Architects passionate about breathing new life into heritage buildings
Our projects are based primarily in London and the Home Counties, including Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Surrey, Hertfordshire and Hampshire
Heritage Statements
A Heritage Statement is a report often required as part of a planning application or consent application that involves Heritage Assets, including Listed buildings or Conservation Areas. If you’re planning to make changes to a Listed or heritage building, then the answer is you will probably need one.
A Heritage Statement is needed to provide an understanding of the change that has occurred on a site over time to establish the history and development of a building or site, to better understand its historic significance. This process is key to providing the local authority with information on which to base their decision-making process, but also to provide early and clear advice to inform design proposals that may result in a change to the asset or its setting.
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Heritage Statements are needed for any development proposals for planning permission or Listed building consent applications which affect any heritage asset type. A local authority will often request one as a condition of validating an application. These are needed if your proposal sits within the context of a Conservation Area or Listed building.
It is also very useful to produce a heritage statement when submitting a pre app with a local authority as it acts as a briefing document for the assessing officer demonstrating that care and diligence has been exercised for the early stages.
What is included in a Heritage Statement?
A Heritage Statement sets out details of the history and development of the asset, using photographic, map, archival and fabric evidence. It should be accompanied by a photographic record (showing the site context, spaces and features) which might be affected by the proposal, preferably cross-referenced to survey drawings. It should include an assessment of the archaeological, architectural, historical, or other significance of the asset.
As part of producing a report It will be necessary to include an assessment of the impact of the proposed works on the significance of the asset. Whether that is the building or the setting of the building, and a statement of justification for those works, together with details of any mitigation measures proposed. For this reason, full designs need to be available prior to conducting a site visit.
We seek to review the drawings and the designs as part of the process, feeding back any suggestions to reduce the impact of interventions, improve the communications of the design or improve the chances of application success.
The depth and complexity of the report will vary depending upon the status of the historic asset, its setting and the scale of the project involved.
We work with home owners, commercial developers, business owners and alongside other architects to transform heritage buildings to meet their specific needs. Specialising in heritage design and the retrofit of traditional buildings, our highly experienced and friendly team offer a full range of architectural services, to guide you and help demystify each step of the design and build process.
Why should I use a Heritage Specialist?
Hiring a Heritage Consultant to help with planning permission can be vital to help you turn a Listed building or historic property into your perfect abode. They are specially qualified to maximise the potential of your historic property, with the experience and knowledge required to successfully transform older buildings.
By using a specialist to engage with heritage issues from the beginning (rather than ignoring them!), you will be in a better position to put forward a project design which is not only higher quality, but also more likely to achieve successful planning permission outcomes.
What is a Listed building & do I have one?
A building is Listed when it is of special architectural or historic interest, considered to be of national importance and therefore worth protecting. As the term implies, a Listed building is actually added to a list: the National Heritage List for England. You can use this to discover whether your home is listed and if so, what grade it is. The following website will allow you to do a map search: https://historicengland.org.uk/listing/the-list/
Please be aware that your building can also be locally listed by your Local Authority.
These properties are almost always in Conservation Areas and it is important to check with you local authority to see if your building requires additional consideration when carrying out work. Local Listing does not offer the same degree of protection to the building however it is a material consideration when determining planning applications.
If you have a Listed building then you must obtain consent prior to carrying out work. This is regardless of the Grade of Listing.
