Overview
The historic environment is an important and finite environmental and cultural asset. When considered carefully and sensitively, heritage assets and the wider historic environment can contribute to placemaking and sustainability as part of development proposals. The DLA team includes planners, masterplanners, urban designers, architects and landscape architects, and graphic designers with significant experience of working in the historic environment, including membership of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation.
DLA’s heritage expertise is utilised in a number of ways as illustrated in this brochure. We provide advice on a wide range of heritage issues and help provide effective and sympathetic solutions. Our skill set ranges from extensive research capabilities to understand the significance of heritage assets; advising on and pursuing alterations to individual listed buildings and on proposals that affect the setting of heritage assets, to devising comprehensive masterplans and strategies for areas with architectural and historic interest.
We develop strategies and proposals that reinforce and enhance historic character. At a strategic level, this enables us to bring forward new uses and improve the way a place functions whilst at the most detailed level it ensures we identify appropriate materials and details when designing public realm, but all to the end result of respecting and enhancing heritage assets.
In all of our heritage work we are committed to creating the best solution by understanding and responding to heritage assets and working with local planning authorities; Historic England and other key stakeholders to effectively navigate the requirements of the planning system.
When considering the impact of a proposed development on the significance of a designated heritage asset, the NPPF requires ‘great weight’ to be given to the asset’s conservation. Our role, either working with other heritage professionals or providing heritage advice directly, includes the provision of advice on designated heritage assets including listed buildings and conservation areas. We also advise on non-designated heritage assets such as locally listed buildings.
Stephen Haines, Urban Design Partner, David Lock Associates
Refurbishment & Extensions in Shakespeare's Stratford
This range of Grade II* listed buildings are at the heart of the Stratford-upon-Avon Conservation Area and immediately adjacent to the site of where William Shakespeare was educated, lived and was married. We were commissioned to advise on a scheme to refurbish and extend the existing hotel accommodation.
Time, inappropriate earlier alterations and water penetration of the building resulted in a number of challenges for the team. Our approach was to lead a sensitive appraisal of the building so the fabric could be fully understood by the multi-disciplinary team. Close liaison with Historic England, craftsmen, three teams of architects, and local conservation bodies and individuals resulted in a conditional listed building and planning permission being issued.
Restoration work commenced using traditionally skilled crafts people, who had worked on other sensitive projects using traditional construction methods, such as the Globe Theatre. During the implementation phase revised applications were required to accommodate and appropriately restore previously hidden aspects of the historic fabric.
Regeneration Success in World Heritage Site
DLA was commissioned to advise on the planning and design strategy to help navigate a multitude of complex heritage issues at Hayle Harbour and progress this site from outline permission to implementation.
The site, which contains listed buildings and partly lies within the World Heritage Site of the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape, will retain its ongoing fishing and harbour operations. DLA steered the proposals through the planning system, notwithstanding the challenges in context of ICOMOS (the international organisation acting on behalf of UNESCO), operating outside of the NPPF.
DLA has worked in partnership with the architects, Feilden Clegg Bradley Studios, and officers at Cornwall Council to advance a strategy for the design, approval and phased delivery of 553 homes, commercial and community floorspace, a hotel, sports hub, new facilities for the fishing fleet and new harbourside public realm. A series of reserved matters applications and condition discharges have been approved to facilitate the delivery of this exciting regeneration scheme.
Integrating the Old with the New in Stevenage
DLA was appointed by Stevenage Borough Council and Stevenage First to prepare a Regeneration Framework for its Town Centre. As the UK’s first New Town, Stevenage holds an important place in planning history, reflected by its Conservation Area designation in 1988. The town centre demonstrates contemporary thinking on planning and architecture in the 1950s.
The Town Square is one of the most important features of the Conservation Area and the clock tower and pool provide a fitting centre-piece; both listed structures.
DLA’s master plan respected this rich heritage whilst presenting exciting new ideas to drive investment and transform the heart of the town, including the creation of a new civic space through the relocation of the bus station which was a constraint on the heritage assets, and hampered the ability to create a sustainable and integrated transport node.
The principles were progressed as a Regeneration Framework including a Heritage Plan which sought to conserve and utilise existing assets as part of the proposals.
The Framework is being implemented as part of a £350 million joint venture between Stevenage Borough Council and Mace.
Translating Industrial Heritage into Public Realm Improvements
David Lock Associates led a team appointed by Hinckley & Bosworth Borough Council to prepare a public realm master plan for Hinckley town centre, which includes a conservation area.
The dispersed pattern, cultural and heritage features, mainly associated with the growth and mechanisation of the hosiery industry, inspired the vision to create a public realm that knits them together to create a Town Centre ‘that is distinctive to Hinckley and emphasises its own historic and cultural identity.’ The key to translating the vision into a development concept, was to create the ‘Hinckley Hoop,’ an accessible walking route with intertwining ‘yarns’ that connect the town’s historic assets and wider attractions.
The master plan provided a robust evidence base for funding bids, negotiating developer contributions, and influencing and guiding the interface of development with the public realm.
Completed in March 2020, the master plan has since secured £1.86m of Heritage Action Zone funding to deliver improvements at Castle Street and Argents Mead — a unique green space in the heart of the town centre where the remains of Hinckley Castle can be found. DLA was subsequently commissioned to create a detailed Wayfinding Strategy in Hinckley Town Centre focusing on and incorporating heritage assets.