In this second news blog focusing on the Civic Voice Manifesto 2024 – 2028, we move onto Historic Environment.
Members of the public often describe themselves as custodians of heritage. This custodianship inspires people to take action to conserve the historic environment and historical artefacts and to promote the value of heritage. Civic participation is vital for the future of the heritage sector and can provide a range of benefits for those involved.
According to the Heritage Alliance, local authority spending on heritage has been cut by more than 40% since 2011, and conservation capacity in planning teams has almost halved since 2009. We recognise that funding for local authority conservation and heritage staff and expertise is key to managing our historic environment. Without this investment, many decisions will continue to be made on an ad hoc basis, eroding the very historic character upon which England’s economic prosperity depends.
We call on the Government to go further and promote the retention and reuse of existing historic buildings to reinforce local character and address climate change and net-zero goals. Reforming the VAT regime on repair and maintenance will promote the long-term sustainability of our nation’s irreplaceable heritage assets and tackle carbon emissions.
Ensure every local authority has the appropriate staffing and resources to create up-to-date conservation area appraisals and management plans.
Taken together, the above calls will lead to a decrease in heritage at risk.
You can download the fully manifesto here.