Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport Eighth Report


III. CAPITAL PROJECTS

The aims of the capital projects programme

7. The capital projects programme received the largest share of Lottery proceeds allocated by the Millennium Commission—£1,288 million from a total expected income of £2.15 billion.[20] To date, more than £1,255 million has been awarded to 187 projects at more than 3,000 sites.[21] The minimum contribution that the Commission has made to a capital project is £100,000.[22] Demand for Millennium Commission funding unsurprisingly far out-stripped supply. The total value of projects that applied for funds from the Millennium Commission amounts to some £13 billion.[23] Twenty-eight major capital projects throughout the country have each received grants of more than £15 million. Those larger projects have been the focus of our consideration.

8. The Millennium Commission judged applications against three strategic criteria. The applications had to comply with the Commission's aims of supporting projects throughout the United Kingdom that would be accessible to all members of the community and that were of local, national or regional significance.[24] Above all, the Commission was keen to support projects that would add "to what might otherwise have been available".[25]

9. The projects that the Millennium Commission supported were classified under five main themes, as identified by the Secretary of State in his previous evidence to this Committee.[26] Many of the projects encompass more than one theme. The themes are set out below using examples of projects about which we have received evidence or which we visited during this inquiry.

Supporting communities: The Millennium Link will restore navigation on the Forth & Clyde and the Union canals in Scotland and will improve the urban environment along the canal corridor. During our previous inquiry, we visited Wester Hailes, where we witnessed the Millennium Link's potential to improve the local environment and energise the local community.[27] We returned to the Millennium Link for this inquiry, visiting sites at Blairdardie and on the Great Western Road in Glasgow. We heard about how the local community was actively involved in the project and learned about the public consultation undertaken by British Waterways, the project managers.

Encouraging environmental sustainability: The National Botanic Garden of Wales is one of three large capital projects—the others being the Eden Project in Cornwall and the Millennium Seed Bank at Kew Gardens—intended to conserve threatened plant species and conduct scientific research. The National Botanic Garden of Wales has the world's largest single-span glasshouse.[28]

Investing in education: The Millennium Commission has been the largest investor in the innovative educational project of the University of the Highlands and Islands (UHI).[29] We met representatives from UHI at Argyll College in Dunstaffnage, one of the 25 learning centres that form the UHI campus. Despite its being geographically the largest local education authority in Scotland, we learned that in some wards in Argyll no one in living memory has taken a full-time further education course. The development of the UHI facilitated the establishment of Argyll College, for which there had been substantial demand.

Promoting science and technology: The Millennium Commission invested £250 million in science centres, including Our Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, the Glasgow Science Centre, LIFE Interactive World in Newcastle-upon-Tyne and the Discovery Centre at Millennium Point, Birmingham.[30] Millennium Commission funding provided the catalyst for unprecedented investment in the public understanding and enjoyment of science.[31] In Scotland, we met Mr Paul Smith, Chief Executive of the Glasgow Science Centre, and in London, we took evidence from Ms Gillian Thomas, Chief Executive of @Bristol. Both projects provide hands-on, interactive technology to stimulate interest in science.[32]

Revitalising cities: Most of the capital projects have a regenerative element, be it economic, cultural or social. Cities, in particular, have benefited from major capital projects. Inner-city regeneration projects in Manchester and Sheffield are bringing significant benefits to their communities by enhancing the local environment through the creation of new public spaces.[33]


20  Evidence, p 121. Back

21  Evidence, p 122. Back

22  Evidence p 121. Back

23  Evidence, p 122. Back

24  Evidence, p 121. Back

25  Evidence, p 123. Back

26  HC (1997-98) 818-II, Q 1. Back

27  HC (1997-98) 818-I, para 7. Back

28  Evidence, p 24. Back

29  HC (1997-98) 818-I, para 7. Back

30  Evidence, p 238. Back

31  Evidence, p 238-239. Back

32  Evidence, p 19. Back

33  Evidence, pp 183-186. Back


 
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