The preparation and submission of a well-researched heritage report to accompany development proposals that may affect elements of the historic environment will demonstrate to the local planning authority and other stakeholders that the owners and their professional team understand and appreciate the heritage significance of the building. Such reports provide a valuable evidence base to help inform dialogue with those who will be making a decision on any proposal.
The importance of historical research
Historic England's preferred system of values is set out in the 2008 English Heritage publication Conservation Principles, which identifies four categories of heritage value – evidential, historical, aesthetic and communal – that together amount to the significance of a place. To establish these heritage values and understand and define the heritage significance of a building, as required by the NPPF, a critical step is to undertake historical research.
Almost all of the projects that Worlledge Associates are involved in have required some level of historical research to help plot the history of a place and heritage significance it holds. Investing in this part of the process of managing change will help to deliver the right outcomes as recognised in the 2024 Georgian Group Award for a ‘New Building in a Georgian Context’, went to a project which re-established an 18th century service wing to a grade I former Manor House. Worlledge Associates provided the supporting heritage report and impact assessment. The citation with the award noted: ‘The judges thought this the outright winner of this category. It’s a carefully researched project and thoughtful’.
Identifying and understanding the value that the historic environment holds and the enjoyment it provides to people is nothing new. The creation of the list of buildings of ‘special architectural or historical interest’ initiated with the Town and Country Planning Acts of 1944 and 1947. There are currently almost 380,000 entries. It should be remembered though, that until very recently these ‘lists’ were only a mechanism to identify buildings that should be included on the statutory list. The descriptions in the list are for the most part very brief and will not fully explain why the building or structure is considered special. More detailed assessment of significance through research and analysis of the fabric will often reveal aspects of a building’s interest that will not be apparent from the list description.​
Successive governments have introduced policy and practice to extend our competency in managing change within the historic environment. Historical research is one of those components that the government recognises can make a difference to how we manage change. Section 207 of the National Planning Policy Framework requires that ‘In determining applications, local planning authorities should require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting.’ Interestingly The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) also expects a local planning authority to carry out a similar exercise, making sure it has access to suitable expertise.
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Significance is defined in the Glossary of the NPPF as:
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‘The value of a heritage asset to this and future generations because of its heritage interest. The interest may be archaeological, architectural, artistic or historic. Significance derives not only from a heritage asset’s physical presence, but also from its setting.’
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