Historic Environment and Townscape Adviser

Overview

THE TEAM

Within the Planning Department, the Historic Environment and Townscape team (HEaT) provide a specialist service dealing with all aspects of heritage and townscape. We have a track record for delivering complex and landmark planning permissions in sensitive contexts including Marble Arch M&S, Bramshill, National Holocaust Memorial, Stag Brewery, and Smithfield Birmingham.

Our expertise is broad and covers areas that interact closely with one another: the historic environment, urban design, townscape, and landscape. This enables us to function as part of the larger design team, a role we often play on major developments. In this way we contribute directly to the quality of masterplans and how they are explained to the public, engaging with public perceptions.

Our team of 28 specialists and our skill lies in combining research and analysis to a very high standard, and in a planning context. One of our strengths as a practice is that we advocate for our clients based on a scholarly understanding of a site and a clear understanding of how the development process works. That approach is borne out of being embedded into one of the country's leading property consultancies.

ROLE OVERVIEW
The successful candidate will work as an Adviser in a high performing team, contributing to a wide range of high-profile projects where contextual analysis, design and visual impact are critical to the planning process.

The role would incorporate working alongside and supporting senior members of the team to provide advice on the design and detailed approach to historic building works and/or new development in historic areas. The candidate would also advise on the development of tall and large buildings, often within sensitive setting. The work is varied, interesting, and often highly prestigious.

Recognising that many candidates with expertise in the historic environment and/or townscape do not have formal planning qualifications to degree level, Montagu Evans supports talented and engaged individuals in achieving their RTPI and/or IHBC accreditation through mentoring, practical experience and study.

MAIN DUTIES, RESPONSIBILITIES, ACCOUNTABILITIES
• Providing planning advice on built historic environment and townscape projects, including those involving sensitive land such as historic buildings, world heritage sites and conservation areas.
• Conducting research; assessing the character, function, and appearance of townscape; and, producing townscape, heritage and visual impact assessments of new developments
• Working closely with other professionals in the department to expand their own skill set across planning, heritage and urban design disciplines.
• Helping Partners to advise on all aspects of the development cycle, particularly in relation to the planning process.
• Attendance at project design team meetings with clients, architects, landscape designers, and other disciplines.
• We offer continual professional development through regular CPD sessions and training.
• Opportunities to build knowledge of other parts of the business and contribute to the way that we grow as a business and build strong relationships with our clients.

DESIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE & QUALIFICATION
• This consultancy sector attracts talent from a diverse background, and so we have an open mind about qualifications. The candidate is likely to have a postgraduate qualification in any one or more of
the following: Historic Building and Conservation, Urban Design, Planning, and Landscape Planning
• 2 - 4 years' experience in a relevant discipline to this field of work.
• Membership in RTPI or equivalent RICS (development planning) is clearly one route, but local planning authority experience of development management combined with a conservation qualification is another route.
• Experience obtained either providing all planning advice on heritage and townscape projects (and those involving sensitive land/historic buildings) and/or
• Working with planners as a specialist.
• Any experience of working with visualisation, verified views and virtual urban modelling is welcome; to note,
Montagu Evans does not produce such imagery. We work closely with industry leaders.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Excellent writing.
• A pragmatic problem-solving mind with a keen interest in the way planning and development shapes the historic environment and our quality of life.