Roman remains warning issued for new property in Leicestershire

Roman remains could be buried under a site where developers want to build 80 houses, archaeologists have said.

Applicant Rosconn Group has submitted proposals for a housing development on land north of Leicester Road in Sapcote, Leicestershire.

However, archaeologists have written to Blaby District Council’s planning department to say the area is in an area of ​​archaeological interest.

The site is located less than 200 m (656 ft) from the remains of a Roman villa, which was first discovered in 1770.

Archaeologists, from Leicestershire County Council’s natural and historic environment team, said a tessellated pavement and building foundations from a Roman building were found to the south-east of the site.

More structural remains were discovered in the 20th century along with pottery, coins and tile in the area of ​​the former Calver Hill quarry, they said.

The team said that, given previous finds, there was “good potential” for Roman remains to be found at the site.

Rosconn Group has already commissioned an archaeological and heritage survey of the area in question, which would assess the nature, extent and importance of the heritage asset.

The move was welcomed by the county council, however the group said it believed the limited scope of the survey “undermines the site’s archaeological potential for buried remains from the Roman period”.

The site in question comprises two agricultural plots with direct access from Leicester Road.

The Rosconn Group said there was currently nothing of note recorded within the site by the county council’s heritage team and that a geophysical survey suggested an “absence of significant subsurface remains”.