Championing Archaeological Businesses

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Author: Doug Rocks-Macqueen

  • Mineral Extraction and Archaeology – Advice Updated

    Mineral Extraction and Archaeology – Advice Updated

    In 2008, the Minerals and Historic Environment Forum (MHEF) and Historic England produced a Practice Guide  ‘Minerals Extraction and Archaeology: A Practice Guide’ to help those working in the mineral extraction sector. This as now been updated and is now the Mineral Extraction and Archaeology: Advice Note. It is written for use by all those involved in mineral planning and it provides advice for making decisions about archaeology as part of mineral development within the English planning process.

    The new document can be downloaded from the Historic England website – https://historicengland.org.uk/images-books/publications/mineral-extraction-and-archaeology-advice-note-13/

  • Party Manifestos and Heritage

    The Heritage Alliance has done an analysis of the UK political party manifestos for the 2019 election in relation to heritage. You can see the results here: 2019 political manifesto analysis

    Some highlights:

    • Funding for research to replace EU funding would be allocated by Conservatives and the Brexit Party. Conservatives also support the EU Horizon programme. Liberal Democrats and Green Party plan to stay in the EU, so EU funding schemes will continue to operate;
    • Liberal Democrats commit to strengthen the links between culture and tourism by appointing a Minister of State for Tourism and by adding tourism to the functions of the Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sports while UKIP would scrap the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and abolish the British Council;
    • Regarding immigration in the event of Brexit, Conservatives and the Brexit party would introduce an Australian-style points-based system;
    • In the event of Brexit, both Conservatives and Labour commit to maintain and improve EU environmental standards;
    • In a general devolution framework, Labour and Liberal Democrats commit to protect and revive high streets. Environmental impact must also be taken into account (also for the Green Party). Conservatives put attention to infrastructure;
    • Reforming apprenticeships is important for all parties;
    • The Green Party fosters repair and renovation of buildings rather than new construction (and plans to build related apprenticeships);
    • Labour and Liberal Democrats commit to maintain Lottery funding for Arts and Heritage sectors, even though the Labour call for more transparency in funding distribution.

    All major parties commit to maintain free access to national museums and galleries. Moreover, Conservatives, Labour, and Liberal Democrats commit to allocate culture-related funding. The Conservatives’ ‘Town Fund’ intends to support local libraries and museums, and help communities acquire assets under threat. The Labour’s ‘Cultural Capital Fund’ intends to support local libraries and museums. The Liberal Democrats will instead expand the ‘Future High Street Fund’.

  • 2019 Heritage Manifesto

    The Heritage Alliance has written to all MPs and key decision-makers with their new 2019 Heritage Manifesto, produced in advance of the election on the 12th December.

    You can find the manifesto here – https://www.theheritagealliance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/Manifesto-2019.pdf

    It draws on the messages received from members, FAME being one of those members, and particularly the work of the advocacy groups. Please bring this to the attention of anyone that you encounter campaign in the lead up to the election.

  • Archaeology on the Shortage Occupation List: Omission Clarification

    Archaeology on the Shortage Occupation List: Omission Clarification

    FAME, CIfA and CBA all respond to a consultation on what should be included in the Shortage Occupation List (SOL) and were pleased when archaeology jobs were recommended for inclusion.
    However, when the SOL was updated in October archaeology jobs were not included. Our organisations planned to write to the Home Office regarding this. However, Rob Lennox from CIfA inquired with DCMS about this and we have received an update. This was the result of an accident and immigration documents have been updated accordingly to account for that.
    Page 5 of this guidance on Tier 2 visas and Annex 9 (p.211) of this sponsorship guidance for Tier 2 and Tier 5 states that archaeology will be treated as a shortage occupation, even though it is not currently included in the SOL.
    It is likely that the SOL will not be changed till the spring with the next round of changes to the immigration policy and guidance are implemented but anyone planning on applying to a Tier 2 visa please know that you will be considered as being on the SOL for archaeology jobs. Please point to those documents if you run into any issues around this when applying for Tier 2 visas for archaeology job.

  • Changes to Tax Status of Off-payroll Professionals

    HMRC rules are changing next April making contractors liable for determining the tax status of off-payroll professionals. From April 2020, the rules for engaging individuals through personal service companies are changing. The responsibility for determining whether the off-payroll working rules (sometimes known as IR35) apply will move to the organisation receiving an individual’s services.

    The HMRC has provided guidance on this change: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/prepare-for-changes-to-the-off-payroll-working-rules-ir35

    They have also created a tool to check employment status for tax: https://www.gov.uk/guidance/check-employment-status-for-tax

    If you work with individuals through personal service companies it is advised that you research these changes.

  • Inspiring Creativity Report

    The Heritage Alliance has published a report, Inspiring Creativity – Heritage & The Creative Industries, to showcase the work being done by heritage organisations in collaboration with the creative industries. It illustrates the essential role heritage places and heritage stories have in underpinning the success of the creative industries.The report highlights:

    • why heritage is essential to the success of the creative industries;
    • why partnerships between heritage spaces and stories and creative practitioners should be supported;
    • and the impact of creative heritage projects and experiences have on communities, well-being and tourism.

    Through a series of case studies from Heritage Alliance members and others, this report demonstrates the best that can emerge from effective and supported partnerships between these two sectors.

    You can read the report here: https://www.theheritagealliance.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/InspiringCreativity_THAreport.pdf

  • FAME Becomes a Supporter of the Considerate Constructors Scheme

    The Federation of Archaeological Managers and Employers (FAME) is proud to announce that  we have become a supporter of the Considerate Constructors scheme. The Considerate Constructors Scheme is a not-for-profit, independent organisation founded in 1997 by the construction industry to improve its best practice. Construction sites, companies and suppliers voluntarily register with the Scheme and agree to abide by the Code of Considerate Practice, designed to encourage best practice beyond statutory requirements. The main areas of concern fall into three categories: the general public, the workforce and the environment.

    Kenneth Aitchison, CEO of FAME said, “I’m delighted that FAME has become a Supporter of the Considerate Constructors Scheme. Archaeological remains are a record of past lives and environments, and investigating them through commercial archaeology has become an embedded part of the construction process. FAME members are committed to working in partnership with considerate constructors to explore, record and explain the past as it is revealed through the construction process”.

  • Wellbeing in Heritage

    Wellbeing in Heritage

    The Heritage Alliance, in partnership with Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, is trying to understand how wellbeing is being prioritised within the heritage sector, and so they have created a survey about this topic.

    The results will help them to better understand what wellbeing programmes and activities are available in the sector. The data will also be anonymised and used by Ecclesiastical for PR and marketing purposes.

    To thank those who complete our survey, Ecclesiastical is offering the chance to win a £500 donation to a charity of your choice.

    Click here to take the survey.

    The

    Heritage

    Alliance

    Twitter: @Heritage_NGOs

    www.theheritagealliance.org.uk

  • Trial Pitting Questionnaire – Responses by 31st October

    Trial Pitting Questionnaire – Responses by 31st October

    FAME have been in discussions with AGS – the Association of Geotechnical and Geoenvironmental Specialists – and we consider that a mutual understanding regarding trial pitting for construction and archaeology / cultural heritage would be very useful to both sets of members.

     AGS have asked us to circulate this letter and questionnaire which has been developed by representatives of the AGS Safety Working Group to determine the current industry practices for trial pitting, with the aim of verifying or otherwise that it meets the standards of “good practice”.  FAME H&S Group and the AGS Safety WG are also aware that over time, some practitioners will have gained experience of using modern technology or approaches to address the fall risk in different ways, and they would like to collate experiences of this.  Further information regarding the questionnaire can be found in the attached letter.

    It is intended the outcomes from this questionnaire survey will be covered in a session at the upcoming AGS “Safety in Mind” conference in Birmingham in November this year, and thereafter contribute to updating AGS guidance. Depending on the results we could look to see whether a mutual guidance note or similar could be developed.

    FAME H&S Group would therefore request that you circulate / disseminate the questionnaire amongst your staff who are engaged in trial pitting, or alternatively respond on their behalf before the 31st October 2019.  All responses will be treated anonymously and no individuals or companies will be named in any collation or dissemination of conclusions.

    Please send responses directly to Katie Kennedy at AGS ags@ags.org.uk. However if anyone has any queries or wishes to discuss it or the issues surrounding please contact steve.everton@jacobs.com of the AGS Safety Working Group.

    Thank you for your assistance.

    Kenneth Aitchison

    FAME CEO

    Documents

    AGS TP Questionaire MASTER August 2019

    Trial Pitting Qu Letter Sept 19

  • HS2 Meeting – Input required

    HS2 Meeting – Input required

    Dear Members,

    Ros Seal from HS2 spoke at the FAME Forum in June 2019, and she asked FAME to bring any issues that members were having working on HS2 to her attention.

    Tim Malim and I will be meeting with Ros and other HS2 representatives, so please send details of anything you would like us to raise on your behalf to me at ceo@famearchaeology.co.uk by Monday 14th October.

    Best wishes

    FAME CEO

    Kenneth