Sei sulla pagina 1di 2

Archaeological Archives Forum

Mr Phil Weatherby
Planning Systems Improvement Division
Communities and Local Government
Eland House
Bressenden Place
London SW1E 5DU

22 October 2009

Dear 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 can
be developed and applied and to identify the courses of action necessary to further best practice in
the field of archaeological archives and to effect the means to achieve this action.

The Forum currently comprises representatives of: the Archaeology Data Service, the Association
of Local Government Archaeological Officers, the Council for British Archaeology, the Department
of the Environment Northern Ireland. English Heritage, the Federation of Archaeological Managers
and 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, the
Royal Commission on Ancient and Historical Monuments Scotland, the Royal Commission on
Ancient 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 on
the historic environment in the new policy statement. The earlier Planning Policy Guidance Note 16
of course makes no reference whatsoever to archaeological archives. However we are extremely
disappointed by the limited and unsatisfactory nature of the wording of the statement in HE13
Policy 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 no
policy statement, it had become normal practice for planning authorities to require developers to
transfer archives to a museum or other publicly accessible archaeological resource centre. We
urge that the following sentence be substituted:

<Recording and analysis of the historic environment should result in an ordered and
accessible archive and provision should be made for the long term preservation of the
archive 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 AAF
Guide to Best Practice. The following text is proposed:
<For more information and guidance see Archaeological Archives: A guide to best practice
in creation, compilation, transfer and curation, Archaeological archives Forum (July
2007).>

This statement is informed by our fundamental belief that the public must benefit from research
carried out on the historic environment as part of the planning process. This public benefit can best
be served by the preservation of the archaeological archive in a museum or similar repository.

Yours sincerely

Philip J Wise
MA (Cantab), AMA, MIFA

Chairman of the Archaeological Archives Forum

Archaeological Archives Forum


℅ Colchester and Ipswich Museum Service,
Museum Resource Centre
14 Ryegate Road
Colchester
CO1 1YG

Potrebbero piacerti anche