2nd June 2011, 10:13 AM
Dinosaur Wrote:Surely your employer should be equally concerned? (and potentially glad that a 'concerned local citizen' is raising the issue for them) After all, sites getting destroyed 'on the quiet' means lost business for them, that's certainly seems to be the view around here although the problem isn't too critical in the immediate area just yet, although it may be coming....the unavailability of a certain HER could be rather inconvenient though
Sorry, haven't had chance to reply. I was really meaning that complaining as a 'concerned local' might also affect work as I deal with planners professionally - as a private contractor, not as a council employee though.
The other issue with local planners not necessarily taking on board the advice given by the county HES is that it is likely to further enhance the 'honeypot' effect that probably already exists, i.e. certain areas that are known to have plenty of archaeological potential will always be looked at, areas that are relatively blank won't. So the local planner will always acknowledge the need to carry out a watching brief every time a new garage is put up in 'Massiveromantownchester-on-the-Wold' but think there's no point in 'Buggeralleverhappenedhereton-on-Sea', meaning a potential lack of new discoveries in some areas. Also it does seem as if the local policy in each area can be quite different with some local authorities actively promoting heritage and even, amazingly enough, investing money in archaeology, while others act like it is a massive inconvenience. This has always been so but does it not make concepts of research through developer funded work a bit redundant?