14th March 2007, 02:46 PM
This paper is supposed to be outlining the way forwards for the designation and protection of Historic sites. It's not going to mention standards for digging them up or monitoring commercial archaeological work because it's not the appropriate place to do so. That would be contradictory and confusing. Also, such a discussion in this context might establish into the system a principle of "acceptable destruction if offset by recording or monitoring" for historic sites and buildings that are currently well protected from such threats. This in effect would water the current Listed Buildings and Scheduled Monuments protection legislation down to nearer the PPG16 level where archaeological destruction is accepted in development situations, and would be a handy principle for developers to exploit if they fancied using the top of Canterbury Cathedral for a mobile phone mast or converting Fountains Abbey into a nice block of flats.