Incorporating Built Heritage into City Centre Developments Posted on: October 29th, 2019 Incorporating Built Heritage into Birmingham’s City Centre Developments In this article AB Heritage Ltd provide some ideas about how developers and their agents can cost-effectively and sensitively manage the Historic Environment to meet their objectives, and we present case studies involving important pre-commencement works in Birmingham’s historic quarter. AB heritage are sponsoring our upcoming Birmingham Development Plans. AB Heritage, a professional Archaeological Consultancy, has helped clients for over 10 years to achieve the best balance between delivering much-needed development and protecting the most important heritage assets. [emaillocker id=”71749″] Early Heritage Risk Assessment is Vital Careful risk assessment and forward planning is something that most successful construction companies pride themselves on. However, sometimes heritage or archaeology may not be assessed as fully as would benefit during the early stages of a development, possibly because of a lack of appreciation of the risks faced; in the case of archaeology the fact it is buried can also create an ‘out of sight / out of mind’ factor. Heritage work that is unplanned can create unwanted ‘knock-on’ effects in increased costs and delays in schedules. When progressing a development, the first step is to understand the current UK heritage legislation (there is too much to cover here, but please visit our web page for further information). Always seek guidance from your Local Planning Authority about areas of local historic significance and potential heritage impacts and call in your heritage consultant to discuss these before preparing your scheme designs. This is the best way to save time and avoid costly errors. We hope this list of simple heritage dos and don’ts may help when considering how to manage Historic Environment project risk at the feasibility stage: Don’t assume there is no archaeology on site – just because you can’t see it, or you are working on a brownfield site or what seems to have been a greenfield forever; Do undertake an Initial Site Heritage Appraisal on land being considered for purchase, as part of your risk register and early budget planning. A relatively small cost up-front can save what could be a significant cost later, and could also can help with sale price negotiations; Do engage with a heritage expert before preparing scheme designs, it is one of the easiest ways to help avoid or reduce costly redesigns if needed due to heritage issues; Do engage with a reputable, accredited commercial heritage consultancy like AB Heritage, which is registered with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists; Do ask your heritage consultant to help you gain pre-planning advice with the Planning Archaeologist and/or Conservation Officer; Don’t leave commissioning of heritage assessments until later in the scheme. Reports can be prepared early and, where designs do change or external factors require it, simply updated. While not all archaeology is significant, do recognise that where heritage on site is important then careful and respectful management can reap rewards in terms of positive PR to help sell in your benefit messages, and create some positive interactions with your local community. Heritage Case Studies – working within Birmingham’s rich cultural heritage The Jewellery Quarter Birmingham is one of the UK’s richest cities for industrial heritage and has a fascinating human story that can be traced through its historic buildings and landscapes. In 2018, AB Heritage consultants undertook an extensive review of parts of the Sloane Street and Camden Drive area, within the well-known Birmingham Jewellery Quarter, as a pre-commencement condition for Planning; Birmingham City Council had designated the area as a Conservation Area, which ‘forms an important part of the City’s economy and heritage.‘ AB Heritage produced an Historic Building Recording Survey to Historic England Standard Level 3. This included a written description with an extensive photographic record of the key historic elements of the buildings, including their form, function, date, history and sequence of development, together with architectural details of fixtures and fittings related to the history and function of the building. All-in-all site works included 28 structural components that needed to be examined and described as part of the commission. Overall such works allow for important buildings and areas to be documented for future generations, helping to protect the most significant buildings and features as part of the redevelopment plans. AB Heritage Consultant Paul Cooke, who undertook the work said “It was a great experience to be able to fully explore and record a complex of 19th and 20th century industrial buildings that formed part of such an historic district. It was particularly satisfying combining field observation with archive research at the Wolfson Centre (Birmingham City Library) to produce a narrative for the development of the site.” Birmingham Children’s Hospital Another form of assessment that is often requested to prepare for planning approval is an Archaeological Desk Based Assessment. These are requested to assess the potential impact of a development on buried heritage assets. In 2016, AB Heritage was commissioned to produce such a report covering a proposed development at Birmingham Children’s Hospital. Based on local guidance, along with an assessment of 18th and 19th century mapping, it identified that parts of the site lay in proximity to the medieval Priory and Hospital of St Thomas. However, during assessment works, it was found that the development site itself had been subjected to several substantial past impacts and the assessment concluded there was a low potential for the survival of complex below ground archaeological deposits, from any period. An important element of all the works undertaken by AB Heritage is consultation; full and regular communication with clients, the Local Planning Authority officers and key stakeholders. In both the cases above discussions were held to gain appropriate and focussed advice to best inform the overall assessment process. AB Heritage is a Registered Organisation with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA), the body that oversees and monitors archaeological works in the UK. Our consultants are individually accredited members of CIfA and all hold appropriate qualifications to deliver professional judgements. We operate across the UK and have assisted clients to manage heritage on projects ranging from single plot developments, to nationally important infrastructure schemes. For an informal chat about your heritage planning requirements, please call 03333 440 206 or visit www.abheritage.co.uk [/emaillocker]
