6th December 2011, 02:27 PM
Quote: If the work isn't accepted by the Curator
and so what the consultant wants, or decides is suitable and productive is ultimately irrelevant, although they can certainly help a builder choose between a set of proposed wsi's and costings. Consultants and any archaeological contractors are not independent as we are reliant on clients to pay us. Ditto the IFA which is funded by all our subs.
The curators, and hence the chain of planning depts/local goverment/national government/the electors, are the only ones who can set and enforce standards. The fact that the curators are underfunded/under threat from those governments etc is the problem. If solved, the curators would effectively become this putative 'heritage police'. The IFA could then be wound up, go back to a nice little advisory role perhaps concentrating on advising all those amateur local societies out there or become more of an archaeological union for the commercial workforce than a setter of standards. Consultants can just continue their role as middlemen, helping those larger companies deal with their obligations and advising on contractors etc.
Of course, with local government shutting down, and the general public voting in all sorts of muppets, this is all but a dream.
No IFA or consultants ?- hey most of us can carrying on digging developer funded sites as usual and be suitably monitored.
No curators? oh dear we're pretty much all buggered...