The Archaeology Advisory team provides advice to Liverpool City region on all matters relating to archaeology and the planning process.. This includes advice on appropriate protection and recording measures on development sites, and approaches to enhancing Merseyside`s unique and fascinating historic environment.
The Archaeology advisory team provides the following planning work on behalf of MEAS:
- Advising on identifying Heritage Assets with an archaeological interest and understanding their significance
- Assessing the likely archaeological implications of development proposals
- Recommending any necessary archaeological work as a planning condition
- Liaising with planners and developers to mitigate impacts on significant archaeology
- Preparing briefs and advising on written schemes of investigation
- Monitoring archaeological works
- Mediating between clients and archaeological contractors
- Preparing research agendas within the planning process
- Enhancing the Historic Environment Record as a planning tool and public record
- Promoting dissemination of results from archaeological investigations
We do not carry out fieldwork projects or undertake commercial consultancy work, which is carried out by professional archaeological contractors, although we are always pleased to provide advice on appropriate methods and scope of investigating sites.
HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT RECORD
MEAS adopted the Historic Environment Record (HER) in April 2014. A three-year process of digitising and enhancing the HER, working with the paper Sites and Monuments Record files dating back to the 1970s and with the grey literature of archaeological reports for Merseyside, means it is now usable as a source of sound planning evidence. From June 2016 a full service for archaeological advice relating to planning and development management is available to the local authorities of Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St. Helens and Wirral.For contact details for the HER see Heritage Gateway For archaeological planning advice Contact UsFor details of our charging policy see the policy and fees section of this website.
DESIGNATED SITES
A 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.GMAAS 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.
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. Examples of different types of archaeological work undertaken through planning conditions across Greater Manchester are presented in the GMAAS Annual Reports.GMAAS 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.
PUBLIC BENEFIT
It is implicit in the National Planning Policy Framework that any historic environment mitigation work carried out in the planning system should result in public benefit. The Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) outlines some of the ways that archaeologists can create and deliver public benefit, noting that community strength and identity can be enhanced by engaging and sharing research that advances our understanding of the past. There is also evidence that engaging with the historic environment can make a significant contribution to community well-being and promote social capital, leading to improvement in health, wealth and education (https://www.archaeologists.net/profession/publicbenefit).GMAAS expects that any important findings from archaeological work carried out as part of a development scheme will be made easily accessible as a means of sharing knowledge and gaining public benefit. One means of achieving this is by installing a professionally designed information board, which can form an important part of the public legacy of developer-funded, community, and research archaeology projects. A wide range of information boards that have been installed on archaeology sites across Greater Manchester can be viewed