King Harry Lane Playing Fields, St Albans
CgMs' client, Hallam Land Management, has won an appeal on the second phase of their proposed housing scheme on this key site in St Albans. This was preceded by an earlier win at appeal for phase 1 of the development. CgMs' archaeology team has worked with Hallam Land Management on the scheme for 10 years. It lies immediately adjacent to the Roman walled city known as Verulamium and within the earlier Iron Age 'oppida' that preceded the Roman city. CgMs has undertaken various surveys over the 10 years to clarify the archaeological issues on the site. During this time, we undertook extensive negotiations with the LPA's archaeologist which resulted in the scheme being designed to preserve the remains of a defensive ditch and entrance to the Iron Age settlement. CgMs were able to agree that any further archaeological investigations on the site should be a condition of outline planning permission, thereby archaeology being a contentious issue at both appeals.
