Expert Heritage Consultancy for Your Project
Ecology Solutions provides professional heritage consultancy services to help developers, planners, and architects manage heritage considerations effectively. Our experienced heritage consultants work across the UK, supporting projects of all scales while ensuring compliance with planning regulations and heritage legislation.
Identifying risks early and developing strategic solutions, we help clients avoid delays, streamline the planning process, and balance development with heritage conservation.
Our Heritage Consultancy Services
Due Diligence and Feasibility Studies
Early heritage assessments are essential for avoiding costly project delays. We provide realistic risk assessments to help clients:
- Identify and avoid problematic sites before planning begins.
- Incorporate heritage into project design, minimising archaeological disruption.
- Ensure smoother planning approvals by addressing heritage constraints early.
By considering heritage assets at the design stage, developments can align with local historic character and reduce the need for complex mitigation strategies later.
Desk-Based Assessments (DBAs), Heritage Statements and Heritage Impact Assessments
Desk-based research is a vital step in understanding a site's heritage context. These assessments include:
- Analysis of documentary records, historical maps and previous investigations.
- Identification of listed buildings, Scheduled Monuments and conservation areas.
- Assessment of heritage constraints that may impact development.
Key Benefits of Desk-Based Assessments:
- Heritage Asset Mapping – Identifies and records key heritage sites within a development area.
- Archaeological Sensitivity Analysis – Helps developers navigate planning constraints.
- Baseline Heritage Understanding – Establishes a project's historical context.
- Informed Decision-Making – Supports heritage-led design and planning compliance.
- Risk Mitigation – Offers strategies to reduce project delays due to heritage concerns.
Conservation Management Plans (CMPs)
A Conservation Management Plan (CMP) is essential for balancing heritage preservation and modern development. These are often required for historic buildings, archaeological sites, and designated heritage landscapes.
What a CMP Covers:
- Assessment and Documentation – Detailed site records using 3D scanning, GIS mapping, and photography.
- Contextual Analysis – Understanding the site's historical, cultural, and environmental significance.
- Stakeholder Engagement – Collaboration with local communities, historians, and conservation experts.
- Sustainable Heritage Management – Eco-friendly preservation techniques and energy-efficient conservation strategies.
- Public Interpretation and Education – Strategies for engaging visitors while preserving the site's integrity.
- Monitoring and Maintenance – Long-term site protection and preservation plans.
- Funding and Policy Development – Identifying grants and working with local authorities to integrate heritage conservation into urban planning.
By implementing sustainable conservation strategies, we ensure that historic sites remain protected for future generations while allowing for responsible development.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Heritage Considerations
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) evaluates the effects of a proposed project on archaeological and cultural heritage resources.
Key Components of an EIA:
- Baseline Heritage Assessment – Reviewing existing site data before development.
- Non-Intrusive Surveys – Using geophysical surveys to detect subsurface features.
- Intrusive Archaeological Fieldwork – Excavation and sampling when necessary.
- Multi-Disciplinary Collaboration – Working with ecologists, landscape architects, and planners.
- Regulatory Compliance – Ensuring adherence to UK heritage legislation and planning policies.
Benefits of a Well-Conducted EIA:
- Risk Reduction – Identifies and mitigates heritage constraints before development.
- Planning & Compliance Support – Ensures smooth planning approval.
- Stakeholder Engagement – Addresses concerns from communities and regulators.
- Sustainable Development – Helps projects balance economic growth with heritage conservation.
Our heritage consultants ensure EIAs are conducted to the highest standards, providing clear, actionable insights to support your project.
Historic Building Recording
When historic buildings are altered or demolished, Historic Building Recording is often required by planning authorities. This ensures that a structure's heritage value is documented before making changes.
What We Provide:
- Detailed Architectural Surveys – Capturing historic features through measured drawings.
- Photographic Documentation – High-resolution images for heritage records.
- Archival Research – Investigating the building's historical background.
- Compliance with Planning Conditions – Meeting the requirements set by Conservation Officers and Archaeological Advisors.
Historic Building Recording balances progress with preservation, ensuring that architectural heritage is recognised and safeguarded.
Why Choose Ecology Solutions for Heritage Consultancy?
- Experienced UK Heritage Consultants – Expertise in planning, archaeology, and conservation.
- Comprehensive Risk Assessments – Identifying and managing heritage constraints early.
- Cost-Effective and Practical Solutions – Supporting smooth project delivery.
- Nationwide Coverage – Operating across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland.