20th March 2011, 04:05 PM
moreno Wrote:Sounds like a start. I agree, let's keep it proactive. On the side, I met up with and had dinner with some mates. They own their homes in the village, one just bought a grade II listed property. Inevitably the subject of listed buildings and archaeology came up. I explained the relationship of archaeology and planning. Their most important issue was the added cost, and they asked me only one question in terms of expense and importance that I had trouble answering:
Why is archaeology important?
Surely the question they're really asking is not, 'Why is archaeology important?' but, 'Why is archaeology important enough to cost me more money?'
In some ways, I think we have to accept either we are all a part of society with individual responsibilities to participate and contribute including financially. But I sympathise with their position. The fact is, when the 'the polluter pays' concept was introduced (the first attempt to shift the financial burden of archaeology from the state) there was no real account taken of the fact that individuals wanting a lesser service (an external survey and recording of their Grd II listed house, for instance) would have to pay at least the same rate as a larger developer with a somewhat greater capacity to accept the financial risk and cost of such a venture. It factors in - perhaps - to the recent thread about Killing The Goose. Perhaps it would actually help us to review the methods we employ in the commercial environment and show that we are making attempts to limit the financial hit from heritage wherever possible and review the tools like theEH listing system. If times were better, I suppose you could argue for a public fund for assisting in levelling the cost of archaeology and heritage to individuals to some extent, but that is a bit like raising a red-rag to a bull and would probably just represent a target to be fired upon at will by county councils. There are community based ways around such things in some instances, although its all a bit Big Society!