Approved in November 2014, this document provides detailed guidance on how heritage and design policies will be applied in decision making.
The main purpose of this guidance is to ensure the conservation of heritage assets and to make sure development enhances or reinforces those characteristics that contribute to the high quality of the Harrogate district environment.
The guidance sets out development principles for proposals that would affect the following types of heritage assets:
- World Heritage Sites
- buffer zone to World Heritage Site
- scheduled ancient monuments
- listed buildings
- conservation areas
- registered historic parks and gardens
- registered battlefields
- Nidderdale AONB
- non-designated archaeological remains
- non-designated buildings, structures or features
You can download the SPD and the appendices, which can be updated as and when necessary, such as when there are any changes to the planning law. The SPD has been divided into seven parts and the following content can be found within each part:
Chapter 1 (pdf / 2 MB): Introduction to Guidance (includes an overview of the different types of heritage assets within the district)
Chapter 2 (pdf / 1 MB): Identifying the Setting of Heritage Assets (explains how to identify it and why development should be designed to minimise harm to the setting)
Chapter 3 (pdf / 2 MB): Local Distinctiveness (describing what it is, how it varies in the district and setting out how development should be designed in order to achieve it)
Chapter 4 (pdf / 1 MB): Understanding Significance (an overview of this key concept for heritage assets, which is critical in understanding the value of our heritage)
Chapter 5 (pdf / 938 KB): Criteria for Identifying Non-Designated Heritage Assets (contains a set of criteria by which non-designated buildings can be identified)
Chapter 6 (pdf / 2 MB): Understanding Context (explains how to assess context and why an understanding is important in designing new development)
Chapter 7 (pdf / 2 MB): Designing New Development (sets out the expectations of good design in the new development - applicable for all locations, including historic areas)
Chapter 8 (pdf / 1 MB): Alterations to Historic Buildings (sets out the principles and expectations of proposals for alteration and extension to both listed buildings and non-listed buildings)
Chapter 9 (pdf / 1020 KB): Recording of Historic Buildings (explains why and when the recording of historic buildings should be carried out and to what level of detail)
Chapter 10 (pdf / 1 MB): Energy Efficiency and Micro-generation (sets out how measures can affect the significance of historic buildings and gives examples of good practice)
Appendices (pdf / 5 MB) contain useful background information to support the content of the main chapters (including where to find additional information such as through other guidance documents and web links), including policy context/designation types/planning legislation/list of conservation areas/article 4 directions/examples of design best practice/background to archaeology/glossary of terms/bibliography