North East’s Annual Heritage Report Published

North East Heritage Plays a Key Role in Creating Places Where People Want to Live, Work and Play

Restored ancient woodland, after-school clubs in museums, and the fact that last year over 70% of all adults in the North East enjoyed their region’s heritage, are all highlighted in a new report that emphasises the fundamental role that the historic environment plays in creating places where people want to live, work and play.
   
North East Heritage Counts 2008, the historic environment’s annual regional report by the North East Historic Environment Forum, was published today (30 October 2008) with the unequivocal message that heritage delivers important environmental, social and economic benefits.

Carol Pyrah, current Chair of the North East Historic Environment Forum, said, "This report celebrates the region’s heritage and its contribution to regional life, which extends far beyond providing visits to museums and historic sites.  From community projects designed to inspire and increase confidence, to work with schools and opportunities for life-long learning, the historic environment is an important force in the local community.  It is an essential part of our townscapes and landscapes and provides a focus for regeneration and tourism.  Heritage is central to creating and maintaining sustainable communities."

The report draws on examples across the region to make the case for heritage’s contribution to the economy, society and the environment, including:

• After-School Clubs in Regional Museums: Tyne & Wear Museums have been providing a valuable service to local families as well as helping their children learn outside the classroom and engage with their heritage in new ways. South Shields Museum & Art Gallery ran an art project asking children to take inspiration from their collection, whilst Segedunum Roman Fort provided curriculum-based learning opportunities that were linked to its Roman materials.
• Living North Pennines:  This three-year project, funded with almost £2 million from the Heritage Lottery Fund, includes the planting of new broadleaved woods and improved interpretation at Muggleswick Grange, Ninebanks Tower, Shildon Engine House, and the Whiteskye and Bentyfield Mines.  Local communities have been heavily involved in interpreting their heritage through creative arts and by recording oral history.
• Ancient Woodlands at Pontburn Woods, Durham: The local community, school children and even cadets have all been involved in saving these ancient woodlands. The Woodland Trust project – helped by a £41,700 grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund – generated a stronger sense of community spirit and a greater respect for this local area of natural heritage.

The North East report complements the national Heritage Counts 2008 report, a comprehensive overview of the key statistics, trend development and research related to England’s heritage, including the number of designated assets, development pressure as recorded by planning applications and consents, the extent of the public’s participation and involvement, employment and economic benefits.

Highlights from this year’s North East report include:

• Around 71% of all adults in the North East region had attended at least one historic environment site during the past twelve months.
• 96% of schools in the North East region enhance their pupil’s learning experience using museums and archives.
• 92% of all adults in the North East region agreed or strongly agreed that historic features should be saved.
• During 2007, there were 1,423,228 visitors to National Trust properties in the Yorkshire and North East regions combined, 592,877 visitors to English Heritage properties in the North East, and 435,728 visitors to properties belonging to the Historic Houses Association in the region.
• The Heritage Lottery Fund is the main source of public funding for the historic environment in the UK.  During 2007/08, the Heritage Lottery Funded awarded £17,991,194 in the North East region and since 1994 it has awarded £198,216,049 to regional heritage projects.
• English Heritage is the largest source of non-lottery grant funding.  English Heritage’s regional grant offer for the 2007/08 period was £1,706,271.
• Of the 372,769 listed building entries found in England in April 2008, 12,237 entries were located within the North East region, around 3% of the national total. Regrettably the North East continues to have the highest proportion of grade I and II* listed buildings at risk (7.4% compared with a national average of just 3.2%).

Both the North East and national Heritage Counts 2008 reports can be found at  the website: Heritage Counts

The national report is published by English Heritage on behalf of the Historic Environment Review Executive Committee. The North East report is published on behalf of the North East Historic Environment Forum.