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Planning Direct offers a wide range of written statements to accompany most types of planning applications, planning appeals, planning enforcement cases and planning objections.
This page contains some useful information about heritage impact assessments (HIAs) which are a required document for certain planning applications and all listed building consent applications.
You’ll also find useful information about heritage assets and listed building consent here:
Want to find out more about some of our other written statements? Follow the links below.
WHAT ARE HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENTS?
Heritage impact assessments (HIAs) are also known as heritage statements. They are a required document for planning applications that have the potential to affect a designated heritage asset or its setting (more on this below). This is very likely to be the case if your application site is close to a listed building or within or adjacent to a conservation area.
Additionally, all applications for listed building consent must be accompanied by a heritage impact assessment.
Sometimes, local councils will request a heritage impact assessment if a development has the potential to affect non-designated heritage assets (like locally listed buildings).
Find out more about making applications for planning permission and listed building consent using the buttons below.
Purpose & contents
Heritage impact assessments generally serve the following purposes:
- Identify and describe all heritage assets (and their settings) that have the potential to be affected by the development
- Explain the significance of the affected heritage assets
- Describe the likely impact of the development upon the significance of affected heritage assets
- Provide an assessment of overall heritage impact. This includes the balancing of any heritage harms against public benefits and the identification of opportunities to reduce or mitigate the harm.
In all cases, a heritage impact assessment should be proportionate to the scale and impact of the development proposed. If, for example, your proposal concerns a minor development within a conservation area that has limited visual prominence, your heritage impact assessment does not need to be extensive.
At Planning Direct, all of our heritage impact assessments are bespoke and their contents will be tailored to meet the specific needs of your project. Our fees will also be adjusted to reflect the work involved. If you’d like a free, no-obligation quotation, contact us today using the link below.
HOW DO I KNOW IF MY APPLICATION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO AFFECT A HERITAGE ASSET?
If the application site itself is a heritage asset (for example, a listed building), your development very likely has the potential to affect it.
If the application site is within, adjacent to or visible from a heritage asset, it also likely has the potential to affect this.
Find a more detailed answer to this question on our main heritage page, here:
Whenever you’re uncertain, it’s always best to check. If you’ve instructed Planning Direct to assist with your application, we’ll conduct these checks on your behalf.