31st May 2005, 01:45 PM
Before you go out to do a WB, you should have a look at the actual conditions that are attached to planning consent. In this area, the condition requires the archaeologist to be present during all ground disturbance works, ie before the trenches are dug, and gives them the power to stop work on the site to excavate features without the need to contact the curator. If complex features are found then there is still the need for negotiation with the client for more extensive mitigation, but otherwise, the on-site archaeologist can be in control of what happens on the site. I think there is an underestimation amoung field archaeologists of the extent of what they can and can't do on site, caused by a misunderstanding of the planning process. WBs are almost always a condition of planning consent, and as such, if the developer fails to impliment them, then they are in technical breach of consent. The archaeologist should make use of terms like 'technical breach' and 'stop notice', and make it clear that they are aware that the WB is a condition of consent, and therefore has to be properly carried out for the condition to be discharged