Archaeological Archives Forum Pps 15 Response

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:

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:

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