Senior/Associate Heritage and Townscape Consultant

Role Overview

We have a fantastic opportunity for a Senior or Associate Heritage and Townscape Consultant within the expanding Heritage and Townscape Team at Savills.

The primary focus of the role will be providing ongoing townscape, heritage and visual impact consultancy, working closely with the national Planning Team at Savills and their external clients.

Your day to day work will typically include appraising sites; identifying any relevant heritage and townscape context that may be sensitive to development aspirations, and confidently advising clients and project teams on potential considerations (constraints, solutions and opportunities) as part of scheme evolution. The role will also include the preparation of robust Heritage, Townscape and Visual Impact Assessments (HTVIA), specifically those requiring ES chapters as part of EIA and clear evidence of your experience of this is important to the role.

Key Responsibilities

Providing consultancy advice to colleagues and clients
Providing direct design feedback to architects on behalf of our clients
Reporting to clients and senior colleagues on a regular basis
Briefing and liaising with visualisation specialists in the process of production of AVRs
Be capable of dealing with instructions and clients independently after an introductory period
Conducting preliminary views studies independently
Assessing potential townscape and visual effects using VU.CITY
Producing HTVIA documents for planning submission using InDesign and Illustrator
Attending consultation events related to projects, in particular consultations with Historic England, Local Authority Conservation staff and statutory amenity societies
Assisting in drawing up, presenting and negotiating competitive fee proposals
Developing and maintaining active communication both within your team and other teams within Savills
Strengthen existing client relationships and seek to expand the team’s client base where possible

Key Skills

Experience in a similar role (preferably 3+ or 5+ years post qualification) in a heritage and townscape consultancy (essential)
An understanding of the EIA process and experience preparing ES level HTVIAs (important)
Detailed knowledge of the planning system in England, including in-depth understanding of the NPPF, planning policy and guidance in relation to heritage and townscape (essential)
Knowledge of London’s townscape, skyline and boroughs
Experience conducting research and identifying key receptors; character areas, viewpoints and heritage significance, as well as defining impacts of proposals on these (essential)
Experience tendering for project work, writing fee quotes and defining and negotiating potential scope of work
Ability to front client work and retain clients passed on
Degree in Urban Design, City Planning, Architecture, Built Heritage (or similar)
Software skills for InDesign, Illustrator and Microsoft office
Membership of the RTPI or IHBC would be advantageous but not essential.

Team Overview

The successful candidate will be part of an outgoing team of 12 proactive consultants whom collectively advise on specialist Heritage, Townscape and Archaeology-related matters associated with the planning process.

Located within Central London, the team’s work is largely in London and the South of England but our expertise is sought on projects across England and by a wide variety of clients, from developers and private residential clients, to government bodies and universities. With team members also situated in Leeds and Wimborne, this offers comprehensive national coverage. The role therefore provides an excellent opportunity to be involved in interesting work in London and other cities, such as Leeds, Birmingham, Southampton, Brighton, Bristol and Manchester.