New Centralised Teaching Laboratory Facility, Keele University
Clients: Keele University
Proposal: New Build Within Existing University Campus
Armour Heritage was commissioned by Keele University to assess the potential historic environment impacts associated with a proposal to construct a new Science Building attached to the extant Lennard-Jones Laboratory within the existing University Campus.
The Site is set within the heart of the modern campus and lies some 425m northwest of the Grade II* Listed Keele Hall, rebuilt in c. 1860. The University was founded as the University College of North Staffordshire in 1949, receiving its Charter as the University of Keele in 1962. The wider campus includes a number of other Listed Buildings and much of the area outside the modern campus comprises the Grade II Listed Keele Hall Registered Park.
In response to the University’s request, AH produced an Historic Environment Desk Based assessment which addressed both the potential for surviving archaeological remains within the footprint of the proposed new build, and the possible effects upon the setting of a number of Listed Buildings, two locally listed buildings and the Registered Park.
The area proposed for the new building was already developed as a car park with associated infrastructure and a generally low potential for buried archaeology was assessed. Any archaeology present was considered likely to have been impacted by previous development at the site.
With regard to Listed Buildings and the Registered Park, no potential impacts upon their settings were identified by the assessment, which included a site visit and a comprehensive photographic survey, including a number of viewsheds.
Planning consent for the building was subsequently granted with no further archaeological works required.
Return to Case Studies.