Planning Archaeology

The County Council provides an archaeological advisory service to the districts and boroughs of Leicestershire and to Rutland County Council.  Where advice is offered to a local planning authority (LPA), it represents a ‘material consideration’ in their determination of a planning application.

Our advice may include a recommendation for archaeological work to be undertaken prior to the granting of planning permission (e.g. desk-based assessment and/or field evaluation).  Alternatively, archaeological concerns may be adequately addressed through a programme of post-determination archaeological mitigation, secured by condition upon a planning approval (e.g. excavation, historic building survey, etc.).

More information regarding the implications of archaeological remains, historic buildings and the wider historic environment on the planning process is available on the websites of the Institute of Field Archaeologists, the Council for British Archaeology and British Archaeological Jobs Resource.

Where we have recommended that archaeological work is undertaken, we can provide a Brief for the work on request by the applicant or their agent.  The Brief should then be supplied to one or more archaeological contractors in order to obtain quotes for the work (see our List of Archaeological Contractors (PDF, 31Kb) - this is not a 'recommended' list but rather a list of those contractors who have either worked or expressed an interest to work within Leicestershire and Rutland ).  Once a contractor has been chosen, they will be required to prepare a Specification or Written Scheme of Investigation detailing the necessary work.  The Specification must then be forwarded to the LPA and this office for approval, prior to the start of the archaeological investigation.

Each district and borough has their own planning website providing guidance on the submission of planning applications, and forms for their submission.  For general information regarding the planning process you may like to visit the government's Planning Portal.

The historic environment, comprising archaeological remains, historic buildings and landscapes, is protected under the provisions of specific legislation and through the planning process.  A small proportion of sites and buildings have statutory protection either as Scheduled Ancient Monuments under the Archaeological Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979, or as Listed Buildings under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990.

However, the majority of the historic environment is managed through the planning process as advised by government advice in the form of Planning Policy Guidance (PPG) notes PPG 15, Planning and the Historic Environment (DoE/DoNH 1994) and PPG 16. Archaeology and Planning (DoE 1990).  Locally national guidance is supplimented by Structure and Local Plan policy, increasingly to be replaced by Local Development Frameworks and their associated policies.