Many CIfA members will have been following the progress of planning reform proposals in England since the summer. CIfA has been working hard to represent views from the archaeology sector and to develop proposals which protect and enhance archaeology's contribution to planning.
The White Paper consultation recently closed and CIfA submitted a joint response with the Council for British Archaeology. You can read our response here.
CIfA also sumitted evidence to a Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee inquiry on the white paper. This evidence will be published by the Committee in due course.
Our response focuses on the need to ensure that effective protections for the historic environment are retained within any new system. Specifically, any new system will need to ensure that there are appropriate provisions for archaeological assessment of sites to inform permissions and development proposals, and robust procedures for mitigation of harm to heritage assets and offsetting harm with addutional public benefits created.
CIfA has also had productive meetings with DCMS, and MHCLG civil servants working on the reforms and has both written to and met with MHCLG ministers.
A number of individual MPs have also been engaged in discussions and are keen to support further action. You can continue to support this by writing to you MP. You can find advice on how to do this here.
Now that the consultation has closed we will be working further to develop ideas and proposals based on these discussions and will be meeting again with civil servants in due course.
Members are also invited to sign a non-affiliated petition which is currently collecting signatures. CIfA is not connected with the petition but supports its aim of illustrating the widespread support for archaeology in the planning system. You can sign this petition here.
If you would like more information, would like to make any comment about planning reform, or report back from contact you have had with your MP, please contact rob.lennox@archaeologists.net
