Land between Blackbrook Road and A580 East Lancashire Road, Blackbrook Road, St Helens
7 - Pre-commencement archaeological conditions were attached to a planning permission
Pre-commencement archaeological conditions were attached to a planning permission and were necessary in order to enable the development to be permitted.
12 - A planning application was determined without specialist archaeological curatorial advice
The absence of specialist archaeological curatorial advice (adviser not in post; advice not given because of capacity or other issues) led to the determination of an application without appropriate consideration of the archaeological implications.
Non-designated heritage assets of archaeological and historic interest.
Proposed by-pass, A58 Blackbrook Diversion.
A desk-based assessment produced in 1993 identified potential for evidence of the post-medieval and industrial periods.
A new desk-based assessment and walkover survey in 2000 (report produced in 2002) identified potential for the survival of a relict industrial landscape including the extraction/working of coal, iron, copper and stone, and evidence of post-medieval settlement. An Environmental Statement was produced in 2002 and planning permission was granted with a pre- commencement condition in 2003.
Field evaluation followed by selective excavation and a watching-brief (during construction) took place between 2004 and 2006.
A post-excavation assessment report was also produced in 2006. This concluded:
"An assessment of the collated excavation and evaluation archive has been undertaken, to establish the potential for further analysis of the data and the corresponding publication of the results. This identified that there was limited potential for analysis of the finds, but that the stratigraphic and structural data had considerable potential subject to the implementation of a detailed documentary study into the development of the industrial landscape. It recommended publication of the results as an article within the journal, The Industrial Archaeology Review."
The report also contains a task list and costs as appendices.
The project has not progressed to publication since 2006.
Since its formation in 2016, the Merseyside Environmental Advice Service has taken up the issue of publication with the developer (the local authority) regarding the outstanding analysis and publication. Discussions are ongoing.
- Oxford Archaeology North 2002, A58 Blackbrook Diversion, St Helens Merseyside: Archaeological Assessment. Unpublished report, Oxford Archaeology North, Job No. L9070.
- Oxford Archaeology North 2006, A58 Blackbrook Diversion, St Helens Merseyside: Archaeological Evaluation and Excavation Assessment report. Unpublished report, Oxford Archaeology North, Job No. L9670.
