Legislation and guidance
Since the early 1990s the management of the historic environment has become increasingly influenced by national legislation. While there remain few statutes that are primarily constructed for the better management of archaeological sites and monuments per se, considerable recent legislation has touched upon historic environment matters. There are numerous Acts of Parliament that can be used by those concerned with the management of the historic environment.
List of legislation
- Burial Act 1857
- Ancient Monuments Protection Act 1882
- Town and Country Planning Act 1947
- Forestry Act 1967
- Countryside Act 1968
- Protection of Wrecks Act 1973
- Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979
- Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981, amended 1985 and 1991
- Planning Act 2008
- Disused Burial Grounds (Amendment) Act 1981
- National Heritage Act 1983
- Inheritance Tax Act 1984
- Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Act 1985
- Agriculture Act 1986
- Protection of Military Remains Act 1986
- Electricity Act 1989
- Environmental Protection Act 1990
- Town and Country Planning Act 1990
- Planning (Hazardous Substances) Act 1990
- Planning (Consequential Provisions) Act 1990
- Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) Act 1990
- Planning and Compensation Act 1991
- Water Industry Act 1991
- Water Resources Act 1991
- Wildlife and Countryside (Amendment) Act 1991
- Land Drainage Act 1994
- Environment Act 1995
- The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) Order 1995
- The Infrastructure Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 2017
- Treasure Act 1996 and Code of Practice 2023
- Environment Act 2021
- Levelling-up and Regeneration Act 2023
- Planning and Infrastructure Act 2025
Please note this is not an exhaustive list of legislation although every endeavour has been made to ensure its accuracy. For further details all current and superseded legislation see the OPSI (Office of Public Sector Information) website.