The Institute for Archaeologists have recently released “a ground-breaking draft report that outlines recommendations and products for improving historic environment practice to ensure delivery of consistent excellence in public benefit.”
This report, written by the Southport Group, drawn from across the sector aims to consider “key areas of planning-led investigation of the historic environment, identifies obstacles to optimum delivery in the past, presents a vision for new ways of working under PPS5 principles, and makes detailed practical recommendations to reach that vision.”
See http://www.archaeologists.net/southport for more information.
Rescue broadly welcomes such an attempt to ensure that archaeology realises the greatest public benefit.While such an aspirational view is welcomed, an ongoing fundamental problem for the archaeological profession regarding commercial development-led investigation, is and always has been, the dichotomy between sector aspirational ideals for practice, participation and outcome, and the hard business of commercial resourcing, timetabling, legal practice and safety legislation.
You can read our full response below.
[ipaper id=57437737]
