New Agreement for the Provision of Archaeological Planning Advice for the City of London

The GLAAS team already provides most of the capital’s local government archaeological advice, working within the planning system to best protect, manage and interpret archaeological heritage from pre-application stage onwards. Its work will now extend to include planning applications affecting the City of London itself, covering the Roman and medieval core of England’s largest historic city.  

GLAAS will advise on complex urban archaeology in the City, an intense development environment, generating both challenges and great opportunities for exciting discoveries and public access. 

The three-year paid for service level agreement builds on a temporary arrangement in place since September 2022.

The City of London contains 52 of the 173 scheduled monuments – nationally important archaeological sites protected by law – in Greater London but it also contains a wealth of archaeology that is not scheduled and is therefore managed through the planning system.  

Much of the City of London’s archaeology still lies buried beneath its streets and buildings. New developments offer an opportunity to discover and display this heritage, as was done for the Roman Amphitheatre under the Guildhall, and more recently the Mithraeum at Bloomberg’s European headquarters on Walbrook.  

These projects have set a high standard for others in the pipeline to raise awareness of Roman and Medieval London for both Londoners and visitors.

GLAAS will work closely and positively with prospective applicants and the City of London to achieve an acceptable balance between archaeological impacts and the heritage benefits of providing exciting new visitor experiences.

Shravan Joshi, Planning and Transportation Committee Chair for the City of London, said:

"The City is a unique place in which 24/7 business districts and busy transport hubs rub up against historic buildings and important urban archaeology, so striking the right balance between conservation and development is crucial.

That is why developments like the recently approved 85 Gracechurch Street are so important. As well as addressing the City’s demand for high quality office space, the scheme will feature a free to access public exhibition of the Roman Forum, Basilica and an educational facility, intended to inspire children from underrepresented communities to forge a career in archaeology.

Preserving and showcasing the City’s rich archaeological heritage for all to enjoy, like with 85 Gracechurch Street, is always a key consideration of development proposals and I look forward to our continued partnership with GLAAS and Historic England."

Historic England is the government's expert advisor on heritage and has a statutory role in the planning system. Working across the country Historic England provides advice to local planning authorities, government departments, developers and owners on development proposals affecting the historic environment. This advice is considered alongside that of local authority conservation officers and archaeologists.

However, for over 30 years Historic England has provided local government archaeological advice across most of Greater London – the City of London was an exception. Historic England will now be acting as the Corporation’s archaeological advisor. The London Borough of Southwark retains its own archaeologist. 

Engagement with developers at an early stage before planning applications are made is crucial for indicating what may be found and how major developments can respect archaeology.