Casework Programmes

Research and investigation provides the knowledge which ensures that our decisions about designation, protection and management of the historic environment are soundly based. One of our principal objectives is to conduct, or procure and monitor, exemplary research and analysis in support of conservation projects.

This support can be wide-ranging - from advice on recording briefs to detailed research into buildings and areas - and is offered on the basis of the criteria set out below. It will normally only be undertaken where the mechanisms for recording as part of the planning process do not apply.

Selection Criteria

Resources permitting, we will provide casework support that:

• increases knowledge of insufficiently understood and/or vulnerable buildings and areas (e.g. Buildings at Risk)
• indicates the relative significance of a building or area in a regional or national context
• assists informed decision-making in the conservation and repair of important historic buildings and the regeneration of historic areas
• offers an opportunity for exemplary research and technical innovation that can serve as a model for others
• provides training opportunities for our own staff and for individuals and organisations in the heritage sector
• results in the establishment of partnerships with external individuals and organisations, and contributes to English Heritage’s outreach and education programmes
• leads to the provision of policy, best practice and guidance notes for English Heritage staff and the wider heritage sector
• creates or enhances understanding of building types and areas, particularly those related to strategic programmes of research
• provides a detailed knowledge of buildings and areas to assist with decision-making in contentious cases, including those subject to Public Inquiry

The examples of casework support in this section give an impression of the range of research we can undertake and some of the reasons for our involvement.