New TII Guidelines for Cultural Heritage Impact Assessments

This week saw the publication of the new Guidelines for Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment of TII National Road and Greenway Projects (TII Publication Number PE-ARC-02009), which herald a step change in the assessment and mitigation of heritage impacts on our national roads and greenways. The Archaeology and Heritage section of Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), who have developed the guidelines in close collaboration with Archaeological Management Solutions (AMS), are pleased to announce the addition of this key document to the TII Publications website.

These guidelines, and a forthcoming Standards document (PE-ARC-02010), replace 2005 guidance on archaeological and architectural heritage impacts and are intended for use by suitably qualified cultural heritage professionals throughout the planning, design, and environmental evaluation of national roads and greenways. The production of these documents has been informed by extensive rounds of consultation with relevant peers and stakeholders and the general public.

This TII publication provides detailed guidance on Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment (CHIA) of national road and greenway projects funded or carried out under the direction of TII. It sets out the regulatory and policy context of CHIA and provides guidance on the scope of, and methodology and processes to be used in, the assessment of impacts on cultural heritage, as well as the mitigation of adverse effects. It also provides guidance on the content and format of key outputs to ensure consistency of approach and adherence to high levels of quality.

In accordance with TII’s role of ensuring compliance with environmental requirements, the overall objective of these guidelines and the standards are to ensure that TII projects minimise the impact on cultural heritage, and enhance the opportunities for cultural heritage, where possible (e.g. through improved access, amenity, and knowledge sharing). These guidelines align with the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive 2011/92/EU, as amended by Directive 2014/52/EU, and related guidelines and advice notes (e.g. the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2022 guidelines on Environmental Impact Assessment Reports), the 2017 TII Code of Practice for Archaeology, and TII’s Project Management Guidelines, Project Appraisal Guidelines, and Project Manager’s Manuals.

The TII Archaeology and Heritage section would like to take this opportunity to thank our many partners within the heritage sector and beyond who offered much appreciated professional advice and opinion and contributed greatly to the successful completion of the guidelines. We would also like to acknowledge the key role of AMS in updating TII’s heritage guidance in line with current best practice.

Please visit the AMS project website for more information.