Impacts to the historic environment as a result of proposed land-use change need to be considered in the planning process.

The Trust provides archaeological advice to the twelve Unitary Authorities in Southeast Wales (Blaenau Gwent, Bridgend, Caerphilly, Cardiff, Merthyr Tydfil, Monmouthshire, Neath Port Talbot, Newport, Rhondda Cynon Taff, Torfaen, Swansea and Vale of Glamorgan, and part of Bannau Brycheiniog National Park Authority). At a strategic level, it has assisted them in the formulation of policies to protect the historic environment in their local plans, and has developed supplementary planning guidance on archaeology and the historic environment for some authority areas.

Our archaeological planning management team also provides detailed advice to these authorities on planning casework. This includes pre-planning advice and recommendations for a variety of types of initial pre-determination archaeological works; these can include but not be limited to desk-based assessments, evaluation trenching, geophysical survey. The team can provide briefs for archaeological evaluation. To ensure the work meets professional standards, they check and agree written schemes of investigation, methodologies and specifications, and undertake the monitoring of fieldwork and approval of the resulting reports whether undertaken in advance of determination or as a result of a condition attached to planning consent. Work is carried out in accordance with the Welsh Archaeological Trusts' Advisors Code of Conduct and the Standard and Guidance for Archaeological Advice by Historic Environment Services issued by the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists.

The team maintain records of works undertaken and assists in ensuring that archaeological work is placed in the public domain either by the deposition of practitioner's reports into the Historic Environment Record or by the publication of a full report.

Legislation, Policy and Guidance are provided in the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016; Planning Policy Wales Chapter 6: Distinctive and Natural Places and Technical Advice Note 24: The Historic Environment. A diagram showing how these fit into the hierarchy of legislation, regulation can be found on Cadw’s Website.