Archaeological study brief instead of desktop study?

[Jane W]

Our pre-app says we will need a heritage report which includes an archaeological desktop study.

We have been quoted by a company who have suggested we put in planning to include an archaeological study brief at the time of construction, as an alternative to the desktop report. The planning consultant says this may be a good idea as the planners may ask for a study brief or something similar in the conditions anyway. Has anyone got experience in this area, or have any thoughts....I don't want to fall at the first hurdle by not giving the planners the desktop study if they want one, and what if they didn't go on to ask for a study brief after all?

[DevilDamo]

What are you proposing? If it is required as part of the validation process, then it will be needed to be provided upfront.

[Jane W]

7 hours ago, DevilDamo said:

What are you proposing? If it is required as part of the validation process, then it will be needed to be provided upfront.

The pre application advice report says ' you should also include a desktop study of the archaeological impacts of the site'. I'm not sure what we're proposing, I asked the planning consultant what a study brief involved and he said it depends on the site, what the planners stipulate, and what they find, if anything, when it's taking place. We're just getting everything together to make a reserved matters application at the moment.

[DevilDamo]

52 minutes ago, Jane W said:

We're just getting everything together to make a reserved matters application at the moment.

Do you already have outline approval then?

[nod]

Unfortunately If it’s in the pre app you will have to include it and keep your fingers crossed for further down the line 

[Jane W]

On 06/06/2025 at 08:04, DevilDamo said:

Do you already have outline approval then?

Yes we do, it runs out In October though!

[Jane W]

On 06/06/2025 at 09:14, nod said:

Unfortunately If it’s in the pre app you will have to include it and keep your fingers crossed for further down the line 

So the archaeological expert can't just say we propose an archaeological study brief in lieu of a desktop report? Which is what they're suggesting 

[nod]

6 minutes ago, Jane W said:

So the archaeological expert can't just say we propose an archaeological study brief in lieu of a desktop report? Which is what they're suggesting 

Unfortunately the planners can request anything that will make your life harder 

  
Just doing the vat claim for our current build 

and come across a request for our building plots to be graded for crops Which we thought was unreasonable being as PP had already been granted 

Edited June 7 by nod

[DevilDamo]

35 minutes ago, Jane W said:

Yes we do, it runs out In October though!

So was the report mentioned in the Pre-app response (as per your original post) or Outline Approval with conditions decision notice? If the latter, you have no choice but to submit one. The Outline Approval would take precedent over the Pre-app response.

[Jane W]

1 hour ago, DevilDamo said:

So was the report mentioned in the Pre-app response (as per your original post) or Outline Approval with conditions decision notice? If the latter, you have no choice but to submit one. The Outline Approval would take precedent over the Pre-app response.

Ahh OK, thank you. I will have a look at the Outline Approval when I get home to see if it is mentioned in that.

It was mentioned in the Pre-app.