Department for Culture Media and Sport
scheduled monuments
England is renowned for the richness of its archaeological heritage: a tangible – and often highly evocative – link with our prehistoric and historic past, and a unique source of information that has the potential to transform our understanding of the lives of our ancestors and how they adapted to and changed their environment.
Such remains have intrinsic value, but are also valuable as a resource for research, education, leisure, tourism and regeneration, and for their influence on perceptions of identity and spirit of place. However, they are also a finite, irreplaceable and fragile resource and are vulnerable to a wide range of human activities and natural processes.
Our approach to the identification, protection, conservation and investigation of England’s premier archaeological sites under the provisions of the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 – including the principles to which the Secretary of State has regard when determining applications for scheduled monument consent (see below) – is set out in the policy statement: Scheduled Monuments: investigating, preserving and recording nationally important archaeological sites and landscapes under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979
Scheduled Monument Consent (SMC)
Written consent from the Secretary of State is required prior to the commencement of works affecting a scheduled monument. Procedures for applying for scheduled monument consent (SMC), changed on 2nd November 2009.
The Secretary of State remains responsible for determining applications for SMC, but responsibility for their administration has now been transferred to English Heritage. New, applications – and applications to modify existing consents – should therefore be sent direct to the relevant English Heritage regional office.
The SMC application form can be downloaded from the English Heritage website, together with guidance on the preparation and submission of applications.
Last updated 2 November 2009
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