SOUTHWELL ARCHAEOLOGY -SAVE ROMAN SOUTHWELL

SAVE ROMAN SOUTHWELL
The Save Roman Southwell campaign is necessary because of the immediate threat that nationally important Roman, Anglo Saxon and medieval heritage could be lost forever.

Introduction
This threatened heritage lies in the Roman settlement on Church Street, the site of the former Minster School. Uncertainty over this land continues following relocation of the school and the sale of the site with planning permission for speculative housing despite considerable local
opposition.
Successive archaeological investigations continue to reveal the site’s secrets, confirming it as a vital part of the Roman villa and Minster assemblage and the key to understanding Southwell’s origins.
We seek a better understanding of this historic site and its place in our national heritage and for it to be retained for public benefit as a Roman Heritage Park as part of the development of Southwell’s historic core as an “Outstanding Heritage Area”.

Opposing Development
A previous planning permission for this site (now lapsed) was given after only a very limited archaeological evaluation carried out in 2002. However, following the results of recent evaluation by Pre-Construct Archaeological Services Ltd. (PCA), the situation has changed significantly.
There is now a consensus among archaeological experts that this is a site of national importance:

Bryn Walters, Director of the Association for Roman Archaeology, states “It is the responsibility of us all to protect this site, without doubt unique and of incredible national significance, and preserve it for theenlightenment of future generations.”

Revd. Prof Martin Henig of Oxford University claims “we have a major site of National Importance with good preservation. With a very wide and growing interest in our early history, this could be a five star educational and tourist resource for the town. If we lose Southwell we cannot easily replace such evidence as lies buried here, which is of the very first importance.”

Professor Warwick Rodwell, Archaeologist and Architectural Historian to Westminster Abbey and other major cathedrals, considers that to allow building on the site would be “an act of cultural vandalism”.

Any development would inevitably detrimentally affect the setting of the existing Scheduled Ancient Monument and could not avoid adversely affecting the rest of the site. The granting of planning permission would, therefore, contravene local and national planning policies including PPS5 Para 7 - “The historic environment and its heritage assets should be conserved and enjoyed for the quality of life they bring to this and future generations . . . heritage assets are a non-renewable resource (we should ensure that) decisions are based on the nature, extent and level of (the heritage asset’s) significance . . . investigate to a degree proportionate to the importance of the heritage asset.”

The Vision
The emergence of an Anglo-Saxon church and the later Norman Minster from a high-status Roman complex presents a unique tourism, heritage and educational opportunity.
It is proposed by Southwell Heritage Trust that the component parts of this historic core should be presented and marketed as an integral whole to provide a tourism and heritage destination of regional and national importance. There is considerable scope to develop the unique storyof Southwell’s growth through the ages by incorporating the components of the historic core into an Outstanding Heritage Area.
The main components would be:-
• The Minster
• Archbishop’s Palace and Great Hall
• Roman Heritage Park incorporating the Roman villa, large Roman wall, Anglo-Saxon burials, medieval prebendary house and other important archaeology
• Prebendal Houses of the Minster.
• Saracen’s Head with its Civil War associations.

We aim to acquire and landscape the Church Street site, together with the adjoining Orchard site recently acquired by the Town Council, and provide first stage interpretation through markings and sign boards. Further development of the site as a Roman Heritage Park would include interpretation boards and a facility for community investigation, digs, educational projects and visits.

The Challenge
The land is in private ownership and planning permission is being sought for residential development.The planning application (NSDC ref 08/01639/FULM) is expected to come before the committee soon.

The problem we have is that it was accepted in 2002, on the basis of inadequate information, that any archaeology on the site had been destroyed by the building of the school. This judgement made by the County Council’s archaeological representative, supported by English Heritage, is now seen to be flawed as recent discoveries have proved. The same mistake is being made again bythe unjustified assumption that nothing else will be found in the 90% of the site that remains
unexplored. This is compounded by the acceptance of a mitigation strategy that would permit the destruction of much of the archaeology on the site.

We need to persuade the District Council and its advisers that the whole site is of national significance in the context of the villa and Minster assemblage (a concept enshrined in English Heritage’s scheduling criteria) and that planning permission should be refused. Refusal would leave the opportunity for bringing the land into community ownership as a Roman Heritage Park contributing to the Outstanding Heritage Area.

Southwell Heritage Trust
Southwell Community Archaeology Group
Southwell Civic Society
Southwell Local History Society
The Dean & Chapter Southwell Minster
Southwell Town Council
Patric Mercer OBE MP
County Cllr Bruce Laughton
Dr Ian W Campbell (Chair Newark Labour Party)

ACT NOW
There are several ways in which you can object to the planning application:

1. Write to Newark and Sherwood District Council Planning Department.

2. Write to individual planning officers.

3. Write to English Heritage.

4. Sign the on-line petition: http://www.petitiononline.co.uk/

5. Log into Facebook: http://www.facebook.com

The following Word.doc and PDF downloads give you guidance as to how you may wish to structure your objection:

Planning Objection Letter - Download WORD document or PDF

Planning Officer Letter Guidance - Download WORD document or PDF

English Heritage Letter Guidance - Download WORD document or PDF

SRS Objection Letters Other suggestions -Download WORD document orPDF

Save Roman Southwell Poster - Download WORD document orPDF

These downloads are suggestions as to how you may wish to structure a letter to any one or all of the above authorities - the main objective is to register your objection to the proposed development. Thank you for your interest.