Desk Based Assessments

A Desk Based Assessment (DBA) establishes the known and potential heritage significance of a site and its surroundings through analysis of existing records, documents, and other appropriate sources. It is often the first stage of the heritage assessment process and provides the evidence base upon which decisions about the need for further assessment or mitigation can be made.

Our DBAs are prepared in accordance with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) Standard and Guidance and are tailored to the requirements of individual projects. They typically involve a review of the relevant Historic Environment Record (HER), the National Heritage List for England (NHLE) or equivalent databases, historic mapping, aerial photographs, and other published and unpublished sources.

We undertake DBAs across the UK and Ireland for all types and scales of development, from small residential schemes through to nationally significant infrastructure projects. Our DBAs are clear, concise and well-illustrated, and provide a proportionate assessment that is appropriate to the nature and scale of the proposed development.