ENN110087 - Bedford Borough NMP, 2016-2019

{1} The Bedford Borough National Mapping Programme project (NMP) covers an area of 675 square kilometres, or 27 full quarter sheets which are within the county of Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. Bedfordshire is split into three unitary authorities (councils) for purposes of local government: Bedford Borough, Central Bedfordshire District and Luton Borough. The project was commissioned by the Heritage Protection Commissions Team (HPCT, formerly NHPCP) and completed by partners of Skylarkeology (Aerial Archaeology Specialists). The project was devised to undertake an aerial survey to NMP standards in a hitherto understudied but potentially archaeologically rich area of Bedfordshire and its environs, where significant strategic allocations for housing within Bedford Borough have been planned, areas of aggregate extraction and waste management have been identified, renewable energy generation sites have been approved and large-scale landscape regeneration is being undertaken. The NMP project also aims to:Produce accurate digital mapping and written records of archaeological features from all periods that are visible as crop marks, soilmarks and earthworks on existing air photographs within the survey area.To record any visible damage to, and the accuracy of current mapping of, designated. Scheduled Monuments and to identify potential candidates for designation within the project area.Enhance local HERs to better inform strategic and development control planning decisions where landscapes and monuments might be threatened by housing development, transport network expansion and industrial development including quarrying and waste management.Increase and enhance people's understanding of past human activity in the project area and assist in the formulation of research agenda by providing primary information and syntheses for all archaeological sites and landscapes.The mapping will be produced at a scale of 1:2,500 using computer transcription via Aerial 5.36 and AutoCAD 2015 to Historic Englands NMP standards and guidelines.The project started in February 2016 and is due for completion at the end of January 2018. The NMP project covered small areas of Northamptonshire