Online advice
Many links provide online advice about how to write heritage statements. There are downloadable templates and information planning authorities provide about their specific requirements, sometimes with useful links to further information. For example, the South Cambridgeshire District Council provides guidance and Hillingdon Council have a validation list with useful information online. I found information online having written a Heritage Appraisal Appendix to the Design and Access Note recently. Historic England publishes guidance notes for the assessment of particular heritage types. Conversely, there can be a lack of information, for example, the absence of a Conversation Area Appraisal and further research is needed to understand the local historic environment.
Balanced judgement
Compiling information is relatively straightforward. It includes the history of a place, aspects of significance and explaining the work you want to do, the impact assessment and justification are not as factual. Balanced judgement is needed. Sometimes the Historic Environment Record needs to be consulted. Your heritage consultant is invaluable.
Beneficial and adverse impacts
I am currently looking at balancing beneficial and adverse impacts for a proposal. As part of the process, I also need to consider public benefit as part of this assessment in a London Conversation Area. Specific issues need to be weighed. Modifications permitted in one property may not be permitted in another because of aspects specific to that property. This can disappoint clients who want reassurance they can do something similar.
Essential steps
There are a series of essential steps. Mitigation of adverse impacts is the first step towards gaining permission. For example, alternations that would affect the historic layout of the property or are inconsistent with traditional roofing styles in the street scene may be negative. Can an alternative be agreed that would give the owner what they need? For example, hiding a skylight behind a parapet or using a conservation-style roof light to mitigate that impact. Retaining a dividing wall to preserve the historic layout of the property could also ameliorate another impact. Could specifying heritage-compatible patio doors be added to the application details?
If, having been through these solutions and there are adverse impacts that still outweigh the heritage-specific benefit then other benefits need to be considered. Using the complementary architectural features in either matching or modern materials can offset adverse impact but is not a beneficial impact.
Where adverse impacts cannot be avoided, then it is time to question whether other beneficial impacts outweigh the adverse impacts? For example, introducing compatible insulation? If so, then the proposal will be more acceptable on heritage grounds. If not, other public benefits need to outweigh the harm.
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