Planning for the Historic Environment requires applicants to provide a description of the significance of the heritage assets affected and the contribution of their setting to that significance. This can be provided in the form of a Heritage Impact Assessment. A Heritage Impact Assessment should provide the local planning authority with enough information to adequately understand the impact of the proposals on the significance of any heritage assets affected. The submission of inadequate information may lead to your application for planning permission, listed building consent or conservation area consent application being made invalid.

Understanding the significance of an historic building complex or area (the asset) and the possible impact of the proposed scheme on this significance is the key to good conservation practice. Good information, available from the outset, can speed up the processing of applications, reduce costs and lead to better overall design. If significance, based on how the site has changed through time and what survives today has been clearly understood at the outset, then both the applicant and the planning authority can grasp, and seek to minimise, the impact of proposals on that significance as options are explored and the scheme developed. Therefore understanding the significance of a heritage asset should be the first consideration when considering any proposals to alter, demolish, extend or develop within its setting. An early understanding of the significance will inform the direction of any application.

A Heritage Impact Assessment is needed for any application that directly affects a heritage asset or its setting. A Heritage Impact Assessment will always be required for:

• Listed building consent applications
• Planning permission applications for sites within the setting of a listed building
• Planning permission applications for sites/buildings in conservation areas
• Planning permission applications for sites within the setting of a scheduled
• ancient monument
• Planning permission applications for sites within registered parks and gardens
• Conservation area consent applications
• Advertising consent applications on listed buildings or buildings in conservation
• areas.

Heritage Impact Assessments should also be submitted for applications that directly affect a non-designated heritage asset or its setting. Non-designated heritage assets are buildings, structures or sites (including archaeological) that may never have been assessed or not statutorily designated but have a heritage value. Carrying out a pre-application meeting with the Planning Department will ensure that heritage assets are identified at the earliest stage.

The following guidance provides advice and guidance on Heritage Impact Assessments:

A Guide to Heritage Impact Assessments