Watching Brief

Watching briefs, the archaeological monitoring and recording during development groundworks, are generally applied as a planning condition to developments of smaller scale or which are in areas with limited potential for archaeological remains.

If a watching brief is required, APS will liaise with the developer and have an experienced archaeologist onsite during initial groundwork development.  Depending on the size and nature of the site, once monitoring commences, it often becomes clear that archaeological remains are localised, thinly-distributed or absent. In such cases APS will, on behalf of their client, seek the reduction, or waiving, of the watching brief condition. As a result, the planning condition can be discharged promptly and the developer's archaeological costs can be significantly minimised.

 

 

We can help with your watching brief

APS can provide cost-effective watching briefs to monitor and record development groundworks.  We have carried out hundreds of watching briefs for sites all over the country and will work collaboratively with your development team.