Lakes District World Heritage Project
Earlier this year the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) announced the new World Heritage Tentative list for the UK and its Territories. The Lake District is on that new list after we successfully competed against 37 other places in the UK to retain our place.
The UK government has yet to present its list to the UN for ratification but it intends to do so later this autumn, once the list is ratified the UK government can review the list and diary nominations. We do not expect to have an opportunity to go forward to the UN until 2013 at the earliest. The government has also announced a new element to its own review process. DCMS will ask us to undertake a feasibility study of our bid in the spring, the details of which have not been released yet. The study is intended to assess the credibility of our stated “Outstanding Universal Value”, the financial stability of the bid and the authenticity of our partnership. I am confident we have a strong case on all points but there are significant pieces of work to be done. We must continue the momentum we have achieved over the last few years.
Our economic work continues to inform debate all over the world and James Rebanks (the author of our economic report) is engaged to speak around the globe. I myself have been asked to speak at conference in France this October on just how WHS can stimulate local economies and engender social cohesion. It has been a quiet year for WHS across the UK but our bid remains at the forefront of thinking on WHS in the UK. The Project Management Group is engaging with a commercial partner in an exciting new development to refresh our online presence as well as our printed advocacy materials in a pro bono sponsorship deal.
We will continue to keep you informed as the bid process moves forward.
Mike Clarke
Director, Lake District World Heritage Project
The Cultural ‘Edge’
DRAFT
Aim
The development of the Lakes World Heritage Cultural Landscape[1] bid and statement of Outstanding Universal Value[2] provide a unique opportunity to develop fresh approaches to building stronger economies, communities and environments. TAG 1[3] has been asked to consider how its understanding of the cultural landscape might be utilised to generate these approaches. This document represents the start of a process to unlock the potential social, cultural and economic value of the UNESCO World Heritage status (Building on economic analysis undertaken for Tag 1 in 2009-10).
Outcomes
We have agreed to seek four outcomes:
· To change the way that people understand the Lake District to give due focus to its unique cultural heritage, to change perceptions of, and approaches to its current and future management.
· To ensure that this improved understanding is reflected in the Lake District’s ‘defining’ strategic documents
· To maximise the positive (social, economic and environmental) outcomes from the bid process and after inscription, by planning ahead and having a clear strategy for benefit maximization.
· To minimise any negativities resulting from the bid, and to manage the risks of the designation
Initial Activity & Approach
1. Farming – Investigate ways of adding value to the farming systems in the Lake District. Allowing farmers to develop/deliver their own market-led solutions but seeking to underpin and aid this via provision of a cultural marketing ‘edge’, and through supporting initiatives to empower farmers to unlock greater value and cut costs. Identification of key cultural farming landscapes and communities and developing ways to reduce production costs & bureaucracy so as to facilitate effective farming (and cultural) succession.
2. Tourism – assist in defining new high-value cultural products/experiences, and implementing a strategy with partners to ensure the PR/marketing value of the nomination process is maximised in the next 2-3 years.
3. Within the cultural landscape context, seek to develop a balanced approach to environmental/ecosystem maintenance and development that takes account of the key elements of Outstanding Universal Value. Raising awareness of the sensitivity of the cultural and economic landscape, as well as the environmental issues.
4. Development of a new sense of ‘community’ respect and pride via a culturally led Big Society approach. Empowering the communities of the Lake District to ‘own’ the process of nomination, and turning them into champions of the bid, and the destination.
Existing Activity & Ways of Working
In all instances TAG 1 will seek to work with, enrich and enable, the work of other (existing) groups and activity.
In general the group will produce ideas for others deliver.
Conclusion
The Lake District World Heritage Project has attracted international attention through its foresight in commissioning research into the economic potential of the designation. With the research translated into several languages and championed by UNESCO. Sites around the world are responding to the ideas in that study and building futures out of the opportunity offered by the designation. The Lake District can walk the walk, as well as talking the talk on this issue, but it will have to be an active choice that is supported and resourced. This process needs to begin now to maximise the benefit of the nomination process, and also to add value to the bid by demonstrating commitment to UNESCO and the UK Government.
[1] Cultural Landscape - the resultant of man’s interaction (economically, socially ) with his environment.
[2] UNESCO definition = = =
[3] TAG 1 – Technical Advisory Group to the Lakes WHS bid.