In Thurnscoe in South Yorkshire they discovered some ancinet eathworks, a Roman camp (it's on Ryknield St) and a Saxon village only afew years ago - and then built a couple of ugly housing estates on top of them.
I think that there are a lot of backhanders that go on between developers and local councils, whichi f you ask me, is absolutley NOT on the square from a moral perspective.
Even listed structures can be unlisted if it suits the suits...

grrrr