Archaeological Consultancy - Advice about archaeological
investigations in the planning application process
Introduction
Archaeological remains are
irreplaceable. They are evidence - for prehistoric periods,
the only evidence - of the past development of our civilization.
Today's archaeological landscape is the product of human activity
over thousands of years. It ranges through settlements and remains
of every period, from the camps of the early hunter gatherers
400,000 years ago to remains of early 20th century
activities. It includes places of worship, defence
installations, burial grounds, farms and fields, and sites of
manufacture. These remains vary enormously in their state of
preservation and in the extent of their appeal to the
public. "Upstanding" remains are familiar enough -
the great stone circles, the castle and abbey ruins of the Middle
Ages or abandoned coastal defence systems. But less obvious
archaeological remains, such as ancient settlements and field
systems, are also to be found across large parts of the
country. Some prehistoric sites in wetland areas contain
important wood and organic remains. Many buildings in
older towns lie on top of Roman, Anglo-Saxon or medieval
structures.
Investigating Archaeological Remains
Archaeological remains should be seen as a
finite and non-renewable resource, in many cases highly fragile and
vulnerable to damage and destruction. Appropriate
management is therefore essential to ensure that they survive in
good condition. In particular, care must be taken to ensure that
archaeological remains are not needlessly or thoughtlessly
destroyed.
They can contain irreplaceable information
about our past and the potential for an increase in future
knowledge. They are part of our sense of national identity
and are valuable both for their own sake and for their role in
education, leisure and tourism.
The present century has been a period of
striking environmental change. Some changes, like the erosion
of coastal areas, have occurred naturally. But much
archaeological heritage has been destroyed by human activity - for
example, by modern construction methods in urban development and
expansion of the road network, by modern agricultural techniques
(in particular deep ploughing or drainage of wetlands), and
by mineral extraction.
With the many demands of modern
society, it is not always feasible to save all archaeological
remains. The key question is where and how to strike
the right balance. Where nationally important archaeological
remains and their settings are affected by proposed development
planning legislation creates a presumption in favour of their
physical preservation. Cases involving archaeological
remains of lesser importance will not always be so clear cut and
planning authorities need to weigh the relative importance of
archaeology against other factors including the public benefits of
the proposed development.
Regardless of the circumstances, taking
decisions is much easier if any archaeological aspects of a
development site can be considered early on in the planning and
development control process. Archaeological
records for England currently contain around 600,000 sites and
monuments. Some 13,000 nationally important cases enjoy
special protection as"scheduled monuments", under the Ancient
Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. English
Heritage have embarked on a survey programme which is expected to
result in significant additional numbers being given this statutory
protection (see Annex 3). Scheduling archaeological
remains ensures that the case for preservation is fully considered
given any proposals for development or other work which might
damage the monument.
The planning system is equally in a position
to consider the desirability of preserving archaeological
remains. Much can be achieved within the wider planning
process when developers are prepared to enter into discussions with
archaeologists and consider fully the needs of archaeology.
This voluntary approach to considering the needs of archaeology is
a well-established and growing practice and has been formalized in
Codes of Practice by the British Archaeologists' and Developers'
Liaison Group (BADLG). Archaeological issues are often
important in planning. The key to informed and reasonable
planning decisions is for consideration to be given early, before
formal planning applications are made, to the question whether
archaeological remains exist on a site where development is planned
and the implications for the development proposal.
When important remains are known to exist or
when archaeologists have good reason to believe that important
remains exist, developers will be able to help by preparing
sympathetic designs using, for example, foundations which
avoid disturbing the remains altogether or minimise damage by
raising ground levels under a proposed new structure, or by
the careful siting of landscaped or open areas. There are
techniques available for sealing archaeological remains underneath
buildings or landscaping, thus securing their preservation for the
future even though they remain inaccessible for the time
being.
If physical preservation in-situ is not
feasible, an archaeological excavation for the purposes of
‘preservation by record', may be an acceptable
alternative. From the archaeological point of view this
should be regarded as a second best option. The science of
archaeology is developing rapidly. Excavation means the total
destruction of evidence (apart from removable artefacts) from which
future techniques could almost certainly extract more information
than is currently possible. Excavation is also expensive
and time-consuming, and discoveries may have to be evaluated in a
hurry against an inadequate research framework. The
preservation in-situ of important archaeological remains is
therefore nearly always to be preferred.
Positive planning and management can help to
bring about sensible solutions to the treatment of sites with
archaeological remains and reduce the areas of potential conflict
between development and preservation. Both central
government and English Heritage have important roles to
play. But the key to the future of the great majority
of archaeological sites and historic landscapes lies with local
authorities, acting within the framework set by central government,
in their various capacities as planning, education and recreational
authorities, as well as with the owners of sites
themselves. Appropriate planning policies in
development plans and their implementation through development
control are especially important.
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