What have the Romans ever done for us? (From Wilts and Gloucestershire Standard)

What have the Romans ever done for us?

THOUSANDS of years after the fall of their mighty empire, the Romans still wield power in a town that was once an administrative capital.

During the debate on the town's Regal cinema site one exasperated councillor exclaimed: "How long are the Romans going to dictate what is going on in our town?'

The lament echoed the scene in Monty Python's Life of Brian when the People's Front of Judea hold a secret meeting to discuss a raid on Pilate's palace.

The Romans, they say, have taken everything they had and the zealots ask what they have been given in return? A flood of suggestions follow.

Then John Cleese delivers his memorable line: "All right, but apart from the sanitation, the medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, a fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?"

Actually, the Romans did quite a lot for Cirencester, or Corinium Dobunnorum as it was then known.

They turned it into the second largest town of Roman Britain after London and a regional centre for 400 years.

Evidence of this wealthy town now lies underground but the historic remains are often a bone of contention for modern developers.

The cinema site is of national, if not international, importance because it lies in the heart of the Roman town, known as the Forum.

In the latter Roman period in the 5th century the country was divided into four provinces: Cirencester, London, York and Lincoln.

Archaeologists believe the Cirencester provincial headquarters would have been at the cinema site.

Charles Parry, Gloucestershire County Council's senior archaeological officer, said: "Because of the area's pivotal role in the later empire, we could consider this site as being of international importance.

"There have been some archaeological evaluations on the site that have confirmed much of it is preserved with walls and floors and mosaic pavements."

Mr Parry said any development on the site would have to minimise the impact on the archaeology.

He believed in most cases solutions could be reached with the developer.

"The Romans don't dictate what goes on in Cirencester. It's usually possible to reach an acceptable agreement."

Developers Heritage Homes Wessex Ltd believe they have come up with a design solution for the Lewis Lane cinema site without harming the archaeology beneath.

Proposals include building the foundations of the houses on rafts so as not to disturb the Roman remains.

Bob Williams, of consultants Oxford Archaeology, said: "We've done a lot of investigation on the site and the effect of the proposed development on the archaeology will be minimal."

The problem is finding a balance between the past and present - how much archaeology we actually preserve and how much development we allow to be built, according to David Viner, chairman of Cirencester Archaeological and Historical Society.

"Modern archaeology is about identifying what survives and finding a means of protecting it whilst letting the town continue to grow," he said.

"It would be wonderful to open up the cinema site and expose what is there but financially it would be a major task. Car parking is an excellent way of preserving archaeology. It's when the tarmac is replaced by something else that the problem arises." Cotswold District Council's principal planner Marcus Kitchen said archaeological remains did not necessarily stop development but planners had to look at the relevant policies and guidelines.

"There's a misconception that archaeology means no development," he said.

"Ninety nine per cent of the time a compromise is reached. However we cannot underestimate the importance of Cirencester within the Roman history of Great Britain and we need to take proper control of development."

Roman remains are buried all over the town and often building work grinds to a halt as artefacts are unearthed, pieces of which usually end up in the Corinium Museum.

Changes had to be made by the construction company carrying out the extensions at Cotswold District Council's headquarters after archaeologists discovered some Roman remains.

Some people feel it would be nice to get the chance to see such discoveries.

"At the moment you can look at the amphitheatre and a little bit of Roman wall," said Lord Apsley of Cirencester Park.

"We call ourselves Corinium but where is all this Roman stuff? The cinema site is one of the most valuable sites in the world. We've got an opportunity to open it up and create a tourism attraction and we're just going to build over the top of it. It's such a shame."

But John Angel, owner of the Regal, said planners should be looking to the future instead of deliberating over the Roman archaeology beneath the cinema site.

"They're making a lot of fuss over nothing. Provided development does not damage the archaeology I can't see what the problem is. The archaeology has got to be protected but that shouldn't stop development for the future. We've got to look forward not backwards."

Pictured: The Monty Python team debate 'What have the Romans ever done for us?"