The Archaeology Forum (TAF) has written to Greg Clarke to alert him to the impact of current cutbacks in local authority historic environment archaeology services.
The letter from TAF states:
‘As you will be aware, the Archaeology Forum is very concerned about the vulnerability of local authority historic environment services in our current economic circumstances. Of particular interest to the Forum is the work of archaeology officers, who, in addition to their management of Historic Environment Records, their work with local communities and their strategic and plan-making duties, are also responsible for identifying development proposals that have archaeological consequences and for advising planners and developers on appropriate mitigation.
Almost all of the advice given by archaeological officers is concerned with undesignated heritage assets (which comprise 95%+ of the total resource). It includes agreeing with the applicant a programme of archaeological work to inform the planning decision, and when necessary scoping out the necessary programme of archaeological investigation, analysis, publication and archiving, to ensure that sites and buildings are not destroyed by approved development without being researched and recorded.
We are now learning of some local authorities that propose to dispense with any archaeological advice, which would leave them unable to fulfil their responsibilities under PPS5 and the draft Framework. One has expressed the view that stewardship of the historic environment ‘might be considered a luxury’.
It is becoming apparent that PPS5 and the draft NPPF do not provide a clear enough, or strong enough, message to convey to some planning authorities their obligations to give informed consideration of applications that might unsustainably damage the historic environment, and to ensure that where the balance is in favour of development that significant assets to be destroyed are investigated and interpreted for public benefit. We are also concerned that that absence of expert advice will results in uncertainty and delays to the planning process where archaeological sites are affected, including costly delays to developments.
We therefore very much welcome the DCLG statement to the BBC that ‘Residents rightly expect their council to maintain key services and to deliver their legal duties including heritage protection. National planning policy is clear about the importance of archaeology and our heritage assets.’ We believe that this statement should be issued in the form of a ‘Dear Chief Planning Officer’ letter so that authorities do not mistakenly assume that they can dispense with access to specialist archaeological and historic environment advice.
I do hope you will be able to act on this advice. Forum members are of course ready to assist your officers, should that be helpful.’
For TAF see: LINK
