Heritage Impact Assessments (HIAs), Desk Based Assessments (DBAs) and Setting of Historic Assets: a Wales Group Workshop
These three processes are ones we come across frequently as historic environment professionals and they demand a large element of independent analysis and balanced decision making. Whilst these processes are separate there are overlapping principles and methods which the professional must put into practice. The key to all these is understanding the asset and applying this understanding to the development of proposals or the assessment of applications.
In this workshop we will be taking a look at these processes and examining some examples and good practice. ‘Official’ advice is readily available but in researching, writing and approving these documents, much is left to the interpretation of the historic environment expert. We will cover the processes and endeavour to provide some clarity regarding important questions such as: ‘How much is ‘proportionate’?’; ‘How far does setting extend?’; and ‘What is an acceptable impact?, amongst others.
Programme:
- Cadw (Speaker TBC): Introduction to HIAs, DBAs and archaeological remains
- Neil Maylan, Senior Historic Environment Planning Officer, Cadw: Setting of Historic Assets
- Dr Cy Griffiths, Heritage Officer, BBNPA: HIAs and historic buildings (or standing archaeology!)
CIfA’s key advice for DBAs is the Standard. It is only a few lines long, and deliberately lacks detail. In part this is because it is impossible to foresee every circumstance and prescribe for every investigative method. Nor does the Institute seek to dictate to its members in detail the means by which projects are conducted, but rather to outline procedures by which outcomes or products can be attained and against which performance can be monitored. The historic environment expert is left free to make a considered selection of appropriate established techniques and to develop new methods.
CIfAS&GDBA_4.pdf (archaeologists.net)
The 2016 Historic Environment Act (Wales) introduced the need for HIAs for planning applications for listed building consent or conservation area consent. In addition, a heritage impact statement may also be required for an application for scheduled monument consent. Cadw has issued detailed guidance but, again, much is left to the expertise and knowledge of the author and depending on their background and areas of expertise this results in a variety of different interpretations of then guidance.
Heritage Impact Assessment | Cadw (gov.wales)
Planning permission which might affect the setting of World Heritage Sites, ancient monuments (scheduled and unscheduled), listed buildings, registered historic parks and gardens, and conservation area will require a setting assessment. The information provided should be sufficient, but proportionate, to allow the assessment of the likely impact of proposals for development on a historic asset and its setting. Cadw has issued detailed guidance on carrying out these assessments, but this cannot cover every circumstance and professionals are expected to define and develop their assessments on a case by case basis.
Setting of Historic Assets | Cadw (gov.wales)
Additional information
The event start/end times indicated below are for GMT. The meeting link will be sent out to all registrants in the confirmation email and on the morning of the event.
Contact us
If you have any questions at all or require any assistance in registering or accessing this event, please contact Megan: Megan.Keates@archaeologists.net.
