DEVELOPING EVIDENCE TO INFORM LAND USE DECISION MAKING IN SCOTLAND
Channel: European Association of Archaeologists
Date: 07/11/2020

Historic Scotland argued for the inclusion of nationally important, scheduled, archaeological sites within the aims of the Scottish Rural Development Programme, under Pillar 2 of the EU Common Agriculture Policy, mostly where historic environment outcomes compliment natural environment ones. The ability to measure success was demonstrated through a pre-existing Field Officer programme which monitors and scores the condition of scheduled monuments. In 2015 Historic Scotland was replaced by Historic Environment Scotland (HES), a non-departmental government body tasked by Scottish Ministers to become the lead body in regards to the historic environment. A new strategy document, published along with HES’ creation, emphasised the need to mainstream aspirations to preserve and care for the historic environment throughout Scottish Government policy across different ministers’ portfolios. As we move to a new agriculture scheme there is a fresh opportunity to work with colleagues from across the regulatory spectrum and present new evidence of the impacts current land use have on the historic environment and on the success or otherwise of the existing programme in order to inform future decision making. This will include analysing how the historic environment has affected decisions on grant applications and awards, coupled with continued Field Officer monitoring to record the impact the current programme has had. Ongoing Aerial Photography over many years is also allowing us to begin to demonstration the impact of soil erosion over scheduled crop mark sites. The Historic Land-use Assessment (HLA) data has a semi-automated updating and review process, which, together with comparisons to OS map data since 1930s, we are working together with Scottish Natural Heritage to monitor and express the extent of land-use and landscape change. We are also experimenting with how the HLA data can inform eco-system services, such as through adding values to land-use types.


Author(s): Raven, John (HES - Historic Environment Scotland)