10th September 2008, 11:44 PM
Posted by Monitor Lizard:
What I was objecting to was the apparent attitude that archaeologists are entitled to impose prohibitive costs on developers right from the outset, at pre-application or pre-determination stage, and before we even know if there is any archaeology there. That is a very unhealthy attitude that can only engender hostility and mistrust from those on whom we depend for goodwill as well as funding.
Curator Kid has now clarified that the post on which I was commenting related to a post-determination evaluation. Post-determination works are a different kettle of fish.
If the evaluation is being asked for to show whether there is an archaeological issue to address, then I would have to ask why is it happening post-determination anyway? On the other hand, there is a place for post-determination evaluation, where there was already enough info for the planning decision but not enough for a detailed mitigation design. Under those circumstances, the trenching (or whatever) is really the first stage of mitigation, rather than evaluation in the strict sense. Under these circumstances, cost is a much less sensitive issue, and my previous comments about 'the polluter pays' do apply.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished
Quote:quote:And how would you then propose reducing evaluation costs to whatever you consider to be reasonable?I don't have a magic formula for that, and it would have to vary a lot according to the nature and scale of the development, the developer and the archaeology. However, we should be careful only to ask for evaluations under circumstances mandated by PPG16, only where really justified by the circumstances of the case, and only to address the purposes mandated by PPG16. Experience suggests that this is often not the case.
What I was objecting to was the apparent attitude that archaeologists are entitled to impose prohibitive costs on developers right from the outset, at pre-application or pre-determination stage, and before we even know if there is any archaeology there. That is a very unhealthy attitude that can only engender hostility and mistrust from those on whom we depend for goodwill as well as funding.
Curator Kid has now clarified that the post on which I was commenting related to a post-determination evaluation. Post-determination works are a different kettle of fish.
If the evaluation is being asked for to show whether there is an archaeological issue to address, then I would have to ask why is it happening post-determination anyway? On the other hand, there is a place for post-determination evaluation, where there was already enough info for the planning decision but not enough for a detailed mitigation design. Under those circumstances, the trenching (or whatever) is really the first stage of mitigation, rather than evaluation in the strict sense. Under these circumstances, cost is a much less sensitive issue, and my previous comments about 'the polluter pays' do apply.
1man1desk
to let, fully furnished