Heritage option appraisal consultants

If you manage a historic building, structure, or site, a heritage options appraisal gives you an independent, evidence-based view of what’s realistically possible before you commit funding or approach investors.

What is a heritage options appraisal?

A heritage options appraisal is an independent assessment of the realistic future uses for a historic property. It identifies and evaluates factors such as heritage significance, physical condition, visitor and market potential, planning constraints and likely costs to help owners and funders choose a viable way forward. They are most often commissioned by local authorities, heritage trusts, landowners, and developers with a historic asset – this could be a castle, a historic house, a chapel, a walled garden or a former industrial building and need to decide what happens next.

Carrying out a heritage options appraisal

We carry out heritage options appraisals as part of multidisciplinary teams working alongside conservation architects, structural engineers, and heritage specialists. As part of the options appraisal, we will identify a range of potential end uses which could be accommodated within the property and/or wider site. Often working with a conservation architect, we then develop a weighted scoring matrix to evaluate each option against planning fit, heritage impact, market demand, viability, delivery, and risk. Importantly, this needs to sit within the client’s vision and wider strategic objectives for their organisation. The heritage options appraisal is typically a distinct part of a wider heritage feasibility study.

Projects we’ve worked on

• Enfield Council: At Forty Hall, a Grade 1 listed house, we carried out a market review and options appraisal to enhance income-generating opportunities. A supporting financial analysis for the lead options was also prepared
• Golden Grove Trust: Working in a multi-disciplinary team, including Hiraeth Architecture, we carried out a market assessment and options appraisal to identify uses to regenerate Golden Grove mansion house, stable and parkland in Carmarthenshire
• National Trust for Scotland: We worked with the NTS to benchmark six historic properties and estates to identify key lessons to help inform future decision-making around the admissions experience and pay barrier options for heritage properties and wider estates
• Torfaen County Borough Council: Working with architects, we carried out an options appraisal in respect of the Cornish Engine House and the former NCB Building and Quadrangle at “The British”, a former ironworks site near Talywain. The Cornish Engine House was installed in 1845 to assist drainage from the deep levels.
• Tenby Museum and Gallery: Lead Consultant on the Tenby Museum and Art Gallery project, where we worked with the Trusts to carry out three options appraisals to identify and evaluate (a) revenue-generating opportunities, (b) future governance and delivery, and (c) space use within the museum and site location

Thinking of carrying out a heritage options appraisal

If you’re considering the future of a historic site or building or property and need an independent, evidence-based view on options, we’d be glad to talk it through. Call Richard Linington on 07866 742628 742628 or email richard@pslplan.co.uk