Heritage Update 202
Friday 11 february 2011The Heritage Alliance is the largest alliance of heritage interests inthe UK, representing 89 member organisations, with the aim of promoting the central role of thenon-Government movement in the heritage sector.Heritage Update is our voice; to, and for, the sector. It is estimated that Update reaches approximately 12,000 mailboxes in the UK and internationally; with readers as far afield as Abu Dhabi, Antarctica, Istanbul and California. For more information visit
CONTENTS
HEADLINES
HLF launches consultation on its Strategic Framework 2013-19
Update on national co-ordination of Heritage Open Days
The Alliance to Reduce Crime Against Heritage (ARCH) will launch this week
Localism Bill impact assessments published
Community Right to Buy: consultation to 3 May
The Heritage Alliance seeks Parliamentary Liaison Officer (Localism Bill)
HAVE YOUR SAY: CONSULTATION ROUND UP
NEWS
Welcome to the National Piers Society – our 89thmember
Latest UK bid for World Heritage status
The Lords debate the value of railway heritage
The IHBC launches web resource to help articulate the importance of threatened posts
Advisory Panel for new waterways charity
New website aims to map the scale of voluntary sector cuts
English Heritage publishes Winter 2010 / 11 HPR newsletter
English Heritage Good Practice in Conservation Areas
Refurbishing historic school buildings: new guidance issued
ALSO THIS FORTNIGHT…
Our Chairman presents the 2010 Sandford Awards for Heritage Education
Navigate the charity tax landscape with the ‘Charity Tax Map’
Historic Scotland celebrates young heritage volunteers
Historic houses in 3D: on the box from 17 February
VisitBritain launches new media channel
Open Garden Squares Weekend (London): Helpers needed
PEOPLE
EVENTS
COURSES AND FELLOWSHIPS
SITUATIONS VACANT
NOTES AND SUBSCRIPTIONS
HEADLINES
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HLF launches consultation on its Strategic Framework 2013-19
On 31 January the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) launched its public consultation on the future of Lottery funding for heritage from 2013-19. The consultation is open until 26 April and you can submit your views here.
From 2013 to 2019 the HLF will have an annual awards budget of around £300 million. It has set out the proposals in its Strategic Framework based on analysis of the emerging funding environment for heritage in the next few years, research and evaluation of the impact of its funding and discussions with other organisations, partners and funders.
At a time of cutbacks in public investment for heritage across the UK, it is particularly important that you make your views known on what the HLF should continue doing, what it may need to do differently and what new initiatives or measures could have the greatest impact for heritage. You can register and respond hereby 26 April. HLF will report on consultation feedback later in the year and expects to publish its Strategic Framework for 2013-19 in spring 2012.
Calling all members of The Heritage Alliance: The Alliance will be running a members’ only workshop on 28 March at the BritishAcademy, 10 Carlton House Terrace, London SW1Y 5AH. Judy Cligman, Director of Strategy and Business Development at HLF, will ‘set the scene’ and the rest of the afternoon will be used to inform a collective response to the HLF Strategic Framework consultation. Full details to follow by email shortly. Back
Update on national co-ordination of Heritage Open Days
English Heritage is examining all the servicesit provides and asking howit can do things more dynamically and more effectively in the future:“Our aim is that we should do only the things which are essential to protect and enhance the historic places and buildings of England and which others can’t, or won’t, do. Where other organisations are well-placed to take on things we currently do, we are keen to find new partnerships and new ways of working.”
English Heritage (EH) has provided support for Heritage Open Days (HODs) since 2001 and will continue to run the 2011 programme.Thereafter it is proposed to transfer the running of HODs to a new host organisation. EH says: “there is an exciting opportunity for greater public engagement and influence over the way the events are run.We therefore propose to transfer the running of the programme to a new host organisation. We believe this new arrangement would have many benefits and it would better reflect the spirit and emergence of the Coalition Government’s Big Society initiative. We are prepared to offer funding to the new host organisation for the following three years, to ensure the programme is fully embedded.
We will welcome applications from national and regional organisations who can demonstrate their ability to co-ordinate a large-scale, high-profile programme.”
If you are interested in applying to take on the national co-ordination of the programme, please for the fullbrief. The deadline for submissions of interest is 8April 2011.
Regarding HODs 2011 - the HODs team has issued the following call to action:
“Do you own a building that houses hidden treasures? Do you know of a place that has a secret story to tell? Are you passionate about your local area? Have you mastered a craft not many practise nowadays? Fantastic! The Heritage Open Days team at English Heritage would love to hear from you.
Heritage Open Days is Britain’s number 1 heritage event thriving on the enthusiasm and expertise of thousands of volunteers from all walks of life. Last year’s event was the most successful in its 16-year history. More than 46,000 participants opened up and staged a record 4,463 venues and activities, jointly attracting an estimated 1,172,430 visits over four days in September.
If you would like to know how to get involved in this year’s event, which runs from Thursday 8 to Sunday 11 September, please visit contact us on 0844 335 1884 or at ”
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The Alliance to Reduce Crime Against Heritage (ARCH) will launch this week
On Friday (11 February) a major new heritage crime initiative will be launched, when the first meeting of the Alliance to Reduce Crime Against Heritage (ARCH) will convene in London. Full details will follow in the next issue of Heritage Update, once English Heritage’s press embargo has been lifted. In the mean time The Independent on Sunday has published details of the initiative here. Back
Localism Bill impact assessments published
The Government has published evidence documents to underpin its proposals in the Localism Bill. These impact assessmentsreport on the potential impact of implementing the decentralisation and localism elements of the Coalition Agreement.
Decentralisation Minister Greg Clark said: "Any public policy has pros and cons. In one of the most comprehensive exercises undertaken by any government department to date, we are setting out our frank assessment of the effects of our radical proposals. This demonstrates our commitment to openness and transparency. These reports prove the net benefits to local economies, to local democracy and to community life of the Coalition Government's decentralisation programme."
Click on the links below for each impact assessment:
- Localism Bill: Abolition of the regional planning tier and introduction of the duty to cooperate - Impact Assessmentassesses the impact of abolishing the regional planning tier and introducing the duty to cooperate
- Localism Bill: Community Infrastructure Levy - Impact Assessment; Localism Bill: Community Right to Buy - Impact Assessment assesses the impact of providing time for communities to organise themselves to raise the funding to bid to buy on the open market the assets that they have identified as being important to their community
- Localism Bill: Community Right to Challenge - Impact Assessment assesses the impact of giving communities a Right to Challenge to run local services, which could lead to a procurement exercise for that service
- Localism Bill: Compulsory pre-applications for consultations between prospective developers and local communities assesses the impact of a new statutory requirement for pre-application consultation for all very large scale major development, with matters of detail left for developers to determine with the local community
- Localism Bill: Enforcement package - Impact Assessmentassesses the impact of a package of measures on enforcement.
Community Right to Buy: consultation to 3 May
This consultation seeks views on provisions in the Localism Bill to assist community organisations to purchase assets of community value. Community Right to Buy would mean community organisations would have a ‘fair chance’ to bid to take over assets and facilities that were important to them - such as their village shop or the last remaining pub in the village, their community centre, children’s centre or library building.
Assets of Community Value are defined as those that further “the social, economic, or environmental wellbeing or interests of the local community.” Once an asset was on the list, the owner would have to notify the local authority of their intention to sell/dispose of it. The local authority would then notify the nominating community group and publicise in the local area that the asset had come up for sale. Community interest groups (to be defined in regulations) would then have an interim window of opportunity to put forward their intention to bid for the asset (whilst there would be a right to bid, this does not mean that there would be any right to buy - despite the title - as there would be no obligation on the owner to sell to the community group).
The consultation seeks views on how the scheme should be delivered and what type of support and guidance should be provided. In particular it asks for views on the balance between the rights of property owners and the public interest in retaining for community use assets that are important to community life.Click here for the consultation document.Back
The Heritage Alliance seeks Parliamentary Liaison Officer (Localism Bill)
The Localism Bill - already under pre-legislative scrutiny by the Public Bill Committee - will transform the planning framework within which our heritage protection regime sits. The Heritage Alliance is looking for extra high-level capacity at this critical point, to persuade those with influence that the final version must not lessen the level of heritage protection. A new parliamentary liaison post will bring theAlliance’s views on the Bill, both positive and less so, to the attention of parliamentarians and opinion formers and co-ordinate the activities of Alliance members - as well as with external heritage and non heritage bodies.
This post will act as a key liaison point between English Heritage and The Heritage Alliance. The postholder will co-ordinate an Alliance response to the forthcoming National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) consultation and establish the Alliance as a key source of information and expert briefings for the Bill in relation to heritage.
The post is to be a new, flexible role on a consultancy basis, involving some 15-20 days February to July paid at a day rate of c £350. The role will involve regular meetings in London.
Expressions of interest are invited from candidates with a sound understanding of planning and heritage protection; an ability to deal confidently with parliamentarians, senior colleagues and external stakeholders; an outline understanding of the parliamentary process and ideally some campaigning / lobbying experience. Please email the Chief Executive Kate Pugh with your CV and a covering letter outlining what you can bring to the post - by 15 February. Back
HAVE YOUR SAY: CONSULTATION ROUND UP
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February
The National Heritage Protection Plan: Interim Version Consultation. An English Heritage consultation. Deadline: 14 February.
The National Planning Policy Framework. A DCLG consultation. Planning Minister Greg Clark has initiated a review of planning policy, designed to consolidate policy statements, circulars and guidance documents into a single consolidated National Planning Policy Framework. Suggestions are invited to Deadline: 28 February.
March
The Giving Green Paper.A Cabinet Office consultation.The Giving Green Paper sets out the Government’s initial ideas for building a stronger culture of giving time and money to start a national debate on our society’s attitude to giving.Deadline: 9 March.
April
National Curriculum Review: Call for Evidence. A Department for Education consultation. The Government has announced a review of the primary and secondary National Curriculum in England. It wants to hear your opinionsand evidence in order to start a debate about what is taught in our schools. This Call for Evidence is a way to input into the discussion at this early stage in the process. Deadline: 14 April.
Office for National Statistics: national wellbeing consultation.The Prime Minister has asked for the nation's wellbeing to be measured for the Government from next April. He said the findings "will open up debate about what really matters not just in government but amongst people who influence our lives" and he included people "who shape the culture we enjoy" in this group. The ONS has launched a public consultation which asks respondents to rate "personal and cultural activities" alongside other factors in determining a broad national measure of wellbeing. Deadline: 15 April.
The Future of the Public Forest Estate. A Defra consultation. This consultation is about the future ownership and management of the public forest estate in England – land currently managed by the Forestry Commission on behalf of the Environment Secretary. It proposes “a mixed model approach to reforming the ownership and management of the public forest estate”. Deadline 21 April.
Shaping The Future: Consultation on the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Strategic Framework 2013-2019 HLF is inviting feedback on its strategic framework for 2013-2019. It wants to hear views on what it should continue doing, what it may need to do differently and what new initiatives could have the greatest impact. Deadline 26 April.
May
Community Right to Buy.This consultation seeks views on provisions in the Localism Bill to assist community organisations that wish to purchase assets of community value. The consultation seeks views on how the scheme should be delivered and what type of support and guidance should be provided. Deadline: 3 May.
EU consultation on the future of VAT.An opportunity has arisen to express concern about the way that VAT is levied on the costof maintenance and repairs to historic buildings (but not on replacement or new builds) in response to the European Commission Green Paper: ‘Towards a simpler, more robust andefficient VAT system’. The aim of the consultation is to launch a debate on the structure ofthe current VAT system, ways to make it more coherent within a single market and toreduce the cost of compliance. Deadline: 31 May.
NEWS
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Welcome to the National Piers Society – our 89th member
We are delighted to welcome the National Piers Societyas the newest full member of The Heritage Alliance. The Society, which was founded in 1979, aims to promote and sustain interest in the preservation and continued enjoyment of seaside piers. This year it will be working closely with the organisers of British Tourism Week on plans for the nationwide Party on the Pier on 12 March, which will kick off British Tourism Week.
89 national and major regional heritage non-government organisations (representing between them over 5 million people) are now full members of the Alliance, meaning we’re the largest we’ve ever been. Our highly valued base of supporters is also growing, with more and more individuals pledging their support alongside our sponsors and corporate and affiliate supporters. Click here for a full list of our members and here to find out more about how you can support us to continue our work on behalf of the sector.Back
Latest UK bid for World Heritage status
The Twin Monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow, founded in the late seventh century AD in the north-east of England, has been submitted to UNESCO as the UK’s latest nomination for World Heritage status. ICOMOS will evaluate the nomination and it will be presented to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee in 2012.
The monastery, which is located on two sites in north-east England (Wearmouth nr Sunderland, and Jarrow), was founded in the late seventh century AD and parts of it which are still in use today date from the lifetime of its most famous inhabitant, the Venerable Bede.
Nearly 30 sites in the UK have already achieved World Heritage Site status, including the Tower of London, Edinburgh and the Giant’s Causeway. The Twin Monastery site is the last that will be put forward from the 1999 UK Tentative List and the Government is now drawing up a new Tentative List from which future nominations will be drawn.An independent expert panel is currently considering all the bids for inclusion on the new list.
For more information on the UK’s World Heritage Sites click here. Back
The Lords debate the value of railway heritage
On 1 February an enthusiastic House of Lords explored the contribution the railway heritage sector makes to education, tourism and the economy in the UK and beyond.