AB Heritage Ltd

The Institute for Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) has accepted AB Heritage into its Historic Environment Service provider scheme (HESPR).

The HESPR scheme provides an invaluable resource for clients looking to connect with experts across a number of heritage disciplines by providing a directory of companies who are recognised as working to the high standards expected by the IHBC, through their Designated Service Adviser (DSA).

Under the HESPR scheme, AB Heritage has been recognised as being expert providers of Archaeology, Historic Research, Historic Area Assessments and Conservation Planning.

The HESPR approval, sits alongside AB Heritage’s accreditation as a Registered Organisation for the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, the professional organisation that sets and monitors quality standards for commercial archaeology in the UK.

Andy Buckley, MD, says “We are delighted to have been approved for inclusion in this important resource for the industry. AB Heritage has over 13 years’ experience of helping clients across the UK to balance the needs of heritage legislation with delivering their successful development goals. Being a member of this scheme will help us reach and serve more clients. As an HESPR company AB Heritage now offers 15 minutes of free expert advice and guidance, and we would be delighted to hear from clients.”

AB Heritage Consultants deliver a full range of heritage reports required for Planning and the design and management of programmes of Archaeology from regional offices in London, Leeds, Newcastle and Exeter.

Read about AB Heritage’s service at www.abheritage.co.uk offering or call our team on 03333 440 206.

Will you be available to join our MD Andy Buckley and Senior Heritage Consultant Leanne Tindle at these free conferences this autumn?

The Kent Construction Expo is one of the UK's largest construction industry events and is being held at the Kent Event Centre in Maidstone on Thursday October 5th. www.kentconstructionexpo.com

The East Midlands Property and Investment Expo is a long running and well-supported event for the wider Midlands region and is being held in Nottingham's De Vere Centre on Monday 13th November. www.businessshowsgroup.co.uk.

We will be offering a show discount for both and the chance to win a fabulous Lego Advent calendar.
www.abheritage.co.uk

We are looking for a Heritage Consultant / Senior Heritage Consultant to join our friendly team, working with clients across the UK. Applicants should be located in the South East. See our website abheritage.co.uk for further details.

When progressing any development in England, one of the first steps is to understand and work within the limits of the various legislation covering the Historic Environment.
Read our quick blog www.abheritage.co.uk/a-quick-review-of-english-heritage-legislation-and-policy

AB Heritage is Hiring!

AB Heritage is seeking additional consultants to help meet growing demand for our heritage and archaeology services. If you are an experienced heritage consultant/senior heritage consultant looking for a career change, consider joining our friendly team!

Further details and how to apply can be found on www.abheritage.co.uk / Join Us.

We look forward to meeting you.

With exciting growth plans for the West and South West of England, we are pleased to exhibiting at this prestigious conference.

Organisers Built Environment Networking have brought together a broad range of excellent speakers for the day.

If you want to attend there is still time and you can find details at https://www.built-environment-networking.com/events/

Come along and discuss your plans with our heritage consultants, we have a special show discount to apply for some standard reports.

Event Cancelled. The AB Heritage team will be available at next Thursday (15 September) Midlands Development Conference. The conference organised by The Built Environment Networking Group will be held at the Coventry Arena and is a hybrid event, so opportunities to attend in person or online.

This is a fantastic opportunity to network with key regional construction and development professionals and meet with supply chain opportunities.

Join the AB Heritage team at the West Yorkshire Development Conference, organised by Built Environment Networking. It's not to late to secure tickets for this event, which will highlight potential development, regeneration and investment opportunities and future projects across West Yorkshire with over £13 billion worth of capital development projects to be discussed. It offers excellent networking opportunities.

https://www.built-environment-networking.com/event/west-yorkshire-development-conference-2022/

We are delighted to welcome Clare Lazzari into our heritage consultant team. Clare joined us this month as Assistant Heritage Consultant, located in our North & Scotland Office and has hit the ground running at a very busy time of year for the team!

Clare has a varied background in Commercial Archaeology, Object and Museum Conservation and Ecclesiastical Conservation and Consultancy and is a Practitioner (PCIfA) Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA).

Clare’s work will help clients understand and manage historic environment project risk to their development through a variety of professional reports such as Heritage Statements, Archaeology Desk Based Assessments and Written Schemes of Investigation.

We are also delighted to announce that Senior Heritage Consultant Paul Cooke has been awarded the accreditation of Associate of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (ACIfA). The Associate accreditation from the Institute is awarded to those demonstrating a consistently high level of professional knowledge gained through complex work in the sector. Paul is located in Devon, where we have an office in Exeter, but works with clients across the UK. He has most recently gained in-depth knowledge of regeneration projects in and around Birmingham.

Meet the rest of our team and find out mmore about our heritage services at www.abheritage.co.uk

Our North & Scotland team will be at the Built Environment Networking North East Development Plans Conference in Newcastle February 9th, 2022.

Come along and join us for a very informative day of opportunities and some great networking. Places can be booked to attend in person or virtually by copying the link below:

https://www.built-environment-networking.com/event/north-east-development-conference-2022/

We would love to welcome you to our stand. If you would like to book a meeting with one of our Senior Team, please just email kim@abheritage.co.uk.

www.abheritage.co.uk

The AB Heritage Team wish you all a Merry Christmas and prosperous New Year.

Our offices are due to close from December 23rd and will re-open on January 4th.

Our email info@abheritage.co.uk will be monitored over this time and we will respond as soon as we can on our return.

For further information on how we can help you manage heritage and archaeology as part of successful developments in 2022, please visit us at https://www.abheritage.co.uk

AB Heritage is proud to be sponsoring the Royal Town Planning Institute’s North East Members’ Reception for 2021.

The AB Heritage head office is located in Jarrow. Our heritage consultants have worked closely with Planners in the region for over 10 years, so the team is delighted to support the regional RTPI group by sponsoring the event in Newcastle on 6 December.

AB Heritage offers professional and pragmatic solutions to manage historic environment project risk on developments across the UK. Heritage reports for planning include Heritage Statements, Archaeology Desk Based Assessments, Historic Building Recordings, and the design and management of Programmes of Archaeological works to meet planning conditions. Please visit www.abheritage.co.uk for details.

Our heritage consultants are happy to discuss projects informally in the first instance, so please call on 03333 440 206, or email info@abheritage.co.uk

AB Heritage consultants will be on hand on stand E7 at this years East Midlands Expo, which is being partnered with the Property and Business Investment Show and held in the East Midlands Conference Centre. It is free for delegates to attend and we hope to see you there! Tickets and further details can be found here https://www.abheritage.co.uk/ab-heritage-exhibiting-at-the-east-midlands-expo/

Our Team will be available on stand 75 at this year's South East Construction Expo to answer your questions on how to manage historic environments on your development schemes, to minimise risk and save time and money.

We will also be running a special show discount for the show - 15%, off a range of professional reports for planning.

http://www.constructionexpouk.co.uk/

Shops, and their myriad of frontages, are a ubiquitous part of the British High Street. There is a famous phrase incorrectly attributed to Napoleon about England being “a nation of shopkeepers”. While the phrase was most likely used for the first time by the French revolutionary Bertrand Barère de Vieuzac, in a mocking speech to the National Convention in 1794, when he said “let Pitt then boast of his victory to his nation of shopkeepers”[1], it demonstrates the long commercial and mercantile history of the nation.

This article is a short overview of the general history of Britain’s shops and some standard elements of their design. It follows with an examination of where shops (and changes to these) can result in a somewhat adverse appreciation of the high street, before providing some early guidance for those starting out on regeneration and development works.

https://www.abheritage.co.uk/historic-shops-a-key-element-of-future-regeneration/

AB Heritage is delighted to be accepted as members of the Michelmores Property Developers Club.

The group is a forum for developers and property professionals to connect and share knowledge. Members have been meeting for 18 years and new membership requests are reviewed, to maintain the right balance of developers and other property professionals and advisers.

We look forward to meeting other members to introduce our expertise and team of heritage consultants, over the coming months.

Read about our services, and meet our professional heritage consultants at www.abheritage.co.uk

The Government is keen to promote building in urban areas, particularly on underutilised brownfield land. This protects green spaces and creates housing close to jobs and important infrastructure.

Regenerating such areas is important for economic prosperity and has other social benefits, including filtering into the growing importance of industrial heritage to local communities, and creating a sense of ownership and place to many. The need to consider brownfield sites from a heritage perspective, in planning terms, comes with the need for careful consideration of the site and possible resource to avoid costly missteps – not least because heritage remains can sometimes be difficult to understand or be hidden in plain sight.

Equally, not all elements of our industrial past have the same significance, and a pragmatic and phased approach is required to ensure a win-win scenario that balances the needs of development with heritage. There is little benefit in pushing forward with a complex, costly and wide-ranging series of archaeological works until an early and appropriate understanding of what issues are present has been established.

AB Heritage therefore recommends a phased approach to works on brownfield sites, with developers engaging a professional heritage consultant who has experience of managing such site works to provide strategic input into scheme designs. Such early input can help to mitigate constraints at the design stage, helping to control long term costs and reduce delays.

AB Heritage is a professional heritage consultancy operating nationwide from offices in London, Exeter, Leeds and Newcastle. Please visit our website to see how we can help you manage heritage as part of your scheme. www.abheritage.co.uk



https://www.abheritage.co.uk/brownfield-sites-hidden-treasures-or-costly-constraints/

Class MA and Development of Heritage Buildings

With the aim of revitalising run-down urban centres, and as part of a range of wider planning changes, the government is allowing commercial and office space to be converted to residential use with fewer Planning obstacles (in the form of Class MA – from a use falling within Class E (commercial, business and service) to a use falling within Class C3 (dwellinghouse). This Planning change came into force from August 01, 2021. (Town and Country Planning Act).

In essence, a conversion under Class MA can be progressed more simply as permitted development under current building regulations, once an Application for Prior Approval has been signed off by the Local Planning Authority (LPA). If your property complies with the prior approval mechanism, your council cannot apply any further planning policies in determining the prior approval application.

What you need to know for heritage buildings.

There are certain restrictions in place to ensure the protection of heritage. Class MA development is not permitted in a National Park, the Broads, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, a Site of Special Scientific Interest, a World Heritage Site, within the curtilage of a Scheduled Monument, or for a Listed Building.

However, Class MA can be used on non-Listed Buildings within a Conservation Area. If a development is planned at ground floor level, some additional prior approvals may be required by the LPA, where any changes may be deemed to negatively impact the character or sustainability of the Conservation Area. Also, important to note, is that certain areas within towns can have additional local protection from Article 4 Directions. (Directions that allow Local Planning Authorities to remove permitted development rights in limited or specific ways). Your Local Conservation Officer will be able to advise if this applies to your proposal.

Finally, Class MA permitted development does not allow for external alteration on any building. This is especially important for many historic buildings, where features such as windows, and doors can carry substantial heritage value and character.

Next Steps for Your Development?

Professional Heritage input is commonly required where a development is planned within a Conservation Area, or within an area deemed to have special local heritage interest.

If you are planning to convert from a commercial premise into dwellings seeking professional heritage

expertise at the early stages of your development, and prior to designs being finalised, can help with your prior approval application and can help to maximise the economic benefit of your heritage building. Understanding important heritage features on your property can also help to protect them and add to the positive experience of residents and users.

We recommend always engaging a Heritage Consultant, like AB Heritage, who is a registered organisation with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists and who will be able to liaise on your behalf with your local planning and conservation officers.

If you have a project you would like to discuss, please email us at info@abheritage.co.uk or call us on 03333 440 206.

We are pleased to announce that Heritage Consultant Chloe Smith will once again be joining the team following a short career break.
Chloe is an experienced AB Heritage consultant familiar with our consultancy, services and clients and will be hitting the ground running in one of our busiest times. Operating remotely, Chloe is joining our team covering London and the South East. www.abheritage.co.uk

We are very pleased to announce the promotion of Leanne Tindle to Heritage Consultant, following a fantastic 12 months working from our Head Office in Jarrow.

Leanne assists clients across the UK with all forms of heritage works including Heritage Statements, Archaeology Desk Based Assessments and Historic Building Recordings. Her heart lies with Built Heritage and she has a special interest in the preservation of historic buildings and the settings in which we experience them.

For further information on how we can help you manage the historic environment as part of your development plans, please visit www.abheritage.co.uk

AB Heritage is proud to be sponsoring the Built Environment Networking: Restoring and Regenerating Historic Buildings online Conference.

The Conference to be held on September 7th will pull together expert speakers across a broad range of interests to explore some exciting projects in the UK – from large scale restorations, to the regeneration of heritage buildings into new homes and employment hubs. Re-purposing historic buildings is vital to ensure they continue to play a part in our future towns and cities, to support local economies and create vibrant attractive spaces for communities.

Read our latest blogs on the theme: Incorporating historic building stock into future redevelopment: AB Heritage explores Sunderland, Modern Developments in an Historic Setting, and Heritage & Regeneration – Balancing Renewal with Sense of Place on our website www.abheritage.co.uk/news

This article looks at what you need to consider when planning to use uPVC window replacements in historic buildings.

Read more here https://www.abheritage.co.uk/historic-buildings-and-upvc-windows/

Contact our team on 03333 440 206 for further assistance with your heritage works.

AB Heritage is delighted to announce the opening of its new office in Leeds today.

Continuing its strategic growth plans, AB Heritage, a professional archaeological consultancy, is pleased to announce the location of its newest office in Leeds, within the grand old building No. 2 Infirmary Street.

MD Andy Buckley explained: "The northern region is a growing success story, attracting significant investment from Government, and private initiatives, including billions of pounds of direct investment for regeneration and infrastructure. It is important for AB Heritage to have a base here, providing a professional team with local knowledge on the doorstep of our customers. We know an early and thorough understanding of the heritage significance on any scheme is vital to avoid unexpected costs and keep the project on track. Our strengthened presence in the North, with our new office in Leeds operating alongside our head office in Newcastle, means we can quickly be on hand when our clients across the region require our services.”

We would love to hear from clients across Yorkshire, Lincolnshire, North East, North West and Scottish Borders with heritage requirements, as we are able to arrange zoom meetings or face-to-face meetings as required.

AB Heritage has been providing trusted solutions for clients across the UK for over 10 years. Our Company and consultants are registered with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, the professional organisation that sets the standards for commercial archaeology in the UK. Our professional Heritage Consultants operate from offices in London, Exeter, Newcastle and Leeds and remotely across the UK. Please contact us on 03333 440 206 or visit www.abheritage.co.uk

Join AB Heritage on our stand at this virtual showcase event where you will get the chance to hear from top industry leaders, find out about local sector opportunities, and have the chance to network and collaborate with local business owners. We would be delighted to welcome you to our stand and discuss any #heritage or #archaeology related Planning issues you may have.

At the event, hear from;

HS2
Centre for Life
Low Carbon Journey
Stadler
NEPO
European Space Agency
Northern Space and Security Ltd

find out more: https://www.supplychainnortheast.co.uk/events/article/211/0

AB Heritage’s Leanne Tindle explores how historic character can be used in new developments to create a unique local identity to positively influence how residents, workers and visitors experience the built environment around them. Repurposing historic building stock can play an important role in supporting both a low carbon agenda and local economies. Read more at https://www.abheritage.co.uk/incorporating-historic-building-stock-into-future-redevelopment-ab-heritage-explores-sunderland/

As we start looking forward to things (eventually) returning to normal, we are pleased to announce some great new changes to the professional heritage team at AB Heritage.

Firstly, we are pleased to announce that Daniel Dodds has been promoted to Associate Director of AB Heritage, to reflect his broader oversight role for our team of professional consultants who operate across the UK providing high quality, commercial solutions to help our clients manage their heritage and archaeology project risk.

In this role Daniel will be responsible for ensuring the team continue to meet day-to-day service delivery needs for clients, including oversight of costings, quality standards, supplier management, scheduling and resourcing.

We are also happy to confirm that our very own Paul Cooke has been promoted to the position of Senior Heritage Consultant. With extensive experience in both archaeological investigations and built heritage assessments, Paul has been very busy of late with works in both London and Birmingham, with successful project delivery of a range of complex works in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter and multiple works in Bermondsey, Southwark.


Alongside these changes we will also be joined from the start of February by Elli Winterburn, who has joined AB Heritage, from Jacobs, in the role of Senior Heritage Consultant. With an impressive background in Heritage Consultancy, including input into works on High Speed 2 and consultancy advice to Walsall Council, Elli has experience of managing input into a wide range of infrastructure projects across the UK, including providing skilled and professional advice on major civil works.

Andy Buckley, MD of AB Heritage, said "these changes are fantastic news and reflect the hard work of the in-house team and strong support of our clients, which I am very proud to say has been rock solid in 2020. While last year was certainly a challenging one for many across the UK, we are already seeing new and existing clients ramping up their own works and speaking to our consultancy team in anticipation of what they feel will be a busy year ahead. These changes at AB Heritage therefore provide a great start to 2021, giving the team an excellent platform to expand our offering to clients across the UK.”

Do you have a project that may have an archaeology or heritage element? Speak to us as early as you can in the process, and ideally before designs are finalised, as the earlier we can understand your aims and aspirations for a scheme, the more we can help you get a grip on heritage requirements, ensuring you are able to better manage future costs and avoid potential project delays.

AB Heritage is registered with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists.