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SectionC.12
SectionC.12

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[{TableOfContents title='C.12 Monument management'}]
[{TableOfContents title='C.12 Consultations and planning casework'}]
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!!!C.12 Monument management
The risks facing archaeological monuments in the landscape are well documented ([Darvill and Fulton 1998|Bibliography#Darvill and Fulton 1998|target='_blank']). Many of the potential threats of damage or destruction can be avoided, or significantly reduced, by adopting a sympathetic management regime for the monument. Organisations with direct responsibilities for conservation of the historic environment, such as the National Trust and the National Parks, can implement such a regime using the HER as a key tool. Some HERs are also beginning to record this information as a result of co-operation with departments of their local authorities who manage land (for example Country Parks), through English Heritage-funded projects to secure management agreements for scheduled monuments and as part of historic buildings-at-risk surveys.
!!!C.12 Consultations and planning casework
One of the primary roles of local-authority archaeological and historic buildings services is to provide advice on the implications of development and land-use change to local planning authorities and to other organisations and individuals. For many services, planning applications form the largest element of their conservation workload. However, consultations also include those relating to tree planting, hedgerow removal, agri-environmental schemes and the activities of statutory undertakers.
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Since 1991, the National Trust has been developing a computerised HER system to help deal with management by recording the archaeological monuments in its care and generating reports to determine monitoring programmes, repair works and integrated management strategies. These processes can be divided into three broad interrelated categories: monitoring, to assess the condition of the monument; recommendations, to outline the requirements for preservation and activities, to record work carried out (Figure 26).
Given the importance of this advisory service, and its relevance to monuments, the built heritage and to areas of land, it is important that details are accurately recorded and linked to the HER databases.
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!!C.12.1 The archaeological conservation process
The process of archaeological conservation in relation to land-use proposals is a clear, established system, based upon the procedures used in other areas of environmental management.
The key elements of the conservation process can be summarised as:
*__Appraisal__: this first stage involves the conservation archaeologist considering an application or enquiry and using the HER and any other readily available information to provide a professional judgement as to the impact of the proposal on the historic environment.
*__Assessment__: if an impact is likely to occur, and there is insufficient data in the HER to make an informed judgement, then the conservation archaeologist will make a recommendation. This may be that the applicant or organisation be asked to provide the result of a professional archaeological assessment involving a desk-based assessment, field evaluation or building assessment.
*__Mitigation__: on the basis of the assessment phase, an appropriate conservation recommendation can be made in order to mitigate any adverse impacts that may result from a proposal.
In practice, archaeological conservation is rarely straightforward and is often complicated by the policies, attitudes and resources of other organisations involved in the process. Any record system must be flexible enough to accommodate variability whilst avoiding excessive detail (making maintenance unrealistic for a busy archaeological service). Additional detailed information will remain within the casework files, linked to any computer system.
!!C.12.2 The historic buildings conservation process
The process of historic buildings conservation in relation to planning proposals is similar to that for archaeological conservation. Until recently, HERs and Historic Buildings Records were maintained in separate local government departments. HERs include historic buildings and some services and are now bringing together advice for archaeology and historic buildings. However, this is a new and developing area for many and it is difficult to offer guidance at this stage. Accordingly, this topic will be expanded in future editions of this manual.
!!C.12.3 Why record conservation advice?
There are several reasons for recording the conservation process on a database:
*__Consistency__: it is important to ensure that responses to consultations are consistent with, or at least taken in the context of, previous advice.
*__Monitoring__: as casework progresses through the conservation cycle, it needs to be tracked. Often projects can last several years and the database should contain sufficient information to enable an archaeological officer to understand the current status of any particular project.
*__Statistics__: local clients/partners and organisations involved in national research often request statistics about conservation advice and the HER should be able to produce this in a variety of forms.
*__Searching__: the database can act as an index to the more detailed casework files held elsewhere in hard copy format.
ALGAO:UK, which represents the majority of local-authority archaeological services in England, Wales, Scotland, Northern Ireland, and the Isle of Man has begun the process of undertaking annual surveys of its membership to gather information on conservation casework. This will enable the identification of national trends and gauge the effectiveness of policy and legislation relating to the historic environment.
!!C.12.4 Consultation record and recommendations
Any information system needs to be sufficiently flexible to be able to reflect the complexities and iterative nature of the consultation process. The details of incoming consultations should be recorded as well as the details of outgoing advice. It should be possible to record not just the initial response to a consultation (for example a desk based assessment), but also any subsequent recommendations (for example a field evaluation or mitigation recording). To complete the picture, the recommendation should be linked to any resulting event(s) (see Figure 24).
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[{Image src='fig25.gif' alt='Figure 25: Monument management process.'}]
''Figure 25: Monument management process.''
[{Image src='fig22.gif' alt='Figure 24: Consultation and conservation advice.'}]
''Figure 24: Consultation and conservation advice.''
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!!C.12.1 Monitoring
It is essential that any decisions affecting management are based on a good level of understanding of the individual monument, its place in the wider landscape and the factors which have led to its current state of preservation. The first step to achieving this is the monitoring of the monument in its setting during a field visit. The aim is to provide a 'snapshot' of the monument's condition and to flag up any actual and potential risks or damage caused by factors such as land use, visitors, burrowing animals or natural processes.
!Consultation data
A typical consultation record for a planning application from the North Yorkshire County Council HER which uses exeGesIS SDM Ltd’s HBSMR software, version 3.04 is shown in Figures 25 and 26. Other types of consultation, such as countryside management works, are each recorded slightly differently depending on how we use the data for statistical and other purposes.
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The monitoring record is compiled in the field using a proforma. This should include information about:
*stability
*vulnerability
*physical damage
*visibility
*accessibility
*land use on and around the monument.
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[{Image src='fig26.jpg' alt='Figure 26: Successive monument monitoring reports as recorded in the National Trust SMR.'}]
''Figure 26: Successive monument monitoring reports as recorded in the National Trust SMR (© National Trust and exeGesIS SDM Ltd 2007).''
[{Image src='fig23.jpg' alt='Figure 25: A typical consultation record from the North Yorkshire County Council HER showing the details tab.'}]
''Figure 25: A typical consultation record from the North Yorkshire County Council HER showing the details tab (North Yorkshire County Council and exeGeSIS SDM Ltd 2007).''
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Recommendations may be made about the date of the next visit (usually a period of between one month and five years) and any work that should, or should not be, carried out. Photographs may also be taken to form a record of the current state of preservation of the monument, which, over time, can form part of a sequence showing changes in condition or land use.
The Details tab records the baseline information about the consultation, in this example, a full planning application.
*__Organisation and Contact__ record the Local Planning Authority and planning officer
*__Applicant and Agent__ are self-explanatory
*__External reference number__: this is used to record the unique external reference number allocated by the consulting body (such as the planning application number) or by the conservation archaeologist where no other acceptable reference is available.
*__Case Officer__ records the curatorial archaeologist dealing with the consultation
*__Log Date__ records the date the planing application appeared on the weekly list
*__Target Date__ records the date the consultation response is required by
*__Consultation__: this is used to record the nature of the consultation, for example what type of planning application, whether it is a pre-application enquiry from a developer or a countryside management scheme. The terms that can be used in North Yorkshire are controlled by a look-up table based upon a locally-adapted version of the ALGAO Consultation Type wordlist.
*__Development Type__ records the general nature of the development or land-use change proposal. The terms that can be used in North Yorkshire are controlled by a look-up table based upon a locally-adapted version of the ALGAO Work Proposed wordlist.
*__Site name__: it may be useful to record a site name or plot number, especially if different to the location, as many developments have distinctive names which are not part of the subsequent address.
*__Parish records the civil parish in which the proposal is located. In North Yorkshire each parish has a four-figure code, the initial number of which identifes which of each of the seven districts it is part of.
*__Location__: this records the address of the site in question or the broad area under consideration.
*__Proposal__ records in more detail than Development Type the nature of the consultation proposal
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With the monitoring information entered on to the HER database, reports can be generated. These can include related information, such as site status, location and contact details for the landowner or tenant. Lists can be prepared of vulnerable buildings or monuments that are being monitored, allowing programmes of visits to be planned. The National Trust's Property Warden at Housesteads uses these reports to good effect to help plan monitoring and maintenance inspection work for Hadrian's Wall. With professional guidance, monument-monitoring programmes have also proved suitable projects for local society or special-interest group involvement and can help raise awareness of archaeology and HERs in the local community.
!Recommendation data
The Consultation Stages tab is used to record the advice given and subsequent stages relating to that consultation, as well as the dates these occurred.
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!!C.12.2 Management recommendations
Before an informed decision on future management and conservation can be made, other factors which may affect the management of the monument need to taken into account. These include statutory and non-statutory designations, specialist reports that may have been undertaken (such as biological or ecological survey reports) and any past or current land-management regime already in place. These factors and the data gained through monitoring visits are combined to produce recommendations that set out short and long-term objectives for the preservation of the monument.
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[{Image src='fig24.jpg' alt='Figure 26: A typical consultation record from the North Yorkshire County Council HER showing the Consultation Stages tab and the link to the related event record.'}]
''Figure 26: A typical consultation record from the North Yorkshire County Council HER showing the Consultation Stages tab and the link to the related event record (North Yorkshire County Council and exeGeSIS SDM Ltd 2007).''
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Short-term management objectives often concern issues such as ongoing damage to the monument, such as a path causing erosion that needs to be re-routed, or the safety of visitors, such as the need to erect a fence around a hazard. In these instances, the HER can be used to record and monitor the management activity.
__Stage__ In North Yorkshire, this has been simplified and all are classed as ‘curatorial work’.
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Long-term objectives are usually more strategic in their aims and should feed into broader land-management planning, such as the formation of conservation and whole farm plans. The benefits of incorporating archaeological requirements into integrated management strategies are great. If this holistic approach is adopted, threats to the integrity of a monument, inadvertently caused by other land-management regimes, can be anticipated and avoided.
__Action__ In this example of the North Yorkshire planning application, each of the stages visible in Figure 26 record when the consultation was sent by the LPA, the advice given and when (in this instance, for evaluation by trial trenching), the preparation of a WSI and the date, and the receipt of the evaluation report, and date. A further four stages that are not visible in Figure 26 document the subsequent advising of a watching brief, the preparation of a WSI for this, the receipt of the report and the advising of compliance with the archaeological condition. The terms used are controlled by a look-up table.
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The National Trust's recommendations usually run from one to three paragraphs and are entered on a free text field on the HER. Each monument record will have a series of management recommendations which should be reviewed and updated after each monitoring visit, work programme or change in the factors affecting management. Using the HER, these recommendations can be combined with data from other fields to produce a management report.
__Stage Start and Completion Dates (see Figure 26 ) for__:
*Stage 1: records when the application was requested and received respectively (in this example the application was sent to us automatically, so only an end date is recorded). This allows us to distinguish between those planning applications that we request and those that come to us direct, and also to record the length of time between request and receipt.
*Stage 2: Start date is when the application was received. Completion Date is when the advice was given/sent. This stage allows us to prepare statistical information for our local performance indicator based up the length of time taken to respond to planning application consultations.
*Stage 3: Only Completion Date is filled in to record when a WSI was prepared. This stage can also be used to record ‘WSI Agreed’ if a WSI is sent to us for comment and agreement. In this instance Stage Start date can be completed to record when the document was received.
*Stage 4: records when a report has been received in the Completion Date. This data is also recorded in the corresponding Source record for the report.
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!!C.12.3 Management activities
Knowledge of what has worked in the past makes it easier to come to an informed decision on what needs to be done and reduces the possibility of inadvertently repeating past mistakes. The recording of work undertaken, whether for routine maintenance, repair or presentation purposes, is therefore an essential part of the monument management process. Using the HER to record these actions makes it possible to keep track of why, when and by whom particular work was, or was not, carried out to a monument.
__Overall Outcome__ records the final outcome of the Local Planning Authority’s decision on the planning application. The terms that can be used in North Yorkshire are controlled by a look-up table based upon the ALGAO Final Outcome wordlist.
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Such information about monument management activities falls within the [MIDAS|Glossary#MIDAS|target='_blank'] definition of an event. Details about the management activity may be entered on an event record. Detailed information about maintenance contracts, including the costs of labour, material and equipment and the repeat schedule for routine maintenance visits, may also be recorded. By entering these details on a HER it is possible to track work, produce new work schedules (using criteria such as type of work, priority and work pending) and produce reports giving the full management history for a monument.
__Date Completed__ is used in North Yorkshire to record when the intial consultation response was made (in this instance the same date as for the Completion Date of Stage 2).
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!!C.12.4 Case study, recording monument management: Shooting Butts Barrow, Shropshire
Shooting Butts Barrow illustrates the on-going nature of monument management and how this can be tracked using a HER. A monitoring visit revealed that a modern concrete grouse-shooting hut inserted in the barrow had been badly damaged by vandal action. After careful consideration of all the factors, including the Scheduled Monument designation and the rarity value of the monument (the only recorded disc barrow in Shropshire) management recommendations were prepared. A measured survey of the monument was recommended prior to the complete removal of the hut remains and the partial excavation of this part of the barrow to recover buried soil for dating purposes.
A slightly different approach has been taken in Tees Archaeology's system. The first image (Figure 27) shows the main details about the consultation, in this case another planning application.
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The barrow was situated on common land and, because of this, it was not possible to protect it by a fence. As a remedial measure, loose branches and brambles were placed on the top of the barrow to prevent erosion of the backfilled area. A subsequent monitoring visit recorded that this cover was missing and that erosion by people and sheep was causing damage. This necessitated a re-think of the management regime in place and an update of the recommendations for the monument.
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[{Image src='Tees_ConData1.jpg' alt='Figure 27: A typical consultation record from the Tees Archaeology showing the Main tab.'}]
''Figure 27: A typical consultation record from the Tees Archaeology SMR showing the Main tab (Tees Archaeology 2015)''
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Event records were created for the demolition, excavation and repair work with further details being recorded about the attempt to prevent further erosion. New information was gained from the work, and a radiocarbon determination for the buried soil horizon was added to the existing monument record for the barrow. Subsequent visits were arranged to monitor the effectiveness of the remedial work carried out at the site.
In Figure 28 we can see the details of the actions taken by the curators, recording their advice and what happened.
%%image-caption
[{Image src='Tees_ConData2.jpg' alt='Figure 28: A typical consultation record from the Tees Archaeology SMR showing the Details tab'}]
''Figure 28: A typical consultation record from the Tees Archaeology SMR showing the Details tab (Tees Archaeology 2015).''
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