Is the Proposed Tunnel the Answer? Pages 6&7
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Issue 39, February to June 2017 Stonehenge: is the proposed tunnel the answer? Pages 6&7 04 Neighbourhood plans and 08 Mill fires: coincidence or 10 New resources to record the your community worrying trend? Home Front Legacy of the First World War www.archaeologyUK.org LATEST NEWS WARM WELCOMES… We are pleased to welcome two new faces to the CBA this month. Gill Bull is the new Deputy Director at the Council for British Archaeology. Her role is to lead the delivery and development of the CBA’s engagement work including programmes such as the Remember to save the Young Archaeologists’ Club and the date of this year’s Festival of annual Festival of Archaeology, as well Archaeology 15-30 July. as contributing to the overall development of the CBA, including We are always looking for new events working closely with the CBA network to add to the line-up so we have lots of across the UK. She joins the CBA after different events and activities suitable serving as Director of Strategy and for all ages. If you’d like to know more Gill Bull - Deputy Director Insight at the Parliamentary and Health about how you can arrange an event Service Ombudsman and, before that, and what we can do to help, visit the was Assistant Director of Policy and Customer Services at the London Borough Festival website. of Sutton. In the last year she has completed an MA in Cultural Heritage Even if you can’t arrange an event, Management at the University of York. Outside of work she is enjoying learning there will be a wide range of events to more about archaeology and visiting heritage projects, museums and galleries, as choose from near you, so check the well as walking, especially in Yorkshire. website close to the date to see what you or your family might enjoy. Last Kathryn Richardson joins us as the new year’s Festival saw talks and lectures, Marketing Assistant Apprentice. exhibitions and displays, guided walk Kathryn will be helping with the social and tours, re-enactments, activities, and media, website and e-newsletters. She hands on workshops. The events cater comes from a creative background from to a wide age range, meaning everyone studying textiles, art and design and can get involved! We look forward to photography at A-level and 1 year in seeing you there. the Community Arts sector. In her spare time she plans and organises her http://www.archaeologyfestival.org.uk own craft and art workshops for the general public and local communities. Kathryn is also interested in History, and enjoys looking around historical sites – Kathryn Richardson - Marketing Assistant especially castles! …and fond farewells We also say farewell to Sue Wright, who has been working on developing the Home Front legacy project as its Project Officer over the last 3 years. We would like to thank Sue for her amazing hard work and wish her all the best in her new job. You can read more about some of the new features that she has helped to deliver on page 10. 02 t. 01904 671 417 e. [email protected] w. archaeologyUK.org ISSUETHIRTYNINE LATEST NEWS Protecting Cultural Property During Armed Conflict The parliamentary process to enable the UK to ratify the 1954 Hague Convention on the Protection of Cultural Property during Armed Conflict and its two protocols is nearing its end, and it is hoped that the Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill will receive Royal Assent in the next month or two. If all goes to plan, then the UK will • the National Record Offices and the ratify the international convention in five legal deposit libraries in the UK the spring. In anticipation of this, the UK At a DCMS-hosted round table in has moved forward with a number of December, the CBA argued strongly initiatives to prepare for UK for the inclusion of significant ratification, including the launch of a archaeological sites across the UK on £30m Cultural Protection Fund. the list for general protection. One (see https://www.britishcouncil.org/ option which should be feasible, would arts/culture-development/cultural- be to add all sites in state guardianship protection-fund). The ancient tetrapylon in Palmyra to the list – on the assumption that it reported destroyed by the so-called Islamic In partnership with the Department for State in January this year. would not be possible to add all Culture, Media and Sport, the British Scheduled Ancient Monuments to the Council has established the Fund with As well as looking at issues relating list as these are too numerous and not the aim of protecting and preserving to the protection of cultural heritage all significant enough to be worthy physical monuments and religious sites overseas, the UK needs to put forward a of protection in this way. overseas, as well as ‘intangible’ heritage: list of categories of cultural property for Another category of cultural property inherited traditions, beliefs and cultural protection in the event of armed conflict which the CBA argued to be worthy of identity, passed down through on UK soil. The categories suggested protection are historic wrecks, for generations – all of which have been by the UK Government for general example those 62 sites around the UK increasingly under threat in the protection under the Convention listed through the Protection of Wrecks Middle East and North Africa as the are currently: Act 1973. DCMS officials are now so-called Islamic State have gained • all listed buildings of Grade I considering the options prior to a more power in the region. (Category A in Scotland and Northern detailed announcement about the UK’s Ireland) status The first funded projects have included intentions to ratify the Convention in work to train archaeologists from six • in England and Wales, all historic the coming months. countries in the use of an open-source parks and gardens of Grade I status aerial recording methodology, designed • all UK World Heritage Sites, excluding for conflict zones and other areas where those sites which are inscribed as access to the ground is restricted. natural sites • the collections of the museums and Another funded project will survey and galleries that are sponsored or document the pre-Islamic Alexandrian directly-funded by the Government city of Charax, as well as 14 other sites • Designated Collections in England in the Basrah Province (Southern Iraq) and Recognised Collections in to increase understanding and provide Scotland (covering collections at baseline data for the management and Maiden Castle: a major archaeological museums, galleries, libraries, archives site in state guardianship. support of the sites. and universities) 03 ADVOCACY COULD A NEIGHBOURHOOD PLAN HELP PROTECT ARCHAEOLOGY IN YOUR COMMUNITY? Neighbourhood plans have been called a ‘quiet revolution’ by proponents in Government since their introduction in the 2011 Localism Act, and have been the stand-out policy to come out of the previous Government’s localism agenda. Indeed, they are achieving a lasting influence on the way planning works at Neighbourhood plans can help provide money to install interpretation of local heritage the most local level. features or support community maintenance. Almost all neighbourhood plans start There is an incredibly broad scope for On top of all of these policies, the with a vision of what makes that place how neighbourhood plans can use these share of CIL money could easily be special. This usually draws on historic powers. Most commonly, neighbourhood channelled to fund community character, local designated assets, and plans identify land suitable for building management agreements for heritage landscape features. However, there on, but they can also do a wide range of assets such as memorials, graveyards, or remains an untapped potential for more other things, such as protect local other local historic features, or provide groups to use their plans to promote shopping areas by limiting residential cash to put up interpretation boards, active protection and enhancement of conversions, or stimulate design design heritage walking trails, or support the historic environment. guidelines for new build housing. An community archaeology projects. Essentially, the revolutionary aspect of example to illustrate how innovative Essentially, the tools exist within neighbourhood planning is that it gives neighbourhood plans can be is in St. neighbourhood planning to strongly communities the opportunity to Ives, where the community has safeguard the influence of heritage in proactively influence the development successfully banned the sale of new planning at a neighbourhood level. of their areas, take ownership of local build houses for use as holiday homes. We need more local people with a issues such as the need for new housing, passion for heritage to take part in Given this power, there remains a huge or wider issues of design, backed by neighbourhood forums and advance the untapped potential for policies which support (often of over 90%) at a potential innovative policies. specifically address archaeological and neighbourhood referendum. heritage issues. For example, it is The CBA will be issuing guidance in the They do not give communities the possible that neighbourhood plans coming weeks to provide advice for ability to arbitrarily block development could highlight the importance of individuals and groups to get involved but they do provide options for influence undesignated archaeological features, with neighbourhood forums, or to and allow for the direct channelling from ancient trackways, to remains of consider setting one up. This guidance of funds from the Community ridge and furrow, or provide extra will include examples of past plans and a Infrastructure Levy (CIL), which protection for unlisted buildings of range of options for potential policies. developers pay to local authorities to important local character, or protect spend on projects highlighted in plans, significant views, or other amenity to support local projects.