Consultancy and Historic Buildings

Carrying out Aerial Photographic transcription © Copyright ARS Ltd 2018
A view of our public access library in Bakewell © Copyright ARS Ltd 2018
Consulting at ARS © Copyright ARS Ltd 2022

Consultancy

The historic environment is a key consideration within the National Planning Policy Framework, and its equivalents for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, and sound advice from the outset of any project will help off-set risk, cost, carbon emissions, safety hazards and delay and ensure return on investment. As a highly regarded and experienced practice, we regularly provide:

  • Planning advice
  • Schemes of work
  • Clerk of Works
  • Scoping studies
  • Heritage appraisals
  • Historic building surveys
  • Conservation plans and statements
  • Desk-based assessments
  • Setting studies
  • Environmental Statement chapters
  • Landscape appraisals
  • Digital ‘reconstructions’ of what buildings looked like through their different phases
    and more.

Having accumulated a wide variety of sector specialisms and a wealth of expertise in the use of geographical information systems we bring a crisp technical edge to our work that assists in developing clear and robust evidence in support of planning applications. From single building plots through to landscape-scale developments, our consultancy and planning team provides competitively-priced, high-quality services for all types and scales of development. Being business people ourselves we routinely identify how the historic environment can be used to add value to a development and add to its sustainability. See some of our client resources here.

Digital reconstruction of phase 1 of Cresswell Pele Tower c1200 © Copyright ARS Ltd 2021
Digital reconstruction of phase 2 of Cresswell Pele Tower c1400 © Copyright ARS Ltd 2021
Digital reconstruction of phase 3 of Cresswell Pele Tower c1600 © Copyright ARS Ltd 2021
Digital reconstruction of phase 4 of Cresswell Pele Tower c1750 © Copyright ARS Ltd 2021

Historic Buildings

A historic building survey is undertaken as part of the planning process in order to preserve a record of the layout, chronology and surroundings of the building and to inform any strategy for the conservation, alteration or demolition of the structure and its setting. The work involves a survey of the building and its setting and the formulation of a photographic record. The level of work to be completed can range from a Historic England Level 1 to Level 4, with Level 4 being the most detailed. A Standing Building Survey informs the development of suitable and sympathetic conservation strategies and forms an integral part of the CoBRA (Conservation-Based Research and Analysis) approach advocated by Historic England.

The typical built heritage services we provide include:

  • Consultancy and Advice
  • Building Assessments and Appraisals
  • Production of plans, cross sections and elevations
  • Heritage Statements, Impact Assessments and Setting Studies
  • Recording and Analysis of historic buildings of all types
  • Architectural and historical research
  • Historic building surveys including condition surveys
  • Commission and supervise historic fabric conservation and restoration work
  • Watching brief during building alterations or re-development
  • Assistance in gaining Listed Building Consent
  • Photogrammetric building surveys
Lanercost Priory © Copyright ARS Ltd 2023
Cresswell Pele Tower reconstruction © Copyright ARS Ltd 2021
Cromford Mills © Copyright ARS Ltd 2022