Consulting Services
Our consultants can provide advice on heritage issues, along with the necessary reports required at every stage. These consulting services include desk-based and heritage impact assessments.
Our heritage consultants can work with you throughout the planning and development process. We can provide advice on risks and opportunities that archaeology and heritage could present to your project and where possible identify how to avoid impacting them. Where that is not possible, we can design and cost a proportionate archaeological programme. We can schedule and carry out the work, including fieldwork and reporting using our extensive experience. To help minimise risks, these resources can be included in timetables and budgets.
Planning authorities need applicants to show the significance of any heritage assets affected by a development. We can provide this in a variety of forms, including desk-based or heritage impact assessments, and environmental statements where needed. These can cover projects of all sizes, from individual built heritage assets to conservation area assessments and local area characterisation. We use a broad range of sources to identify assets and how development may affect their significance.
Learn about our own Environmental Sustainability Statement here.
Consulting Services Case Studies
River Thames Relief Scheme
The River Thames flood relief Scheme is a major defence project spanning Surrey and Greater London. It involves constructing a flood channel, modifying sections of the river, and enhancing habitats and public amenities along the route.
Since 2016, York Archaeology has played a vital role in supporting the scheme’s Development Consent Order (DCO) application. Our work includes desk-based assessments, archaeological risk modelling, and the design of a multi-phase evaluation programme. The evaluation covers the entire scheme and includes targeted risk modelling in key areas.
We’ve also contributed to the DCO process by authoring heritage sections for the Scoping Report and Preliminary Environmental Information Report. Currently, we are developing the Cultural Heritage chapter of the Environmental Statement and designing the Heritage Environment Management Plan (HEMP) to safeguard the project’s heritage considerations.
Our City Our River
In 2012, Derby City Council (DCC), in partnership with the Environment Agency (EA), launched the ‘Our City Our River’ (OCOR) project to reduce flood risks in Derby while safeguarding the city’s heritage and encouraging sustainable development along the River Derwent.
York Archaeology was commissioned to carry out archaeological mitigation excavations in key impact areas, with major efforts focused on the Scheduled Monument of Roman Little Chester. Additional targeted investigations explored Derby’s industrial heritage along the river’s southern stretches.
At Little Chester, we excavated across the northern defences, north-western interior, and western defences, uncovering valuable insights into the construction and evolution of the Roman town. Throughout the project we worked closely with Historic England, Derby City Council, the Environment Agency, and the principal contractors Black & Veatch. Together we identified areas of archaeological work with construction schedules, and provided monitoring to ensure all remains were properly recorded.
