Unlocking a long-contested site within the setting of a Grade II listed building
The project
Orion Heritage provided strategic heritage advice for proposals at Causeway Farmhouse, a complex and highly sensitive site within the setting of a Grade II listed building in the South Downs National Park.
For more than a decade, development proposals associated with the site had faced sustained objections from the local conservation team, making progress particularly challenging. Orion Heritage was appointed to help develop a robust heritage strategy capable of supporting the site through the emerging local plan process.
The project required careful navigation of heritage policy, extensive consultation and ongoing engagement with conservation stakeholders. Alongside detailed heritage assessment work, Orion Heritage provided strategic advice throughout the process, helping the client team respond to evolving concerns and build a stronger case for development within a sensitive historic setting.
Our approach
Rather than treating heritage as a barrier, Orion Heritage helped reframe the discussion around the long-term future of the site and the role carefully considered development could play within it.
Through a combination of rigorous analysis, pragmatic advice and sustained engagement, Orion Heritage helped support a significant breakthrough for the scheme.
The site has subsequently been identified for draft allocation within the emerging South Downs National Park Local Plan, a major milestone for proposals that had previously faced heritage-related resistance for over ten years.
Key outcomes
- Strategic heritage advice for a complex site within the setting of a Grade II listed building
- Ongoing engagement with conservation stakeholders and planning teams
- Support navigating longstanding heritage objections
- Robust heritage strategy developed for the local plan process
- Site successfully identified for draft allocation within the emerging South Downs National Park Local Plan
