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A consultant’s reflections on heritage and the importance of early advice

As we continue to look back on 10 years of Heritage & Townscape at Turley, Senior Consultant, Declan Carroll reflects on his role as a heritage consultant, interesting projects that he has been involved in, and the positive impact heritage advice can provide to successful outcomes.

So what does a Senior Heritage & Townscape Consultant do? Well, for any number of reasons, I regularly have to answer this question or explain what I do to others.  For straightforwardness, I usually respond with something like “I help a range of clients navigate the built heritage and consents process” or perhaps more simply, “I advise on alterations to listed buildings and development within conservation areas” – depending on the situation. However, the role is so much more varied, interesting and diverse than that, and of course at times, like anything – frustrating!  

Personally, no site illustrates the variety of our work more than the range of projects I have advised on for the Imperial War Museum (IWM), Duxford. These projects have been fascinating, not least because of the significant history of the site, but also because they have been rewarding and challenging in equal measure.  

IWM Duxford extends to approximately 300 acres, with the majority of the site designated as a conservation area, and comprising 39 individually listed buildings. For anyone that has not visited before, I would strongly urge that you do. IWM Duxford is widely regarded as the finest and best-preserved example of a fighter base representative of the period up to 1945 in Britain, and retains an exceptionally complete group of First World War technical buildings – it is also Europe’s largest air museum.  

My involvement with IWM Duxford has been to provide detailed heritage advice and lead on application submissions for physical alterations and refurbishments to the grade II* listed former Operations Block to facilitate its use as a Battle of Britain exhibition.  Alongside this, I provided advice and support on submissions for structural alterations to the grade II listed Control Tower and plan-form alterations to the grade II listed former Station Sick Quarters to support a new long-term sustainable use. This also included advising on setting impacts through the replacement of the deteriorated Bailey Bridge spanning between the technical and domestic sites of the museum, and the proposed development of a new c.161 bedroom hotel at the eastern end of the IWM Duxford site.  This latter project involved colleagues from our Planning and Landscape & VIA teams in Cambridge to provide multi-service support for the project.     

So to answer the original question, Heritage & Townscape consultants like myself aim to add value to our clients’ projects and help to facilitate a smoother journey through the relevant consents processes.  We also enjoy the occasional spirited discussion with our conservation officer counterparts at the local authority, to ensure that sympathetic and sensible development proposals prevail! One key piece of advice for any development project is that early engagement – in design development and with key stakeholders – as well as the preparation of credible significance assessments is essential.  Understanding heritage assets, and the value of the historic environment from a project outset, ensures that development proposals are sympathetically heritage-led, and more readily supported by decision-makers.

If you would like to discuss a new or existing project, please get in touch with a member of our Heritage & Townscape team.

18 January 2021