Planning a Development

Development across Merseyside is guided by the National Planning Policy Framework (Department for Levelling UP, Housing and Communities, Revised September 2023), which sets out the government’s planning policies for England and how these are expected to be applied. The policies governing development management of the historic environment and archaeology  outlined in  Section 16 of the National Planning Policy Framework, Conserving and Enhancing the Historic Environment.

The Archaeology Team is always pleased to provide initial advice to applicants, their agents or archaeological contractors on the archaeological and built heritage issues that may affect a development proposal. Consultation with MEAS is strongly advised at the earliest opportunity when preparing a planning application to ensure that appropriate consideration has been given to archaeological and built heritage matters.

Planning applications for developments that may affect archaeological remains or built heritage should be supported by a desk-based assessment and consultation with the Merseyside Historic Environment Record, as recommended by Paragraph 194 of the National Planning Policy Framework. In some cases, it may be appropriate to also carry out a programme of initial investigation, such as evaluation trenching, and the results submitted as a report in support of the planning application. If this is not submitted at application stage, then it is likely to be requested by planning condition.

Evaluation trenching is a limited phase of initial non-intrusive and/or intrusive field investigation that provides information on the presence, nature, extent and significance of any archaeological remains present. It enables the requirement for and  scope of any further archaeological work that may be required to mitigate the impact of development.

 

Building recording is a programme of work intended to establish the character, history, dating, form and archaeological development of a specified building or structure, or complex and its setting, including its buried components.

Where an archaeological evaluation or historic building investigation is required, it is best practice and good risk management to commission the work during the development design process and prior to any remediation or development works taking place, to minimise any delay to the construction programme.

Steps to a cellar exposed during excavations in Great Crosby

Designated Heritage Assets

A statutory designated heritage asset is a site, building or landscape that holds formal status under law or policy in recognition of its significant heritage values, and is afforded protection in the planning system. Examples of designated heritage assets include World Heritage Sites, Scheduled Monuments, Listed Buildings, Protected Wreck Sites, Registered Park and Gardens, Registered Battlefields and Conservation Areas.

MEAS will refer the developer to Historic England for further advice and guidance on development proposals that may affect the most important designated heritage assets (Scheduled Monuments, Grade I and II* Listed Buildings), whilst the Conservation Officer for the relevant district authority should be consulted on proposals that involve Grade II listed buildings, Conservation Areas and Locally Listed Buildings.

However, MEAS will advise on matters relating to the investigation and recording of designated assets prior to any agreed developments works taking place. MEAS also provides specifications for the investigation of historic buildings and structures.

 

Archaeological Mitigation

Desk-based assessments and other archaeological reports submitted in support of a planning application will assist in establishing the significance of any heritage assets and help define whether any further archaeological mitigation is required. This is usually secured by a condition attached to planning consent, and may consist of detailed proposals to secure the preservation of significant archaeological deposits in-situ or, if this is not possible further fieldwork to ensure that an adequate record is made of any archaeological remains that will be removed during development construction works. This may range from a formal programme of excavation in the case of significant deposits to a watching brief where remains of lesser importance are anticipated.

Excavation is the excavation and recording of archaeological evidence which will be unavoidably destroyed by development. 

A watching brief is a programme of observation and investigation conducted during any operation carried out for non -archaeological reasons where there is a possibility that archaeological deposits may be disturbed or destroyed,

MEAS can provide specifications for archaeological work, comment upon and approve Written Schemes of Investigations prepared by archaeological contractors, monitor archaeological fieldwork and post-excavation programmes, and advise on the discharge of archaeological conditions.