Reinforcement to the North Shropshire Electricity Distribution Network: 132kV Electrical Circuit from Oswestry to Wem APPENDICES 9.1 – 9.4 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT Preliminary Environmental Information Report November 2017 132kV Electrical Circuit from Oswestry to Wem Preliminary Environmental Information Report APPENDIX 9.1 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY North Wales Connection Project Preliminary Environmental Information Report (Document 2.4.2) November 2017 Appendix 9.1 Historic Environment Assessment Methodology Page ii 132kV Electrical Circuit from Oswestry to Wem Preliminary Environmental Information Report APPENDIX 9.1 HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY 1.1 INTRODUCTION 1.1.1 This section outlines the technical methods used to determine what changes to the baseline are likely to occur as a result of the Proposed Development and sets out the significance criteria which will be used moving forward in to the Environmental Statement (ES) stage. Assessment guidance and methods 1.1.2 The preliminary historic environment assessment is being undertaken in broad accordance with the method set out in DMRB Volume II Section 3 Part 2 HA 208/07 1, which complies with the requirements of the Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1)2. 1.1.3 The following guidance documents are considered directly relevant to the historic environment assessment and will be reviewed and applied to the assessment: • Historic England Good Practice Planning Advice Note 2: Managing Significance in Decision-Taking in the Historic Environment3; • Historic England Good Practice Planning Advice Note 3: The Setting of Heritage Assets4; • Historic England Seeing the History in the View5; • Historic England Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance6, and • Codes, Standards and Guidance documents by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, the regulatory body for the archaeological profession, including: - Standard and guidance for commissioning work or providing consultancy advice on archaeology and the historic environment7; - Code of Conduct8, and - Standard and guidance for historic environment desk-based assessment9. 1.1.4 Table 9.1.1, which is adapted from Table 1 of Shropshire Council’s Historic Environment SPD, presents the relevant policy and legislation for relevant designated assets within the study areas. 1 Highways Agency (2007), Design Manual for Roads and Bridges Volume 11, Section 3 Part 2 Ha 208/07 2Department for Energy and Climate Change, July 2011 3 Historic England (2015), Historic Environment Good Practice Advice in Planning Note 2, Managing Significance in Decision; Taking in The Historic Environment 4 Historic England (2015), Historic Environment Good Practice Advice in Planning Note 3, The Setting of Heritage Assets 5 Historic England (formerly English Heritage) (2012), Seeing the History in the View: A Method for Assessing Heritage Significance within Views 6 Historic England (formerly English Heritage) (2008), Conservation Principles, Policies and Guidance for the Sustainable Management of the Historic Environment 7 Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (2014), Standard and Guidance for Commissioning Work or Providing Consultancy Advice on Archaeology and the Historic Environment 8 Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (2014), Code of Conduct 9 Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (2014), Standard and Guidance for Historic Environment Desk-Based Assessment November 2017 Appendix 9.1 Historic Environment Assessment Methodology Page 1 132kV Electrical Circuit from Oswestry to Wem Preliminary Environmental Information Report Table 9.1.1 Designated Heritage Assets and Relevant Legislation and Policy Type of designated Heritage Asset Protected in Asset Grade Relevant Legislation Asset Significance planning process Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act Section 12 of Conservation Areas n/a National or Regional 1990 NPPF, Grade I specifically National Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act Listed buildings Grade II* paragraphs 128, in descending order of interest 1990 Grade II 132, 133 and 134 Grade I Registered Parks and National Grade II* National Heritage Act 1983 Shropshire Council Gardens in descending order of interest Grade II Core Strategy, Registered Battlefields n/a National National Heritage Act 1983 Policies CS6 and Scheduled Monuments n/a National Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 CS17 Assumptions and Limitations 1.1.5 A number of assumptions and limitations are made in relation to the information presented in this chapter of the PEIR. These reflect the evolving nature and preliminary stage of the Proposed Development: • All conclusions and assessments at this stage are preliminary. The baseline data in this PEIR is primarily based on desk-based research using data gathered from selective sources to characterise the known historic environment resource within the Project Boundary and wider study areas. The potential for as yet unknown heritage assets with archaeological interest within the Project Boundary has not yet been fully assessed, due to ongoing data gathering and planned field surveys. This potential will be assessed and reported in more detail in the Desk-Based Assessment and other technical appendices and the potential effects of the Project on this resource will be fully assessed and reported in the ES. Preliminary assessment of the potential for as yet unknown assets to be present within the Project Boundary, based on the location character and extent of known assets, has however been outlined in the PEIR. • All assessment work has and continues to apply a precautionary principle, in that where information is limited (in terms of the development proposals or potential change to the significance of heritage assets), a realistic worst-case scenario is assessed. This includes additional or different historic environment effects arising from potential deviation within the Order Limits. • The PEIR focusses on heritage assets which would experience potentially significant effects. Assessment is made of whether or not a potential effect is likely to be significant without categorising into defined thresholds (e.g. moderate or major). The work involved to provide this additional level of detail is still ongoing and will be provided in the ES. November 2017 Appendix 9.1 Historic Environment Assessment Methodology Page 2 132kV Electrical Circuit from Oswestry to Wem Preliminary Environmental Information Report Baseline Data Gathering and Forecasting Methods Sources 1.1.6 This chapter has been prepared through desk-based studies within a study area extending 5km either side of the DOL of the proposed overhead line using the following sources: • National Heritage List for England, an online searchable spatial database of designated heritage assets (excluding conservation areas); • Shropshire Council’s Conservation Areas Designation Plans; • Shropshire Council’s Historic Environment Record (SHER): This is a resource covering all aspects of the historic environment in the historic county of Shropshire. The resource includes a relational database linked to GIS mapping, indexes of available 'sources' held by the HER and by other organisations, and supporting collections of primary and secondary information. • Shropshire Historic Landscape Characterisation Project, and • Shropshire Historic Farmsteads Characterisation Project. 1.1.7 Further desktop information which has been reviewed includes Ordnance Survey (OS) data, Google Earth Pro and stakeholder feedback. Field Surveys to Date 1.1.8 Site visits undertaken in summer 2016 and summer 2017 a) assessed the extent of settings of the higher value heritage assets and b) informed the initial characterisation of the nature of visual impact arising from the Proposed Development. Future Baseline 1.1.9 The historic environment is dynamic and our knowledge of it is constantly evolving. Because of this, consideration is given by this assessment to how the historic environment may change in the future irrespective of the Proposed Development. There are several ways in which the historic environment future baseline conditions could differ from current baseline conditions. For example, if an asset’s designated status is altered or any, as yet unknown heritage assets with archaeological interest, are identified through third party (e.g. local archaeology groups) surveys within the DOL. However, as baseline data gathering included consultation with the relevant statutory and non-statutory consultees responsible for designations and for dissemination of third party survey data, the likelihood of either circumstance occurring is low and, in any event, would not necessarily alter the assessment of effects undertaken, as this has been undertaken on a realistic worse-case basis. Therefore, the baseline conditions reported in this chapter are taken to also represent future baseline conditions (at the time of construction). The mitigation measures proposed below will be subject to on-going discussion with the relevant consultees, and, in the unlikely event that the baseline conditions do alter, this can be taken into account as mitigation measures are refined, agreed and implemented. 1.2 PROPOSED ASSESSMENT METHOD 1.2.1 The following sections provide a detailed description of the proposed assessment methodology. This will build on the work undertaken to date and consultation feedback. 1.2.2 Historic England’s GPA33 recommends the following broad approach to assessment: • Step 1: identify which heritage