Gloucester Council next....

[BAJR]

Lets look at the councils happy press release :

Innovative approaches to involving diverse community groups with schemes to help preserve or showcase Gloucester?s heritage have been recognised in a national competition.



Work with homeless people and a community project to chart and record the history of historic buildings before demolition as part of a regeneration scheme caught the eyes of the judges.



Now the Council for British Archaeology has awarded a ?highly commended? certificate to the city council?s heritage services team for the 2010 Marsh Archaeology Awards.



The awards recognise groups or individuals who have been responsible for promoting access to the historic environment in the UK.



Phil Staddon, the council?s director of regeneration, commented: ? One scheme involved a homeless charity and resulted in a display of the work that residents had produced. The other brought together a large group of people who put together a detailed history of a building in the centre of the city that was about to be demolished for a major regeneration project.



?In both cases it shows how communities can be engaged in the work of their local councils. I am delighted that the work of this team and all of the others who took part has been recognised at a national level.

Wow! something to be proud of... a dynamic service that is pushing the boundaries of engagement in innovative ways and the council are happy to say without irony; "I am delighted that the work of this team and all of the others who took part has been recognised at a national level. "

Now on the council controlled website of the service:
http://www.gloucester.gov.uk/LGNL/Enviro...ology.aspx

NEW PAGES COMING SOON: Following further reorganisation the Historic Environment Team is joining forces with the Conservation Team to form a combined Heritage Service responsible for both the archaeological and built heritage of Gloucester.

Sadly that was two years back now, and things are moving on a pace.. Yes, indeed, the award winning service has been rewarded well, by another little reorganisation (still to be confirmed) that will see the service reduce to 1 person within the planning department itself as a more junior post.

Yes, that's right they will be reorganised out of existence. No more worries of being nationally recognised or concerns about providing a service to be proud of.

So think about poor Councillor White, because with this service going, then the Councillor Martyn White will have little to look after in terms of Heritage - Leisure it is then!
http://www.gloucesteractive.co.uk/commit...ID=143&J=1

[ATTACH=CONFIG]861[/ATTACH]


Bus. Phone: 01452 410710
Bus. Email: martyn.white@gloucester.gov.uk




If you feel like asking some questions... he will be your man. Certainly intend to ask the question why - and what did he do to protect the service... I want answers, I want freedom of information... I want to know how and who made these choices.



I will guess it is a done deal... but lets make sure they don't get an easy ride.



Ask politely but firmly.



1. Is it true they intend to cut the Heritage Service
2. On what basis was this decision made
3. How will they have any ability to conduct any Heritage based project or outreach without a dedicated service
4. Can you have the details of who to ask about FoI on this consideration.

[monty]

Big cuts also in Leicester and Stoke apparently............

[Jack]

And Manchester (unsubstantiated rumor though)

[Wax]

Manchester is probably in a better position that most (though change is on the cards allegedly) and any rumour of any imminent demise are very exagerated and totally unsubstantiated. However there are commercial companies out there trying to sell themselves as being able to take on HERs now how will that work ? Will they charge the councils and the public to access what should be a freely acessible(for research) resource? Who does all that lovely data belong to?:face-thinks:

[moreno]

However there are commercial companies out there trying to sell themselves as being able to take on HERs now how will that work ? Will they charge the councils and the public to access what should be a freely acessible(for research) resource? Who does all that lovely data belong to?:face-thinks:

This is something I was wondering about as well. Would it be a viable option for councils to sub this out? Will we see "new" (or commercial companies etc) businesses forming to take on this work?

[Sith]

This is something I was wondering about as well. Would it be a viable option for councils to sub this out? Will we see "new" (or commercial companies etc) businesses forming to take on this work?

It already happens in some places (e.g. North East Lincolnshire - Balfour Beatty), and we at VMP have run at least one HER in the past as part of a wider service contract with the council.

[Boxoffrogs]

Having previously worked at Gloucester (a very long time ago) I shall be sorry to see it go. I Informed Leicester that their service was a likely victim back in October last year. Up until 5 years ago Berkshire was out-sourced to Babtie (now Jacobs) but is now back in house (sort of)...but I see it as yet another possible victim...

...welcome aboard all you poor unemployed archaeologists...what took you so long to get here???

[Unitof1]

How are we going to do any archaeology if we don?t have a HER.

Does it mean that the developer would need to do more field work to check for archaeology.. You could do some background with your own books and what experience that you have of similar areas. There is some stuff on the internet. I think that if you are going to do the field work that is all you need. I don?t do any field work before I do some research. If I don?t find any information I just say I don?t have any or much information to go on and just put the trenches randomly and lucky guess. I think that I would tell my clients to do evaluations particularly before they bought the land from the landowners. I hear that in Suffolk that they are now doing mostly evaluations post determination and have stopped doing watching briefs. I think that this is the way to go particularly if there are no more HERs or SMRs.

The only problem is getting evaluation work pre determination. At least post determination you can mostly find out who needs an archaeologist through the decision notices. In some naughty counties and districts the planners are still keeping contractor lists. I don?t think that they are fair. Maybe if there are no planners they will not be able to put out ?preferred? lists.

[P Prentice]

How are we going to do any archaeology if we don’t have a HER.

Does it mean that the developer would need to do more field work to check for archaeology.. You could do some background with your own books and what experience that you have of similar areas. There is some stuff on the internet. I think that if you are going to do the field work that is all you need. I don’t do any field work before I do some research. If I don’t find any information I just say I don’t have any or much information to go on and just put the trenches randomly and lucky guess. I think that I would tell my clients to do evaluations particularly before they bought the land from the landowners. I hear that in Suffolk that they are now doing mostly evaluations post determination and have stopped doing watching briefs. I think that this is the way to go particularly if there are no more HERs or SMRs.

The only problem is getting evaluation work pre determination. At least post determination you can mostly find out who needs an archaeologist through the decision notices. In some naughty counties and districts the planners are still keeping contractor lists. I don’t think that they are fair. Maybe if there are no planners they will not be able to put out “preferred” lists.

i rest my case

[Unitof1]

Prenti, sometimes deppending on which way the wind blows hosty gets mad about oneliners. I myself quite like them. Used to do them a lot. I was a bit pre tweeter. Anyway what case you resting?