In 2004 MoLAS-PCA produced the Archaeological and Built Heritage chapters of the first environmental impact assessment (EIA). This document was commissioned to support the planning applications by the London Development Agency (LDA) for the London 2012 bid. The overall Environmental Statement (ES) was coordinated and produced by Capita Symonds.
The Planning Applications and supporting information - including the ES - were submitted to the four Lower Lea Valley London Boroughs (LBs) in January 2004. Planning Consent was granted on 14th October 2004. A revised version was undertaken in late 2006/early 2007 and a new Planning Consent was granted in August 2007.
The Archaeology and Built Heritage Chapters of the ES assess the general impact of the proposals for redevelopment of the Lea Valley over the next few years, with equal regard to both known resources, eg visible historic buildings and structures or predicted alignments of Roman roads; and unknown resources eg buried prehistoric landscapes in the deep alluvial soils of the Lea Valley.
As part of this process each of the 15 principal construction/development zones of the Olympic Park site was provided with a more intensive Detailed Desk-Based Assessment (DDBA) which examined the archaeological and built heritage resources of that particular area. These reports were then used as the basis for project designs (‘wsis’, written scheme of investigation’) for standing building recording prior to demolition and preliminary field evaluation (test-pits, trenches, boreholes) before determination of the appropriate course of mitigation.
Here is a sequence of maps from just one of these DDBAs, for Zone 5 (around the old Hackney Wick Stadium), clearly demonstrating a fairly typical development from medieval agriculture to modern urban landscape.
As work on redevelopment accelerates each of the main construction zones of the Olympic site will be subject to a more intensive Detailed Desk-Based Assessment (DDBA) which will examine the archaeological and built heritage resources of that particular area. These reports will be used as the basis for preliminary evaluation (test-pits, trenches, boreholes) before the Local Authority decides upon the appropriate course of mitigation.
Here is a sequence of maps from just one of these DDBAs, for Construction Zone 5 (around the old Hackney Wick Stadium), clearly demonstrating a fairly typical developement from medieval agriculture to modern urban landscape.
Construction Zone 5 shown on maps from 1745 to 1968
Printer-friendly version of this page
Text-only version of this page