Dudley Council

Part One: Spatial Strategy and Policies (Regulation 18)

Ended on the 22 December 2023
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Heritage Assets of Archaeological Interest, Scheduled Monuments and Archaeological Priority Areas (APA's)

14.34 Dudley's Historic Environment Record (HER) register's numerous Heritage Assets of archaeological interest (as defined by the NPPF Annex 2). In addition, there is also a much smaller number of Heritage Assets of archaeological interest that are already positively identified as important at the national level, and which have been formally designated as Scheduled Monuments (SMs) and these are subject to strict controls under national legislation. The NPPF advises that other currently non-designated assets of archaeological interest that are demonstrably of equivalent significance to scheduled monuments should also be considered.

14.35 In this context there are sites and areas throughout Dudley Borough recorded in Dudley Council's HER that have not yet been formally designated as a Scheduled Monument but have been identified through the Borough-wide Historic Characterisation Survey, and also in the HLC documents prepared for Brierley Hill, Dudley, Halesowen Stourbridge and the Glass Quarter and in the Black Country Historic Landscape Characterisation Study (2019), as having a high potential for the survival of archaeological remains of regional or national importance. These are considered to be "Archaeological Priority Areas" (APA) and have been previously identified and designated by the Council.

14.36 The Council will need to consider the preservation of all Heritage Assets of archaeological interest when assessing applications for new development. However, where a development proposal affects a Scheduled Monument or an Archaeological Priority Area, developers can, at the outset, assume that there will be a requirement for a full physical evaluation following desktop archaeological appraisal.

14.37 The Council considers it reasonable that throughout the Borough, adequate information as to the nature, quality and conditions of archaeological remains affected by development proposals should be provided by the applicant in order that the local planning authority may assess the archaeological impact of the proposals and identify requirements for archaeological preservation.

(2) Policy DLP62 Heritage Assets of archaeological interest, Scheduled Monuments and Archaeological Priority Areas (APA)

  1. For development proposals which:
    1. contain a Heritage Asset of archaeological interest
    2. are within an Archaeological Priority Area
    3. are in proximity to a Scheduled Monument
    4. are within any other sites and areas of known or potential archaeological significance that may be identified and included in the Dudley Council Historic Environment Record (HER) through the life of the plan and or identified in the Historic Characterisation Survey (HCS)
       
  2. The following will apply:
    1. a presumption against any development which would threaten the integrity or prejudice the setting of Scheduled Monuments and non-scheduled sites of national importance.
    2. the Council will seek to ensure that archaeological remains of interest are preserved in situ and encourage landowners to enter into management agreements in this regard. Where this would be unreasonable, to ensure that provision is made for an appropriate level of archaeological investigation and recording of any buildings structure or buried deposit of interest prior to the commencement of development or, in some cases, prior to the determination of a planning application.
    3. as part of any planning application, applicants are required to provide adequate information to allow the full and proper consideration of the impact of the proposed development on archaeological remains through desk top archaeological appraisal and, as Dudley Council deems appropriate, subsequent physical site evaluation and building recording.
    4. any development proposal that is deemed to have a damaging impact upon significant archaeological remains, and where potentially negative impacts have been identified, is required to carry out an agreed schedule of suitable measures designed to mitigate such impact in order to preserve buildings, structures or buried deposits in situ.

Justification

14.38 Archaeological Priority Areas (APA's) are one of the Historic Environment Area Designations (HEADS) listed in Policy DLP55. They define areas of the borough as having high potential for the survival of archaeological remains of regional or national importance. Policy DLP62 aims to ensure that where new development is proposed that heritage assets of archaeological interest (whether designated or non-designated) have been fully considered.

Evidence

  • Black Country Historic Landscape Characterisation (2010)
  • Black Country Historic Landscape Characterisation Study (2019)
  • Borough-Wide Urban Historic Landscape Characterisation Study (2016/2023)
  • Historic Environment Supplementary Planning Document (2017)
  • Historic Landscape Characterisation for Brierley Hill, Dudley, Halesowen, Stourbridge and the Glass Quarter.
  • Historic Environment Record (HER)
  • National Design Guide
  • Historic England Good Practice Advice Notes (GPAs) and Historic England Advice Notes (HEANs)

Delivery

  • Historic Landscape Characterisation documents
  • Adopted Conservation Area Character Appraisals
  • Development Management process including Design and Access Statements and Statements of Heritage Significance
  • Supplementary Planning Documents
  • A regularly updated and maintained Historic Environment Record (HER).

Monitoring

Policy

Indicator

Target

DLP55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61 and 62

Proportion of planning permissions granted contrary to the recommendations of the Local Planning Authority Historic Environment Advisor

0%
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