News - Diggers move on to site (Southwell)

Further archaeological investigation is taking place at a site in Southwell that is believed to contain Roman remains of national significance.


Work taking place on the Church Street site.There had been no activity on the former Minster School site on Church Street since a planning application for 29 homes was rejected.

But concerns were raised when heavy machinery, including JCBs, were spotted carrying out work.

The site is believed to contain the remains of a Roman villa and archaeologists hope it could provide the link between the Roman occupation of Southwell and the building of the minster.

Town councillor Mrs Sue Rodgers, a former member of Nottinghamshire County Council’s archaeology team, said the county council’s archaeologist Ursilla Spence was aware of the investigations taking place.

Mrs Rodgers said: “There are no worries about the archaeology on site. The work is further archaeological work being carried out, not building work.”

Mrs Rodgers said she had been liaising with the landowner, Caunton Properties Limited, and heritage groups to try to reach a compromise over the future of the site.

She said: “No one has come forward to say they are interested in a compromise so for the time being it is all on hold.”

Mr Peter Kent, a member of the Roman Heritage Park campaign group, which wants to see the site turned into a heritage park, said the group had concerns about the work taking place.

He said: “I have been approached by several people enquiring about what is happening.

“Ursilla Spence has assured me that it is all under control and the work is being carried out by Preconstruct Archaeology, which is a reputable firm.

“There have been a lot of rumours going around about the site.”

Mr Kent, also a member of Southwell Archaeology, said the group would like there to be more information available about work taking place.

He said: “Some of the treatment looks pretty brutal but it looks as if it is quite an extensive archaeological investigation.

“There is so much speculation there and that would be much better if the groups were involved.”
  From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Diggers-move-on-to-site

Save Roman Southwell - Eyesore site set for clean-up

A potential development site dubbed an eyesore after becoming overgrown looks set to be tidied.

 

Southwell Town Council and heritage groups have been campaigning for improvements to the appearance of the former Church Street site of The Minster School.

The site contains Roman remains believed to be of national importance, and a recent planning application for 29 homes there was rejected by Newark and Sherwood District Council.

Complaints about the site’s appearance began after hoardings were removed revealing its poor state.

At a meeting of the town council’s planning committee, the committee chairman, Mr Andy Gregory, said the developer would be working with Nottinghamshire County Council’s archaeology team to improve the site.

He said: “I’m very mindful that the developer is extending some sort of courtesy towards the town and although it’s taken a bit of time we are getting a result there.”

Mr Roger Dobson said he thought it was a move in the right direction.

He said: “Quite a lot of people have contacted me about the eyesore there and it’s good that not only are they considering tidying up the site, but also replacing the hoardings along the Church Street side, although I do accept there will have to be some sort of window so people can see what’s going on on site.”

Mr Dobson said he had concerns a JCB would be used on site and could damage the remains.

He said: “It’s fine as long as it’s monitored because the site has got archaeological remains there.

“I think we need to ask the county council to make sure that when they are using a JCB on the site they are there.”

Mr Dobson suggested the town council write to the county council expressing support for plans to tidy the site, but asking that all use of a digger be carefully monitored.

 

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Eyesore-site-set-for-clean-up

 

Save Roman Southwell - Homes turned down...

Just had an e-mail stating the planning application for 29 homes on the site have been turned down, more news as I get it....

Save Roman Southwell - Heritage park plan proposed

A rival planning application has been submitted for a site in Southwell that contains Roman remains believed to be of national importance.

Mr Trevor Wight, of Southwell Heritage Trust (centre) and Mr John Lock, of Southwell Community Archaeology Group (right) presents the petition to district councillor, Mr Peter Harris. (011111JT1-10)

Southwell Heritage Trust has submitted an application to create a heritage park on the former Church Street site of the Minster School to Newark and Sherwood District Council.

The district council’s planning committee is due to discuss an application for 29 homes on the site, submitted by the landowner Caunton Properties Limited, on Tuesday. It is recommended for approval.

Mr Roger Dobson, chairman of Southwell Town Council and a member of the heritage trust, said the group strongly felt that the heritage park plans were the best way forward for the site.

The plans would see the area left as an open space with interpretation boards giving the history of the site and what it would have looked like.

Mr Dobson said: “It would mean that the site would be open with no housing on it, so there would be an opportunity in the future for further investigation and further excavation.

“Through successive excavations, the story of the origins of Southwell has slowly come to be revealed.

“With only about 10% of the site having being excavated it is reasonable to believe that further excavations could be expected to fill in some of the gaps in Southwell’s early history.

“Clearly there would also be some tourism potential because the site would be open for people to visit and it could also be used as an educational resource.

“We want to show that it is a nationally important site.”

Although the heritage trust does not own the Church Street site, they are legally able to submit a planning application for the land.

The trust has been actively opposing the application for homes.

On Tuesday a petition against the housing development, containing 3,000 signatures, was presented to the district council.

Mr Dobson said: “We feel very strongly that there is no need for housing on that site because we have got sites in the town that could be developed so there is absolutely no need for houses there.

“Also, there should not be any housing at all in that location because it is an outstanding area of heritage.

“It should be retained as a heritage park for the best interests of the town.”

An exhibition featuring the history and some of the archaeological finds unearthed on Church Street began in Southwell Minster yesterday.

The exhibition will include Roman plaster recently rediscovered in the minster.

From: http://www.newarkadvertiser.co.uk/articles/news/Heritage-park-plan-proposed