The Welsh Archaeological Trusts' Guidelines for Access and Charging
The HERs fulfil a wide variety of functions including assisting in the positive management and presentation of the historic landscape, planning control, and as a source for input to local history, conservation and tourism projects. These notes provide guidelines for access to information contained within the records.
The HERs are held on computer databases which provide a consistent level of information about each site, including grid reference, community, designated status, type of site, period, and bibliographical sources. The HERs also contain supplementary cartographic, documentary and photographic records. In many instances the records consist of a summary or index of information recorded elsewhere. It will therefore often be necessary to call upon the services of an experienced archaeologist to gauge the full significance of particular sites listed in the records.
Copyright of the HER data structure and the information within it resides with individual Archaeological Trusts unless otherwise stated. A proportion of the costs of maintaining and developing the regional HERs is met by Cadw and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Wales (RCAHMW), but additional income is needed to service the costs of external enquiries.
GUIDELINES FOR ACCESS AND CHARGING
Conditions of access to the Record – this is a summary.
For the full document in PDF format, click here (opens in a new window).
· Information obtained from the HER shall only be used for the purposes stated on the request form.
· Information obtained from the HER shall not be passed to a third party without written consent from Dyfed Archaeological Trust*
· Users shall ensure that expert archaeological advice is sought upon the possible effects on the archaeological resource of any proposed developments with which they are involved.
· Users shall be responsible for checking that the information obtained from the HER is correct.
· The copyright on information held in the HER will be respected.
· Information obtained from the HER shall be acknowledged in any document and published report.
· Users are required to make any new or amended archaeological information available for incorporation within the HER, within a reasonable time scale. Users should discuss the format required for this information with the HER Manager.
· Access to information will be denied if it is considered that its release may endanger the archaeological resource**
· Dyfed Archaeological Trust reserves the right to refuse requests for large amounts of information***
*Third party restrictions do not apply to production of client reports or publications by enquirers.
** We will refuse requests by those who we deem unfit or likely to misuse information. This policy is in line with 1993 Environmental Information Regulations and the 1998 Freedom of Information Bill which recommend protection of sensitive environmental information. Those who wish to challenge our decision can do so through an appeal to The Chairman, the Welsh Archaeological Trusts Committee, c/o Clwyd Powys Archaeological Trust, 7a Church St., Welshpool, Powys, SY21 7DL.
*** Restrictions may be applied if it is considered that the release of a large amount of information might result in the uncontrolled use of significant portions of the record or the establishment of a competing and unregulated database.
Revised 02/08/2004
If you would like to make an enquiry of the Historic Environment Record, you can do so online.
By continuing to the online enquiry form you agree that you have read the Guidelines for Access and Charging which are listed above.