Sustainability and Heritage Assets

ial. Policy BN.12 Sustainability and Heritage Assets The challenges of balancing the conservation of heritage assets with the need to mitigate and adapt to climate change are recognised. Proposals to enhance the environmental performance of heritage assets will be supported where a well informed and sensitive approach to design and specification ensures that the significance of the asset is not compromised by inappropriate interventions. Proposals which address previous inappropriate interventions will be viewed favourably. Proposals must be based on an understanding of the asset and how it performs as well as the historic significance of the asset. Proposals must show how this understanding has been taken into account in the design of the initiatives and include an assessment of reasonable alternative solutions that could avoid or mitigate any harm to the heritage asset. Where conflict between climate change objectives and the conservation of heritage assets is unavoidable, the public benefit of mitigating climate change and reducing carbon emissions will be weighed against any harm to the significance of heritage assets and their settings. Policy Justification Our historic environment has a significant part to play to address climate change and reduce energy consumption. However, the need to conserve the historic significance of heritage assets creates unique challenges when considering environmental performance enhancements. The Councils recognise these challenges and acknowledge that in some circumstances, harm to historic significance may be unavoidable. In such situations any harm will be balanced against the public benefits of mitigating climate change an d reducing carbon emissions. To allow this balancing exercise to be undertaken a key requirement of the policy is for applicants to submit sufficient supporting evidence to demonstrate how the proposals have been sensitively designed . This should consider the Whole Building Approach developed by Historic England which is based on: • An understanding of the asset and how it performs; • An understanding of the significance of a historic building, including the contribution of its setting; • Prioritising interventions that are proportionate, effective and sustainable; and • Avoiding and minimising harm and the risk of maladaptation23. The level of detail required should be proportionate to the asset’s importance and no more than is necessary to understand the potential impact of the proposal on historic significance. Where proposals result in harm to historic significance, applicants must demonstrate what alternative options have been considered to avoid harm and why the proposed measures have been chosen. When preparing supporting information applicants should take into account relevant guidance from Historic England and where appropriate, show that proposals achieve meaningful energy and carbon efficiency improvements/benefits. In this regard proposals should consider the provisions of the ‘Energy Performance Improvements in Existing Buildings’ policy. To further assist applicants, it is intended to produce additional technical guidance providing more information on the Council’s expectations in this area and du