Can I Write My Own Heritage Statement? In-House vs Consultant
Yes, there is no statutory requirement that a Heritage Statement be authored by a qualified professional. For minor Grade II internal works and well-bounded conservation-area applications, a competent applicant following the HEAN 12 template can produce a valid Statement. The risk of LPA rejection or substantive challenge rises sharply for Grade II*, Grade I, demolition and any case where the LPA has named an HIA in pre-app.
When DIY is fine
- Grade II minor internal works with no surviving original features.
- Like-for-like replacement of clearly non-original elements.
- Minor works in conservation areas where the building is a 'neutral contributor'.
- Where the LPA has explicitly stated no formal heritage submission is required (rare).
When to instruct a consultant
- Grade II*, Grade I, or curtilage-listed cases.
- Demolition (any building) in a conservation area.
- Cases where pre-app has named an HIA.
- WHS buffer-zone applications.
- Appeal or inquiry risk.
The financial calculation
A Heritage Statement consultant fee of £400 to £900 versus an unvalidated application costing 6 to 12 weeks of planning-clock delay is almost always favourable. The case where DIY genuinely saves money is a minor Grade II internal works application with no material risk of refusal, and in those cases the LPA usually accepts even a basic Statement.
Risks of a DIY Statement
- Returned at validation for missing significance description.
- Regulation 25 further-information request.
- Refusal that triggers an appeal that costs more than the consultant fee.
- Listed-building enforcement risk where the works are interpreted differently from the Statement.