How we can help you
Sometimes development works take place within, or partly within, a Scheduled Monument. In such cases Scheduled Monument Consent must be applied for alongside a local planning authoirty application. The process is often referred to as ‘gaining SMC’. There are justifiable reasons why SMC can be applied for, and gained. Developers should face this prospect early and engage, via ourselves, with Historic England. The earlier that engagement takes place the better, as there may be useful exchanges made which can then feed into design and/or decision making.
What are Class Consents?
Certain works can take place within/on a Scheduled Monument. These are referred to as class consents and they can be broadly described as agriculture or gardening. The latter needs to be carefully approached if gardening means new activity as a result of a development.
Design Team Meetings
We go through every aspect of a development application to spot activities which may need SMC. This means carefully checking the enabling works, construction works, landscaping proposals and maintenance regimes (e.g. methodology for hedge cutting). All of the above activities can involve ground breaking activities.
Changes to drainage and local hydrology is also a consideration. For example Moated Sites frequently contain organic deposits (waterlogged) which can become dessicated and damaged if local hydrology changes. Such changes can be prompted by groundworks off, but relatively close to a Scheduled Monument.
Written Scheme of Investigation
It is our task to carefully check all the implications of a development and then to contribute to the application form for SMC as it is prepared, often by a planner on your team. We frequently produce a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) to accompany an application for SMC. This WSI will describe in detail the works we will manage on your behalf in order to ensure a Scheduled Monument is protected and/or investigated as appropriate.
Heritage Impact Assessment
On occasion Historic England may request a Heritage Impact Assessment. This document will consider the specific significance of a Scheduled Monument and having done so will consider the potential impacts of a proposal. These may be negative, positive or neutral, and they may be a combination of all three.
The HIA can be helpful in informing the decision making process.
Go ahead and ask………
If you would like to talk over a site or any of the topics mentioned above, please give us a call or send an email. We are happy to help out with some preliminary observations on archaeology and heritage.
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