Heritage Statement
The Government has set out its objectives and
policies regarding the conservation of the historic environment in
Planning Policy Statement 5: planning for the historic environment
(PPS5). Policy HE6 outlines the information required for an
application which affects a heritage asset. ‘Heritage asset’
is an all encompassing term for all features or structures of
historic/architectural/artistic or cultural interest; this includes
listed buildings, conservation areas, archaeology both above and
below ground, historic landscapes and gardens, battlegrounds and
marine archaeology.
This guidance note provides a summary of the
requirements of Policy HE6 when submitting Listed Building Consent
applications, including those for which a joint planning permission
application has been made, applications for Conservation Area
Consent and planning permission applications where the development
would have an impact on heritage assets (either designated or
undesignated). If your application does not have a Heritage
Statement it will not be validated.
Required information for making an application
The policy requires that local planning
authorities should not validate applications where the extent of
the impact of the proposal on the significance of the heritage
asset affected cannot adequately be understood from the application
and supporting documents. A Heritage Statement helps the
Council to understand what is proposed and the impact the works
would have by clearly setting out in writing the principles behind
the proposals.
To prevent delays in processing your
application it is therefore essential that the Heritage Statement
contains relevant and necessary information. All applicants
or their agents must therefore ensure the following issues are
covered:
- A description of the significance or importance of the listed
building including the contribution the setting makes to that
significance, and
- An assessment of the impact of the proposal on that
significance.
The level of detail required must be
sufficient for the significance of the heritage asset to be
understood and no more than is necessary to adequately understand
the potential impact of the proposal on the significance. The
aim should be to produce a document that provides a proportionate
amount of information relevant to the type of works proposed and
the value or significance of the heritage asset.
Understanding the significance or importance of the heritage
asset
Identifying and assessing the significance of
the listed building is essential in understanding how the changes
you propose will impact on the heritage value of the
building. It could also help you to develop your proposals
ensuring least impact on the historic building.
What is important or significant about a
listed building is determined not just by the age of the building
or the materials with which it has been constructed, but can
encompass many other attributes the building may exhibit, for
example the contribution it makes to the wider area, such as an
oast within a rural landscape. Listed buildings and
conservation areas form part of our everyday life and the positive
contribution they make to the lives of local people and visitors to
our borough should not be forgotten.
The following guidance should help you to
assess the significance of your listed building:
- As a minimum consult the Historic Environment Record
(HER). The Kent HER is an electronic database
containing a wealth of information on the heritage of the county,
including archaeology, listed buildings and gardens. It is a
continually growing database with new information being added all
the time. The HER is publically accessible for general
information but for more detailed research an appointment can be
made with the Historic Environment Officers.
- The heritage assets themselves should be assessed in terms of
their architectural, historic, artistic and/or cultural
significance. This may require the use of appropriate
expertise, such as an architectural historian, depending on the
potential impact on the listed building.
How should the information be presented?
Unless the nature of the heritage asset and/or
the works proposed would have a substantial impact on the heritage
asset there is no requirement to produce a separate document.
The Heritage Statement can be contained with the Design and Access
Statement where one is required. However, please note that a
Design and Access Statement is not a substitute for the Heritage
Statement.
Further guidance on how to undertake an
assessment can be found in the Historic Environment Planning
Practice Guide, the companion document to PPS5 which sets out how
the policies in the PPS should be applied. If you require any
further advice about Heritage Statements please
contact us on 01233 330264 or via email.
Links to
PPS5: planning for the Historic Environment and
Historic Environment Planning Practice Guide.
Link to the Kent
HER
Link to specialist advice web page
This webpage was updated on
6/7/2011