Hewell Grange Estate - Setting of Heritage Assets Assessment

9 For example, those policies relating to sites protected under the Birds and Habitats Directives(see paragraph 119) and/or designated as Sites of Special Scientific Interest; land designatedas Green Belt, Local Green Space, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Heritage Coast orwithin a National Park (or the Broads Authority); designated heritage assets; and locations atrisk of flooding or coastal erosion.Harm to heritage assets through development within their setting is assessed against thesame policies as for physical harm to the significance of designated heritage assetsgenerally. This is detailed in Paragraph 132, which states’. When considering the impactof a proposed development on the significance of a designated heritage asset, greatweight should be given to the asset’s conservation. The more important the asset, thegreater the weight should be. Significance can be harmed or lost through alteration ordestruction of the heritage asset or development within its setting. As heritage assets areirreplaceable, any harm or loss should require clear and convincing justification.Substantial harm to or loss of a grade II listed building, park or garden should beexceptional. Substantial harm to or loss of designated heritage assets of the highestsignificance, notably scheduled monuments, protected wreck sites, battlefields, grade Iand II* listed buildings, grade I and II* registered parks and gardens, and World HeritageSites, should be wholly exceptional’ 2 .Therefore harm should be judged against the public benefits delivered by the proposal.Paragraph 133 states. Where a proposed development will lead to substantial harm to ortotal loss of significance of a designated heritage asset, local planning authorities shouldrefuse consent, unless it can be demonstrated that the substantial harm or loss isnecessary to achieve substantial public benefits that outweigh that harm or loss…’,Other paragraphs of the NPPF which need to be considered are as follows;129. Local planning authorities should identify and assess the particular significance ofany heritage asset that may be affected by a proposal (including by developmentaffecting the setting of a heritage asset) taking account of the available evidence andany necessary expertise. They should take this assessment into account whenconsidering the impact of a proposal on a heritage asset, to avoid or minimise conflictbetween the heritage asset’s conservation and any aspect of the proposal.135. The effect of an application on the significance of a non-designated heritage assetshould be taken into account in determining the application. In weighing applications thataffect directly or indirectly non designated heritage assets, a balanced judgement will berequired having regard to the scale of any harm or loss and the significance of theheritage asset.2.4 PPS5 Historic Environment Practice Guide, March 20102 Definition of significance from the Glossary in the NPPFThe value of a heritage asset to this and future generations because of its heritage interest. That interest may bearchaeological, architectural, artistic or historic. Significance derives not only from a heritage asset’s physical presence,but also from its setting.Definition of Setting from the Glossary in the NPPFThe surroundings in which a heritage asset is experienced. Its extent is not fixed and may change as the asset and itssurroundings evolve. Elements of a setting may make a positive or negative contribution to the significance of an asset,may affect the ability to appreciate that significance or may be neutral.Page | 4