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 through:
England, from March 2010, PPS 5 'Planning for the Historic Environment' and accompanying Practice Guide (which replaced PPG 16: 'Archaeology and Planning' and PPG 15 'Planning and the Historic Environment')
Wales: Planning Policy Wales and Welsh Office Circular 60/96 Planning and the Historic Environment: Archaeology (Wales);
Scotland: Scottish Planning Policy (SPP) (which superceded SPP23 Planning and the Historic Emvironment). National Planning Policy Guideline 5 (NPPG 5) and Planning Advice Note (PAN) 42 'Archaeology - the Planning Process and Scheduled Monument Procedures' (Scotland).

PPS 5 Workshop for local authority HER staff and historic environment planning advisors: 24 September 2010, London

Building upon the previous ALGAO seminars held in London and York in June, the ALGAO Planning and Legislation Committee is organising this workshop to continue discussions on some of the key issues that have arisen.

Further details, programme and booking form

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

May 2010:
Consultation on a new Planning Policy Statement: Planning for a Natural and Healthy Environment (DCLG)

March 2010:
Improving engagement by statutory and non-statutory consutees (DCLG)
Improving the use and discharge of planning conditions (DCLG)
Model Planning Conditions (Planning Inspectorate)

February 2010:
Permitted development rights for small scale renewable and low carbon energy technologies, and electric vehicle charging infrastructure (DCLG)
Draft Overarching National Policy Statement for Energy (EN-1)& the Draft NPSs for Fossil Fuels, Renewables, Gas Supply and Gas and Oil Pipelines, and Electricity Networks (EN 2-5)

October 2009: Planning Act 2008 - consultation on examination procedures for nationally significant infrastructure projects (DCLG)

July 2009: Draft Planning Policy Statement 4: Planning for Prosperous Economies (DCLG)

June 2009: Consultation on the Pre-Application Consultation and Application Procedures for Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (DCLG)

February 2009: Draft Planning Policy Statement: Eco-towns (DCLG)

September 2008: The Killian Pretty Review Planning applications: A faster and more responsive system: A Call for Solutions (DCLG)

June 2008: Ecotowns: Living a Greener Future (DCLG)

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)