency (RCE). You can search by address or by monument or complex number. You can find these numbers in the monument list above.

List of National Monuments in Voorschoten

Municipal monuments

A municipality may decide to protect a monument. The municipality does this by drawing up its own monument list. This is mostly done if the building lacks national significance but possesses local historical value. You can request the description of the monuments from the municipality of Voorschoten.

Municipal monuments

Contact

Do you have any questions or comments? Please send an email to erfgoed@voorschoten.NL.