Answers
The questions developers actually ask
Cost, duration, liability and what happens when something turns up. Answered directly, including where the honest answer is that it depends and why.
Direct answers
Pick the question
How much does archaeology cost per hectare?
There is no honest single figure, because the same hectare can differ by more than an order of magnitude depending on what is in it and how deep it sits.
How long does archaeology delay a development?
Handled early, archaeology need not delay a development at all. Handled late, it delays it at the most expensive possible moment.
Who pays for archaeology on a development?
The developer does. Archaeological work required by a planning condition is a development cost, and it is not recoverable from the planning authority.
What happens if archaeology is found during construction?
Something being found mid-build is not, in itself, a disaster. Having no agreed instruction route for it usually is.
Can archaeology be preserved in place instead of excavated?
Sometimes, and where it can, it is usually the cheapest outcome available. It depends entirely on whether the development actually leaves the deposits undisturbed.
What if an archaeological condition is already overdue?
If development has started and a pre-commencement archaeological condition has not been discharged, this needs handling immediately and carefully, not quietly.
Do we need archaeological advice before buying the land?
Archaeology is one of the few pre-construction liabilities that can be estimated before exchange, which makes it worth assessing at appraisal rather than after acquisition.
Project review
Want the answer for your actual site?
General answers only go so far. Send the planning position and site details and we will answer against your scheme.