SNN109624 - Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment: Land East of West Haddon, Northamptonshire

This archaeological desk-based assessment has been prepared on behalf of Davidsons Developments Limited. It considers a block of land measuring approximately 5.6 hectares, east of West Haddon, Northamptonshire, which is being proposed for residential development. This assessment provides a description of heritage assets potential affected by the proposed development of the site, and addresses the information requirements of Government’s National Planning Policy Framework (paragraph 128). The assessment establishes that there are no designated heritage assets within the site, and that development within the site will not affect the significance of any designated heritage asset in the surrounding area. The Northamptonshire HER includes three Monument records which relate, in part, to the study site. All three refer to small numbers of unstratified archaeological finds (of prehistoric, Roman and Medieval date) which were recovered during archaeological survey work on the A428 West Haddon Bypass. None of these records are indicative of significant archaeological evidence within the site, or constitute ‘heritage assets’ under the definition used in the NPPF. Ploughed out evidence of Medieval and Post-Medieval open field ridge and furrow cultivation is anticipated to be present within the study site. Surviving below-ground archaeological remains of this cultivation are considered to have no archaeological interest. Evidence from the surrounding area, including extensive archaeological survey work between 1997 and 2005 on the line of the adjacent A428 West Haddon Bypass and a Watching Brief on construction of the road itself, suggests that the study site has a low potential for other archaeological assets. It is considered that the proposed development of this site is unlikely to have a significant archaeological impact due to the limited archaeological potential and the extent of impact from past ploughing.