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3rd February 2007, 09:54 AM
BAJR has secured a page of editorial in a major construction and development magazine -
there is only so much to cram in... but I would like to explain the point of archaeology, the benefits and the pitfalls.. the process and what to expect..
I would prefer if it truely is a BAJR editorial, where the consensus decides what is important.
I have a month to produce it... so lets make it look good... this is a real chance to put forward out views on a national stage. No comedy please ! :face-huh:
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
For really I think that the poorest he that is in England hath a life to live, as the greatest he
Thomas Rainborough 1647
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3rd February 2007, 11:10 AM
FORWARD PLANNING AND ASSESSMENT SAVES MONEY AND HEADACHES APLENTY!!!
'In the busy market there are fortunes to be won and lost, but in the cherry orchard there is peace'.
Chinese proverb
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3rd February 2007, 11:41 AM
Ask your Local Govt Arch Officer for a view as early in the planning process as possible. And don't assume that a pre-determination evaluation won't be required just because 'you've never been asked to do one in this town before'. Pre-app consultation is the way forward.
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3rd February 2007, 01:30 PM
Nice ones... - vulpes.. thats a real good piece of advice.. It is all in the forward planning.
Can we also add positive benefits (finicial, publicity, geotechnical, architectural etc etc..)
It would be good to show the developer that far from being jsut a box to tick and/or a bleedin pest that archaeology can add greatly to the whole project.
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
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3rd February 2007, 02:46 PM
Very rarely can archaeology add to a project.
As for the page of editorial in a major construction magazine. This is a vehicle for selling advertising. The IFA are doing something similar in March.
David can you ring me about this.
Peter
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3rd February 2007, 03:29 PM
s'ok Peter... know what I am doing... yes advertising is happening.. but it is a cheap opportunity.. I rarely advertise, but for the cough .. cost .. it is worth the advert.
"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu
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3rd February 2007, 08:47 PM
Quote:quote: Very rarely can archaeology add to a project
Hmmmm... You could use that as the header for the page... But seriously, archaeology [u]can</u> add to construction projects. Not in financial terms admittedly, as it costs money. But handled sensitively by developers and with a bit of chivvying from consultants, contractors and importantly curators it can 'add' in a number of ways. The end product can work wonders for the image of the more savvy developers, who come across as actually giving a stuff about the historic bit of the environment. And publication of the results at different levels can also contribute. The production of information about the archaeological work on housing sites to be included in the packs that new homeowners receive or in sales literature is just one example. I for one would be interested in any more imaginative ways that the public and developers can be engaged. Keep 'em coming.
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4th February 2007, 11:34 AM
I recall one site in Scotland where rather a lot more was found than had been expected. The developer shelled out for extra work, but was pleased to be lauded as a responsible contractor in several newspapers and on TV. As a result of this publicity, half of their units sold before they'd even been built.
(David, check you-know-who for more precise details).
'In the busy market there are fortunes to be won and lost, but in the cherry orchard there is peace'.
Chinese proverb
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4th February 2007, 09:15 PM
There you go! Archaeology sells houses! Brilliant.
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4th February 2007, 09:26 PM
In terms of PR, it is often more reasonable to advise a client on how to avoid negative PR than to claim that you can achieve positive PR. If you can do both then great, but the first can be more important from a client's point of view. If some positive PR can be generated then this is a bonus - one way to do this is to set up extensive outreach during and after fieldwork - this can not only benefit the client but also the local population - after all it is [u]their</u> archaeology.
I usually try to emphasise to a new client that my role is to guide their development through the planning process, whether that is EIA or straightforward pre-determination evaluation and possibly further mitigation. Many developers are wise enough to know how to play the system now - their main concern is not how much will the archaeology cost directly (i.e. the cost of the contractor / consultant) but whether it will affect buildability, either in terms of programme of of developable area.
I think that in your BAJR editorial it is important to stress the benfits that a decent programme of archaeological work could bring to a developer, such as those given by Vulpes and Tom, in particular the maximisation of engagement with the locals who may well be key customers.
I think that it was Troll who said something on another thread along the lines of being frustrated by the quasi-legal language that we have to use in this post-PPG16 world. Spot-on Troll - it is very frustrating - but that is what happens when we use the legal system to proptect our heritage - developers will always be happy to pay some smart-arse lawyers to find the loopholes in the system.
Beamo
