Archaeology

The following charges:

• Will be reviewed annually.
• Will be applied to all new casework.
• Will be applied to all new stages of ongoing archaeological investigations.

The following charges:

• Apply for development proposals within Peterborough Unitary Authority only.
• Reflect routine involvement in projects by type and category, best practice advice, professional codes of conduct, regulations and standards.
• Apply to proposals both within and outside the planning system (e.g. schemes for utility provisions, and energy and national infrastructure projects).
• Exceptions and variations may apply at the discretion of Peterborough City Council (PCC)Archaeological Services. In these instances, advice on charges will be provided at the earliest opportunity.

Why have we introduced charges?

Charges have been introduced to ensure that PCC Archaeological Services have the necessary resources to support the continued provision of the service by contributing to the extra costs of archaeological advice for the consultation process in relation to planning applications and other proposed development/change of land-use outside the planning systems.

Sections 93 and 94 of the Local Government Act 2003 and the Localism Act 2011 give local authorities the power to charge for discretionary services. The local authority is bound to ensure that income from any charges does not exceed the costs of providing the service, and that the level of income is restricted to the amount it costs to provide such services.

Typical schedule of charges per category

Each charge reflects the category of development to which it applies, and the proportionate routine involvement in the different programmes and stages of archaeological work.

Charging is cumulative, and where more than one programme is required, the charges will apply for each programme selected.

Typically, each charge includes:

• A Historic Environment Record (HER) search based on the current PCCHER Charging Policy (See HER Charging Policy). The HER is a comprehensive source of information relating to landscapes, buildings, monuments, sites, places, areas and archaeological finds within Peterborough Unitary Authority.
• A Site Visit/Meeting. Additional visits/meetings are discretionary.
• A preliminary examination of the Written Scheme of Investigation/Project Design (WSI/PD) within10 working days prior to formal submission to the planning authority. In compliance with the standards set by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA), the WSI/PD must be prepared by a competent archaeologist and must set out the proposed scheme of investigation in sufficient detail to satisfy the planning archaeologist that it is an appropriate response to the brief, and that works will be appropriate and proportionate to the known/potential remains and the level of impact. A WSI/PD remains valid for six months, unless otherwise agreed.
• A preliminary examination of filed reports within 15 working days prior to formal submission to the planning authority.
• Travel costs charged on PCC current mileage reimbursement.
• Correspondence time
• Administration time

Briefs

A brief of works must be obtained by PCC Archaeological Services. There is no charge for a brief as this is usually tied directly into the planning condition. A brief is issued within 10 working days from receipt of request. The aim of the brief is to specify the required archaeological work and inform the Written Schemes of Investigation/Project Design (WSI/PD). A brief is drawn up on the basis of information supplied in respect of the proposal. The terms of the brief are monitored during the course of work on site, as revisions and amendments may be required in consideration of further details and ongoing fieldwork results. A brief remains valid for six months after the date of issue. Any WSIs/PDS resulting from a brief will only be considered for a six month period.

Please note: payment must have been made prior to the completion of each stage of archaeological investigation. Failure to pay will result in the delay of approval of the stage of archaeological work.

Archaeological investigation and recording of standing buildings or structures (demolition / conversion / alteration) which are not nationally or locally listed. A watching brief of work may be required to be carried out in conjunction with the building recording.

Charges*

Archaeological Building Recording:

• Historic England Level 1 Building Record: £37.84 (includes VAT@20%)
• Historic England Level 2 Building Record: £74.45 (includes VAT@20%)
• Historic England Level 3 Building Record: 111.06 (includes VAT@20%)
• Historic England Level 4 Building Record: £147.67 (includes VAT@20%)

Monitoring (Watching Brief): £295.33 (includes VAT@20%)

What is included in the Category A charges

** Each charge reflects the category of development to which it applies, and the proportionate routine involvement in thedifferent programmes of archaeological work, typically quoted at £50.00 per hour. Please note that charging is cumulative andwhere more than one programme/stage is required the charges will apply for each programme/stage selected.

This information is designed to support stakeholders interested/involved in woodland creation schemes to identify the potential implications of such schemes for the historic environment and its setting, including historic landscape and townscape. 

It is based upon the UK Government’s Policy on sustainable forestry and, in particular, on the approach outlined in the Forestry Commission’s The UK Forestry Standard: the Government’s Approach to Sustainable Forestry 2017, Section 6.3: Historic Environment, pp.79-95. 

The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) is the reference standard for sustainable forest management in the United Kingdom. With reference to the historic environment, the UKFS states that “The primary responsibility for land managers in relation to historic environment features is to ensure they are conserved and not accidentally or unknowingly damaged. This will involve an appropriate evaluation of the site, and an assessment of features of importance – whether scheduled or not – as part of the forest management plan” (p.84).

In some circumstances, the stakeholders may be required to consider the impact of woodland creation schemes on the historic environment under the Impact Assessment Regulation (Environmental Impact Assessments for woodland - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The UKFS states that engagement with the Historic Environment Record (HER) is the “starting point” for obtaining the necessary information. Stakeholders are encouraged to engage with Peterborough City Council (PCC) Archaeological Services in advance of woodland creation schemes in order to seek advice, manage risk and avoid delays.

To be able to provide advice, PCC Archaeological Services will require the following information:

• The boundaries of the proposed site (ideally as a GIS map shapefile).
• The National Grid Reference of the site.
• Address of the site (if known).
• Density and type of proposed trees and planting methodology (if known).
• The long-term management plans for the site, including any proposed interpretation or public access plans (if known).

Additional specialist advice must be sought in relation to nationally designated heritage sites. PCC Conservation Officers should be contacted for advice on schemes that could affect the curtilage and/or setting of a listed building.

The UKFS also states that “Where the historic environment is identified in an environmental assessment determination, or where important historic environment features are known [in the wider HER record] but information is lacking, a more detailed historic environment survey may need to be commissioned …” (UKFS p.87).

The aim of the survey and field evaluation programmes is to determine, as far as is reasonably possible from the available evidence, the nature, extent and significance of the historic environment within a specified area, the impact of the proposed woodland creation schemes on the significance of the historic environment, and the potential for appropriate mitigation measures to be implemented. PCC Archaeological Services, in consultation with other heritage professional if necessary, will provide advice on the required survey programmes.

The gathered evidence base will allow PCC Archaeological Services, in consultation with other heritage professional if necessary, to make an informed assessment of the suitability of all, or part of, a proposed site for woodland creation, and to advise on appropriate mitigation measures (UKFSpp.88-95). Typically, where significant historic environment assets are identified, the appropriate mitigation will consist of preservation in situ through avoidance and buffering, also taking the settings of features into consideration in the forest management plan, in addition to the features themselves (UKFS pp.88-89).

Depending on the scale of the enquiry and provision of service, the current charges for PCC Archaeological Services will apply. Further information on the current charges can be found in the Charging policy for Archaeological Planning Advice and Charging policy for Historic Environment Records.