Introduction
HEA are delighted to have assisted a client with the removal of a costly archaeological condition for a successful planning application. The client was required to organise an on-site watching-brief by the Local Planning Authority of Merton in the event that important archaeological remains should be discovered during construction work.
The planning application entailed the erection of a dwelling house at the rear of the subject property, which was partially submerged below ground level. As such, a conditional charge was attached to the application in order for it to comply with the several local development policies.
Consultation with the Archaeological Advisor
Merton Council
HEA were instructed to consult with the Councils Archaeological Advisor in relation to the archaeological condition. Desk-based research was first undertaken by the archaeology team at HEA which found that the site is not located in an Archaeological Priority Area. The chances of uncovering important remains were significantly reduced by the fact that the site is not located in proximity to a watercourse, while the closest Roman Road to the site is over 900m away, with no Roman settlement identified within a mile radius. Medieval interest in the area centres around Wimbledon High Street, which is a further 1.5km from the site. Furthermore, a simple map progression showed that Wimbledon Town did not fully develop until the 19th century. The 1839 Tithe map shows the subject property surrounded by fields in a meadow.
Lastly, the Greater London Historic Environment Record (GLHER) data shows only the modern station building and conservation area within 500m of the site, neither of which were relevant to the archaeological baseline of the site.
Following our consultation with the Archaeological Advisor to the Local Planning Authority with the above information, they agreed with our findings and concluded that there was very limited archaeological risk. As such, they recommended to the Council that the condition be removed. The archaeology team at HEA felt that this condition was not a reasonable request from the Council. The justification for it was not readily known, yet more of these conditions are being unnecessarily attached to planning applications.
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