Ask questions about listed buildings, conservation areas and heritage planning — opens in a new tab. Sign in with a free ChatGPT account to start asking questions.

Heritage & Planning Intelligence

View your historic listed building, through the lens of a professional.

Listed building rules are often unclear, subjective, inconsistently applied, and expensive to get wrong. HeritageAI removes the ambiguity — the Preliminary Planning and Heritage Appraisal (PPHA) is the essential first step for any Architect, Conservation Officer, or homeowner to get READY before proposing any alterations to a listed or heritage-sensitive building — assessed against National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2024 and Historic England guidance, so you and your Architect know exactly what's required before a penny is spent on the wrong approach.

Start Your ProjectSee how it works →
Written to NPPF 2024
Historic England guidance
Conservation Principles 2008
Built with an RIBA chartered practice — Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) chartered practice · Architects Registration Board (ARB) registered · 17 years conservation practice · Our design partner ↗

Heritage Impact Assessment — Yew Tree Farm, Lower Heyford, Oxfordshire OX25 5PA. Grade II Listed Building, List Entry No. 1234567.

4.1 Significance of the Designated Heritage Asset.

The application property, comprising the Grade II Listed farmhouse and associated curtilage structures at Yew Tree Farm, Lower Heyford, Oxfordshire (List Entry No. 1234567), was constructed in the late seventeenth century and retains considerable historic fabric of that period, including a timber-framed principal range with original inglenook fireplace and crown-post roof structure visible within the first-floor bedroom. The building makes a positive contribution to the significance of the Cherwell Valley Conservation Area by reason of its farmyard group value, its setting within an agricultural landscape little altered since the Enclosure Acts, and its legible historic plan-form.

In accordance with Historic England Advice Note 2 (2015) and the methodology set out in Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance (Historic England, 2008), the significance of this asset is assessed as high, deriving principally from its evidential and historic values, with a secondary contribution from its communal and aesthetic values as a characteristic example of Oxfordshire vernacular agricultural architecture.

Proudly aligned with UK Planning Gateway — the new standard for planning submissions.

Process

Ready. Read. Respond. Resolve.

READY?
Onboarding & Setup
READ...:
Research & Intelligence
...RESPOND
Design Response
RESOLVE!
Submission
How It Works

Four heritage conservation pillars. Always in sequence.

Heritage planning done badly skips steps. HeritageAI enforces the correct sequence — research before design, design before documentation, documentation before submission.

READY?
Onboarding + PPHA

Tell HeritageAI about the property — address, listing grade, list entry number, proposed works. Two minutes of input. You receive a Preliminary Planning and Heritage Appraisal (PPHA) by return for £195, often followed by a site visit and a conversation about the proposed alterations.

READ...:
Research and Intelligence

Statutory designation, policy, Historic England guidance and historic mapping are retrieved and compiled. This becomes the starting point any designer or consultant needs before work begins.

...RESPOND
Design Response

Consultant and design input — designer, ecologist, structural engineer — feeds in. The Heritage Impact Assessment is drafted: how the proposal affects significance, and how that impact is mitigated.

RESOLVE!
Document Production and Submission

Statement, Design and Access Statement, Planning Statement and forms are compiled into one submission-ready package, reviewed, and submitted.

READY?READ...:...RESPONDRESOLVE!

There is no substitute for a professional design architect practised in heritage architecture and conservation — but they need to be given the information to make the right decisions on your behalf.

HeritageAI is currently onboarding its first practices. Get in touch to be among the first to use it on a live project.

Pricing

Four heritage pillars. Priced in sequence.

Each stage builds on the last, in sequence. You are never committed beyond the stage you've paid for — review the output before deciding whether to proceed to the next pillar.

READY?

£195

Your Preliminary Planning and Heritage Appraisal (PPHA). Find out fast whether your listed building project is viable — risks, designations, and next steps, before you commit further. Includes a video call with an RIBA chartered architect to discuss your project.

  • The listing and what's actually protected (the building itself, and any curtilage structures)
  • Which consents your proposed alterations are likely to need — internal and external
  • The specific planning policies that apply to your property
  • Where the risks and opportunities are, before you commit to a design direction
  • Clear next steps, so you know exactly what happens after this

Preliminary Planning and Heritage Appraisal (PPHA)

Once accepted, we'll arrange a site visit to prepare everyone for the journey ahead — towards enhancing the heritage asset. Charged £500, nationwide.

If you need to arrange survey drawings. click here

READ...:

£500

The Statement of Heritage Significance (SoHS) — the essential first document for any listed building application. Includes photographic analysis, site plans, historic maps, designation and policy checks, building age, and assessment of significance — vital for any designer to know what they can, can't, should and shouldn't do.

  • Photographic analysis of the building and its features
  • Site plans and historic maps
  • Designation and policy checks
  • Building age and construction phasing
  • A full assessment of heritage significance

Statement of Heritage Significance (SoHS)

We are not Landscape Designers, Interior Designers, Furniture Designers or Layout Specialists, but if you require any of these services. click here

...RESPOND

£500

Once your design is confirmed, we assess it against your building's significance in a full Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA), identifying any changes, mitigation, further research, or survey liabilities.

  • Assessment of your design against the building's significance
  • Identification of any harm to historic fabric
  • Mitigation measures required
  • Further research or surveys needed
  • Any liabilities or risks flagged before submission

Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA)

We are not structural engineers, builders, ecologists, environmental or sustainability consultants, but if you need help appointing any of these. click here

RESOLVE!

£500

The final Heritage Statement, packaged and ready for submission by your architect or planning consultant to the council. The document your application needs to prove you've read the asset's heritage significance and responded accordingly.

  • Your compiled Heritage Statement, ready to submit
  • Clear evidence you've understood the asset's significance
  • A documented response to that significance in your proposals
  • Everything your council caseworker needs in one place
  • Confirmation you're ready for LBC/PP submission

Heritage Statement (HS)

We are not planning consultants, quantity surveyors, approved inspectors, contractors, or principal designers, but if you need help with any of these. click here

For Professionals

£50/month

For architects and heritage professionals with more than one application a year. Generate PPHAs at £50 each instead of £195 — a saving of £145 per report. Business accounts only, verified via Companies House lookup at sign-up. Full access to SoHS tools to prepare and preview your Statement of Heritage Significance — pay £500 only when you're ready to release the final document. Read, Respond and Resolve pillars remain £500 each.

Start subscription

Why It Works

Built by RIBA architects in conservation practice.
Not a developer who Googled it.

HeritageAI was built by an RIBA chartered practice with 17 years of Listed Building Consent and conservation experience. The prompts are written to the specific statutory guidance: NPPF 2024, Historic England Advice Notes, and Conservation Principles 2008.

That specificity is the moat. No other AI tool in the planning space has been built on professional conservation practice. They produce plausible copy. HeritageAI produces submission-ready documents. Review our sample PPHA report to see the document format.

Conservation Principles 2008MAGIC MapNPPG CompliantHeritage GatewayHistoric England GuidanceGPA2 / GPA3 (Setting & Decision-Taking)NPPF 2024 AlignedHistoric England NHLE
Built withan RIBA chartered practice — Our design partner ↗
  • RIBARoyal Institute of British Architects — Chartered practice
  • ARBArchitects Registration Board — Registered
  • 17 yrsListed building and conservation practice in England

These are the credentials of the practice that built HeritageAI. The product outputs are AI-generated and should be reviewed before submission.

HeritageAI are proud to be connected with UKPG to submit all the Applications

Local Authority Searches — Required to READ and understand your Heritage asset.

What You Get

Every document the planning officer expects for historic buildings. Full transparency on what's live today and what's coming next.

Document Production

Statements of Heritage Significance

Full Statements of Heritage Significance written to Historic England Advice Note 12, structured against the current National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and Historic England's Good Practice Advice. In the correct professional register, every time.

Heritage Impact Assessments — COMING SOON

Comes faster with investment. Become a founding member →

Statutory Research

Full interactive compliance checklist

Structured checklist covering List Entry data, Conservation Area status, National Landscape designation, Scheduled Monument and Tree Preservation Order (TPO) constraints — each linked directly into the correct statutory register, so nothing gets missed and nothing gets buried in a manual search.

Policy Compliance

Built against the current NPPF

Every document references the current policy framework as standard, structured to Historic England's Advice Note 12 format.

Submission Ready

Submitted through UK Planning Gateway

Outputs are structured for submission through UK Planning Gateway (UKPG) — our preferred route and the platform we believe represents the new standard for planning applications.

FAQ

Listed building consent and heritage planning — common questions

Straight answers on conservation planning, AI-assisted documents, and how HeritageAI fits alongside architects and practice teams.

What is Listed Building Consent and when do I need it?

Listed Building Consent (LBC) is required under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990 for works that affect the character of a listed building — including many internal alterations. It is separate from planning permission and must be secured before work begins.

What is a Statement of Heritage Significance?

A Statement of Heritage Significance describes what makes a heritage asset important — its evidential, historical, aesthetic, and communal values. Local planning authorities expect one to support Listed Building Consent and planning applications for listed buildings.

What is a Heritage Impact Assessment?

A Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) evaluates how proposed works would affect the significance of a heritage asset and whether any harm is justified. It is a core document for Listed Building Consent submissions and must reference the Statement of Significance.

What does the HeritageAI PPHA include?

The Preliminary Planning and Heritage Appraisal (PPHA) summarises designation status, applicable policy, likely consent requirements, risk level, and recommended next steps for your listed building project — delivered by email for £195, typically within ten minutes of submission.

How does NPPF 2024 apply to listed building projects?

The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) 2024 sets out how decision-makers should treat designated heritage assets. Proposals must conserve significance, avoid harm where possible, and demonstrate clear public benefit where less-than-substantial harm is unavoidable.

Can AI produce submission-ready heritage planning documents?

HeritageAI is built on an RIBA chartered conservation practice workflow — not generic AI copy. Outputs are structured to Historic England guidance and NPPF 2024, but all documents should be reviewed by a qualified architect or heritage consultant before submission.

Do conservation areas add extra requirements?

Yes. Works within a conservation area may need additional consents, and the local planning authority will assess impact on the area's character and appearance as well as the listed building itself. HeritageAI checks designation data as part of its PPHA assessment.

When should I use HeritageAI instead of hiring an architect?

HeritageAI helps owners and architects understand requirements early — before fees are committed to the wrong approach. It does not replace a conservation architect for design, site visits, or formal submission; it accelerates research and document drafting within a professional practice workflow.

Contact

Speak to HeritageAI — a human, not a chatbot

Whilst we are actively building systems to help you automatically, sometimes you need to speak to a human. Send us a message below, email , or call 07737745211 to speak to the founder.

Start Here

Get Your Planning &
Heritage Appraisal

Preliminary Planning and Heritage Appraisal (PPHA) — £195. Provide the property address and proposed works. HeritageAI assesses the heritage designation, identifies the policy framework, and returns a summary PPHA by email in under ten minutes.

Start Your Project

No account required. You will receive the report by email.