T H A M E S V A L L E Y ARCHAEOLOGICAL S E R V I C E S The Bryn Yr Odyn Solar Park, Tyn Dryfol, Soar, Anglesey Desk-based Heritage Assessment by Steve Preston Site Code TDA13/31 (SH3950 7380) The Bryn Yr Odyn Solar Park, Tyn Dryfol, Soar, Anglesey Desk-based Heritage Assessment for New Forest Energy Ltd by Steve Preston Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd Site Code TDA13/31 April 2013 Summary Site name: The Bryn Yr Odyn Solar Park, Tyn Dryfol, Soar, Anglesey Grid reference: SH3950 7380 Site activity: Desk-based heritage assessment Project manager: Steve Ford Site supervisor: Steve Preston Site code: TDA13/31 Area of site: 29ha Summary of results: There are no known heritage assets on the site. There are, however, two Scheduled Monuments close enough to be in a position where their settings could be affected by its development. On balance it is not considered that the nature of the proposal would adversely affect the appreciation of these monuments. The area around the site, particularly to the south and east, is comparatively rich in known archaeological sites, with several small Roman settlements besides the two Scheduled Monuments, and the speculative line of a Roman road. The site covers a very large area, increasing the probability of archaeological remains being present simply by chance. The landscape of the site has been farmland since cartographic depictions began, and most of the fields are comparatively recent constructions. The proposal overall does not obviously carry any significant adverse impacts on archaeological remains but there may be the potential for localized disturbance in areas of electricity substation or deeper cable trenches. It is recommended that a watching brief be conducted in those areas but that the remainder of the proposal requires no archaeological mitigation. This report may be copied for bona fide research or planning purposes without the explicit permission of the copyright holder. All TVAS unpublished fieldwork reports are available on our website: www.tvas.co.uk/reports/reports.asp. Report edited/checked by: Steve Ford 11.04.13 i Thames Valley Archaeological Services Ltd, 47–49 De Beauvoir Road, Reading RG1 5NR Tel. (0118) 926 0552; Fax (0118) 926 0553; email: [email protected]; website: www.tvas.co.uk The Bryn Yr Odyn Solar Park, Tyn Dryfol, Soar, Anglesey Desk-based Heritage Assessment by Steve Preston Report 13/31 Introduction This report is an assessment of the archaeological potential of a large parcel of land located at Tyn Dryfol, Soar, Anglesey (Fig. 1). The project was commissioned by Mr Jeremy Hinton, of New Forest Energy Ltd, Meyrick Estate Office, Hinton Admiral, Christchurch, Dorset, on behalf of Bodorgan Environmental Management Ltd comprises the first stage of a process to determine the presence/absence, extent, character, quality and date of any archaeological remains which may be affected by redevelopment of the area. Planning permission has been sought from Ynys Môn (Anglesey) Council (Appln No. 10C114A) to construct a solar farm with associated infrastructure. In order to inform the planning process and to provide sufficient information on which to base a programme of archaeological mitigation, a desk-based assessment and an initial evaluation by means of magnetometer survey have been proposed. This report deals with the desk- based assessment, and a separate report will cover the geophysical survey. Site description, location and geology The site is located at the farm of Tyn Dryfol, c.1.5km northeast of the hamlet of Soar and c.6km west of Llangefni, south of the centre of the Isle of Anglesey (Fig. 1). The eight fields which make up the site have a total area of 29.05ha centred on NGR, SH3950 7380 .They are all located to the north-west of the farm buildings on the south-west-facing slope of a hill that climbs from c.45m above Ordnance Datum in the south-west to c.65m in the north-east. An unnamed stream runs in a southwesterly direction past the site to the west and an unnamed road forms its eastern border (Pls 1–4). A roughly cobbled cart track bisects the site from the southeast to the northwest. All of the fields are under pasture although Fields 3 and 4 (Fig. 2) are marsh with drainage ditches running though them. The underlying geology for the majority of the site is described as boulder clay overlying Gwna Group schist with patches of schist without the boulder clay covering in the centre and eastern edge of the site (BGS 1974). 1 Planning background and development proposals Planning permission is to be sought for the development of a solar farm on the site (Fig. 2). This would include an electricity substation, cables and solar panels. Several small rocky outcrops and all of the site’s internal boundaries are excluded from the development proposals. The Welsh Government’s Planning Policy Wales (PPW2012) aims to protect the historic environment, including archaeology and ancient monuments, listed buildings, conservation areas and historic parks, gardens and landscapes. This national policy provides guidance to local planning authorities and makes it clear that there is no need for local plans to duplicate national policy. The following paragraphs are the most relevant: ‘6.4.2 Development plans should reflect national policies for the protection and enhancement of sites of archaeological interest and their settings. Archaeological remains scheduled as being of national importance should be identified for preservation. Not all nationally important remains meriting preservation will necessarily be scheduled. Such remains and, in appropriate circumstances, other unscheduled archaeological remains of more local importance, and their settings, may also be identified in development plans as particularly worthy of preservation. ‘6.4.3 Local planning authorities should not include in their development plans policies requiring developers to finance archaeological works in return for the grant of planning permission. Developers should not expect to obtain planning permission for archaeologically damaging development merely because they arrange for the recording of sites whose physical preservation in situ is both desirable (because of their level of importance) and feasible. ‘6.4.4 Development plans should include locally-specific policies for the conservation of the built environment that are relevant to development management decisions and which should be taken into consideration in the determination of applications for both listed building consent and conservation area consent. Archaeology ‘6.5.1 The desirability of preserving an ancient monument and its setting is a material consideration in determining a planning application, whether that monument is scheduled or unscheduled. Where nationally important archaeological remains, whether scheduled or not, and their settings are likely to be affected by proposed development, there should be a presumption in favour of their physical preservation in situ. In cases involving lesser archaeological remains, local planning authorities will need to weigh the relative importance of archaeology against other factors, including the need for the proposed development. ‘6.5.2 The needs of archaeology and development can be reconciled, and potential conflict very much reduced, if developers discuss their proposals for development with the local planning authority at an early stage. Archaeological assessments commissioned by developers (sometimes as part of a wider Environmental Impact Assessment) can help to provide information on the archaeological sensitivity of a site before submitting a planning application. If important remains are thought to exist at a development site, the planning authority should request the prospective developer to arrange for an archaeological field evaluation to be carried out before any decision on the planning application is taken. The results of any assessment and/or field evaluation should be provided as part of a planning application. If this information is not provided, authorities should consider whether it is appropriate to direct the applicant to supply further information, or whether to refuse permission for inadequately documented proposals. ‘6.5.3 Where local planning authorities decide that physical preservation in situ of archaeological remains is not justified in the circumstances of the case, and that development resulting in the destruction of the archaeological remains should proceed, before granting planning permission the authority needs to be satisfied that the developer has made appropriate and satisfactory provision for the archaeological investigation and subsequent recording of the remains and the publication of the results. Archaeological investigations should be carried out before development commences, working to a project brief prepared by the planning authority. 2 ‘6.5.4 Local planning authorities may impose conditions to protect a monument and require that an archaeological watching brief is carried out. In order to secure the provision of an appropriate archaeological investigation and subsequent recording of remains, a negative condition may be imposed prohibiting the carrying out of the development until such time as works or other action (for example, an excavation), have been carried out by a third party. ‘6.5.5 Archaeological remains may only become apparent when development has commenced. Where such remains are deemed by the Welsh Government to be of national importance, the remains may be scheduled. In these circumstances, developers would need to seek