Policy information sourced from the Tower Hamlets Local Plan

S.DH3 Heritage and the historic environment

1) Proposals must preserve or, where appropriate, enhance the borough’s designated and non-designated heritage assets in a manner appropriate to their significance as key and distinctive elements of the borough’s 24 places.

2) Proposals to alter, extend or change the use of a heritage asset or proposals that would affect the setting of a heritage asset will only be permitted where:

  • they safeguard the significance of the heritage asset, including its setting, character, fabric or identity
  • they are appropriate in terms of design, height, scale, form, detailing and materials in their local context
  • they enhance or better reveal the significance of assets or their settings
  • they preserve strategic and locally important views and landmarks, as defined in Policy D.DH4, and
  • in the case of a change of use from a use for which the building was originally designed, a thorough assessment of the practicability of retaining its existing use has been carried out outlining the wider public benefits of the proposed alternative use.

3) Applications affecting the significance of a heritage asset will be required to provide sufficient information to demonstrate how the proposal would contribute to the asset’s conservation. Any harm to the significance of a heritage asset must be justified having regard to the public benefits of the proposal: whether it has been demonstrated that all reasonable efforts have been made to sustain the existing use, find new uses, or mitigate the extent of the harm to the significance of the asset; and whether the works proposed are the minimum required to secure the long term use of the asset. Factors that will be considered can include:

  • The significance of the asset, architecturally, historically and contextually
  • The adequacy of efforts made to retain the asset in use, and
  • The merits of any alternative proposal for the site.

4) Substantial harm to or the total loss of significance of a designated heritage asset will only be supported where it is necessary to achieve substantial public benefits that outweigh that harm or loss, or the following criteria can be satisfied:

  • The nature of the heritage asset prevents all reasonable uses of the site
  • No viable use of the heritage asset itself can be found in the medium term through appropriate marketing that will enable its conservation
  • Conservation by grant-funding or some form of charitable or public ownership is demonstrably not possible
  • The harm or loss is outweighed by the benefit of bringing the site back into use.

5) Alterations, extensions or changes of use, or development in the vicinity of listed buildings (as shown on the Policies Map) will be expected to have no adverse impact on those elements which contribute to their special architectural or historic interest, including their settings.

6) Significant weight will be given to the protection and enhancement of the borough’s conservation areas (as shown on the Policies Map), including their setting. Development within a conservation area will be expected to preserve or, where appropriate, enhance those elements which contribute to their special character or appearance. There will be a presumption in favour of the retention of unlisted buildings that make a positive contribution to the character and appearance of a conservation area. Planning applications should explore opportunities from new development within conservation areas and their setting to enhance or better reveal their significance.

7) Significant weight will be given to the protection and enhancement of scheduled monuments (as shown on the Policies Map) and other archaeological sites of equivalent importance. Any harm to their significance must be justified having regard to the public benefits of the proposal: whether it has been demonstrated that all reasonable efforts have been made to mitigate the extent of the harm to the significance of the asset; and whether the works proposed are the minimum required to sustain the asset.

8) Applications affecting the significance of the archaeology will be required to provide sufficient information to demonstrate how the proposal would contribute to the asset’s conservation. Where the development includes or has the potential to include heritage assets with archaeological interest, an appropriate desk-based assessment and, where necessary, field evaluation will be required. Where harm can be fully justified, we will require archaeological excavation and/or recording as appropriate, followed by analysis and publication of the results.

9) Development that lies in or adjacent to archaeological priority areas (as shown on the Policies Map) will be required to include an archaeological evaluation report and will require any nationally important remains to be preserved permanently in situ, subject to consultation with Historic England.

10) We will seek to ensure the protection and appropriate enhancement of the borough’s historic parks and gardens (as shown on the Policies Map). Development proposals should therefore safeguard those features which form an integral part of the special character or appearance of the park or garden and ensure they do not detract from the enjoyment, layout, design, character, appearance or setting of the park or garden, key views into and out of the park, or prejudice its future restoration. Where development is likely to affect a historic park and garden or its setting, applications should include a heritage impact assessment setting out the likely impact which it would have upon its significance and the means by which any harm might be mitigated.

For more information please see the Local Plan