Planning for arena/stables-anyone had to do an archeo mitigation survey? Help!

catembi

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We applied for planning a year ago...refused on some small points which were easily answered (e.g. poo...it gets taken away twice a week by gardeners), and one larger point (access for fire engine - we have now removed the double garage to allow this...sobs...) We reapplied answering all the points, a decision is due on Monday, this morning I went on the portal to have a nose... We are now 100% fine on the access points, but...the archeo aspect which wasn't remarked on at all in our first application has now turned into a full blown thing! We are required to carry out a full archeological dig before we can do anything! Aaaarrrggghhh...it's going to be ££££££££££££££££££££££ and take **forever**...! I have attached the letter. What now? Anyone had to do this? Or has anyone appealed it?
 

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cauda equina

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There's a lot of speculation going on there - 'potential', 'postulated' and 'may' all caught my eye.
It sounds as if they want you to do their archaeological dig for them, and to pay for the privilege
 

catembi

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And the weird thing is...there was NONE of this when we applied the first time! The report said there was nothing of interest & that they weren't bothered!
 

The Fuzzy Furry

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Did you not get this as a letter around the date of it being produced?
Didnt your solicitor or planning consultant notice?
I would try to respectfully point out if you are able to, that the application is not for any building requiring a dig deeper than xyz (as not requiring foundations deeper than ABC).
 

catembi

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Before we put an offer in for the house, I had an opinion from an equestrian planning specialist. The first application was put in by people who were experienced in getting planning. After the first refusal, I then engaged with two equestrian planning specialists who were rather vague about the whole thing. We reapplied ourselves. What's puzzling is that the archeo person didn't have anything to say in response to our first application, & I would be surprised if a Saxon village had emerged within the last 9 months...! Aaarrrgghh!

I found this myself as a result of trawling through their website to see what (if anything) was happening. Their last decision went 6 weeks over the deadline.
 

PeterNatt

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I always use a planning consultant in combination with an architect/surveyor as they know all the hoops one needs to jump through and take account of these in the initial application. My advice would be to get an archaeological consultant to do an appraisal report for you.
 

catembi

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So far, the first specialist (pre purchase) looked at other planning decisions, house location etc etc & said there 'should' be no issues at all with getting planning. The person who put in the first planning application was totally bemused when the planning failed & didn't know what to do. And cost £1,500. The third one found out about the fire engine issue but didn't mention anything about archeo. ( Nor did the archeo the first time around!) The fourth one hmm'd and ha'd and stopped returning phone calls. **sighs**

Okay, so now I need to find an archeo consultant. Once I have ascertained why this is suddenly a problem when it wasn't 9 months ago!
 

Hack4fun

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You can appeal for free. The previous assessment should provide evidence to challenge the decision and the failure to properly consider the first application has led to delays and costs with the second which were avoidable. It is speculative that there is any archaeology of course.
 

catembi

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Time Team! :) Fab idea...! Unless, of course, they successfully **find** a bl**dy Saxon village, and then that will be my stables & arena scuppered for all eternity...! :p
 

Follysmum

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I know an old farmer friend of mine lives near an old settlement He had the odd horse diy. The time team came to his village. They found lots of cooking pots etc, he was told if he wanted an arena it could cause issues and a lot money/hassle.
 

Gift Horse

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You need a reasonably priced archaeologist to do a desk report.
If you are using a planning consultant they should have a contact.
You may get away with a geophysical survey or a watching brief during excavations.
To give you some idea of price a geophysical survey recently cost £1,500 on a 3 hectare site - So expect to pay less than that on a school-sized area.

What a headache, good luck with it.
 

ester

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If they start digging now they might drown pretty quick (I just came up your way ;) ) and you could add another drain at the same time.

However, how bloody frustrating!
 

cindars

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Is there any evidence locally of a site as in local records or on line seems a bit odd they have only come up with this.
 
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