Heritage Impact Assessment — Grade II Listed Building, Salford, UK

Job type

Fixed-price, remote / desk-based. One-off engagement with the possibility of follow-on work.

Summary

We need an experienced UK Heritage Consultant to prepare a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) for a Grade II listed property in Salford, Greater Manchester, in support of a live planning application with listed building consent to achieve determination. This is a desk-based exercise with all source documents collated and provided (drawings, the existing Planning & Heritage Statement, structural information, a damp and timber report, and the local planning authority's correspondence setting out exactly what they require).

The document you produce will be the final assessment submitted to the local planning authority, so it must be complete, accurate, and to full submission standard. The chosen candidate will be an independent contractor with demonstrable experience in the UK heritage sector, working with local authorities on planning matters and publishing documents on their own authority.

Background

The property is a house of c.1840, Grade II listed, within a Conservation Area. A listed building consent was granted in 2023. Since then, a number of works have been carried out that went beyond that consent, and the local planning authority (Salford City Council) has identified these and asked for a heritage assessment so the position can be regularised and the planning application determined.

We'd like to collaboratively work with the Council to preserve the building. The assessment must be accurate, complete, and honest about impact with the output being a rigorous, policy-compliant assessment of significance, impact, and mitigation to support determination.

Scope of works undertaken (to be assessed)

The local planning authority has identified the following works carried out without consent, taking the approved 2023 plans as the baseline. Each needs a heritage assessment:

Removal of internal walls and fireplaces within the basement, and insertion of steel beams and concrete blockwork.

Removal of a flagstone floor within the basement.

Introduction of en-suites in locations that do not match the approved 2023 plans.

Internal plastering works (believed to be gypsum), with a resulting breathability concern for the building.

External render / plaster works (they missed the annotation noting the rendering type to be used, so just needs pointing out).

Introduction of soil pipes and other external pipework.

A new lintel over the kitchen door.

Potential loss or damage to cornice and skirting features.

Required deliverables

Prepare a complete, submission-ready HIA that is compliant with Chapter 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, and that directly answers the local planning authority's requests. Specifically:

Statement of significance for all affected elements, working from the existing 2022 Planning & Heritage Statement baseline (do not contradict it without evidence and reasoning).

Schedule of works already undertaken, each with a heritage impact analysis (level of harm, with reasoning).

Schedule of proposed (remaining) works, with justification and mitigation.

An overall harm-and-benefit assessment, framed around less than substantial harm weighed against public benefits (arresting active decay and fabric loss, damp remediation, structural stabilisation, securing the optimum viable use of the building). The supplied damp/timber report and structural information evidence the benefit side.

A breathability and moisture assessment, including commentary on the internal (suspected) gypsum plaster.

A mitigation and enhancement strategy — e.g. legibility measures for removed plan-form elements, reinstatement of a flagged basement floor in reclaimed stone over a breathable build-up, and a proportionate building record.

A plan for regularising the unauthorised works.

A short statement on whether the porch tiles are of historical importance and how they should be treated.

A submission-ready summary addressed to the local planning authority's specific points.

Documents provided

Planning & Heritage Statement — the significance baseline.

Full planning drawing set (existing and proposed): ground, first, second/loft, and basement floor plans; all four elevations; porch door, window, section and roof details.

Structural engineer's drawings and report letter (beam/blockwork information).

Damp and timber report.

Decision Notice (the 2023 consent and its conditions).

The local planning authority's correspondence setting out required information and the identified unauthorised works.

Preferred qualifications

A recognised UK heritage / conservation qualification and, ideally, accreditation — IHBC (Institute of Historic Building Conservation), or MRTPI (Member of the Royal Town Planning Institute) with a heritage specialism, or equivalent.

Demonstrable experience authoring Heritage Impact Assessments / Heritage Statements for listed buildings in England, including retrospective / regularisation cases.

Working knowledge of NPPF Chapter 16, the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990, and Historic England guidance (particularly Statements of Heritage Significance, Advice Note 12, and Managing Significance in Decision-Taking).

Understanding of traditional building fabric and breathability (lime vs gypsum/cement).

Experience acting as an independent contractor / consultant dealing directly with UK local planning authorities on listed building and conservation matters.

Professional indemnity insurance - please confirm you hold cover, as you will be the author of the submitted document.

Greater Manchester / North West experience is a strong advantage.

To apply, please include

One or two examples (redacted is fine) of a listed building HIA or Heritage Statement you have authored.

Your relevant accreditation(s).

Your fixed price and turnaround.

Confirmation that you can author and put your name to the final HIA submitted to the local planning authority.

Timeline

Prompt turnaround needed. The external render works are weather-sensitive and the application is live. Please state your realistic lead time.