Petitions/Allow metal detectorists to search land prior to building development
StatusClosed
Opened24 Feb 2025
Closes24 Aug 2025
Government response
Parliamentary debateNot eligible
Milestones

Create a law, that coincides with planning permissions to allow metal detectorists to search the land prior to building, to recover any historical items that could be lost, once building has taken place. We think metal detectorists should be able to search a three acre circumference around the site.

The Governments figures show that between 2019-2022, 48,500 hectares in England had the usage changed to development. We feel that once development begins, any historical items are then lost. There were more than 53,000 archaeological finds and 1,300 Treasure cases in 2022, recorded with the Portable Antiquities Scheme at the British Museum. We feel this shows to shear amount of historical items being found each year around the UK. If this law was put in place, a non-profit organisation could be started to over see this, with any money gained being used to preserve the nations history.

10,000
100,000

Constituency engagement ranking

Steve Barclay
1Steve Barclay MP
North East Cambridgeshire
5
John Whitby
2John Whitby MP
Derbyshire Dales
4
Jodie Gosling
3Jodie Gosling MP
Nuneaton
3
Andrew Rosindell
4Andrew Rosindell MP
Romford
3
Terry Jermy
5Terry Jermy MP
South West Norfolk
3
Jacob Collier
6Jacob Collier MP
Burton and Uttoxeter
2
Catherine Atkinson
7Catherine Atkinson MP
Derby North
2
Baggy Shanker
8Baggy Shanker MP
Derby South
2
Adam Thompson
9Adam Thompson MP
Erewash
2
Gareth Davies
10Gareth Davies MP
Grantham and Bourne
2