The nation’s built heritage represents a tangible link to our cultural past. Historic buildings, monuments and landmarks are the architectural legacy of previous generations, demonstrating their styles and fashion, innovations, craftmanship and ability to build with the materials to hand
Built heritage often intrinsically defines a sense of place in cities, towns, villages and countryside. There are challenges to conserving these heritage assets, which often requires specialist expertise and multidisciplinary input to preserve them for the future.
Architects, building pathologists, craftspeople, conservators, heritage consultants, structural engineers and surveying disciplines all play a part in conserving our built heritage.
As Katie McAndrew, Heritage Consultant and Building Pathologist at Hutton + Rostron, a SOCOTEC company, states: “It is fundamental to holistically understand significance, construction and materials, fabric provenance, defects and repair options as part of the process of conserving our heritage assets.
“Heritage consultants have key roles to play in this holistic understanding working alongside other disciplines.”
Most often it can be neglect of regular maintenance and repair, along with the use of incongruous materials and poor-quality interventions (alteration and extension), that threatens the preservation of our historic assets and leads to defect, deterioration, loss of fabric and significant erosion.
Environmental challenges and climate impacts
There are, however, other factors of an environmental nature, including increasing extreme weather events that have the same consequences, as Katie continues: “We are increasingly seeing defect and damage caused by flash torrential downpours, which overwhelm below ground drainage and overwhelm rainwater goods, which may not be adequately sized to accommodate increasing extreme rainfall levels.
“Conversely, long periods of dry weather may lead to building movement, particularly in clay-rich soil. It is critical that the cause of defect is properly assessed and understood, and repairs don’t just try to resolve symptoms.”
Understanding statutory protection and consent
Undertaking works to heritage assets, whether it be to address damage and defect or in the context of seeking to extend, alter or undertake demolition works, requires an understanding of how a heritage asset may be protected. Understanding if the heritage asset is a designated heritage or not and afforded statutory protection is crucial.
Scheduled monuments and listed buildings are designated heritage assets and consent will be required to undertake most works to these buildings and structures. Conservation areas are designated heritage assets and development of buildings and structures within these areas is subject to greater planning controls and statutory heritage considerations. Some heritage assets are known as non-designated heritage assets and although they don’t have statutory protection, there will be greater heritage considerations to any proposals affecting them where works that constitute development require planning permission.
Where consent and/or permission is required for work to heritage assets, having a robust Heritage Statement to accompany such applications that presents an understanding of the asset’s significance, planning considerations and justifies proposals, can be critical to achieving a successful outcome particularly where complex proposals are concerned. Heritage consultants have a key role in preparing this information and involving them at the outset of a project often achieves the best outcomes.
Balancing heritage with modern compliance requirements
Depending on the nature of works proposed to historic buildings, they can also be subject to increasing compliance and regulatory requirements to satisfy fire safety requirements, desires to improve the thermal performance of buildings, health and safety requirements, inclusive access requirements and consideration to meet Buildings Regulations.
Considering if these requirements can be met requires specialist expertise, particularly to avoid retrofit measures causing greater harm to the significance of heritage assets and their fabric over and above the benefits they bring – something Andrew Travers, Managing Director at Hutton + Rostron, is familiar with: “We are seeing more cases of damage and defects occurring to historic buildings because of ill-conceived retrofit insulation methods, which are trapping moisture within building fabric, leading to timber decay and mould issues.
“Getting the right independent specialist advice on the existing building condition, retrofit insulation systems and not just being guided by someone selling a product, is critical for the long-term satisfactory performance of the building.”
Challenges within local authority heritage management
Despite the importance of our built heritage and the statutory protection designated heritage assets are afforded, often they remain under the provision of conservation officer (CO) in many local authorities.
Budget constraints, recruitment difficulties and shifting priorities have left many councils with either no dedicated CO or only part-time coverage, resulting in delays, inconsistent advice and a reactive rather than proactive approach to heritage management.
This can lead to a mixed experience, when engaging with local authorities, and real obstacles for property owners, architects and developers trying to sensitively repair, restore or adapt historic buildings. Navigating these personalities and processes requires not just technical expertise but diplomacy, persistence and a good understanding of heritage legislation.
“Heritage consultants have key roles to play in this holistic understanding working alongside other disciplines.”
Heritage consultant
The role of the heritage consultant is often essential in dealing with these matters. If you require specialist advice on your own project, please contact Hutton + Rostron, a SOCOTEC company, today on 01483 203 221 or ei@handr.co.uk.
*Please note that this is a commercial profile.
The post Why specialist expertise is essential to preserve the UK’s built heritage and architectural legacy appeared first on Planning, Building & Construction Today.
