Championing Archaeological Businesses

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Author: Doug Rocks-Macqueen

  • FAME welcomes new member Hampton Heritage Design & Consultancy

    FAME welcomes new member Hampton Heritage Design & Consultancy

    FAME is pleased to welcome new member, Hampton Heritage Design & Consultancy.

    Hampton Heritage Design & Consultancy is a small business which specialises in design advice and early involvement, helping clients achieve their objectives by addressing heritage opportunities and constraints effectively. Their knowledge and experience identifies heritage-related issues as part of feasibility, due diligence and options appraisal, and provides expert advice to the design team at key points during RIBA stages 0 – 3. HHD&C’s expertise provides confidence in delivering planning supporting documents and detailed impact assessments, investigation designs and procurement so that compliance with planning needs is reasonable and proportionate. See their website for more details-  https://www.hamptonheritageltd.com/

  • FAME welcomes new member Vindomora Solutions

    FAME welcomes new member Vindomora Solutions

    FAME is pleased to welcome Vindomora Solutions as a new member.

    Vindomora Solutions are a small archaeological practice based in Consett, County Durham. They operate throughout the north east of England, from North Yorkshire to the Borders. Established in 2012, Vindomora have gained a reputation for quality and honesty and their small team aim to guide their clients through the archaeological planning process cleanly, ethically and professionally. Their services cover archaeological and historic building investigation and research, as well as community based projects.

    See their website for more details: http://vindomorasolutions.co.uk

  • FAME welcomes new member Archaeology South-East

    FAME welcomes new member Archaeology South-East

    We are pleased to welcome Archaeology South-East to FAME.

    Archaeology South-East is part of the Centre for Applied Archaeology at the UCL Institute of Archaeology. They work across south-east England, London and internationally to bring the world-class expertise of UCL to clients and communities in need of advice on heritage protection and archaeological research.

    Learn more on their website – www.ucl.ac.uk/archaeology-south-east/

  • FAME welcomes new member Network Archaeology

    We are happy to welcome Network Archaeology to FAME.

    Network is a leading single-source archaeological service provider, with an established history of delivery on major infrastructure projects with particular expertise in power generation, energy transmission, utilities and transport.

    They are known for delivering professional support, looking after the archaeology, and enabling projects to keep moving forward. Over their 25-year history they have remained committed to continual improvement and are delighted to have added ISO9001 and ISO14001 (UKAS Certified) to their suite of accreditations in 2021, assuring a quality of service and environmental commitment to both clients and heritage stakeholders.

    Find out more at their website: https://www.netarch.co.uk/

  • FAME Forum and AGM

    After cautiously waiting to see how the COVID-19 vaccination programme has rolled out in the UK and Ireland, we are happy announce that we will be holding FAME Forum and AGM in-person this year, though with some changes. Historically the FAME AGM has been held the day before the FAME Forum, but because of COVID-19 considerations this year we have decided to hold the two events on the same day in the more spacious venue of Merchant Taylors’ Hall, which will allow for greater social distancing.

    We hope to have an informal social gathering on the evening before (Thursday 2nd) but this will be at a different venue.

    The Forum and AGM will be on Friday September 3rd in York at Merchant Taylors’ Hall. We will start with registration and tea at 9am and then hold the AGM at 10am, followed by the Forum. You can now book your tickets here https://www.eventbrite.com/e/fame-forum-agm-2021-tickets-165003671423

    All FAME members and partner organisations are entitled to two tickets for free and each additional ticket is £85.

    If you have any queries please do not hesitate to contact us.

    0900      Coffee

    1000      AGM

    1115      FAME Forum opening

    1130      Paper 1 [Teresa Moss – Highways England – Raising the Bar for Health and Safety]

    1200      Paper 2 [Duncan Brown – Historic England – transfer of title to archaeological archives]

    1230      lunch

    1330      Paper 3 [Steve Charles – QUEST – HR and health and safety advice provision]

    1400      Paper 4 [Kenneth Aitchison – FAME – Profiling the Profession 2020]

    1430      tea

    1445      Paper 5 [Natasha Powers – WSP – Developing Evaluation Strategies]

    1515      Paper 6 [Richard Grubb – American Cultural Resources Association – FAME/ACRA Cooperation]

    1545     close

    1600      disperse

  • Horizon Europe (for UK too) – Heritage, Art and Creative Sector

    Horizon Europe (for UK too) – Heritage, Art and Creative Sector

    Horizon Europe, the EU’s key funding programme for research and innovation, is open to applications from cultural organisations, research institutions and freelancers. Applicants do not need to be an Independent Research Organisation (IRO) nor have an affiliation to an IRO. The UK is a part of the programme, even post-Brexit.

    UKRI and DCMS are organising an event to promote the European research and development programme Horizon Europe across the creative and cultural sectors.

    Taking place virtually on August 10th 2021, 13:00-15:00, the event will be opened by Lord Neil Mendoza, Commissioner for Cultural Recovery and Renewal and Professor Christopher Smith, Executive Chair of the Arts and Humanities Research Council.  It will look at what Horizon Europe can offer, how it can benefit our sectors and how businesses and academics can look to engage with it.

    Please find the registration link here.

  • H&S Notice: Dumpers and backfilled trenches

    To help support the goal of safe working conditions for all archaeologists, FAME will be publishing Health & Safety notices for its members, and the sector at large, to learn from. These will be a mixture of instances of upcoming changes to Health & Safety regulations and incident reports, anonymously provided by FAME members. We hope these incident reports highlight potential areas to improve our working practice.

    This notice is on incident involving a dumper and backfilled trench: FAME H&S notice – Dumpers and backfilled trenches

  • FAME Summary of Changes to NPPF

    We have examined the changes in the July 2021 Revision to the National Planning Policy Framework (the government’s planning policies for England and how they should be implemented) https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/1004408/NPPF_JULY_2021.pdf

    FAME does not believe any of the changes will greatly affect the work of archaeologists. There have been minor changes to the document, such as changes to paragraph numbering, and the most significant changes we have identified are as follows: 

    – an increased emphases on flood control and protection (there is now an Annex 3 on this, most changes are in the new paragraph 161 but there are changes throughout the section on planning and flooding)

    – more consideration for trees on streets (an all new paragraph on this – 131)

    – a much stronger push for the use of design guides or codes (throughout the document but bigger changes in paragraphs 73c, 110c, 125, 128-9, 134)

    – increased difficulty for local planning authorities to remove permitted development rights through Article 4 directions (paragraph 53)

    – a push ‘to resolve key planning issues before applications are submitted’ for public service infrastructure works (paragraph 96)

    – a potential opportunity for some of our members working in consultancy – the government’s concern about statues is now codified and now plaques, memorials or monuments are included too (whether listed or not). ‘…local planning authorities should have regard to the importance of their retention in situ and, where appropriate, of explaining their historic and social context rather than removal.’ (paragraph 198) Some of you may be called upon to help develop plans to keep such assets in place, and explain their historic context, as we believe the vagueness of what constitutes a historical statue, plaque, memorial or monument and the resourcefulness of local opposition to some development may present more work in this area than had been anticipated.

    Kenneth Aitchison

    CEO FAME Federation of Archaeological Managers and Employers

  • Archaeology teaching grants in England will NOT be cut by 50%

    FAME welcomes the announcement by Gavin Williamson, Secretary of State for Education, that:

    ‘Having considered the consultation responses and the issues they highlighted, I have concluded that archaeology should be included within the OfS’s Price Group C1.1 subject list.’

    This means the small grant funding, that is primarily used to cover the costs of field and lab training at English Universities will be maintained. FAME believes that this funding for training will help the sector and support our vision – To strive for a business environment where archaeological organizations can operate safely and sustainably, the well-being of employees is prioritised and archaeologists feel empowered to build careers and expertise, so that collectively we can conserve and advance knowledge of the past for the benefit of society.

  • COVID Site Operating Procedures & Lifting of Restrictions from 17-26th July 2021

    COVID Site Operating Procedures & Lifting of Restrictions from 17-26th July 2021

    Over the coming weeks the countries FAME members are based in will be changing their COVID restrictions and FAME is updating our advice to members.

    In England, throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, FAME has advised that the CLC Site Operating Procedures (https://www.constructionleadershipcouncil.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/Site-Operating-Procedures-Version-7.pdf) set the appropriate minimum for on-site work in England, supported by working advice produced by Prospect (COVID-19 Working Advice V1.1 04/05/2020) as guidance to undertake risk assessments and to implement appropriate measures to ensure safe working practices.

    The lifting of the remaining legal restrictions in England, including social distancing requirements, from 19 July 2021 means the CLC guidance will no longer be current. FAME recognise that members have welcomed the consistency that the CLC guidance has provided. They may choose, or be asked, to maintain elements of social distancing for the time being, in which case the Site Operating Procedures and Branch Operating Procedures should continue to be followed.

    The CLC guidance may also assist in carrying out risk assessments as working arrangements are reviewed and revised, and the CLC would advise that any changes to social distancing measures are discussed with the workforce. The Site Operating Procedures and Branch Operating Procedures have helped the industry to adopt some good practices over the last 18 months, including more organised sites, enhanced welfare facilities, increased ventilation and improved communication with the workforce, which FAME would strongly recommend are retained.

    For members working in other countries, while there will be relaxation of rules, it will not be at the same level as England, as of yet.

    Northern Ireland’s guidance is tentatively set to change on July 26th, though still keeping some social distancing, the CLC Site Operating Procedures and COVID-19 Working Advice can be adapted to support this: https://www.nidirect.gov.uk/articles/coronavirus-covid-19-regulations-guidance-what-restrictions-mean-you

    Wales will be changing tomorrow, the 17th, but their guidance on working outdoors and construction is still in effect and the CLC Site Operating Procedures and COVID-19 Working Advice can be adapted to support this: https://gov.wales/construction-and-outdoor-work-coronavirus-workplace-guidance-html

    For Scotland, the guidance has not changed since the summer of 2020 – https://www.gov.scot/publications/coronavirus-covid-19-construction-sector-guidance/ and members in Scotland should still use this guidance –  https://www.cs-ic.org/constructionscotland/resources/working-on-site-during-the-covid-19-pandemic-construction-guidance/ and the COVID-19 Working Advice can be adapted to support this.

    In the Republic of Ireland, the changes on the 19th will only be affecting aspects such as international travel and the guidance on construction has not changed since April 12th https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/2dc71-level-5/%23construction#construction