Commercial archaeological reports are, very often, submitted as part of a planning application for land. In some cases, the client for whom they were produced subsequently sells the land on. This can mean that archaeological reports are subsequently relied upon by an organisation which was not that client. Assurances may be sought as to their reliability, so that it may be demonstrated that land has been subject to appropriate tests prior to sale. Archaeologists are amongst a range of professional services relied upon in this way.
In short, it is a letter from one party to another allowing them to rely on the contents of a report. As professionals, we may feel intuitively that any new party can rely upon our work. The reports will normally become part of the Historic Environment Record and be available to the public. Surely, anyone interested in that piece of land could rely upon our report/s?
We have written an article offering some helpful tips for our sector. It is in The Archaeologist, Issue 115 (Winter 2022). The article is called Please Can You Sign this Letter of Reliance: Things to Consider Before You Do. It can be found here:
