Valuing our
heritage
The case for
future investment in the
historic environment
Valuing our
heritage
The case for
future investment in the
historic environment
This publication sets out the benefits of
investment in the historic environment
and the case for targeted increases to
support the implementation of a new
heritage protection system, to restore,
repair and maintain historic places of
worship and other historic community
assets, and to broaden access.
The return for that investment will be
a faster, more transparent protection
system which meets the needs of users;
local communities proud of the place
they live; and a nation proud of its
history.
This publication has been produced
by English Heritage, the National Trust,
Heritage Lottery Fund, the Historic
Houses Association and Heritage Link.
During the summer of 2006, these
organisations ran the ‘History Matters –
pass it on’ campaign to raise awareness
of the importance of history to our lives
today and to encourage involvement in
heritage. Millions took part with over
10,000 people completing a postcard
telling us why history matters to them.
The quotes in this publication are
taken directly from a selection
of these postcards.
Contents
1 Valuing our heritage 2 Introduction
4 People care 6 Benefits of investment 8 Democratisation
14 The state of England’s historic environment 16 Priorities for the future
Valuing our
heritage
© English Heritage
2
Introduction
England’s historic environment helps define our
national identity. It helps shape how we think
about ourselves and how other people see us. It is
the mix of old and new, our interest in our past
and our confidence in the future which defines
our nation today.
– Iconic images of London’s heritage featured
strongly in our successful Olympic bid.
– 72% of tourists from Russia and 66% of
those from China say that castles, churches,
monuments and historic houses are top of
their list of things to visit in Britain.1
– 87% of people think the historic environment
plays an important part in the cultural life
of the country.2
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
The historic environment is a vital part of place
making. It provides character, distinctiveness
and a sense of place. It helps local people be
proud of where they live.
– Over 90% of adults living in England think that
when improving local places it is worth saving
their historic features.3
The historic environment can move and
engage us on a personal level. It provides
perspective in a fast-changing world.
– Over half of those visiting historic sites
do so for personal relaxation and
enjoyment.4
History matters to
me because every
time we change
something people
look at our failures
and our triumphs
and hope to decide
the right path.
Zachary Sanfilippo, 11.
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
3
4
People care
Many people read about history and watch
it on television. Lots of them also get more
involved.
–– Almost 70% of people visit historic sites at
least once a year. About 15% visit at least
once a month.
–– Heritage Open Days, organised by volunteers
for local people, are the biggest mass
participation event in the country with
over a million people taking part in 2006.5
–– The National Trust has 3 million members
and is the largest conservation organisation
in Europe.
–– The History Matters Campaign received
postcards from over 10,000 people
explaining why history and heritage is so
important to them. 46,000 people helped
make history by contributing to a blog of
what they did on a single day, 17th October
2006, to be recorded for posterity at the
British Library.
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
The historic environment is a focus for public
commitment and active civic engagement.
Today’s heritage movement has its roots in
community activism with local groups
speaking up for what they care about.
–– England has around 400,000 volunteers
looking after and explaining our heritage.
This is probably the biggest heritage voluntary
sector in Europe and they are vital to
maintaining our historic environment.
–– There are 850 registered civic societies,
representing 250,000 people.
–– There are more than 260 Building
Preservation Trusts which operate as
community entrepreneurs saving buildings
and bringing them back into use.
–– Thousands of historic places of worship are
opened and maintained by volunteers every
day of the year.
It matters to me because
I love learning about
history. All the places
are so amazing, it’s so
fantastic to learn about
how they lived in
the past.
Sophie Broder, 9, Chorley.
© National Trust
6
History is important because it
helps us to remember we aren’t
perfect and hopefully we can learn
from the mistakes of the past.
Rosie Philpot, 13, Loughborough.
Benefits of
investment
Because they care, people are prepared
to invest in the historic environment.
Public sector investment generates economic
as well as social benefits:
The investment by private owners in looking
after England’s historic environment dwarfs
the public sector contribution. In 2003/04
the private sector spent £3.4 billion on historic
buildings.6 Only 10% of the costs of major
repairs to privately owned historic houses
are funded by public grant.7
–– Defra’s £6.2 million investment between
1998 and 2004 in the repair of farm buildings
in the Lake District has had a total impact on
the local economy of between £8.5 million
and £13.1 million.9
Private sector investment in the historic
environment has wider economic and
community benefits, although in many cases
the economic benefits do not flow through
to those who are responsible for looking
after historic places:
–– Our heritage is a major factor in attracting
tourists from both home and expanding
emerging markets abroad (see figures
on Russia and China in the introduction) –
with unspoilt countryside, castles, country
houses and gardens being among the
principal reasons why domestic visitors
choose to holiday at home.
–– Privately owned historic houses generate
an economic contribution of over £1.6 billion
and almost 10% offer formal education
programmes.8
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
–– England’s cathedrals generate around
£150 million per annum of benefits for the
local and national economies.10
–– A sample survey of local area regeneration
projects found that, on average, for £10,000
of grant aid from English Heritage, £46,000
was levered in from other public and private
sources.11
7
© britainonview.com
The voluntary sector also invest time
and effort.
–– The National Trust invests over £160 million
a year in the nation’s historic and natural
environmental infrastructure, supporting
thousands of local businesses rather like a
development agency – often in remote rural
areas where others would not invest.
–– A National Trust study of its impact on the
economy of the south west showed that
54,000 local jobs are generated by the high
quality of the environment and a wider
study concluded that each National Trust
job generates between 4 and 9 full time
equivalents in the local economy.
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
–– A report for Heritage Link – The Heritage
Dynamo – identified the huge contribution
the voluntary sector makes to regeneration –
generating funding, providing skills and advice
and engaging the local community. Ancoats
Building Preservation Trust for example, has
levered in over £12 million in grants for its
capital projects to regenerate a socially
deprived area of Manchester through its
industrial heritage.
–– The National Trust estimate that nationally
the contribution of its volunteers is worth
£16.3 million a year, equivalent to 1,300
full-time staff.
8
A loss of memory means a loss of
identity. History, personally and
collectively, tells us where we
came from, and who we are.
David Gibson, 75, Cheltenham.
Democratisation
Over the past 10 years the heritage sector
has redefined and democratised how we think
about heritage and the contribution it makes
to our lives. Because it is all around us, the
historic environment is the most accessible
of cultural experiences.
Redefining heritage
–– Through the publication of Power of Place
in 2000 the heritage sector has promoted a
vision of heritage as inclusive not exclusive.
Heritage is now widely understood as being
all around us, defining local places as well
as our national identity.
–– There are over 400,000 listed buildings
and scheduled monuments and over 9,000
conservation areas.
–– Around a quarter of all adults visited a
historic place of worship in the last year as
a visitor rather than to worship. Around one
fifth visited some form of industrial heritage
or historic transport.12
–– Over 70% of people say they are interested
in the history of the place where they live.13
Adding Value
Building on this more accessible view of heritage,
there has been a broader recognition of how our
historic environment contributes to a range
of public policy objectives.
The historic environment is a vital part of making
places where we want to be. It can be a focus for
civic pride and local identity. Heritage is at the
heart of many successful regeneration schemes
for example, Grainger Town in Newcastle, the
Lace Market in Nottingham, the recovery of
the Lake District after the Foot and Mouth
epidemic and Brindley Place in Birmingham.
Our heritage can also bring history to life and
is a vital part of out of classroom learning.
–– Around 2.6 million school children visited
historic attractions in 2005,14 an increase
of 5% on the previous year.
–– The National Trust’s programme of working
with schools over 15 years and hosting over
500,000 school trips each year has shown
that regular visits to sites can influence
career choices, improve learning and
encourage children to value their local
environment more.15
–– Heritage can generate a range of wider
benefits. For example, a survey of National
Trust volunteers found that 49% felt they
gained new skills.
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
9
The recognition of the broad value of the
historic environment has been reflected in
a wider range of funding sources.
–– Most resources to support England’s historic
environment come from the private sector.
–– Since its formation in 1995 Heritage
Lottery Fund has spent over £1.2 billion on
historic buildings and monuments across
the UK. It has regenerated around 10,000
historic buildings and 268 public parks. It is
the largest public sector source of funds for
the historic environment.
–– Increasingly, Regional Development Agencies
are seeing the benefits of investing in the
historic environment. One North East’s
Regional Economic strategy identifies culture,
environment and heritage as fundamental
to the unique character and image of the
North East. They underpin the region’s
distinctive appeal for individuals, businesses
and investors. One North East is also
investing around £2 million over the next
three years in Hadrian's Wall.
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
–– Government departments are also recognising
the value of the historic environment to
meeting their objectives. Defra has spent
over £90 million on the rural historic
environment over the past five years as part
of its agri-environment programmes. This
has helped fund:
––
The restoration of 2,845 non-domestic
historic buildings.
––
More than 7.7 million metres of
restored historic boundaries.
––
The restoration of over one million
square metres of ponds and historic
water features.
––
897 projects to enhance and protect
designated landscapes.
––
Public support through the charity
and voluntary sector has grown –
with increasing donations both
of time and money.
© Harewood House, HHA
12
History matters because…
it shows us things which are both
distant and familiar and invites
us to find the threads of continuity
in the constant changes, and it’s
FUN to explore.
Julia Boorman, 61, Wokingham.
Democratisation
Modernising delivery
The historic environment sector has improved
the way it delivers services to the public.
A key element of this has been investing in
improvements to support reforms to the
planning system.
––
Well over a thousand local amenity
societies, largely run by volunteers,
spend an enormous amount of time
and energy advising local authorities
on planning applications, making
sure that local communities are wellinformed and involved in decisions.
Their expertise, experience and local
knowledge help protect the listed
buildings and historic areas which
are part of our everyday environment.
––
The eight National Amenity Societies,
as statutory consultees, advise local
authorities on all grades of listed
buildings, improving the quality
of decision-making by providing
expert input and increasing public
involvement. English Heritage is
supporting the Amenity Societies to
enable them to work with e-planning.
–– English Heritage has improved its efficiency
in advising on planning applications which
impact on the historic environment from
74% within 28 days in 2002 to 95% within
21 days in 2005/06.
–– The vast majority of planning applications
affecting listed buildings are dealt with by
local authorities without referral to English
Heritage. The heritage sector has increased
support for local delivery:
––
––
English Heritage has introduced a new
capacity building programme – Historic
Environment Local Management
(HELM) – which provides information
and support for local authority officers
and members leading to better quality
decision-making at the local level.
Between April and November 2006 the
HELM website received 140,296 hits, a
massive increase over the 127,209 hits
for the whole of the previous year.
There are now Historic Environment
Champions in over 50% of local
authorities.
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
Over the past three years the heritage sector
has worked closely with the Department for
Culture, Media and Sport and the Department
for Communities and Local Government to
develop a new system for heritage protection
which will be simpler, more flexible and more
transparent. In parallel with this, English Heritage
is developing a set of principles for conservation
which will ensure that all its advice is consistent
and transparent.
13
Broader Participation
An increasingly broad range of people engage
with the historic environment. Enjoying
England’s heritage is a popular, not an
elitist activity.
–– Around 48% of adults from black and
minority ethnic backgrounds, 58% of adults
with a limiting disability or illness, and 56%
of adults from lower socio-economic groups
visited at least one type of designated
historic environment site during the
last year.16
–– Between 2004 and 2006, English Heritage
attracted over 323,000 new visitors from
under represented groups to its sites, events
and outreach activities. This exceeded the
target set by the Government by more
than 200%.
–– 11% of National Trust volunteers have
some form of disability.
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
© English Heritage
14
History matters to me because
it is what we are built upon,
and what makes today is what
happened in the past. Also it
is extremely interesting!
Aima, 15, Hope Valley.
The state of
England’s historic
environment
England's historic environment is hugely popular.
Thanks to the democratisation of heritage over
the past 10 years it is now enjoyed by a wide
range of people and its value and contribution
to our quality of life is now much better
understood. The priority for the future is to
ensure that it remains in good condition for
future generations to enjoy and value.
–– Of approximately 30,000 Grade I and II*
buildings in England, over 1,000 are at risk
through neglect and decay. 87% are likely to
require some subsidy to bring them back into
use. The total subsidy is estimated at around
£400 million. 50 buildings on the list require
a subsidy of at least £1 million each.
–– English Heritage estimates that there are
around 17,000 listed buildings at risk
(of all grades).
–– Places of worship are the largest category
of Grade I and II* listed buildings. English
Heritage estimates that the cost of repairing
all of England’s listed places of worship is
£925 million over the next five years, or
£185 million a year.
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
–– Almost 10% of listed building entries are
working farm buildings. 2,220 (7.4%) are in
a severe state of disrepair and almost one in
three have already been converted to other
uses.
–– Almost half the historic parkland (one of
the most distinctive features of the English
landscape) recorded in 1918 had been lost
by 1995 as a result of agricultural changes,
urban development or other factors.
15
40% of houses in this country are over 50
years old and nearly half of the UK’s £56
billion construction industry is in repairs and
refurbishment. There is, however, a shortage
of people with the skills to do this work.
–– The built heritage sector has a workforce of
86,430 but needs an extra 6,590 craftspeople
to resolve skill shortages and meet demand.17
–– English Heritage’s grant in aid from the
Government has been reduced by £9.7 million
in real terms since 2000.
–– Between 2000/01 and 2005/06 the
purchasing power of English Heritage’s
grants has reduced by £19.6 million
(using Treasury GDP deflators).
England already spends less public money on
heritage per head of population than many other
European countries including Germany, Italy,
Portugal, Norway, Spain and the Netherlands.
On top of this, some of the major public sector
resources available to invest in the historic
environment are declining:
–– Heritage Lottery Fund is the main source
of public funding for heritage in the UK.
It committed £318 million in 2005/06
compared with £355 million in 2004/05,
a reduction in real terms of 15%.
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
© Tim Stephens, 2000
16
Priorities for
the future
1.
Resources and skills to deliver the Heritage
Protection Review. The Government’s proposed
changes to the heritage protection system are
intended to make it simpler, more flexible and
more transparent. The views of owners and the
general public will be taken into account before
decisions are made. The general public and
owners will have a much better understanding
of why places are designated. Owners and
managers of large historic assets, such as major
estates and public infrastructure, will be freed
from making repetitive and bureaucratic
applications for listed building consent. The
changes have broad support across the sector
and amongst developers but will require a more
integrated approach across different disciplines
and professionals at local level who will need
the confidence to make decisions within a
framework of greater local flexibility.
Resources within local authorities for
conservation are already very stretched.
–– Around one third of planning applications
have a potential impact on the historic
environment while local authorities
have, on average, only 1.7 conservation
officers each.
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
Against this background the implications of
operating a new system cannot just be absorbed.
Investment will be necessary to:
–– Enable English Heritage to update information
about why individual historic assets and
monuments are designated.
–– Develop skills amongst local authority staff so
they will be able to take a more integrated
approach to the historic environment and
have the confidence to operate a more
flexible system.
–– Support new ways of working at regional and
sub-regional level to share skills and resources.
–– Improve information at national and
local levels, including achieving consistent
standards for Historic Environment Records.
–– Improve dialogue with the public.
English Heritage will require around £5 million
per year for five years to lead and support the
introduction of the new system. Local authorities
will also need to invest to be able to implement
the changes. The new system will produce
savings in the longer term, but without this
upfront investment, implementation, and gaining
the benefits for owners and the public, will not
be possible.
History is what we are,
and whether we want to
be it or to change it we
need to understand it.
Joanne Woods, Durham.
© English Heritage
18
Without my past I have
no memories. Without
history I have no roots.
Jennifer Renton, 56, Colchester.
Priorities for
the future
2.
Places of Worship. 80% of English parish
churches are listed. Over 4,000 are Grade I listed
and they constitute 45% of all Grade I listed
buildings. The Repair Grants for Places of
Worship scheme, run jointly by English
Heritage and Heritage Lottery Fund, offers £25
million per year to help look after historic places
of worship and bring them back to a sustainable
condition and use. The overall repair bill is,
however, estimated at nearly £1 billion It would
clearly be unrealistic to expect this to be met
from English Heritage grants or the Lottery.
Investment of £26.5 million over three years
would enable us to shrink the massive repair
bill through a range of measures including:
–– Re-writing out-dated list descriptions for all
4,200 Grade I places of worship as part of the
current reform of heritage protection which
will make it simpler to adapt the buildings
to the needs of their congregations and
communities in the 21st century;
–– Helping congregations to help themselves by
appointing Historic Places of Worship Support
Officers to provide expertise;
–– Creating a ‘Maintenance Grants’ scheme to
shrink repair bills in the longer term;
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic envirnment.
–– Continuing the English Heritage/Heritage
Lottery Fund Repair Grants Scheme for Places
of Worship and augmenting it with a new
‘Small Grants’ scheme; and
–– Making sure the safety nets are in place
for redundant places of worship, including
adequate resources for the Churches
Conservation Trust.
19
3.
Investing in the assets. Most of England’s
historic environment is privately owned. We all
have an interest in encouraging owners to invest
because of the wider public benefits which derive
from our historic environment such as education,
recreation and a more varied and enjoyable
public realm. Those public benefits have
traditionally been secured through a combination
of regulation (through the planning system),
incentives (through grants from local authorities,
Heritage Lottery Fund and English Heritage) and
the efforts of owners and volunteers. English
Heritage grants are targeted on properties
where the need for repair or restoration is
acute or urgent.
In recent years grants from local authorities have
virtually ceased and English Heritage grants have
fallen in value by over 21% in real terms since
1997.
–– Restoration of English Heritage's grant in aid
to 1997 levels would mean an increase of
over £3 million per year in the grants
available to those who look after England’s
historic environment. This equates to saving
around 8 buildings per year from the
Buildings at Risk register.
–– Since 2002, as a result of English Heritage
support, 209 buildings previously at risk are
now back in use and secure for the future.
These include the Roundhouse, London, the
Albany, Liverpool and the Royal Devonshire
Hospital in Buxton.
Maintenance is more cost effective than neglect
and major restoration. And the case grows
stronger for fiscal remedies that can complement
grants by encouraging owners to carry out
maintenance before buildings become ‘at risk’.
Moreover, Heritage Lottery Fund grants are
not generally available for privately owned
heritage.
A limited relief on the eligible costs of
maintenance of valued historic properties,
set against income, with a minimum period of
public access, would support maintenance work
over a period, reduce the future call on English
Heritage support and extend and improve the
benefits to the public, at relatively minor cost
(a scheme costing £10 million per year could
enable work in 500 properties reaching some
5 million people).
There is a continuing need for the National
Heritage Memorial Fund which plays an
important role as a fund of last resort for
securing works of art and culture for the nation,
often at very short notice. But the growing gap
between NHMF’s resources and the prices
commanded by heritage buildings and their
contents on the open market make it less and
less possible for NHMF to fulfil this role.
This could be addressed by accepting the
recommendation of the Goodison Report
of 2004 that NHMF’s annual grant be raised
to £20 million.
Even this, however, would represent only a small
proportion of the work needed to maintain our
unique heritage and the costs of conservation
continue to rise.
4.
Reaching people. The heritage sector has
made good progress in democratising heritage,
broadening audiences and improving the service
to the public. The Taking Part survey shows that
very high numbers of people visit and enjoy
historic places, including amongst priority
groups. However there is still a significant
gap between the proportion of the overall
population engaging with heritage and the
proportion of people from priority groups.
To maintain momentum and close this gap
further, there is a need for investment in:
–– Outreach programmes to engage priority
groups.
–– Training and dissemination of best practice
across the sector.
–– Building the capacity of priority groups to
engage with the historic environment.
–– English Heritage’s ability to support capacity
building in the voluntary sector through its
grants.
–– New initiatives to increase the diversity of
those working within the heritage sector,
including volunteers.
–– Integrating the historic environment into the
Government’s commitments to increase outof-classroom education for school children.
Valuing our heritage.The case for future investment in the historic environment.
20
1
2
3, 4
5
6–8
9
10
11
12, 13
14
SOURCES
VisitBritain
Power of Place MORI poll
Taking Part survey, DCMS
Civic Trust
Historic Houses Association
Joint English Heritage/Defra study
Heritage Counts
Heritage Dividend 2002, English Heritage
Taking Part survey, DCMS
VisitBritain
15
16
17
Changing Minds: The Lasting Impact
of School Trips, National Trust
Taking Part survey, DCMS
Traditional Building Craft Skills,
National Heritage Training Group Report 2005
Printed on Revive Uncoated, a UK-made 100% recycled
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Product code: 51306
January 2007
© English Heritage
CONTACT
English Heritage
1 Waterhouse Square
138-142 Holborn
London EC1N 2ST
National Trust
Heelis, Kemble Drive
Swindon
Wiltshire SN2 2NA
Heritage Link
89 Albert Embankment
London
SE1 7TP
T: 0870 333 1181
www.english-heritage.org.uk
T: 020 7799 4541
www.nationaltrust.org.uk
T: 020 7820 7796
www.heritagelink.org.uk
Heritage Lottery Fund
7 Holbein Place
London SW1W 8NR
Historic Houses Association
2 Chester Street
London SW1X 7BB
T: 020 7591 6042
www.hlf.org.uk
T: 020 7259 5688
www.hha.org.uk
CONTENTS
1 Valuing our heritage
2 Introduction
4 People care
6 Benefits of investment
8 Democratisation
14 The state of England’s historic environment
16 Priorities for the future
© britainonview.com