As part of pre-planning consultation, the historic environment can sometimes form a significant issue. Unless some preliminary study has been undertaken and included within the pre-planning documentation, it is difficult for planning authorities to provide specific advice. As archaeological advice is often bought in as an external service by many local planning authorities (LPA), the potential constraints and need for adequate assessment to help with informed decision-making can be entirely missed during pre-application discussions, only emerging as major issues later in the process and causing delays to the project programme. Even if Conservation Officers exist within the LPA, sometimes they are not consulted by the planning officer as part of the pre-app process. Thus it is in the interests of an applicant to include a statement as to the potential significance of heritage assets at this early stage, so that these can be resolved quickly.

 

HHD&C have experience of working with the design team and producing different levels of pre-application advice depending on the known and likely heritage implications for the development. These could be a short section included as part of the planning or design and access statement, or a stand-alone report identifying the major constraints and recommending a course of action to assess and mitigate possible impacts in order to achieve planning permission