Our approach to historic environment

Protecting the environment is a  fundamental part of our decision-making  and you can read more about our approach to the environment at: https://eastwestrail.co.uk/consultation2024

This factsheet provides more detail on how we’ll protect and mitigate impacts on the  historic environment from the proposals.

Our approach to historic environment 

We understand history’s importance in shaping our places and lives. The changes over time and how we have managed and built our  environments tell us about who we  are today.One of our Environmental Sustainability Strategy objectives is to build a  railway that:

“responds to its surroundings, protects  views and celebrates our heritage -  through sensitive integration into the  existing landscape, valuing our historic environment” 

Understanding the historic environment 

We are carrying out detailed desk-based  studies, such as reviewing archival information, topographical data, historic maps, LiDAR data and aerial photographs to identify  archaeological features, historic buildings,  spaces, places and features to understandtheir importance and historic relationships. 

This will allow us to identify and evaluate what needs to be protected along the route of the  proposed railway. To understand potential archaeology, we have  started a series of non-intrusive surveys using  geophysics, a form of ground penetrating  radar, to identify potential archaeological  remains below the ground surface. We will also be undertaking ground surveys of our built and landscape heritage. These non-intrusive  surveys help us identify historic features we are currently unaware of and help us to get  additional information about sites that we  already know exist. 

Areas of archaeological interest identified  through our early non-intrusive survey work and desk-based studies will inform a  programme of evaluation trenching. Evaluation trenching will let us test whether the  archaeological information we have found in  our non-intrusive surveys is correct and make  sure we have not missed anything important.  

The surveys of our built and landscape  heritage, together with studies of archives,  historic maps and documents, will allow us to identify important built and landscape  heritage. The built and landscape heritage  includes important historic buildings,  conservation areas, historic parks and  gardens, and historic spaces and places. This survey and archive work will enable us to understand their importance and historic  relationships such as important views to and from them. 

We will collate this work to get a clearer  picture of the historic environment that the  railway would be constructed within. This  will help us understand the impacts of the  proposals on our history and help us plan  and design ways to reduce or remove these impacts so far as reasonably practicable. 

Mitigating impacts

As we develop the proposals, we will look for opportunities to protect and enhance the  historic environment. This can be through  avoiding known archaeological remains,  protecting important views by careful  positioning of railway buildings or other   structures, and enhancing the setting of  historic buildings through public realm and  landscape design. 

We will identify opportunities to reinstate and reflect historic landscape features and  reveal the heritage importance of a heritage  asset or group of assets, retaining and  strengthening local character. Applying this  deep understanding of the historic landscape  gained through our survey work and archive  studies could also contribute to biodiversity  improvements through reinstatement of  previously lost landscapes and features which could help nature return. 

In advance of the main construction works, we will look for opportunities to better  understand our history through a programme of archaeological and built and historic  landscape recording. For archaeology, this  will involve working with local authorities and Historic England to develop plans for excavation and recording of archaeological sites. For historic buildings and other built  heritage assets, we will work with local  authorities and Historic England to develop  plans to record details of historic buildings,  conservation areas, historic parks and  gardens, and historic landscape areas  before works take place to ensure valuable  information is retained. 

This would contribute to a wider understanding of our environment and the historic communities who lived and thrived in these  locations for thousands of years. 

Engagement and working with communities  

As well as speaking to local authorities and  national bodies such as Historic England, we recognise that local communities, including  local history groups and societies, have a wealth of knowledge and information which will be invaluable to our research and  evaluation. We will draw on this expertise to discuss ways of meeting our strategic  objectives for the historic environment. This  will mean that the way we are developing our proposals would get the best outcomes.

It is important to us that we share the  knowledge we are gaining throughout the  development of our proposals. We will look for  ways to engage with communities so you have an opportunity to find out about the exciting  things we are discovering on your doorstep.  This may include local events like open days,  meet the archaeologist workshops and even  volunteer opportunities where people can get  their hands dirty.