Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund
The Aggregates Levy Sustainability Fund (ALSF) was introduced in April 2002, initially as a two-year pilot scheme, to provide funds to tackle a wide range of problems in areas affected by the extraction of aggregates. Following a three-year second round of the Fund, a further one year extension to the scheme was announced by the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the pre-Budget Statement on 6th December 2006.
The ALSF is distributed on behalf of Defra by English Heritage, Natural England, MIRO, WRAP, BERR, DfT, CLG, selected Local Authorities and CEFAS. This includes a ring-fenced allocation for marine initiatives which is to be distributed by English Heritage and CEFAS.
Results of the Public Consultation on the future of ALSF funding
Following the consultation between January and April 2008, Defra have determined that English Heritage will receive £1.5m per annum for the three calendar years 2008/9 to 2010/11. The consultation and responses can be found at http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/consult/alsf-08/index.htm.
Funding Priorities
The funding will be allocated exactly as proposed in the consultation documents. English Heritage will therefore distribute this funding against Theme 1 (Quarries) and Theme 2 (Marine).
The funding will be split into broad programmes of work as follows. Please note that the funding allocations are indicative.
Theme 1: Quarries
1.1: Identification and characterisation of the historic environment in key existing or potential areas of terrestrial extraction (c £250,000 pa)
Within this programme English Heritage welcomes proposals, formulated in conjunction with and supported by local authorities, for undertaking aggregates resource assessments in counties or on landscapes impacted by aggregate extraction. We will welcome project proposals basing their methodology on the Warwickshire Aggregates Resource Assessment, Proj. 4681 (soon to be available on the Archaeology Data Service website (see http://ads.ahds.ac.uk). We will especially welcome proposals which demonstrate understanding and advance the aims of the European Landscape Convention (see http://www.coe.int/t/dg4/cultureheritage/Conventions/Landscape/default_en.asp ) to characterise historic landscapes as well as identifying specific monument distributions.
1.2: Research and development of practical new techniques to locate hidden historic environment assets in aggregates landscapes; to improve our understanding of direct and indirect impacts of extraction on such assets and landscapes; and to develop practical ways of mitigating such impacts to enhance conservation and management of the resource (c £250,000 pa)
Projects within this strand of work may involve development of practical and transferable techniques for prospection and assessment, condition survey or monitoring, and mitigation. All project proposals should include a basic literature survey of similar techniques or research by way of demonstrating the additional potential value they represent. Projects providing a clear mechanism for knowledge transfer and take-up will be preferred.
1.3: Conservation and repair of vulnerable historic assets directly impacted by aggregates extraction, or directly associated with historical extraction (c £200,000 pa)
We are able to fund direct conservation and repairs to nationally significant (designated Grade II or higher, or Scheduled) historic assets which have been directly impacted by past (and possibly current) extraction. Projects within this strand must fall outside normal aggregates licence obligations or planning requirements; present a public benefit; include a maintenance plan subsequent to the funded repairs and have an outreach strategy.
1.4: Emergency funding for the recording, analysis and publication of nationally significant archaeological remains discovered during aggregates extraction (c £300,000 pa)
To be eligible, projects in this strand which are the subject of existing planning conditions must be able, through the written confirmation of the local authority archaeological officer, to demonstrate that best practice has been followed in implementation of planning requirements including desk-based and field evaluation to identify and characterise the site in question, and that their discovery was therefore unforeseeable.
Projects awarded planning permission without any archaeological or similar condition (for example those awarded permission prior to the implementation of PPG16) must demonstrate the national significance of materials recovered via rescue excavation. Priority will be given to current extraction discoveries but it may be possible in exceptional circumstances to provide funding for completion of analysis of investigations where the fieldwork has already been concluded.
Knowledge transfer, communication and outreach should form part of all applications under Theme 1.
Theme 2: Marine
2.1: Identification and characterisation of the historic environment in key existing or potential areas of marine extraction (c £300,000 pa)
Seabed mapping projects in this strand will seek to improve our understanding of the disposition of vessel and submarine wrecks and lost aircraft and of inundated prehistoric landscapes for the key licensed aggregates extraction areas around England’s coast. Additional projects will undertake Historic Seascapes Characterisation to develop our understanding of the historic character of the marine zone for the key licensed aggregates extraction areas to the median line with UK neighbours. English Heritage will announce a formal tender schedule for HSC projects later in 2008. In all projects, English Heritage will prioritise projects which derive added value from existing datasets.
2.2: Research and development of practical new techniques to locate seabed historic environment assets; to improve our understanding of direct and indirect impacts of extraction on such assets and their settings; and to develop practical ways of mitigating such impacts to enhance conservation and management of the resource (c £150,000 pa)
Projects within this strand of work may involve development of practical and transferable techniques for prospection, condition survey or monitoring, and mitigation. All project proposals should include a basic literature survey of similar techniques or research by way of demonstrating the additional potential value they represent. Projects providing a clear mechanism for knowledge transfer and take-up will be preferred.
2.3 Marine historic environment training, dissemination and communication (c £50,000 pa)
The level of knowledge of our seabed and sub-surface submerged historic environment, and of the techniques that can be deployed to identify, characterise and mitigate impacts on it is at a much less well-developed stage than for its terrestrial counterpart. We are therefore keen to develop projects which will make a real, practical and tangible contribution to developing knowledge transfer among industry, marine environmental managers and practitioners. This will enhance sector capacity-building (eg through EPPIC placements), conference support, and guidance development to follow up new techniques/technologies developed under 2.2 above.
Knowledge transfer, communication and outreach should form part of all applications under Theme 2.
Application Procedures
The English Heritage ALSF Programme is managed by the Historic Environment Commissions Team through the same procedures as the Historic Environment Enabling Programme. For detailed information on application procedures please see our How to Apply page.
Please note that English Heritage will as a matter of course circulate applications to other distributing bodies, in particular Natural England and CEFAS.
Duration
Round 3 will open on 3rd August 2008. The scheme will run until 15th March 2011 at which point any outstanding projects will be closed and final payments retained.
Please note that all projects will need to comply with MoRPHE project management guidance (see www.english-heritage.org.uk/MoRPHE), and must be aligned with an appropriate SHAPE Sub-Programme (see www.english-heritage.org.uk/HEEP).
Eligibility
To be eligible for funding under the English Heritage ALSF Programme, projects must:
• be directly related to the impact on the historic environment of the extraction of aggregate that is subject to the levy
• aim to reduce, rather than compensate for, the impact of aggregate extraction
• be additional to projects which would otherwise have received funding in the absence of ALSF funding
• be additional to mineral operators' obligations through planning conditions
• be delivered in England or in English waters
Archaeological projects must in addition meet English Heritage's strategic priorities for archaeology which are currently set out in the Strategic Framework for Historic Environment Activities and Programmes (SHAPE), the Corporate Strategy, Making the Past Part of Our Future and the Research Strategy, Discovering the Past and Shaping the Future. Marine projects must meet English Heritage's strategic priorities for the marine historic enviroment which are set out in Taking to the Water.
Community Benefit
English Heritage is committed to widening access to, and understanding and enjoyment of, the historic environment. All projects funded through our ALSF Programme should, wherever possible, and at a scale appropriate to the project, deliver these aims through programmes of outreach, education, interpretation and community involvement.
For further guidance please see our our Guidance Notes page.
Joint Working & Partnership Funding
We encourage project proposals which promote partnership and joint working across different stakeholder groups and constituencies: the aggregates industry, local government, commercial contractors, the higher education and research sector, other environmental agencies, community groups and not-for-profit organisations, and the independent and voluntary sector.
The English Heritage ALSF Programme has no requirement for partnership funding but applications which bring partnership funding or some other resource contribution, and so lever-in additional resources for the historic environment, will be particularly welcomed. For eligible sources of partnership funding please see our Guidance Notes page.
We are happy to consider applications where joint funding is also being sought from other ALSF distributing bodies
Information about Projects Funded
Full details of all projects funded through the English Heritage ALSF Programme are available through our ALSF Projects page. All project outputs will be made available through the Archaeology Data Service website (see http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/projArch/alsf/projects_new.cfm), and key documents may also be made available through the Sustainable Aggregates website (see http://www.sustainableaggregates.com/).
We also produce an annual report and regional updates which will be made available on our Annual Report & Updates page. Please see
Further Information
For further information on English Heritage's ALSF Programme please contact
Caroline Howarth
0207-973-3127
caroline.howarth@english-heritage.org.uk
or the appropriate member of the Historic Environment Commissions Team or Regional Team: for details please see our Contacts page.
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