So many developers and practitioners – including some local authorities – view built heritage as a constraint on regeneration or development. The belief is that it holds back change and cannot ‘pay its way’.

We consider most heritage – whether built or natural, in the forms of streets, parks or commons – to be a real or potential asset, which needs investment and time to mature and release long term value for its community. Like a quality wine or whisky, it takes time to deliver the appreciable benefits.

Heritage is more than just bricks and mortar. It often encapsulates the spirit of a place, the layers of meaning and identity wrought by successive generations of human habitation.