The charges are for our expertise in quality controlling archaeological work to ensure compliance with national and local planning policy. The charges also apply to any developments which fall outside local planning authority decision making such as utility pipelines, cables and national infrastructure projects. Charges also apply to all permitted development. There are no charges for most community led projects.
Charging is based on standard or routine involvement in projects, by type and size, and an estimated number of visits allocated that will cover the majority of cases. If further work is required due to unforeseen site circumstances, additional charges will be calculated on a pro rata basis.
There is a flat fee with add-on charges for specific points of contact and specific stages in the archaeological planning process.
We do not charge for initial pre-application advice (up to an hour of officer time). However, developers, their agents and archaeological organisations acting on behalf of developers are required to pay for the team’s advice during the planning process.
For desk-based assessments, palaeoenvironmental assessments and geophysical survey, where no site monitoring visit is required, no charges will be raised unless further work stages of archaeological work are required.
What you need to do
You will be required to complete a simple online application form to initiate the work, and we will raise an invoice which will be sent to you following the production of your brief. The charge will be invoiced based on the details submitted on the request form; therefore archaeological contractors and agents must ensure their client is aware of the charges.
Payment must have been made before each stage of archaeological investigation has been completed. Failure to pay will result in the delay of approval of the stage of archaeological work.
What about charges for work already in progress?
Charges are applied to all new casework and for new stages of on-going archaeological investigations.
What you need to know
- A brief remains valid for one year
- A brief will usually be provided within 15 working days from application
- On request, a 'fast track' brief can be provided within 5 working days for an additional 50% charge on the standard tariff. We will get back to you within two working days if we cannot meet your fast-track request
- Comments on standard reports are usually made within 30 days of submission of the relevant documentation (by negotiation for major projects)
- Approval of a submitted WSI will usually be completed within 15 working days. Where a WSI or report fails to meet required standards and / or substantive changes are required additional charges are made at the standard rate of £60 per hour
- All charges in the Schedule are exclusive of 20% VAT.
What's included in the charge
The charge is inclusive of: production of the project brief, review of the Written Scheme of Investigation (WSI), monitoring of the fieldwork and scrutiny of the report (per stage and phase of work) to ensure that planning requirements are fulfilled. Any development sites within a historic urban core as defined by the HER will incur an additional 25% charge to the amounts in the table below.
- An administration charge of £30 will be added if brief request forms are submitted with incorrect information for invoicing purposes, requiring replacement invoices to be issued
The planning advice charges do not include any searches of the Historic Environment Record (HER). Find out about the HER charges in the next section on this page.
The number of monitoring site visits allowed for per category is included in the table below, any additional visits required can be charged at the standard rate of £60 per hour plus travel cost.
Planning advice charges
Note:
- Pre-app advice, before a brief is commissioned by the developer, is free of charge (up to an hour of officer time). Complex sites are charged on a case-by-case basis
- Meetings and site visits at a developer's request are charged at £60 per hour plus travel costs
- Hectares is shown in the table below as ha. E.g., 0.5ha
Planning advice charges
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Category
|
Description of work
|
Monitoring
|
Evaluation
|
Excavation
|
|
1a
|
Development of a historic building (demolition and/or conversion)
|
£150
|
Not applicable
|
Not applicable
|
|
1b
|
Development is a single dwelling, garage/cart lodge, extension or other small development
|
£150
|
|
|
| 2 |
Development is between 2 and 10 dwellings or covers less than 0.5ha in area
|
£150
|
|
|
| 3 |
Development is 11 dwellings or more or between 0.5ha and 2.5ha in area
|
Not applicable
|
|
|
| 4 |
Development is between 2.5ha and 10ha in area
|
Not applicable
|
|
|
| 5 |
Development is between 10ha and 20ha
|
Not applicable
|
|
|
| 6 |
Development is over 20ha and/or a major infrastructure project, a significant linear project (pipeline, road, or cable route) or quarry |
Email archaeology@suffolk.gov.uk or call 01284 741230 to discuss your scheme and obtain a quote.
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