Mark Turner, Principal Heritage Consultant with Wessex Archaeology’s heritage team recently presented at the joint CIfA/RTPI seminar in Leeds on 28 July 2018. Despite competition from the England’s final group game against Belgium, a number of attendees gathered to hear views on collaboration in heritage from consultees (represented by John Oxley of York City Council), clients (represented by Michelle Smith at Eversheds Sutherland) and commercial practitioners (represented here by Wessex Archaeology). Whilst the seminar highlighted the desirability of collaborative approaches, and ideally integrating such approaches from the inception of projects, some cautionary views were expressed. Difficulties recognised in reconciling this with commercial realities (time and budget) of many projects as well as tensions in the planning system itself.
Nevertheless, the seminar highlighted the general agreement that such approaches were desirable, and could lead to better outcomes, both in terms of knowledge gain as well as public engagement.
Wessex Archaeology would like to thank Stephen O’Reilly and Rob Lennox of the CIfA and Tony Ray of the RTPI for organising the event, and Michelle Smith and the team at Eversheds Sutherland in Leeds for hosting us.