GD IN BVRG H + Executive of the Council

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1 GD IN BVRG H + THE CITY OF EDINBURGH COUNCIL Statement of Co-operation between the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and Sites and Monuments Records Executive of the Council 28 February 2006 Purpose of Report 1 This report sets out a Statement of Co-operation between the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) and Scottish Sites and Monuments Records (SMRs) and seeks The City of Edinburgh Council's endorsement of it. Background 2 All unitary authorities in Scotland, bar one, maintain or have access to a Sites and Monuments Record (SMR) containing information on the location, extent, history and management of all known features of archaeological or historical interest in their areas. SMRs are the basic tool for assessing the impact of all land management changes on the historic environment. They are referred to in NPPG (National Planning Policy Guidance) 5 (1994) and defined in PAN (Planning Advice Note) 42. The Council's SMR is maintained by the CEC Archaeology Service within Culture and Leisure. 3 The RCAHMS holds the National Inventory and Archive of archaeology, buildings and maritime heritage of Scotland, which is maintained through annual programmes of surveying and recording and through the deposit of primary archive - paper and digital - in the National Monuments Record of Scotland NMRS collection. 4 The Co-operation Statement was prepared by a working group of the Scottish Sites and Monuments Record Forum, which brings together all SMRs in Scotland. It acknowledges that SMRs and RCAHMS perform different and complementary roles, appropriate to their purpose, in the management, recording and explanation of the historic environment. The information required to support these activities is derived from records held both nationally and locally, and 1

2 generally maintained in computerised inventories. Edinburgh's SMR is currently in the process of updating to a computerised system. The current operational roles of Local Council archaeology services are defined, under the headings of: Development Planning, Development Control, Permitted Development, Agri-environment, Forestry, Interpretation, Promotion and Education, Research, and Stewardship of the Archaeological Resource. Currency of information is vital to support these roles to enable SMRs to give accurate and informed advice. The role of the RCAHMS is to survey and record the man-made environment of Scotland; to compile and maintain the National Monuments Record of Scotland as a public record of the archaeological and historical environment; and to promote an understanding of this information by all appropriate means. Discussion The Statement of Co-operation and its preamble are appended to this report. Its principal resolutions are that the RCAHMS and the Scottish SMRs agree: 0 'to co-operate to make information on the historic environment available to all who require it in the most appropriate forms and by the most effective means; to recognise each party's distinct roles, acknowledging that there are areas of 'overlap' or 'co-incidence' within our unique respective roles where we need to work together to deliver a common set of aims and standards, in particular regarding data.' The seeming 'overlap' of roles referred to above is not significant and is diminishing. As on-line resources develop, the information required for the management of the historic environment can be drawn more easily from many sources, the location of which need not be adjacent or apparent to the user. The association between these resources and the primary sources of the NMRS and the SMRs does not have to be visible to the user (whether the user is a member of the public, or an institution such as those described above). Evidence of both the developing co-operation between local authority SMRs and the RCAHMS, and of the increasing provision of information online, is the PastMap project which was inaugurated by Historic Scotland and RCAHMS in mid 2004 and provides online information on the location of scheduled ancient monuments, listed buildings and designed landscapes. From October this year, PastMap will also provide links to local SMRs. Such co-operative initiatives as PastMap and the further development of online archaeological resources will achieve the stated aim 'to make information on the historic environment available to all who require it in the most appropriate forms and by the most effective means'. The Co-operation Statement and the revamped PastMap (see 3.2 above) will be launched in Edinburgh on 7 November 2005 by the Chair of the Royal Commission and Councillor Jean McFadden representing Local Authorities, with 2

3 representatives of each unitary authority invited. John Lawson, City Archaeologist, attended on behalf of the Council. 12 The Co-operation Statement will facilitate the Council's participation in national and local government E-government initiatives, helping progress the Council's commitment to both Freedom of Information and Freedom of Environmental Information by providing easier access to appropriate data on Edinburgh's historic environment. Further benefits may be seen in the Council's ability to manage and aid sustainable development. Financial Implications 13 It is expected that any necessary expenses will fall within the existing Archaeology Service budget within Culture and Leisure. The statement does not commit the Council to anything other than the sharing of information, a process which is already undertaken. Recommendations 14 That the Executive approves the Statement of Co-operation between the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and Scottish Sites and Monuments Records. Herbert Coutts Director of Culture and Leisure j? --?,: 06 Appendices Appendix : Co-operation Statement Contacthe1 John Lawson Frank Little Wards affected,411 Bac kg round Papers 3

4 Statement of Co-operation between the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and Scottish Sites and Monuments Records Sites and Monuments Record Forum November 2003

5 Contents 2 1.Introduction 3 2. Definition of Purpose 4 3. Definitions of the organisational roles 4. Information Content of the SMRs and the NMRS 6 a 5.Members of the Working Group 9 6. Bibliography 9 Co-operation Statement 10 Co-operation Statement 2

6 1. Introduction The Baker Report (Baker 1999) was commissioned by RCAHMS in 1998 to assess Scotland s eighteen SMRs and to make recommendations for the future. The SMR Forum was established in 2000 with the remit of implementing the recommendations in the Report and the Working Group on the Co-operation between the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) and Sites and Monuments Records in Scotland was one of three formed to carry forward this work. The remit of the Working Group was to draft a Co-operation Statement and to produce a summary leaflet on the Baker Report. The leaflet, containing a summary and drawing attention to the Baker Report, was completed and distributed in David Baker s concept of a Co-operation Statement was: to define the functional inter-relationships and patterns of service delivery for national and local record systems, embodying them in a general statement of principle about co-operation and practical working arrangements.... The partners to a Co-operation Statement should consider adopting a publicly expressed user-driven goal for Scottish records systems, along the lines of: to make information on the historic environment available to all who require it in the most appropriate forms and by the most effective means (Baker 1999, 3). The Working Group therefore discussed areas of co-operation, the exchange of information, and explored opportunities for joint initiatives. In order to define those areas, it was important to define current roles and purpose. Co-operation Statement 3

7 2. Definition of Purpose The roles and purpose of the RCAHMS and the SMRs in Scotland are set out in more detail in a number of different documents, but can be summarised as follows: SMRs (HERS) In 1999, Baker defined an SMR as a definitive permanent general record of the local historic environment in its national context, publicly and professionally maintained, whose data is accessible and retrievable for a wide range of purposes (Baker 1999, 3). In the intervening period since the Baker Report was produced, there has been considerable development and re-thinking of the role and purpose of SMRs. In a report commissioned by an ALGAO/English Heritage working party and prepared by Gillian Chitty (Chitty 2002) a refined definition has been produced that reflects current best practice. The historic environment includes all aspects of our surroundings that have been built, formed or influenced by human activities from earliest to most recent times. An Historic Environment Record stores and provides access to systematically organised information about these surroundings in a given area. It is maintained and updated for public benefit in accordance with national and international standards and guidance. An Historic Environment Record makes information accessible in order to: 0 Advance knowledge and understanding of the historic environment 0 Inform its care and conservation 0 Inform public policies and decision-making on land-use planning and management 0 Contribute to environmental improvement and economic regeneration 0 Contribute to education and social inclusion 0 Encourage participation in the exploration, appreciation and enjoyment of the historic environment (Chitty 2002, 4). Co-operation Statement 4

8 In Scotland current usage of the term SMR continues to be favoured for reasons of consistency and public recognition, but it is fair to say that the HER definition expresses the aspirations of most SMR Managers. RCAHMS RCAHMS holds the National Inventory and Archive of archaeology, buildings and maritime heritage of Scotland which is maintained through annual programmes of surveying and recording and through the deposit of primary archive - paper and digital - in the NMRS national collection. RCAHMS policies are further described in a series of Policy documents, first published in 1998, currently under revision and due for re-publication with the RCAHMS Corporate Plan for The policies relate to: Collecting, Education, Public Services and Outreach, Publication, and Field Survey. Co-operation Statement 5

9 3. Definitions of the organisational roles The SMRs and RCAHMS perform different and complementary roles, appropriate to their purpose, in the management, recording and explanation of the historic environment (Summary report of the Working Group on the Operational Roles of SMRs, 2003). The information required to support these activities is derived from records held both nationally and locally, and generally maintained in computerised inventories. The primary sources are the databases and related records of the NMRS and the SMRs together with an increasingly wide range of other records. The current operational roles of local archaeology services are defined in the Summary report of the Working Group on the Operational Roles of SMRs, (2003) under the headings of: Development Planning, Development Control, Permitted Development, Agri-environment, Forestry, Promotion and Education, Research, and Stewardship of the Archaeological Resource. Currency of information is vital to support these roles to enable SMRs to give accurate and informed advice. Critical to this is access to a variety of sources of information together with confidence that those sources are up-to-date. Such sources include: aerial photographs, current and historic maps. Grey Literature such as interim reports, Archaeological Evaluations, and records of Events. original data, such as excavation records, Ordnance Survey cards, field survey reports. information held in a number of other locations (e.g. Archaeology Data Service, other Local Authority databases including those covering Historic Buildings and Development Control, National Map Library historic maps, Stafistical Accounts, internet sources, etc). The role of RCAHMS is defined in its Royal Warrant and its mission statement is set out annually in its Corporate Plan for agreement by Ministers: Co-operation Statement 6

10 to survey and record the man-made environment of Scotland; to compile and maintain the National Monuments Record of Scotland as a public record of the archaeological and historical environment; and to promote an understanding of this information by all appropriate means. The focus of all these activities is the creation, management and long-term curation of the national inventory and the national archive of the historic environment of Scotland in the National Monuments Record of Scotland - the publicly available archive and database of RCAHMS. The primary archive, which is held in both paper and, increasingly, in digital form, includes: 0 RCAHMS field surveys, including aerial photography: i.e. original archive items such as survey drawings and photographs and primary research data, e.g. RCAHMS field survey reports, descriptions of aerial photographs and other images. 0 Original Ordnance Survey Maps and Cards from the OS Archaeology division transferred to RCAHMS in 1983 (also available as text in the NMRS database). Deposited archive including historic collections, architectural papers, excavation archives and air photography collections. Grey literature for long-term archiving. Additional supporting information for the national inventory includes: Text from Discovery and Excavation in Scotland (in association with the Council for Scottish Archaeology). Summary text from the Proceedings of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland (with agreement from the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland). Links to Historic Scotland datasets. SMR references. Bi bl iogra p hical references. Co-operation Statement 7

11 4. Information Content of the SMRs and the NMRS The information content held in the NMRS and the SMRs derives from longstanding data-collection methods and it is recognised that there are naturally areas of overlap, not least because records have been copied in the attempt to maintain the currency required by both local and national users. This overlap, however, is not significant and is diminishing. As on-line resources develop, the information required for the management of the historic environment can be drawn more easily from many sources, the location of which need not be adjacent or apparent to the user. The association between these resources and the primary sources of the NMRS and the SMRs does not have to be visible to the user (whether the user is a member of the public, or an institution such as those described above). The partners to this Co-operation statement recognise the intention to maintain the integrity of the primary sources of the NMRS and the SMRs and will co-operate to ensure that there is mutual benefit to users from these and other relevant resources. NOTE In the context of Information Management, currency of information is also important to Historic Scotland (HS), one of whose distinctive roles is to manage the Scheduled Ancient Monuments and Listed Buildings of Scotland. These are protected by the Scottish Ministers under the terms of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 and the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act Co-operation Statement a

12 5. Members of the Working Group John Dent Lorna Main Ian Shepherd (Convener) Diana Murray Rebecca Jones 6. Bibliography Baker, D 1999 An Assessment of Scotland s Sites and Monument Records. (Historic Environment Conservation Report 98/25.) Chitty, G 2002 Historic Environment Records: Benchmarks for Good Practice. (Report prepared for English Heritage and ALGAO.) Fernie, K & Gilman, P.2000 lnforming the Future of the Past: Guidelines for SMRs. English Heritage. Murray, D 2002 RCAHMS User Seminars, in Monuments on Record: Annual Review , RCAHMS, Co-operation Statement 9

13 SMR Forum: Co-operation Statement Scottish SMRs The RCAHMS and the Scottish SMRs agree: to co-operate to make information on the historic environment available to all who require it in the most appropriate forms and by the most effective means, and, 0 to recognise each party's distinct roles, acknowledging that there are areas of 'overlap' or 'co-incidence' within our unique respective roles where we need to work together to deliver a common set of aims and standards, in particular regarding data. It is proposed that the areas of co-operation outlined below should be considered and prioritised by the SMR Forum. They then should be used as primary agenda items for individual consideration from which substantive actions can be developed. Liaison: 0 to work together to develop areas of mutual interest, including field and aerial survey, Historic Landuse Assessment and archiving. 0 n-l i ne resou rces : to work together to provide a strategic view of the development of online resources. 0 to co-operate as more information becomes available on-line. to create links between records. to facilitate public access to information on the Historic Environment. to develop means of searching multiple resources. Co-operation Statement 10

14 User Feedback and Analysis: 0 to work together to provide a strategic view of user requirements. 0 to exchange information on user feedback and audience development initiatives. to explore potential joint initiatives for user feedback and audience development (e.9. the HEIRNET User Survey). Workshops and training: to set up workshops or training sessions on areas of mutual interest such as introductions to relevant on-line resources, guides to archives, building recording, Historic Landuse Assessment etc. Joint Services: to explore the potential of on-line information resources (e.g. dedicated websites etc). 0 to maintain the ScotSMRForum discussion list. Education and Tourism: to work together on educational initiatives, exchanging ideas and information. to work together with appropriate bodies to promote the cultural heritage for tourism and other economic and educational purposes. Research: to jointly facilitate research. 0 to support the development and application of research frameworks. As an example of an attempt to cover several of the above points, the Accessing Scotland s Past: Project 2000 (ASP) Proof of Concept project has explored both the public use of on-line resources and user feedback on resource discovery. Co-operation Statement 11 I

15 Agenda item: Report title: Statement of Co-operation between the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland and Sites and Monuments Records. In accordance with the Council s Standing Orders, the contents of this report have been noted by the appropriate Executive Member. Without prejudice to the integrity of the report, and the recommendations contained within it, the Executive Member expresses hidher own views as follows: For information - Standing Order 57(1) states: Heads of Department will prepare reports, with professional advice and recommendations, on matters requiring decisions by the Executive: 9 a report seeking decisions on matters of corporate strategy, corporate policy and corporate projects will be submitted direct to the Executive 9 a report seeking decisions on matters relating to the special responsibilities allocated to an individual member of the Executive will be submitted, in the first instance, to that member. The member will add his or her own recommendation to it before submission to the Executive. Where the Executive member disagrees with the advice and the recommendation of the officers, the Executive member will also state his or her reasons.