“Wherever necessary for the proper protection of the property, an adequate buffer zone should be provided. For the purposes of effective protection of the nominated property, a buffer zone is an area surrounding the nominated property which has complementary legal and/or customary restrictions placed on its use and development to give an added layer of protection to the property. This should include the immediate setting of the nominated property, important views and other areas or attributes that are functionally important as a support to the property and its protection.”1

A World Heritage Site buffer zone, per se, does not have Outstanding Universal Value but supports Outstanding Universal Value – sometimes through a scattering of attributes that are functionally linked to the property, sometimes as an essential context that protects key views, to allow an understanding of the Outstanding Universal Value. Both reasons apply in the case of the Derwent Valley Mills Buffer Zone.

Guided by paragraph 112 of the UNESCO Operational guidance 2017, we can establish the following principle:

An integrated approach to planning and management is essential to guide the evolution of the Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site over time and to ensure maintenance of all aspects of its Outstanding Universal Value. This approach goes beyond the buffer zone, to include attributes which contribute to our understanding of the Outstanding Universal Value.

The broader setting relates to the Site’s topography, natural and built environment, and other elements such as infrastructure, land use patterns, spatial organization, and visual relationships. It also includes related social and cultural practices, economic processes and other intangible dimensions of heritage such as perceptions and associations.  Management of the broader setting is related to its role in supporting Outstanding Universal Value.

The description of the buffer zone and reasoning behind how it was defined can be found within the following site description.

1 Paragraph 103 of UNESCO Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention.