About

The services of Wolds Heritage Consultancy are provided by Emma Gibbens, who has nearly 20 years’ experience working as a conservation officer within local authorities and latterly as a heritage consultant. She has been a full member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) since 2009.

Having originally gained a degree in Archaeology from Durham University, she later reinforced her love of buildings by achieving the MSc Conservation of Historic Buildings at the University of Bath. Having initially worked for a local authority in Wiltshire, after a family relocation to Yorkshire, Emma started work at the former Harrogate District Council (now a part of the larger North Yorkshire Council) in 2014. She had been Principal Conservation Officer for 5 years before leaving at the end of March 2023 to establish Wolds Heritage Consultancy. In the meantime, Emma has also gained experience through a temporary role as a conservation officer at the City of York Council.

Emma has significant experience of advising owners on repairs and alterations to listed buildings, dealing with listed building consent applications and providing assessments of and negotiating on a wide range of schemes affecting the historic environment - this includes extensions and alterations to listed buildings, development in conservation areas, development affecting the setting of heritage assets and major development proposals.

Emma provides a friendly and pragmatic approach, working effectively with those involved to design schemes and find solutions that conserve the significance of a building or place. Experience as a conservation officer gives a valuable insight into the planning process.

Emma is based on the edge of the Yorkshire Wolds in the East Riding of Yorkshire but will consider work across the Yorkshire and Humber region.