ARCHAELOGICAL surveys needed for housing developers to get planning permission could be outsourced.

Essex County Council is considering asking another organisation to take over the Field Archaelogy Unit (Fau) which carries out the surveys.

The Fau was set up in 1991 to ensure the archaelogical investigation carried out prior to housing developments was done quickly and to an acceptable standard.

The unit, based is Braintree, has 11 staff and is largely self funding but does get a £50,000 budget each year.

it is not known what would happen to the staff but the proposal is for the money to be stopped in two years and the premises to be rented out next year.

The decision to start a tender process for control of unit has been called in for more discussion by the council.