Petition · Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Amend the Ancient Monuments Act 1979 to ban building on all scheduled sites.
Open for signatures
914 signatures
What the petition asks
Parliament must amend the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 to mandate a total ban on Scheduled Monument Consent for any permanent above-ground construction. This should apply to all list entries where archaeological deposits exist, removing discretionary executive powers.
Current law allows the Government to grant consent for commercial building on ancient sites via unscrutinised executive orders. This fails to protect our heritage from irreversible damage. For example, at Castle Hill (List 1009846), development is planned despite significant archaeological remains and public outcry. We need a mandatory statutory ban on construction to ensure the 1979 Act serves its primary purpose: the absolute preservation of monuments for future generations.
Timeline
| 2 Jun 2026 | Petition opened for signatures |
Key facts
Signatures
914
Status
Open for signatures
Department
Department for Culture, Media and Sport
Opened
2 Jun 2026
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Source: the official petition page. Last checked 26 Jul 2026.