Archaeology and Planning

Reminders of Oxford's archaeological heritage are a finite resource, and once disturbed are irreplaceable.  The Local Plan Proposals Map identifies the City centre archaeological area, in addition to which there are known concentrations of past human activity elsewhere in Oxford, including the historic village centres.  Nine scheduled monuments ranging in date from prehistoric to the industrial revolution are physical evidence of the significance of Oxford in the national perception.

For these reasons, and because the remains are sometimes fragile, the Local Authority will not grant planning permission for any development that would have an unacceptable effect on nationally important remains, whether scheduled or not, or their settings.

Where a development proposal is permitted on an historically sensitive site it will typically be subject to a planning condition requiring archaeological recording, evaluation and in some cases excavation.

Assessing Proposals

An archaeological assessment, which may include field evaluation, will be required as part of any planning application that involves the breaking of the ground to a significant extent in one of these areas.  Archaeological remains should be either protected in situ or investigated scientifically so that the information they contain becomes the base for new understanding for individuals and the community.

What this means is that where archaeological deposits are known or suspected to exist, and are potentially significant to the historic environment of the people of Oxford and their visitors,  planning applications should incorporate sufficient information to define the character and extent of such deposits, including where appropriate;

• the results of an evaluation by fieldwork; and
• an assessment of the impact of the proposals upon the deposits or their setting. 

Where the existence and significance of deposits is confirmed, but where the City Council is satisfied that the development is acceptable for other reasons, planning permission will only be granted if the proposal:

• avoids significant impact by ensuring preservation of deposits in situ, (achieved by engineering design and/or reduction/relocation of impacts;
• and/or provides a scheme of mitigation by archaeological recording action including archiving and publication of results;

If you require the services of an archaeological contractor a full list of registered organisations can be found on the Institute of Field Archaeologists website.

Page last reviewed 20 May 2011