New £700,000 Historic England campaign the most ambitious local heritage project for 40 years — Newark MP Robert Jenrick
Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary Robert Jenrick has described a new heritage project as the most ambitious campaign of its kind for 40 years.
The Newark MP announced local communities can nominate heritage assets in their area to be protected, as part of a £700,000 Government-funded project.
Ten English counties will benefit from the initiative which aims to ensure important monuments are not neglected or unloved.
The new campaign will challenge every single local authority across England to draw up lists of buildings of historical and cultural significance, to potentially receive a share of the funding.
"I’ve launched the most ambitious heritage preservation campaign for decades," said Mr Jenrick.
"This will empower local people to protect thousands of historic buildings and preserve them for future generations.
"Getting more buildings locally listed isn’t just about keeping a building intact — it keeps a community’s identity thriving."
Historic England are to front a campaign on local identity in conjunction with the cash boost, with the aim of getting the country to talk about what defines its heritage.
A local heritage champion will also be appointed to spearhead the campaign and encourage councils to increase local listings.
Culture Secretary Nicky Morgan said: "Our built heritage is one of the things that make England one of the top tourist destinations in the world.
"It helps us attract millions of visitors every year who are keen to see the historic buildings at the heart of our communities, helping to boost our economy and make our towns and cities better places to live, work and visit.
"By encouraging more local listings, we will ensure that buildings are protected for future generations so that the benefits heritage brings are felt right across the country."
The ten counties to receive part of the £700,000 funding will be announced in due course.
The news follows the announcement made by Nicky Morgan in September that 69 towns and cities could bid for a slice of allocated £95m funding to revitalise local areas.
The Department for Digital, Culture Media and Sport’s Heritage High Street Fund will give £40m; £52m by the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government’s Future High Street Fund; and £3m from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
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