Archaeological impact assessments may be required by planning permission conditions or schedules of planning applications – either in the grant of planning permission or a request for further information. Impact assessments take place before construction. Archaeological impact assessments take the form of desktop evaluation to identify potential for archaeology in areas proposed for development. They are followed by site or walkover surveys to assess potential for previously unrecorded archaeology.

These assessments provide full information in a non-intrusive way towards the development of methods for the preservation of any archaeology identified.