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Introduction

Peterborough City Council Archaeological Services (PCCAS) operate within the boundaries of Peterborough Unitary Authority. PCCAS’ main role is to:

  • Provide advice and information on the archaeology and historic environment of Peterborough Unitary Authority.
  • Provide advice on the archaeological implications of development both within and outside the planning system.
  • Advise farmers and landowners on grant-aided management of the historic environment.
  • Maintain the Historic Environment Record (HER) database of heritage assets within the boundaries of Peterborough Unitary Authority.

Archaeological archives

Peterborough Museum and Art Gallery is the official repository of archival material generated by archaeological fieldwork undertaken within the boundaries of Peterborough Unitary Authority. Separate charges and policies apply.

Find out more online.

Archaeological planning advice

In line with government and local planning policies, good practice advice, and professional standards, Peterborough City Council Archaeological Service (PCCAS):

  • Provide archaeological advice to the planners on all matters relating to the archaeological implications of land-use planning, both for strategic planning and for development management case work.
  • Provide archaeological advice to developers, utility providers, government agencies and other interested parties as appropriate. This is to ensure a proper understanding of the planning process, and to secure the best possible protection for the archaeological resource by identifying appropriate archaeological mitigation options, setting requirements and monitoring work.

According to the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), archaeology is a material consideration within the planning system. Therefore, development proposals may lead to fieldwork to be carried out pre-application, pre-determination or as a condition attached to a planning permission.

On request, Peterborough City Council Archaeological Services will produce a brief to outline the circumstances which need to be addressed in relation to the archaeological work. A brief may also inform a required Written Scheme of Investigation.

Charging policy for Archaeological Planning Advice

Charges for Archaeological Planning Advice were implemented on 1 June 2020 and are reviewed annually. These charges are applied to all new casework and for new stages of ongoing archaeological investigations.

Please read the policy document below to understand the charges your requests may require.

Charging-Policy-for-Archaeology-Services-2024-25253KB–pdf
Size: 253KBFile format: pdf

Make a Archaeological Planning Advice request

To request Archaeological Planning Advice, Charges and Payment, please use the online application form below.

Historic Environment Record

Peterborough City Council Archaeological Services (PCCAS) maintain the Historic Environment Record (HER), the definitive digital record of the known archaeological and historic remains within the boundaries of Peterborough Unitary Authority.

It digitally maintains three types of records:

  • Monuments of all periods, from find spots to earthworks
  • Events, investigative fieldwork such as research, surveys or excavations
  • Sources and references

As well as database records, the HER has digital copies of historic maps, annotated maps, photographs and unpublished fieldwork reports.

To view Peterborough HER online, please visit the Heritage Gateway. Please note that the HER database may contain more detailed information than is currently available online.

Charging policy for Historic Environment Records

You can request Historic Environment Records for commercial purposes at a cost, or for education, research or personal reasons free of charge.

pcc-historic-environment-record-charging-policy-2024-2025245KB–pdf
Size: 245KBFile format: pdf

Make a Historic Environment Record request

To apply for a new Historic Environment Record, please complete the online application form and payment process appropriate for your purpose (commercial or non-commercial) below:

Reporting information to the Historic Environment Record

Peterborough City Council Historic Environment Record welcomes any contributions on historic buildings, monuments, finds and sites of archaeological and/or historic interest, as well as community and research projects on aspects of Peterborough Authority’s historic environment.

Please contact us for advice on data format and key information required to create records of an appropriate standard.

Countryside Stewardship

The Countryside Stewardship (CS) is an agri-environment scheme that provides funding for farmers, woodland owners, foresters and land managers to make environmental improvements, including the protection of the historic environment.

Peterborough City Council Archaeological Services (PCCAS) provides advice to Natural England on grant-aided management of the historic landscape for applications for Higher Tier, which covers the more environmentally significant sites, commons and woodlands. Specifically, PCCAS complete the Historic Environment Farm Environment Record (HEFER) on behalf of CS applicants using the Selected Heritage Inventory for Natural England (SHINE) web portal. 

Find out more about the Countryside Stewardship.

Guidance for woodland planting

We designed the following information to aid all stakeholders interested / involved in woodland creation schemes. This guidance helps to identify the potential implications of such schemes for the historic environment and its setting, including historic landscape and townscape.

This information is designed to support stakeholders interested/involved in woodland creation schemes to identify the potential implications of such schemes for the historic environment and its setting, including historic landscape and townscape. 

It is based upon the UK Government’s Policy on sustainable forestry and, in particular, on the approach outlined in the Forestry Commission’s The UK Forestry Standard: the Government’s Approach to Sustainable Forestry 2017, Section 6.3: Historic Environment, pp.79-95. 

The UK Forestry Standard (UKFS) is the reference standard for sustainable forest management in the United Kingdom. With reference to the historic environment, the UKFS states that “The primary responsibility for land managers in relation to historic environment features is to ensure they are conserved and not accidentally or unknowingly damaged. This will involve an appropriate evaluation of the site, and an assessment of features of importance – whether scheduled or not – as part of the forest management plan” (p.84).

In some circumstances, the stakeholders may be required to consider the impact of woodland creation schemes on the historic environment under the Impact Assessment Regulation (Environmental Impact Assessments for woodland - GOV.UK (www.gov.uk).

The UKFS states that engagement with the Historic Environment Record (HER) is the “starting point” for obtaining the necessary information. Stakeholders are encouraged to engage with Peterborough City Council (PCC) Archaeological Services in advance of woodland creation schemes in order to seek advice, manage risk and avoid delays.

To be able to provide advice, PCC Archaeological Services will require the following information:

  • The boundaries of the proposed site (ideally as a GIS map shapefile).
  • The National Grid Reference of the site.
  • Address of the site (if known).
  • Density and type of proposed trees and planting methodology (if known).
  • The long-term management plans for the site, including any proposed interpretation or public access plans (if known).

Additional specialist advice must be sought in relation to nationally designated heritage sites. PCC Conservation Officers should be contacted for advice on schemes that could affect the curtilage and/or setting of a listed building.

The UKFS also states that “Where the historic environment is identified in an environmental assessment determination, or where important historic environment features are known [in the wider HER record] but information is lacking, a more detailed historic environment survey may need to be commissioned …” (UKFS p.87).

The aim of the survey and field evaluation programmes is to determine, as far as is reasonably possible from the available evidence, the nature, extent and significance of the historic environment within a specified area, the impact of the proposed woodland creation schemes on the significance of the historic environment, and the potential for appropriate mitigation measures to be implemented. PCC Archaeological Services, in consultation with other heritage professional if necessary, will provide advice on the required survey programmes.

The gathered evidence base will allow PCC Archaeological Services, in consultation with other heritage professional if necessary, to make an informed assessment of the suitability of all, or part of, a proposed site for woodland creation, and to advise on appropriate mitigation measures (UKFSpp.88-95). Typically, where significant historic environment assets are identified, the appropriate mitigation will consist of preservation in situ through avoidance and buffering, also taking the settings of features into consideration in the forest management plan, in addition to the features themselves (UKFS pp.88-89).

Depending on the scale of the enquiry and provision of service, the current charges for PCC Archaeological Services will apply. Further information on the current charges can be found in the Charging policy for Archaeological Planning Advice and Charging policy for Historic Environment Records.

Contact Archaeological Services

Write to:

Archaeology
Natural and Historic Environment
Planning Services
Place and Economy
Peterborough City Council
Sand Martin House
Bittern Way
Fletton Quays
Peterborough
PE2 8TY

Email: archaeology@peterborough.gov.uk

Published: 12 November 2024