Dear Chris and SMRforum,
The Council for Scottish Archaeology has responded on recent regs.
consultation for Scotland making a point similar to the one you note (I can
forward copies of their response in Word format if anyone wants to see it)
and CBA will very probably be responding on the draft regulations
consultation in England.
All the best
Alex Hunt
Research and Conservation Officer
Council for British Archaeology
-----Original Message-----
From: Chris Webster [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: 14 August 2002 12:46
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: New Draft Regulations on Public Access to Environmental
Infor mati on
Having now had a chance to read the regulations I'm not sure I'm convinced
that archaeology is really covered. My reading of the definition of
"environmental information" would be that it refers only to information on
the effects of environmental elements as listed in bit (a) on "cultural
sites and built structures" rather that treating the latter as elements of
the environment. Thus information on the effects of acid rain on buildings
or possibly coastal erosion might count in the same way as air/water
pollution effects on human health would be.
It might be argued that the defined elements included archaeology under
"soil" "land" or "landscape and natural sites" but since one of the stated
aims of the regulations is to make the definition clearer I would suggest it
has failed in this if the historic component of the environment is not
explicitly included or excluded.
Do CBA, ALGAO, EH, Cadw, have a view on this and will they be making
representations?
Chris Webster
Somerset Sites and Monuments Record
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