I’m Hilary Byers, an independent conservation consultant working across Kingston upon Hull and the surrounding area. As a one-person practice, no project is too small, but I also enjoy working as part of a wider professional team on larger schemes. I often work alongside architects, surveyors, engineers, project managers, and archaeologists, and I’m frequently brought into projects by architects to provide specialist conservation advice. If you don’t yet have an architect, I may be able to help you find a suitable practice. I prefer to be involved early, helping shape proposals, clarify timescales, and identify when additional expertise may be needed.
I qualified as a Planning Officer in the early 1970s and began my career working on historic area planning before moving to Hull City Council, where I dealt with planning applications, environmental improvement schemes, and grant programmes in Hull’s Old Town. This led to my appointment as Conservation Officer, producing Conservation Area Appraisals, advising on Planning and Listed Building Consent applications, and helping rescue buildings at risk.
I am a member of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation and hold a Postgraduate Diploma in Building Conservation from the University of Reading. After leaving the Council, I worked on lottery-funded conservation schemes and established my own practice. I work mainly across Yorkshire and North Lincolnshire, but I’m happy to consider projects elsewhere in northern England and the Midlands—especially where clients value the character and history of their buildings.
