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South East Historic Environment Forum. HERITAGE COUNTS 2006: COMMUNITIES AND HERITAGE. Dr Andy Brown, Chair. South East Historic Environment Forum. ABOUT THE FORUM. Consortium of some 20 organisations with shared agenda: Broadening access and inclusion, championed by EH
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South East Historic Environment Forum HERITAGE COUNTS 2006: COMMUNITIES AND HERITAGE Dr Andy Brown, Chair
South East Historic Environment Forum ABOUT THE FORUM • Consortium of some 20 organisations with shared agenda: • Broadening access and inclusion, championed by EH • Collecting evidence of need and benefit, championed by HLF • Modernising sector skills and working culture, championed by Heritage Link • Supporting maintenance and repairs, championed by the HHA. • Unlocking the potential of local places, championed by the NT
South East Historic Environment Forum WHAT IS HERITAGE COUNTS? • Produced by English Heritage on behalf of the South East Historic Environment Forum • Suite of nine regional documents, a full national report and a dedicated website (www.heritagecounts.org.uk) • Annual themed audit of the state of the South East’s historic environment
South East Historic Environment Forum COMMUNITIES AND HERITAGE • Why this theme in 2006? • The Power of Place and its impact on historic environment management at a local and national level. • Links between people and places becoming ever more important. • Growth in the South East needs to be truly sustainable, retaining character and distinctiveness as a key contribution to the quality of life
South East Historic Environment Forum VALUING • Bringing communities together through shared understanding and creating a sense of belonging. • Widening definition; value placed on all aspects of our heritage • Unprecedented levels of public interest in heritage • Enhancing its role at the centre of community life
South East Historic Environment Forum VALUING – A CASE STUDY Queenborough and Rushenden, Isle of Sheppey, Kent – A community discovering its roots for the first time.
South East Historic Environment Forum PARTICIPATING • One of the principal outputs of placing a value on heritage. • 76% attended at least one historic environment site during 2005 • 44% visited at least one museum or gallery. • Attendance by DCMS-defined priority groups is lower • The sector is increasing participation through various projects
South East Historic Environment Forum PARTICIPATING – A CASE STUDY Cobham Park, Kent – A model approach to landscape conservation on the edge of the Thames Gateway growth area.
South East Historic Environment Forum ENGAGING • More than just visiting a heritage site. It is about actively helping to manage the historic environment resource. • Taking Part survey indicates there are many more active volunteers supporting the sector than previously thought. • The National Trust is the largest heritage charity and has a voluntary workforce of 7,500 in the SE region alone. • The historic environment is also managed and protected by local people engaging with the planning system on behalf of their community. • 39 Historic Environment Champions play a vital role
South East Historic Environment Forum ENGAGING – CASE STUDIES Polesden Lacey Festival – organised in its entirety by voluntary effort. Cllr Chantal Wilson has secured the adoption of a planning policy that recognises the important of locally listed buildings. Local residents of the Caversham Lock area in Reading have campaigned to save the Grade II listed Kings Meadow Baths. Yateley Parish – local community creating a Parish Plan, carrying our conservation work and archiving local history.
South East Historic Environment Forum REGENERATING • The contribution of the historic environment to regeneration is widely accepted. • HLF has awarded almost £11m to the historic environment in 37 areas in need of economic and social regeneration. • Finding viable economic uses for heritage assets is the key to successful regeneration • New buildings in historic areas, if well designed, leave a legacy as a new layer of heritage for the future.
South East Historic Environment Forum REGENERATING – CASE STUDIES Royal Clarence Yard in Gosport has been converted to provide new homes. Regeneration, conversion and sensitive new design combine to create the Oxford Castle Regeneration Project. A Heritage Economic Regeneration Scheme was carried out in Bexhill, as was full renovation and repair of the De La Warr Pavilion.
South East Historic Environment Forum CONCLUSIONS • Heritage Counts has many best practice case studies as well as all the vital statistics about the historic environment of our region in 2006. • The work of the voluntary sector and of local people is vital to the conservation of the historic environment. • We urge the voluntary sector to make use of the report this year. We hope it will help support your work by underscoring your vital contribution to the efforts of the sector as a whole.
South East Historic Environment Forum REMINDER – PICK UP YOUR COPY OF THE REGIONAL REPORT SUMMARY HERE TODAY FULL DATA TABLES AND REGIONAL ANALYSIS REPORTS AVAILABLE AS WEB DOCUMENTS ONLINE AT www.heritagecounts.org.uk
South East Historic Environment Forum QUESTIONS?