Planning Case Study 49
Former Gloscat college sites to the northeast and southwest of Brunswick Road: Media Studies site, part of the ‘Gloucester Greyfriars’ development, Gloucester, Gloucestershire
Planning scenario(s)
Heritage assets affected
Undesignated heritage assets with archaeological and historic interest
Type of application & broad category
Local planning authority
Authority: Gloucester City Council
References: 11/00107/FUL
Development proposal
Mixed use redevelopment including 254 residential units, A1 and A3 uses, and associated car parking, access roads, public open space.
Archaeological information known about the site before the planning application was made, or before the development commenced, as appropriate
During the development of the site in the 1960s two Roman pottery kilns and 37 Roman burials were found. The burials were part of a Roman cemetery located just outside the eastern boundary of the Roman town of Gloucester (Glevum).
Archaeological/planning processes
Parts of the development site could not be adequately evaluated prior to the granting of planning permission because of the presence of standing buildings. The limited evaluation that took place indicated fairly poor archaeological survival, and it was assumed that extensive truncation of the site had taken place during previous development.
Planning permission was granted and a pre-commencement planning condition attached. The agreed WSI stipulated further evaluation after site clearance, followed by the mitigation of the impact of the development by archaeological excavation.
Following the granting of planning permission and site clearance it soon became apparent that archaeological preservation was, in fact, very good. The site was shown to contain multi-phase archaeological deposits including an extensive inhumation cemetery. It was not possible to redesign the scheme to preserve these remains in situ and so mitigation by excavation was required.
Outcomes: archaeological
A stratified sequence that extended from the early Roman to the post-medieval period was recorded. Later 1st to later 2nd century Roman features included enclosures, trackways, pits, postholes, a well and two pottery kilns. Following a period of disuse a cemetery comprising at least 152 inhumations and several cremations was subsequently laid out. The cemetery was in use mainly from the late 3rd to late 4th century, but burial may have continued into the 5th or 6th centuries AD. Medieval features included a building and boundaries marking small plots, probably agricultural in function. The site was then abandoned until development in the 19th century.
Archaeological investigation was completed but with significant delay to the development programme on site, and additional costs for both the excavation and the post-excavation that arose because of the better than anticipated preservation and the hand excavation of the many inhumations.
Other outcomes/outputs e.g. other public benefit such as public engagement, research and new/changed work practices
Talks about the project have been given to the community.
References and links/bibliography
- Cotswold Archaeology 2016, Gloscat Redevelopment Project, Media Studies Site, Brunswick Road, Gloucester, Archaeological Excavation. Unpublished report, CA Report 15620.
