The Wisbech Standard 26/06/11

Fenland District Archaeological Planning - A Response to Councillor Melton

We the undersigned consider to be shocking and potentially disastrous the recent declaration by Councillor Alan Melton (reported in the Cambs Times and Wisbech Standard) that, as of July 1st, the Fenland District Council will no longer apply archaeological planning condition. His speech to the Fenland Council Building and Design Awards ceremony at Wisbech noted the safeguarding of natural and aesthetic concerns, but made no mention of heritage aside from: “in local known historical areas, such as next to a 1000 year old church…. Common sense will prevail! The bunny huggers won't like this, but if they wish to inspect a site, they can do it when the footings are being dug out”.

If Fenland District Council proceed with these plans, not only will it find itself contravening national planning guidelines and existing cultural and heritage statute and case law, it is likely any development will be open to legal challenges that will involve the Council (and by extension its rate-payers) in major financial costs and cause prospective developers serious delays, if not worse. All these factors run counter to Councillor Melton’s arguments and he will place Fenland District Council at a considerable financial risk.

Rather than, as claimed, being an impediment to local development, development-related archaeology is a highly professional field and the vast majority of such excavations within England occur without any delay or redesign consequences to subsequent building programmes. Indeed, not only is archaeological fieldwork a source of graduate employment, but also now significantly contributes to the local rural economy (plant hire, tourism etc.).

The issues raised by Councillor Melton directly reflect upon the role of localism and heritage. There is no denying that the past speaks to a local sense of place-value, identity and belonging. Yet, that is not tantamount to ‘ownership’ and does not make it a local prerogative to allow the wanton destruction of heritage, as it also exists within greater regional, national and international frameworks.

Of certain international significance within the Fenland District are the Roman town at Stonea (excavated by the British Museum, 1980-85) and the superbly preserved, 3000 year-old timber- platform settlement recently discovered in quarries at Must Farm, Whittlesey. Effectively a ‘prehistoric Pompeii’ with its wood, textiles and metalwork all preserved (see http://ucl.ac.uk/prehistoric/past/past063.pdf), the Must Farm site was only found through developer-funded fieldwork and now ranks amongst the most important later prehistoric sites in Europe. It is, however, only one of a number of major archaeological sites that have been discovered within the district over the last decade. To list but a few, uniquely waterlogged Bronze Age landscapes have been excavated at both Thorney and March, and a number of important Iron Age and Roman settlements and specialist salt-production sites have also been investigated in advance of development. For later periods, there has been evidence of timber buildings associated with the Saxon monastery at Ramsey (and, also there, a Medieval dock with a crane and warehouse); at Wisbech itself, interspersed with flood episodes, three metres depth of 13-15th century occupation has been documented. Both there, and on other sites in the area, archaeology is providing direct evidence of long-term environment change and cultural responses to that change. Given its low sea-exposure topography, Fenland District archaeology is uniquely placed to address issues of such obvious pressing contemporary relevance.

If, under Councillor Melton’s guidance, Fenland District continues to push through with this irresponsible policy change, it amounts to saying that its local heritage is of no consequence. This is certainly not true from regional/national/international perspectives, and is surely no basis upon which to build a worthwhile and sustainable future.

Christopher Evans FSA MIFA, Executive Director, Cambridge Archaeological Unit, University of Cambridge

Prof Ian Armit FSA, Prof. of Archaeology, Dr Carenza Lewis FSA, Dept. of University of Bradford Archaeology, University of Cambridge and Brian Ayers FSA, MIFA, Former Norfolk President, Cambridge Antiquarian Society County Archaeologist Dr Caroline Malone FSA, MIFA, Reader in Prof Graeme Barker FBA, Disney Prof. of Archaeology, Queen’s University, Belfast Archaeology, University of Cambridge Sir Paul Mellars FBA, Emeritus Prof. of Dr David Barrett FSA, Chair, Association of Prehistory and Human Evolution, Local Government Archaeologists, England University of Cambridge Prof John C. Barrett FSA, Prof. of Prof Martin Millett FBA, Laurence Prof. of Archaeology, University of Sheffield Classical Archaeology, University of Prof Richard Bradley FBA, Prof. of Cambridge Archaeology, University of Reading Prof Robert Van de Noort FSA, MIFA, Prof. Martin Carver, Editor Antiquity of Wetland Archaeology, University of Prof Timothy Champion FSA, Prof. of Exeter Archaeology, University of Southampton Prof Michael Parker Pearson FSA, Prof. of Prof Bryony Coles FBA, Prof. of Archaeology, University of Sheffield Archaeology, University of Exeter Dr Joshua Pollard, Reader in Archaeology, Prof John Coles FBA, Fitzwilliam College, University of Southampton Cambridge Prof Dominic Powlesland FSA, Visiting Dr Simon Collcutt FSA, Managing Director, Prof. of Archaeology, University of Leeds Oxford Archaeological Associates and Director, The Landscape Research Prof Mark Edmonds, Prof. of Archaeology, Centre University of York Dr Kate Pretty, CBE, FSA, President of the Prof Dai Morgan Evans FSA, Visiting Prof. Council for British Archaeology, Deputy of Archaeology, University of Chester Vice Chancellor, University of Cambridge Dr Charles French FSA, Reader in Prof Francis Pryor MBE, FSA, Prof. of Geoarchaeology, University of Cambridge Archaeology, University of Leicester and Prof Michael Fulford CBE, FBA, Prof. of President, the Wisbech Society Archaeology, University of Reading Lord Renfrew of Kaimsthorn FBA, Emeritus Prof Clive Gamble FBA, Prof. of Geography, Prof. of Archaeology, University of Royal Holloway, University of London Cambridge Dr Duncan Garrow, Lecturer in Dr Tim Reynolds, Senior Lecturer in Archaeology, University of Liverpool Archaeology, Birkbeck College, University Prof Chris Gosden FBA, Prof. of of London, and former Cambs. County Archaeology, University of Oxford Archaeologist Prof Anthony Harding FBA, Prof. of Dr Ben Roberts, Curator of European Bronze Archaeology, University of Exeter Age, British Museum Prof Colin Haselgrove FBA, Prof. of Prof Chris Scarre FSA, Prof. of Archaeology, Archaeology, University of Leicester Durham University Dr Mike Heyworth MBE, Director, Council Niall Sharples FSA, Reader in Archaeology, for British Archaeology Cardiff University Dr JD Hill FSA, Research Manager, British Prof Steve Shennan FBA, Director, Institute Museum of Archaeology, University College London Dr Catherine Hills FSA, Senior Lecturer in Dr Alison Sheridan FSA, President of the Archaeology, University of Cambridge Prehistoric Society & Membre d'honneur du Prof Ian Hodder FBA, Dunlevie Family Conseil d'administration de la Société Prof., Stanford University, California Préhistorique Française Prof Mark Horton FSA, Prof. of Robin Standing, Royal Society for the Archaeology, University of Bristol Protection of Brids Archaeologist Prof Timothy Insoll FSA, Prof. of Dr Marie Louise Stig Sørensen, Reader in Archaeology, University of Manchester Archaeology, University of Cambridge Prof Martin Jones FSA, Prof. of Dr Simon Stoddart FSA MIFA, Fellow of Archaeological Science, University of Magdalene College, Cambridge Cambridge Prof Nicholas Thomas, Director, Museum of Prof Kristian Kristiansen FSA, Prof. of Archaeology and Anthropology, University Archaeology, University of Gothenburg, of Cambridge Sweden Angus Wainwright, National Trust Dr Gerald Wait FSA, MIFA, Hon. Chair Archaeologist for East of England Region Institute for Archaeologists and Director, Prof Geoffrey Wainwright MBE, FSA, Nexus Heritage Emeritus Prof. of Archaeology, University of Prof Andrew Wallace-Hadrill OBE, FBA, Southampton and former Chief Master, Sidney Sussex College, Cambridge Archaeologist, English Heritage Prof Alasdair Whittle FBA, Prof. of Archaeology, Cardiff University