9th November 2012, 11:28 AM
(This post was last modified: 9th November 2012, 12:40 PM by kevin wooldridge.)
I think you are both right (David and TF) and in his normal cynical manner so is Uo1. This situation will resolve itself however, probably sooner than most people imagine, I suspect because the imperative for developers to pay for the cost of archaeology will be removed from the planning process.
Where will that leave the profession? Dead in the water for the vast majority of its practitioners. The same units and contractors that couldn't see the wood for the trees prior to PPG 16 throwing them a bottomless pit of easy to earn monies will return to the morass from which they arose. Those of us lucky enough to have retained a degree of independence or distance from the dog-eat-dog world of day to day contracted indifference, might be able to struggle on ploughing our own little furrows of personal interest. I think the commercial model is too exposed in its business model and single source of funding to be able to offer much in the way of improvement in terms and conditions. So whilst the debate is interesting and the current consultation may offer some small improvement, it isnt going anywhere in the long term.
Still I am already looking forward to being asked to recollect how we used to survive as archaeologists in those days before the living became too easy!! Might be a late career in that...
Where will that leave the profession? Dead in the water for the vast majority of its practitioners. The same units and contractors that couldn't see the wood for the trees prior to PPG 16 throwing them a bottomless pit of easy to earn monies will return to the morass from which they arose. Those of us lucky enough to have retained a degree of independence or distance from the dog-eat-dog world of day to day contracted indifference, might be able to struggle on ploughing our own little furrows of personal interest. I think the commercial model is too exposed in its business model and single source of funding to be able to offer much in the way of improvement in terms and conditions. So whilst the debate is interesting and the current consultation may offer some small improvement, it isnt going anywhere in the long term.
Still I am already looking forward to being asked to recollect how we used to survive as archaeologists in those days before the living became too easy!! Might be a late career in that...
With peace and consolation hath dismist, And calm of mind all passion spent...