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Archaeological Archives Forum
Mr Phil WeatherbyPlanning Systems Improvement DivisionCommunities and Local GovernmentEland HouseBressenden PlaceLondon SW1E 5DU22 October 2009Dear Mr Weatherby
Consultation on Planning Policy Statement 15: Planning for the Historic Environment
I have been asked to respond to the consultation on Planning Policy Statement 15: Planning for the Historic Environment on behalf of the Archaeological Archives Forum (AAF).The AAF was established by English Heritage in 2002: to link together in partnership all major parties with an interest in archaeological archives in order that common policies and practice canbe developed and applied and to identify the courses of action necessary to further best practice inthe field of archaeological archives and to effect the means to achieve this action.The Forum currently comprises representatives of: the Archaeology Data Service, the Associationof Local Government Archaeological Officers, the Council for British Archaeology, the Departmentof the Environment Northern Ireland. English Heritage, the Federation of Archaeological Managersand Employers, the Institute for Archaeology, the IFA Finds Group, the IFA Maritime Affairs Group,the Institute of Conservation Archaeology Group, the Museums Libraries and Archives Council, theRoyal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments Scotland, the Royal Commission onAncient and Historical Monuments Wales, the Society of Antiquaries of London and the Society of Museum Archaeologists.The AAF welcomes the inclusion of a statement relating to the archiving of the results of work onthe historic environment in the new policy statement. The earlier Planning Policy Guidance Note 16of course makes no reference whatsoever to archaeological archives. However we are extremelydisappointed by the limited and unsatisfactory nature of the wording of the statement in HE13Policy principles guiding the recording of information related to heritage assets: ‘They (Developers)should also offer the archive generated to a local museum or other public depository’ (HE13.3).This is arguably considerably weaker than the previous situation in which, because there was nopolicy statement, it had become normal practice for planning authorities to require developers totransfer archives to a museum or other publicly accessible archaeological resource centre. Weurge that the following sentence be substituted:
<Recording and analysis of the historic environment should result in an ordered andaccessible archive and provision should be made for the long term preservation of thearchive in an appropriate museum or repository.>
It is also appropriate to place in a footnote at the end of this paragraph a reference to the AAFGuide to Best Practice. The following text is proposed:
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