Ancient Saxons push up cost of new housing development

The discovery of 391 Saxon skeletons has left housing developers with a £400,000 bill despite an preliminary archaeological dig showing “no evidence of anything of merit” on the building site.

The human remains have now been exhumed from the building site in Hart village, near Hartlepool on Teesside.

The initial estimate for archaeological fees at the site where planning permission for 15 houses was granted was £20,000.

Helen Heward, of Planning House, speaking on behalf of the developers, said her clients "did everything they needed to do" to comply with the important site’s development and despite this, "they started finding skeletons."

The discovery halted work on the site for a year, which "put their project back significantly," she said.

Hartlepool Council said it was a "very, very unusual case" and a spokesman told The Telegraph that the council is not liable for the archaeological costs.

Mrs Heward said the developers paid "every penny" of the unforeseen archaeology fees.

However, the council approved an application to release the developers from a range of financial obligations to the council, for example education and green infrastructure costs.

Kieran Bostock, Assistant Director at Hartlepool Council, said: "This much-needed housing development was unlikely to be delivered due to the exceptional circumstances faced by the developer.

"We are pleased this development can now proceed and this demonstrates our willingness as an authority to work with developers to bring forward high quality housing here in Hartlepool."

The developers "absolutely" plan to continue the project, which is now "significantly on its way."

Mrs Heward said they believe that everything of archaeological significance has now been found, but that "when they discovered one skeleton, they certainly never expected there was going to be 391."