InformedDECISION project

Historic Environment Scotland is developing a new online service called InformedDECISION™ developed by provider Informed Solutions. 

The service will make it easier to submit selected heritage applications and consultations, provide the information we need and access relevant guidance.  The service is intended to improve the experience of applicants and consultation bodies, support complete and high-quality submissions and give our staff more time to provide specialist advice and make informed professional decisions.

The first release is expected to provide online application services for: 

• Scheduled Monument Consent 

• Metal and Mineral Detecting Consent 

• Scheduled Monument Clearance 

It will also provide online routes for selected consultations relating to: 

• Planning applications 

• Listed Building Consent and Conservation Area Consent 

• Woodland creation, felling licences and forest plans 

• Strategic Environmental Assessment 

• Marine licensing 

• Local Development Plans and other strategic planning documents 

We will publish the final list of available services before launch.

The service will be relevant to: 

• People and organisations applying for Scheduled Monument Consent 

• People and organisations applying for Metal and Mineral Detecting Consent 

• Agents acting on behalf of applicants 

• Planning authorities 

• Public bodies and other organisations consulting HES 

• Organisations submitting forestry, environmental, marine or strategic planning consultations 

The online questions will guide users to the appropriate application or consultation route.

InformedDECISION will: 

• Guide users through the relevant application or consultation process 

• Explain what information and supporting documents are required 

• Help applicants provide complete and high-quality information 

• Make relevant heritage information and guidance easier to find 

• Reduce avoidable requests for missing information 

• Support clearer and more consistent communication 

• Help HES staff provide a responsive, high-quality public service 

The platform will not replace human professional assessment or make heritage decisions.

Once the service launches, we will explain which applications and consultations should be submitted through it. 

Until then, please continue to use the existing HES application and consultation routes. The initial service may not cover every type of application, consultation or enquiry. Existing contact routes will remain available for services that have not yet moved online. 

Yes. This page will include: 

• A link to the online service 

• Step-by-step application and consultation guidance 

• Frequently asked questions 

• Information about required documents 

• Accessibility and assisted-digital support 

• Contact details for technical and service enquiries 

Users should not need specialist training to complete an application or consultation. 

Information submitted through InformedDECISION will be used to process the relevant application or consultation and support HES’s statutory and public functions. 

A privacy notice will explain: 

• What personal information we collect 

• Why we need it 

• How it will be used 

• Who it may be shared with 

• How long it will be retained 

• Individual information rights 

Some application and decision information may be published where this is required as part of the relevant statutory process. The service will identify which information is intended for publication.

InformedDECISION™ includes some artificial intelligence-enabled functions to help HES staff find and review relevant information more efficiently. 

These functions may be used to: 

• Search approved guidance, policies and supporting evidence; 

• Find relevant historic cases and previous responses; 

• Identify potentially similar cases; and 

• Produce summaries of case information to support review. 

Where AI-assisted search is used, results will be linked to the relevant source material so staff can check the information and consider it in context. AI-generated summaries and search results are decision-support tools and may not always be complete or relevant. 

The technology will not decide the outcome of an application or consultation. HES staff will remain responsible for: 

• Checking the relevant evidence; 

• Applying legislation, policy and guidance; 

• Assessing the circumstances of each case; 

• Providing specialist advice; and 

• Making or approving decisions through the established quality-assurance process. 

Professional expertise and judgement will remain central to every HES assessment and decision. 

HES information will not be used to train external artificial intelligence models. The use of AI-enabled functions will be subject to appropriate data-protection, information-governance, security and access controls. 

What is a Protected Historic Place

Consents and permissions

Our regulatory framework

Regeneration

Colin McDowall 
Heritage Programme Manager & Business Improvement Lead  
colin.mcdowall@hes.scot  

Noemi Giovelli  
Heritage Policy and Engagement Officer  
noemi.giovelli@hes.scot