Buckinghamshire Council Archaeology Service (BCAS) generic brief for an archaeological geophysical survey (magnetometer and resistivity)
4. Requirement for an evaluation
Paragraph 194 of the National Planning Policy Framework (2021) states that where a site has potential to include heritage assets with archaeological interest, local planning authorities should require developers to submit an appropriate desk-based assessment and, where necessary, field evaluation. Field evaluation can involve a wide range of survey and investigative techniques, including for example fieldwalking and geophysical survey. It is normal practice for the results of a geophysical survey to be 'ground truthed' through targeted archaeological trail trenching.