Comment

Representation ID: 9680

Received: 26/07/2022

Respondent: Historic England

Whilst there are no designated heritage assets within the site boundary, there are several scheduled monuments to the south of the river. These cropmark sites have been partly excavated. The Howbury Hall Estate, including several listed buildings, lies to the north of the site. The site lies adjacent to the non-designated earthwork of Risinghoe Castle. We have previously advised that this merits further assessment through a Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA). There is also high potential for other buried archaeological remains at the allocation site based on elsewhere along the valley floor. Any development of this site has the potential to impact upon these heritage assets and their settings.
A heritage assessment was prepared to accompany a planning application for this site in 2019.
The heritage impact assessment helps further our understanding of the Castle. Further to our site visit, and in light of the HIA, we understand that the archaeological advisers at BBC are satisfied that the castle is of regional importance and is not likely to meet the criteria for scheduling. To that end, Historic England is content to leave the decision to BBC in this regard.
We welcome criterion iv and v. However, no detail is given of the mitigation or enhancement required. These measures should be informed by the heritage assessment, and development management process and then the wording incorporated into the policy.
The heritage assessment recommends the following mitigation measures:
• Geo-physical survey followed by trail trench evaluation
• Careful design in particular in relation to height and density to minimise harm to the setting of the Castle • Sensitive landscaping along the southern boundary and careful landscaping to enhance the immediate setting of the Castle mound
We suggest that these measures are incorporated into the policy wording.