Acting on behalf of St Francis Group, CSA provided expert advice on built heritage and archaeology. The Site is part of a larger area, previously granted outline planning permission for residential development and associated ancillary uses. CSA prepared a Heritage Statement to support a new application for industrial development. The application was approved May 2020.
Following the Historic England Guidance, CSA prepared a setting assessment considering potential impacts to designated heritage assets, including Bolsover Castle, designated as a scheduled monument, Grade I listed building and Grade I registered park and garden. While the development is within the setting of designated heritage assets of the highest significance, and will result in some (less than substantial) harm to their significance, decision makers concluded that this harm was outweighed by the public benefits.
CSA also prepared an assessment of the known archaeological resource. The majority of the Site had been disturbed by the construction of the Coalite Works and was not considered to have archaeological potential. One area was under agricultural use and geophysical survey had previously identified anomalies likely to represent below-ground remains of Iron Age or Roman date. No intrusive works were required to inform the application. Further works were requested on condition. CSA liaised with the archaeological advisor to the LPA to negotiate the scope of works and prepared a Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI) for trial trench evaluation, which was undertaken by a specialist fieldwork unit. No archaeological remains were identified and CSA agreed with the archaeological advisor to the LPA that no further archaeological works were necessary.