Bulphan Fen Solar Farm and Battery Storage Heritage Impact Assessment on Behalf of Warley Green Limited
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Bulphan Fen Solar Farm and Battery Storage Heritage Impact Assessment on behalf of Warley Green Limited Prepared by Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd | December 2020 | Document Reference: R015 [project name] Headland Archaeology [project code/job] P20-189 BULPHAN FEN SOLAR FARM AND BATTERY STORAGE Heritage Impact Assessment for Aardvark EM on behalf of Warley Green Ltd 15th December 2020 - i - Bulphan Fen Solar Farm Headland Archaeology P20-189 BULPHAN FEN SOLAR FARM AND BATTERY STORAGE Heritage Impact Assessment for Aardvark EM on behalf of Warley Green Ltd 15th December 2020 HA Job no.: P20-189 HAS no.: 1381 NGR: TQ 6226784657 Parish: Bulphan Council: Thurrock District Council Project Manager: Jen Richards Author: Andrew Brown Fieldwork: Andrew Brown Graphics: Andrew Brown Approved by: Jen Richards ii Bulphan Fen Solar Farm Headland Archaeology P20-189 CONTENTS 1....... INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................. 1 Planning Background ...................................................................................................... 1 Site Description ............................................................................................................... 1 Consultation .................................................................................................................... 1 2....... AIMS AND OBJECTIVES ................................................................................................ 1 3....... METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................ 2 Study areas ..................................................................................................................... 2 Data sources ................................................................................................................... 2 Identification of heritage assets ....................................................................................... 2 Assessment of heritage significance and importance ..................................................... 3 Potential for unknown heritage assets ............................................................................ 4 4....... RESULTS ........................................................................................................................ 4 Overview of the historic environment .............................................................................. 4 Assessment of heritage significance ............................................................................. 10 5....... PREDICTED EFFECTS OF THE DEVELOPMENT ...................................................... 11 6....... CONCLUSIONS ............................................................................................................ 12 7....... REFERENCES .............................................................................................................. 13 8....... APPENDIX 1: CULTURAL HERITAGE ASSETS WITHIN THE STUDY AREA ............ 18 9....... FIGURES AND PLATES ............................................................................................... 19 iii Bulphan Fen Solar Farm Headland Archaeology P20-189 WARLEY SOLAR PARK HERITAGE IMPACT ASSESSMENT In September 2020 Headland Archaeology (UK) Ltd was commissioned to produce a heritage impact assessment to assess the potential impact that a proposed solar park development on land at Bulphan Fen, near Bulphan in Essex would have on the historic environment resource. The proposed development is to build a new 49.9 MW solar park with battery storage capacity and underground grid connections to Warley substation to the west. It is understood that ground works are likely to comprise ground anchors for the panels and cable runs between the rows to the battery storage and grid connections. An area of topsoil stripping will be required for the battery storage. It is estimated that these limited impacts will amount to less than 4% of the total site. The available archaeological, documentary and cartographic data suggests that the site has a generally low potential for archaeological remains from the early prehistoric, medieval and post-medieval, 19th Century and modern periods. However, it is considered there is a high potential for Bronze Age, Iron Age or Romano-British archaeological remains within Field 4. A proposed temporary construction road will likely impact remains associated with the historic Castles Farm adjacent to Field 6. This impact can be mitigated with appropriate archaeological mitigation in the form of archaeological monitoring and recording during the groundworks. A geophysical survey of Field 4 would likely help identify the extent of the recorded buried features first observed and recorded in the 19th century. The results of the survey can be used to inform installation strategies for the final design. 1 INTRODUCTION Planning Background Enso Energy is proposing a 49.9MW solar farm project with a battery storage facility on agricultural land at Bulphan Fen, Bulphan, approximately 9km to the west of Basildon, Essex (henceforth the Proposed Development Area (PDA)). Headland Archaeology was commissioned to produce a heritage impact assessment to assess the potential impact that a proposed solar park development on this site would have on the historic environment resource. Site Description The proposed development is located on arable agricultural land at Bulphan, near Warley, Essex (NGR: TQ 62267,84657). The PDA is made up of 18 fields measuring approximately 150 hectares within the Parish of Bulphan. The PDA is predominantly flat with the existing ground level at the western extent of the development area approximately 6m above ordnance datum (AOD), reducing slightly to 4m AOD at the eastern extent. Consultation Consultation was carried out with the local authority archaeologist on 16thMarch 2020 and a study area and a scope was agreed. 2 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES The assessment has been carried out according to the Standard and guidance for historic environment desk-based assessment published by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA 2014), and aims to: • Collate all available written, graphic, photographic and electronic information relevant to the development site; 1 Bulphan Fen Solar Farm Headland Archaeology P20-189 • Describe the nature, extent and significance of the historic environment within the area potentially affected by the development, identifying any uncertainties in existing knowledge; • Determine the potential impact of the proposed development; and • Identify any requirements for further investigation that may be necessary to understand the effects of the proposed development on the historic environment. 3 METHODOLOGY Study Area A Study Area of 1km around the PDA has been agreed with the Local Authority Archaeologist (email dated 16th March 2020). All designated and non-designated heritage assets within this Study Area have been assessed for potential effects. The scope of the assessment was also determined by both desk-based (in the form of a ZTV) and field- based analysis of the sightlines and topography around the proposed development. Data sources The assessment has been based on a study of all readily available documentary sources, following the CIfA Standards and Guidance (CIfA 2014). The following sources of information were referred to: • Designation data from the National Heritage List for England, downloaded from the Historic England website on 15/07/2020; • Descriptions of designated heritage assets in the National Heritage List for England, viewed on the Historic England website; • Archaeological and architectural records from the National Record of the Historic Environment, viewed through the Heritage Gateway website (www.heritagegateway.org.uk); • Aerial photographs available from online sources e.g. National Collection of Aerial Photographs (NCAP), Google Earth and Getmapping.com; • National Mapping Programme data provided by Essex HER; • Archaeological records and aerial photographs held by the Essex Historic Environment Record (HER) Office published 20th July 2020; • Historic maps and plans available from online sources and supplied by the client; • Environment Agency Lidar data; • Geological data available online from the British Geological Survey; • Portable Antiquities Scheme data; and • Readily available published sources and unpublished archaeological reports. This information was supplemented by a site visit on 6th August 2020 which aimed to confirm the current conditions on the Site, identify any previously unrecorded heritage assets within the PDA and confirm the baseline setting of heritage assets in the study area. The survey was carried out in clear, dry conditions. Identification of heritage assets The assessment aims to identify all known heritage assets potentially affected by the proposed development, and to estimate the potential for currently unknown heritage assets. A heritage asset is defined in the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) (Annex 2) as ‘a building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance meriting consideration in planning decisions, because of its heritage interest’. Both discrete features, and extensive landscapes defined by a specific historic event, process or theme, can be defined as heritage assets; and assets may overlap or be nested within one another. Some heritage assets are designated as Scheduled Monuments, Listed