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Publication Date: 08 June 2007
The Inland Waterways Association (IWA), as an active member of the Heritage Link in conjunction with the National Trust, Civic Trust, Campaign to Protect Rural England and others, has responded to the government’s Heritage White Paper.
The response broadly welcomes the Heritage White Paper process, the opportunity for wider public engagement with the historic environment, and recognition of the major contribution that the voluntary heritage sector can and wants to make.
However, the response also makes some relevant criticisms of government’s proposal. Not least, that, the paper fails to articulate the value of heritage, and has disappointingly limited vision of heritage’s role in successful development and regeneration. This echoes IWA’s concerns about the likely impacts of any whole or partial privatisation of British Waterways.
IWA and the other heritage organisations were further disappointed to find that despite there being three key departments in England responsible for heritage policy, reflected in the tripartite funding for English Heritage, the paper’s foreword was notably not signed by the Department for Communities and Local Government, or the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. These departments have responsibilities for rural and urban regeneration and tourism, and therefore a major influence in policy affecting the nation’s heritage. The Association, together with other heritage organisations, is concerned that whilst these three departments may all have worked closely on the White Paper, a more overt show of combined ownership would have given out a stronger message of cross-government commitment to the policies in the White Paper and their implementation.
The Inland Waterways Association is particularly concerned at the vulnerability of historic waterside furniture, buildings and landscape following recent cuts in Grant-in-Aid to British Waterways and the Environment Agency and government direction to be more commercially minded. British Waterways has the third largest portfolio of historic structures of any organisation in the UK.
Neil Edwards IWA Chief Executive said:
“We believe that IWA’s involvement in the consultation on heritage, through Heritage Link, is of high importance. IWA members and those who love and value the waterways are very concerned at the loss of funding for the waterways and the risk increased risks to waterside heritage.”
“IWA has long been concerned at the apparent lack of joined-up government in safeguarding the nation’s heritage, with different departments seemingly working against each other or showing little interest in matters beyond their immediate remit. The inland waterways have suffered under the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs because of the complete lack of coordination with other relevant parts of government, including the departments for Education and Transport, as well as the departments for Communities and Local Government and Culture, Media and Sport.”
A full copy of the heritage link response may be found at
http://www.waterways.org.uk/Library/ConsultationResponses
Ends
For more information please contact:
Jo Gilbertson Campaign Coordinator Tel: 01923 711114 Ext 31
E-mail: jo.gilbertson@waterways.org.uk
Notes for Editors
Inland Waterways Association
The Inland Waterways Association (IWA) is a registered charity, founded in 1946, which advocates the conservation, use, maintenance, restoration and development of the inland waterways for public benefit. IWA has over 18,000 members whose interests include boating, towing path walking, industrial archaeology, nature conservation and many other activities associated with the inland waterways. Additional corporate members raise the combined “voice” of the IWA to over 60,000.
IWA works closely with navigation authorities, other waterway bodies, a wide range of national and local authorities, voluntary, private and public sector organisations to raise funds, lobby for support and encourage public participation.
Heritage Link
Heritage Link brings together 81 voluntary organisations concerned with heritage in England representing interests from specialist advisers, practitioners and managers, volunteers and owners, to national funding bodies and local building preservation trusts. Much of the historic environment is cared for - supported, managed or owned - by these organisations and thus they and their members - from local civic societies to the national amenity societies with statutory consultee status - have firsthand and longstanding experience of the heritage protection system as well as advisory and educational roles.
The response is supported by the following Heritage Link members:
1. Architectural Heritage Fund
2. Association for Industrial Archaeology
3. Association of Gardens Trust
4. Association of Small Historic Towns and Villages
5. British Institute of Organ studies
6. Campaign to Protect Rural England
7. Chapels Society
8. Churches Conservation Trust
9. Cinema Theatre Association
10. Civic Trust
11. Council for British Archaeology
12. Council for Independent Archaeology
13. Country Land and Business Association
14. English Historic Towns Forum
15. Gateway Gardens Trust
16. Garden History Society
17. The Georgian Group
18. Greenspace
19. Heritage Afloat
20. Heritage of London Trust
21. Historic Chapels Trust
22. Historic Farm Buildings Group
23. Historic Houses Association
24. ICOMOS UK
25. Inland Waterways Association
26. Institute of Historic Building Conservation
27. Institute of Field Archaeologists
28. The Landmark Trust
29. The Leche Trust
30. The National Trust
31. North of England Civic Trust
32. Oxford Preservation Trust
33. Ramblers Association
34. RESCUE: the British Archaeological Trust
35. SAVE Britain's Heritage
36. The Scole Committee
37. Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings
38. The Victorian Society
39. The Vivat Trust
40. Wessex Archaeology.
