We feel the recent letter to The Times from RESCUE, The British Archaeological Trust, is worth reproducing in full:
Dear Sir,
After the report in the Times (Letters, 2nd Jan, p29) is it time to stand back and look at what we may be allowing to be done to this country in the name of development and its presumed role as the only solution to our economic woes? Those aiming to surround Old Oswestry hillfort with a housing development offer the feeble excuse that they are not building on the hill fort itself, while at the same time ignoring the impact on views both to and from the monument (a material consideration for Scheduled Monument Consent). The people of Bath are facing plans to amend green belt land around the city with housing, roads and commercial development which will severely compromise the setting of the best surviving part of the western Wansdyke, another Scheduled Ancient Monument and landscape-scale earthwork.
Against growing threats like these, the number of people employed to examine the impact of development on our heritage is diminishing as local governments across the country cut their conservation, archaeological and museum staff, leaving some regions without cover at all, while those who are left have overwhelming work-loads. At the same time changes to English Heritage appear likely to reduce its influence. As we are only on the edge of economic growth, what other ancient monuments will be threatened as the pace of development picks up? We need to call a halt and reinstate the ground rules for protection of our Historic Monuments (and Green Belt land) before it’s too late and we need to fight for the jobs of those whose task it is to mitigate the negative effects of economic development. Our national heritage is not a luxury; in 2013 alone heritage tourism contributed some £26.4 billion to the British economy. Of what lasting value is recovery if we lose some of our most evocative and irreplaceable heritage in the process?
Yours sincerely
Dr Chris Cumberpatch
Vice-chair
RESCUE – The British Archaeological Trust
ADDITIONAL COMMENT FROM DR GEORGE NASH:
Dear Heritage Team,
I would suggest that in addition to the term ‘Green Belt (which actually accounts for little statutory protection these days)’ would also include the term ‘Green Space’. This certainly applies to land that surrounds Old Oswestry Hillfort. Alas, it is not designated ‘Green Belt’ but according to earlier accounts it was considered ‘Brown field’. To me and the majority of people living in North Shropshire, the fields a clearly green.
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22/01/2014 at 08:11
Diana
“Those aiming to surround Old Oswestry hillfort with a housing development offer the feeble excuse that they are not building on the hill fort itself, while at the same time ignoring the impact on views both to and from the monument (a material consideration for Scheduled Monument Consent)”.
Yes AND planners have TURNED DOWN PREVIOUS APPLICATIONS THAT WERE FURTHER AWAY!!! What is happening to democracy?? No one in, around or beyond Oswestry wants this to happen apart from cash-hungry developers, councils and a government hell bent on kick starting the economy by covering every beautiful and valuable spot with ticky tacky non-affordable houses.
22/01/2014 at 08:41
Nigel S
I’m not sure that “kick starting the economy” is really the prime consideration. There are many, many other ways of doing that, including building houses on brownfield sites. You’ll search in vain in the economics textbooks for the opinion that building big houses in the green belt is the way to revitalise an economy. Of course, the fact that the big house builders were invited to design the strategy might have something to do with it.
Incidentally, the economy seems to be turning round anyway. If building in the green belt is so effective there would be a danger that continuing with it would cause inflation – but we’re unlikely to hear that admitted.
22/01/2014 at 09:29
Dr George Nash
Dear Heritage Team,
I would suggest that in addition to the term ‘Green Belt (which actually accounts for little statutory protection these days)’ would also include the term ‘Green Space’. This certainly applies to land that surrounds Old Oswestry Hillfort. Alas, it is not designated ‘Green Belt’ but according to earlier accounts it was considered ‘Brown field’. To me and the majority of people living in North Shropshire, the fields a clearly green.
22/01/2014 at 09:37
heritageaction
Thanks, we’ve added your comment to the post.