Archaeology

The Environmental Strategy Unit is the first point of contact for archaeological information in Havering. its role is to:

• Co-ordinate liaison with central government about archaeological matters
• Refer customers to sources of professional advice, usually in the form of the Greater London Archaeological Advice Service (GLAAS)
• Ensure local records are kept as up-to-date as possible

Planning applications are checked at an early stage against known sites of archaeological interest. If an application is on or near a site, we consult GLAAS (see above)  who can make the following recommendations:

• No objection - consent can be granted with little or no damage to any archaeological deposits.
• A watching brief condition should be added to any planning permission allowing archaeologists to visit the site, and record any features or finds of interest, at no hindrance or cost.
• That no decision be made on the application until a full evaluation of the site been undertaken (in reality rarely used)
• Consent can be granted with a planning condition phrased in a similar way to:"...No development shall take place until the applicant has secured a programme of archaeological work in accordance with a written scheme of investigation which has been submitted to and approved by the Council."
• Refusal of Consent (this would only apply to nationally important sites).

Archaeology in Essex

Essex has a wide range of archaeological remains, including Palaeolithic handaxes made about 500,000 years ago, many prehistoric settlements known only as cropmarks on aerial photographs, Roman towns and villas, and many unusual sites relating to modern industrial and military archaeology. Well over 15,000 sites are currently known throughout the county.

The main aim of the Council's archaeological liaison officer is to, by referring applicants to GLAAS, that archaeological heritage is conserved.

All advice offered by GLAAS is given within the framework of Planning Policy Guidance Note 16 (PPG 16), issued by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister (ODPM), which sets out the way in which archaeology should be considered within the planning framework.