Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
A proposal to extend the burial ground at Cerne Abbas has been withdrawn.
Historic England had raised concerns about the effects the use of the land, adjacent to the existing burial ground, might have had on abbey ruins under the site.
In a letter to Dorset Council the official body said : “We are concerned that the application is not supported by a professionally prepared Archaeological Desk Based assessment. Additionally, the submitted Heritage Impact Assessment (HIA) does not meet the requirements of the National Planning Policy Framework or accord with good practice guidance.”
It says that, ideally, a full professional assessment should be provided, and suggests that some trial trenches be dug across the site.
“In the absence of the required information, the fact remains that the proposal site is within the immediate environs of the abbey precinct and the potential to encounter associated archaeological remains, or other archaeological features, has not been ruled out.”
The application for the small extension, using a plot of land currently used for farming, had been submitted by Cerne Abbas Parish Council.
