Submitting applications affecting heritage assets

To understand the impact a proposal is likely to have on Salford's historic environment, the following three steps should be followed:

1. Consider the location and settings of all designated and non-designated heritage assets in Salford, including archaeology, conservation areas, listed buildings, locally listed heritage assets, registered parks and gardens and scheduled ancient monuments. More information on Salford's heritage assets can be found by using the interactive heritage map.
2. Contact the Greater Manchester Archaeological Advisory Service by email to find out if there is likely to be anything of archaeological significance on or near your site. This will involve consulting Salford's historic environment record, which is an archive of sites of potential archaeological significance.
3. Use Salford's historic landscape characterisation study which provides information on the historical and cultural origins and development of the current landscape. This will help with identifying the local character of an area or particular site, and also help to provide an indication of whether there is likely to be anything of archaeological importance on or near a site.

When is a heritage assessment needed?

Regardless of the type of heritage asset concerned, any planning application deemed to affect a heritage asset or its setting will require the submission of a heritage assessment. All applications for listed building consent will also need to be accompanied by a heritage assessment.

What should a heritage assessment include?

Information on what should be included in a heritage assessment is set out in the council's validation checklist which can be downloaded below. A key part of any heritage assessment will be the understanding of the significance of any heritage assets affected, ie its value to this and future generations because of its heritage interest, which may be archaeological, architectural, artistic or historic and the impact of the proposal on that significance. The information below should help with this process.

Gaining an understanding of what is and is not important about a heritage asset, its significance, is vital to understanding how it may be developed and used to best effect in the interests of the owner and of conservation.

As such, heritage assessments must explain the significance of any assets affected, including any contribution made by their setting, and should explain the impact of the proposal on the significance of the asset together with any justification or mitigation.

An assessment of significance should demonstrate a full understanding of the fabric and evolution of an asset, as well as an understanding of the heritage values attributed to it. This may be value that derives from its;

• potential to yield evidence about past human activity, evidential value
• connection with a notable person or event, historical value
• design and appearance, aesthetic value
• connection with any current or past community, communal value, or a combination of all of these

Historic England's publication conservation principles, policy and guidance provides more information on understanding heritage values and assessing heritage significance.

In a lot of cases the assessment of the significance of a heritage asset is likely to need specialist advice in addition to the information provided by the historic environment record, and that contained in list entries.

It should be recognised that whilst list entries mention some features that are of importance, they do not provide a comprehensive or exclusive record of all the features that contribute to an asset's significance.

If you need additional information see the Heritage Protection Guide on the Historic England site.

Who to contact

Name

Spatial Planning

Address

Salford City Council
Chorley Road
Swinton
Salford
M27 5BY
Map to this location

Telephone

0161 793 3782

Email

plans.consultation@salford.gov.uk