Developers

Planning Applications

The Archaeology Service examines all planning applications submitted to Aberdeenshire, Moray and Angus councils.

Should a proposed development be considered a threat to known or potential archaeological sites (for instance the historic core of towns) then the developer will be approached for more information from which mitigation procedures will be formed. These may vary from a photographic survey to desktop assessment, watching brief or full excavation under a Development Brief written by the Principal Archaeologist. The developer is obliged to pay for any work undertaken to record the archaeology affected.

The Archaeology Policy in the Local Plan is Policy Env\19.

The National Planning and Policy Guideline series cover archaeology specifically within the planning system and is the basis on which our Archaeological Policy is formed. These, along with Aberdeenshire Council's relevant Policies, can be accessed below:

• NPPG 5 - Archaeology and Planning
• NPPG 18 - Planning and the Historic Environment
• PAN 42 - Archaeology
• Env/19 - Local Plan Policy Archaeological Sites & Monuments
• Policy 20 - North East Structure Plan (NEST)

More detailed advice on planning procedures and the separate controls over Scheduled Monuments is given in the associated Planning Advice Note 42 Archaeology - the Planning Process and Scheduled Monument Procedures.