The Rise and Rise of Viability in Planning: An Archaeological Perspective
Channel: Recording Archaeology
Date: 11/02/2021

Since the publication of the 2012 National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), viability has taken an elevated role in the planning process, both at the plan making and planning decision stages. Essentially, development viability, in which the economic viability of a development became an important consideration in the planning system, both in terms of plan-making and when determining planning applications, can now be used to determine planning applications, and is now formalised and largely determined by profits and costs. The presentation explores questions of viability for whom and viable for which domain, addresses Viability Assessment (VA) as a relatively new assessment procedure, and explores ways in which it may impact provisions in place to protect the historic environment. The presentation will also discuss the challenges faced by archaeologists drawing on personal experience, exploring existing power dynamics at play when consulting on projects amongst other development-led professions.

The paper will address existing legislation in place for the protection of the historic environment and viability through its explicit introduction within the 2012 National Planning Policy Framework, including 2019 revisions, set against the concept of sustainable development. It will then proceed to outline the Viability Assessment process and provide examples where this process has been used successfully to reduce planning obligations. It will conclude by suggesting that the use of Viability Assessment to mitigate planning obligations could potentially be used directly against archaeology and will call for further research to substantiate whether this is a realistic threat.

 DANIEL PHILLIPS, DRP ARCHAEOLOGY