PPS 6 Planning Archaeology and the Built Heritage·Page 16·3.5
Importance of In Situ Preservation of State Care and Scheduled Monuments
State Care and scheduled monuments represent the most important archaeological sites in Northern Ireland and must be preserved in situ with appropriate settings. The Department will only permit exceptions for proposals of overriding importance in the Northern Ireland context.
State Care and scheduled monuments together represent those archaeological sites and monuments which are of greatest importance within Northern Ireland. It is particularly important that they are preserved in situ and within an appropriate setting. Accordingly the Department will operate a presumption against proposals which would damage or destroy such remains, or which would have an adverse impact on their setting. While the Department will take into account all material considerations in assessing development proposals affecting sites of regional importance, exceptions to this policy are likely only to apply to proposals of overriding importance in the Northern Ireland context.
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