Metal detecting on council land policy
Metal detecting on land owned or tenanted by Preston City Council is not permitted apart from where a metal detecting survey is part of an approved archaeological investigation.
This protocol is effective from 26 November 2018 and supersedes any previous arrangements.
It has been adopted to provide a consistent approach to the management of the Council's assets.
Why it can be a problem
A number of problems can result from metal detecting, including the following:
- Damage to tree roots, plants and wildlife
- Creating trip hazards where land is disturbed and not correctly reinstated
- Removal of artefacts from their original location resulting in loss of information
- Damage to related archaeological deposits
- Partial recovery of assemblages which often neglects non-metal finds
- Unreported discoveries