Planning&Legislation

The Planning and Legislation Committee was established to consider the wide range of planning and legislation matters directly related to the interests of the Association, and pursue particular issues on behalf of its members.The historic environment is under constant pressure in both town and country. Its protection must be reconciled with the legitimate needs of economic growth and development.

Ancient Monuments legislation provides protection for only a small proportion of archaeological sites. Provision for the protection and investigation of the great majority of archaeological sites has come about through the development of planning legislation and recognition of archaeology as a material consideration in the planning process, particularly through PPG 16: 'Archaeology and Planning' and PPG 15 'Planning and the Historic Environment' (England); Planning Policy Wales and Welsh Office Circular 60/96 Planning and the Historic Environment: Archaeology (Wales); and National Planning Policy Guideline 5 (NPPG 5) and Planning Advice Note (PAN) 42 'Archaeology - the Planning Process and Scheduled Monument Procedures' (Scotland).

The Association, through its Planning and Legislation Committee, seeks to encourage best practice in implementing government guidance and aims to ensure that appropriate policies for the conservation of the historic environment are incorporated into development plans and strategic documents.

Survey of historic environment services in local government: England

Since 1997 ALGAO has carried out a number of surveys of its membership to gather information on staffing and casework levels, and to monitor changes in best practice in implementing PPG 16 and PPG15, andl also in dealing with aspects of work which fall outside the planning system.

In 2005 ALGAO published: Local Government Archaeological Services: Report on staffing and casework surveys 1997-2003. This summary is of key results from research undertaken by the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers (ALGAO) and English Heritage into local government archaeological services: published in 2002 as Archaeological Services in Local Government and Planning and Conservation Casework Survey 1997-99. It also includes results from the ALGAO survey of staffing and casework for 2003.

Recent consultation responses

March 2008: Draft Planning Policy Statement 4 (PPS 4): Planning for sustainable economic development (DCLG)
August 2007: Planning White Paper, Planning for a Sustainable Future (DCLG)
June 2007: Permitted Development Rights for Householder Microgeneration (DCLG)