29th May 2011, 07:58 PM
Wax Wrote:RedEarth's experience of local planners and inconsistences is very much the same as mine I suspect we must work in the same area or the problem is very wide spread. Round here one local Government set up has got rid of their County archeaologist so who knows where the planners will be getting their archeaological advice ( if any).
I fear it is quite likely to be the case that this issue is simply very wide spread, especially based on some of the other responses,such as from Marcus. If in some cases the final or even main decision is being made by an non- or under-qualified local planner without relevant experience then what is the point of PPGs or PPSs? They probably wouldn't dare do it in the case of protected species/habitat issues in a similar vein due to the risk of being prosecuted (although I could be wrong) but if a previously unknown archaeological site gets destroyed on the quiet because someone who didn't know what they were talking about made the decision, then's what comeback is there? The loss of a curator in an entire area (I know where you mean) is just perverse. Again, have they entirely disposed of people in similar roles? I have been tempted to query or complain on the basis of being a concerned local resident as well as an archaeologist but the potential fallout from a work point of view is a bit worrying.