HL Deb 29 June 2000 vol 614 c79WA
Lord Roberts of Conwy

asked Her Majesty's Government:

Whether they propose to proceed with the building of a new county court house at Chester on the site of the Roman amphitheatre and have appropriate planning consents to do so. [HL2907]

The Lord Chancellor

The site is owned by a developer David MacLean Developments Ltd, with whom the Court Service entered into a legally binding contract on 20 December 1999 under which the Court Service is legally bound to occupy the building within 21 days of the completion of its construction, Following demolition of the British Telecommunications building which occupied the same footprint as the new building, David MacLean Developments Ltd funded an intensive series of archaeological excavations in consultation with the City Archaeologist and English Heritage. These excavations impacted upon the design of the building and as a result it has been possible to avoid disturbing the remains of the amphitheatre beneath. In fact, the foundations of the new building have been carefully designed to avoid any remains and to preserve them in situ, for posterity. The Court Service was aware of the location of the site and of its archaeological significance, but all appropriate approvals in relation to both planning and preservation had been obtained by the developers.