Archaeology Baseline Assessment
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Archaeology Baseline Assessment 373379 1 c Halsnead Masterplan SPD January 2017 Halsnead Masterplan SPD Archaeology Baseline Assessment Halsnead Masterplan SPD January 2017 Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council Mott MacDonald, 2nd Floor, 2 Brewery Wharf, Kendell Street, Leeds LS10 1JR, United Kingdom T +44 (0)113 394 6700 F +44 (0)113 394 6701 W www.mottmac.com Archaeology Baseline Assessment Halsnead Masterplan SPD Issue and revision record Revision Date Originator Checker Approver Description A 17 August 2016 A. Marshall P. Riccoboni M. Hopper Draft for review MCIfA MCIfA B 14 October 2016 A. Marshall C. Hewitson J. Williams Amended following client MCIfA MCIfA comments C 11 January 2017 A Marshall C. Hewitson J. Williams Final MCIfA MCIfA Information class: Standard This document is issued for the party which commissioned it We accept no responsibility for the consequences of this and for specific purposes connected with the above-captioned document being relied upon by any other party, or being used project only. It should not be relied upon by any other party or for any other purpose, or containing any error or omission used for any other purpose. which is due to an error or omission in data supplied to us by other parties. This document contains confidential information and proprietary intellectual property. It should not be shown to other parties without consent from us and from the party which commissioned it. Archaeology Baseline Assessment Halsnead Masterplan SPD Contents Chapter Title Page 1 Introduction 1 1.1 Background _______________________________________________________________________ 1 1.2 Site Location _______________________________________________________________________ 1 1.3 Scope of Report ____________________________________________________________________ 2 2 Legislation and Policy 4 2.2 Legislation ________________________________________________________________________ 4 2.3 National policy _____________________________________________________________________ 4 2.4 Local planning policy ________________________________________________________________ 5 3 Baseline Conditions 6 3.1 Site conditions _____________________________________________________________________ 6 3.2 Designated assets __________________________________________________________________ 6 3.3 Historic landscape characterisation _____________________________________________________ 7 3.4 Historic mapping ____________________________________________________________________ 8 3.5 Historic Environment record data ______________________________________________________ 13 3.6 Previous archaeological investigation within the development areas ___________________________ 16 4 Archaeological and Historical Potential 17 4.1 Land South of Whiston development area _______________________________________________ 17 4.2 Land South of the M62 development area _______________________________________________ 18 5 Impact of Development Proposals 21 6 Conclusion 22 7 References 23 7.1 Documents _______________________________________________________________________ 23 7.2 Maps ____________________________________________________________________________ 24 Appendices 25 A. Historic Environment Record Gazetteer _________________________________________________ 26 B. Cartographic Sources _______________________________________________________________ 43 C. Historic Environment Record Drawing __________________________________________________ 47 Archaeology Baseline Assessment Halsnead Masterplan SPD 1 Introduction 1.1 Background 1.1.1 Mott MacDonald and Turley have been commissioned by Knowsley Metropolitan Borough Council (KMBC) to produce a masterplan Supplementary Planning Document (SPD) to help guide delivery of a Sustainable Urban Extension (SUE), covering two sites formerly known as “Land south of Whiston” located to the north of the M62 as well as “Land south of the M62”. These two sites have collectively been termed ‘Halsnead’. 1.1.2 The SUE was until recently designated as Green Belt land however on adoption of the Local Plan Core Strategy (2016) it was allocated for development. The Local Plan Core Strategy (SUE2) identifies the largest SUE locations as needing additional planning guidance and the site under consideration in this report forms the largest and most complex SUE. The Local Plan identifies that this SUE has the capacity to accommodate upwards of 1,500 new homes, at least 22.5 hectares of employment land, and a new country park. 1.1.3 The preparation of the masterplan is currently at baseline stage and a range of evidence has been collected from a number of different disciplines to inform an up to date evidence base for the study area. This evidence is presented within a series of coordinated studies which ensure the constraints and opportunities are fully understood to inform the development of a deliverable masterplan. 1.2 Site Location 1.2.1 The site consists of two parts, a northern part and a southern part, with the two separated by the M62. There are multiple land ownerships across the SUE making a comprehensive masterplan important to ensure that development expectations are managed and there is a common design framework to make best use of the site. The final masterplan will practically function as a planning instrument, both as a guide to developers and as a material planning consideration to help bring development proposals into conformity. Together the two parts of the site total 176 hectares of development land. The site can be seen in Figure 1.1 below. 1 Archaeology Baseline Assessment Halsnead Masterplan SPD Figure 1.1: Site Location Land South of Whiston Land South of M62 © Crown Copyright Knowsley MBC 100017655, 2016 1.2.2 The site is bounded to by existing residential development to the west and north and by Foxes Bank Lane to the east, a rural road which provides an underpass under the M62. The south of the site is bordered by the A5080 Cronton Road, with the south eastern corner of the site being bounded by the former Cronton Colliery. Currently in the centre of the northern part of the site is Halsnead Park mobile home site. Adjacent to this is a medium sized pond and surrounding woodland. 1.3 Scope of Report 1.3.1 This assessment has been produced to provide an outline assessment of the archaeological potential of the site. An assessment of built heritage will not be included within this report, other than where buildings are considered to have associated archaeological potential. Built heritage considerations have initially been considered within the Landscape and Townscape Assessment (Turley, 2016). 2 Archaeology Baseline Assessment Halsnead Masterplan SPD 1.3.2 This archaeological assessment follows the guidance set out by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists’ (CIfA) Standards and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessments (2014) and Historic England Good Practice Advice Note 2: Managing Significance in Decision-Taking in the Historic Environment (2015) and Note 3: The Setting of Heritage Assets (2015). 1.3.3 For the purposes of this assessment, a 1km radius study area around the proposed masterplan area has been assessed. This 1km study area is considered appropriate for the scale of the development and its rural setting. Built heritage assets were not considered as part of this assessment, other than where buildings were considered to have associated archaeological potential. 1.3.4 The following actions were undertaken to gather the baseline and establish the potential archaeological resource: a search of the Merseyside Historic Environment Record (HER) database for undesignated archaeological sites, find spots and historic buildings within the study area; a search of the Historic England National Heritage List for England (NHLE) website for scheduled monuments, listed buildings, and registered parks and gardens within the study area; an examination of local, regional and national planning policies in relation to the historic environment; an inspection of geological sources (maps) relevant to the site; an inspection of the cartographic evidence for the land use history of the site; an assessment of existing impact and truncation on the site; and an assessment of relevant published and unpublished archaeological sources. 3 Archaeology Baseline Assessment Halsnead Masterplan SPD 2 Legislation and Policy 2.1.1 This assessment has been produced to inform the masterplan Supplementary Planning Document. The following is a summary of the relevant national and local legislation and policy. 2.2 Legislation 2.2.1 Legislation covering archaeological monuments is provided by The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. 2.3 National policy 2.3.1 The National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), published in March 2012, sets out the National Planning Policy for England. NPPF provides a framework for the management of the Historic Environment and its policies should be a material consideration in development management decisions. 2.3.2 When considering the impact of a proposed development on the significance of a designated asset, great weight should be given to the asset’s conservation…Significance can be harmed or lost through alteration or destruction of the heritage asset or development within its setting (NPPF, 132). 2.3.3 In determining applications, local planning authorities should require an applicant to describe the significance of any heritage assets, including any contribution made by the setting (NPPF, 128). Where appropriate, developers will submit a desk-based assessment