Buckinghamshire Council Archaeology Service (BCAS) generic brief for an archaeological geophysical survey

Paragraph 194 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) states that where a site has potential to include heritage assets with archaeological interest, local planning authorities should require developers to submit an appropriate desk-based assessment and, where necessary, field evaluation. Field evaluation can involve a wide range of survey and investigative techniques, including for example fieldwalking and geophysical survey. It is normal practice for the results of a geophysical survey to be 'ground truthed' through targeted archaeological trail trenching.