27th November 2008, 06:33 PM
Good stuff, trowelfodder.
Both hosty and Kevin have raised the issue of overturning developer funding as a whole system, and having a more directly state-funded way of dealing with archaeological issues. Personally, I'd like to see a more centralised system with higher standards, but I don't see it as an option in this country.
Places like France have a state archaeological service paid for by taxation on developers, but I wouldn't expect this to work in the UK- it's the kind of funding a UK government of whatever persuasion would have no qualms about reassigning to some other needy cause, to the detriment of archaeologists and the archaeological heritage of this country. I suspect a government-funded archaeological service in the UK is never going to employ 6000 full-time staff- we aren't the health service!
Meanwhile, I reckon we get on with doing the best job we can and supporting moves to boost (or at least maintain) standards across the commercial sector. Without sounding too bleak, we need to remember a couple of things:
-companies will go to the wall and archaeologists will lose their jobs, but hopefully those that remain will be the most dedicated/capable/professional/fortunate.
-development hasn't ground to a halt.
-the demand for housing in the UK is still outstripping demand by far, and this is a long-term pattern. Hopefully the this period is a blip.
Both hosty and Kevin have raised the issue of overturning developer funding as a whole system, and having a more directly state-funded way of dealing with archaeological issues. Personally, I'd like to see a more centralised system with higher standards, but I don't see it as an option in this country.
Places like France have a state archaeological service paid for by taxation on developers, but I wouldn't expect this to work in the UK- it's the kind of funding a UK government of whatever persuasion would have no qualms about reassigning to some other needy cause, to the detriment of archaeologists and the archaeological heritage of this country. I suspect a government-funded archaeological service in the UK is never going to employ 6000 full-time staff- we aren't the health service!
Meanwhile, I reckon we get on with doing the best job we can and supporting moves to boost (or at least maintain) standards across the commercial sector. Without sounding too bleak, we need to remember a couple of things:
-companies will go to the wall and archaeologists will lose their jobs, but hopefully those that remain will be the most dedicated/capable/professional/fortunate.
-development hasn't ground to a halt.
-the demand for housing in the UK is still outstripping demand by far, and this is a long-term pattern. Hopefully the this period is a blip.