Policy information sourced from the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan
SADM 15 Heritage
Proposals which affect designated heritage assets and the wider historic environment should consider the following:
- The potential to sustain and enhance the heritage asset and historic environment in a manner appropriate to its function and significance.
- Successive small scale changes that lead to a cumulative loss or harm to the significance of the asset or historic environment should be avoided.
- Proposals should respect the character, appearance and setting of the asset and historic environment in terms of design, scale, materials and impact on key views.
- Architectural or historic features which are important to the character and appearance of the asset (including internal features) should be retained unaltered.
- The historic form and structural integrity of the asset are retained; and
- Recording appropriately the fabric or features that are to be lost or compromised and making provision for archive deposition of the analysis and records of the site investigation.
A Heritage Statement, Heritage Impact Assessment and/or Archaeological Assessment will be required if the scale and/or nature of the proposal are likely to have an impact on the significance of all or part of the asset. An assessment may be required in locations which are not designated but where the potential to contain heritage assets exists or further understanding of the significance of known heritage assets is needed.
Permission for proposals that result in substantial harm to the significance of a designated heritage asset including a Conservation Area, and to its setting, will be exceptional or wholly exceptional in accordance with national policy and guidance.
Proposals that result in less than substantial harm to the significance of a designated heritage asset will be weighed against the possible public benefits of the development in that location and whether or not these significantly outweigh that harm and the desirability of preserving the asset, and all feasible solutions to avoid and mitigate that harm have been fully implemented.
Proposals that result in harm to the significance of other heritage assets will be resisted unless the need for, and benefits of, the development in that location clearly outweigh that harm, taking account of the asset’s significance and importance, and all feasible solutions to avoid and mitigate that harm have been fully implemented.
For more information please see the Welwyn Hatfield Local Plan