This Charter sets out the service provided by English Heritage for those involved in changing or influencing change to the historic environment.
It explains how we handle requests for pre-application and statutory advice; it covers our advice on matters of policy and management issues relevant to the planning process; and it explains our engagement, in partnership with others, in the modernised planning system.
The links on this page will take you to each part of this document.
Our Commitment
We are committed to continuously improving the timeliness and quality of our advisory service. We currently give more than 95% of planning and listed building consent advice to local authorities within 21 days or against an agreed timetable. We also devote an increasing proportion of our time to pre-application advice.
Our Charter principally covers our service to local planning authorities, owners of heritage assets and developers, but anyone who needs consent for work affecting the historic environment will find it useful. It may also be relevant where English Heritage is invited to engage in Planning Performance Agreements.
This Charter (Fourth Edition) will be periodically updated in response to our evolving role within the planning system. The Charter emphasises our commitment to pre-application advice and contains sections on design and access statements and online planning.
We aim to provide clear responses in a timely manner to those we engage with in the statutory planning system in our role as a statutory consultee. We monitor our turnaround performance and hold regular reviews of cases to ensure consistency in our approach and clarity in our responses.
English Heritage advice is based on our experience and expertise in the historic environment and we have a network of staff across England with a wide range of professional skills.
If you wish to contact us regarding the advice we have given to a Local Authority or government department, or consider we have not followed our own published procedures, please contact your local English Heritage office.
Freedom of Information
English Heritage is subject to the Freedom of Information Act 2000 and the Environmental Information Regulations 2004 which provide a general right of access to information it holds or is responsible for.
English Heritage may provide the information you have supplied in response to a request made under this legislation, subject to any exemptions which apply. English Heritage will consult with external parties as necessary prior to releasing information.
Equality Implications
Public bodies are responsible for ensuring that their plans, policies and activities do not unfairly discriminate against a group protected by equalities legislation.
It is the responsibility of the public bodies that we advise to ensure that they have paid due regard to local equality implications when implementing the advice of English Heritage.
