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