Ancient Monuments

Scheduled Ancient Monuments

Of particular archaeological importance to the Rochford District are the five Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs). These sites are deemed to be of national importance and are protected by The Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979. Any development proposal which may affect a SAM is commented on by English Heritage. It is also important to note that any planning proposal which directly affects a SAM not only needs planning permission from the local planning authority but also must obtain Scheduled Monument Consent. More information on this can be obtained from the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) by calling: 0207 211 6932, or the required forms and guidance can be downloaded from the DCMS website which is available via the Related Links section on this page.

The Scheduled Ancient Monuments within the Rochford District are available to view in the Related Documents section. Clicking on the links will provide a map and more detailed description of these sites.

Other Sites

More than 350 sites of archaeological interest are recorded on the Heritage Conservation Record (HCR) in the Rochford District, of which five are Scheduled Ancient Monuments. The sites range from Palaeolithic flint axes through a variety of prehistoric, Roman, Saxon and medieval settlements to post-medieval / modern industrial sites and World War II / Cold War monuments. However the HCR records represent only a small fraction of the total. Many important sites remain undiscovered and unrecorded.

Prospective developers are advised to undertake an initial assessment of whether a site is known or likely to contain archaeological remains as part of their initial research into its development potential. The Heritage Conservation Record (HCR) provides a database of all known sites of archaeological interest and can be found on the Unlocking Essex Website, which is also available via the Related Links section. The local planning authority will expect any proposal that would affect a known site of archaeological importance to be accompanied by sufficient information to assess the level of disturbance posed by the development. Developers are urged to discuss their proposals with the local planning authority prior to submitting planning applications to agree the level of information to be provided. The LPA will expect applicants to adopt the procedures set out by central government in Planning and Policy Guidance Note 16: Archaeology and Planning. Proposals which may affect Scheduled Ancient Monuments or other sites of archaeological interest will be considered by the LPA with regard to the guidelines in PPG 16 and also the policies set out in the Rochford District Replacement Local Plan, in particular policies BC5 and BC6.

Further Information

Further general guidance about SAMs can be found in the English Heritage free publication, 'Scheduled monuments - an English Heritage Guide for owners and occupiers' which can be downloaded from the Related Documents section of this page. Any planning proposal which could affect a Scheduled Ancient Monument or its setting should be referred to English Heritage for comment.

Contacts

English Heritage East of England regional office: 01223 582735

Essex County Council Archaeology: 01245 437632

Rochford District Council Planning Policy Team: 01702 546366