Specialising in providing historic and heritage research, documentation, and advice
Our consultancy team will provide advice to support your development, ensuring that any heritage implications are represented accurately and dealt with fairly through the planning process: from heritage statements on single house developments to urban setting assessments or environmental assessments for national infrastructure projects. CFA Archaeology will be part of your team, using our specialist industry knowledge and working with your planners and designers to ensure that your scheme succeeds.
Expert heritage consultancy
It’s never too early to seek advice - our team of professionals will work with you from the outset to identify assets, highlight potential issues, and provide mitigation strategies. Our work is based on standards raised by local and national authorities, meaning we understand the ins and outs of planning requirements so you don’t have to, including liaising with statutory consultees on your behalf. We produce Desk-Based Assessments, Heritage Statements, Environmental Impact Assessments, Historic Environment Chapters, Written Schemes of Investigation, Setting Assessments, Scheduled Monument Consent applications, and more to fulfil planning requirements and move your project forward. We have contributed to masterplans, wind farms, battery energy storage systems, solar farms, hydrogen schemes, other renewable energy plans, pipelines, quarries, large infrastructure projects, and more. Our team is especially well-equipped for large-scale schemes, having recently achieved planning permission for wind farms, battery energy storage infrastructure, and more.
Key Services
Desk-Based Assessments (DBA)
One of the first phases of a heritage project is the assessment of local council's Historic Environment Record data to better understand the archaeological and historic environment potential of a site.
CFA’s consultancy team can undertake historical research, map regression, interpretation of aerial photography and LiDAR imagery, and site walkovers, all necessary to produce detailed archaeological and cultural heritage desk-based assessments. We provide advice on relevant legislation and planning policy and make recommendations on potential mitigation measures, where appropriate.
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and Environmental Statements
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) evaluates the ways in which a large development or infrastructure project may affect the surrounding landscape. We will compile the relevant cultural heritage, historical, and archaeological information into a robust chapter, which can be included in an Environmental Statement to meet planning requirements.
CFA's consultancy team is experienced in compiling EIA's, having recently successfully submitted for wind farm, pipeline, residential, and other developments.
Feasibility Studies
Good advice at the right time can save you time and money and will help you avoid complications in the planning system. We can provide you with pre-planning advice, supporting information for planning applications, and guidance on discharging planning conditions. This is a cost-effective way of establishing if a development is feasible at the start.
Listed Building Consent
For pre-planning work, our heritage consultancy team can help with applications for designated building consent, provide advice for developers, and devise curtilage for listed buildings, which keeps projects as trim as possible while still providing meaningful analysis within the scope of development.
If you need in-depth building surveys, see our historic buildings service page.
