House of Commons - Culture, Media and Sport

Select Committee on Culture, Media and Sport Third Report

5 Engagement with the public

207. In answer to the very first question asked in oral evidence during the inquiry, Mr Venning, Secretary of the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, spoke of the power of familiar local buildings to evoke strong feelings among members of surrounding communities. As he said, a building might perhaps not be architecturally terribly important, but it would have associations which could generate a real attachment, enough to make a community fight for its protection.[416] This represents engagement with the historic environment of a type which is open to everyone, at no financial cost. As the Architectural Heritage Fund told us, the historic built environment is unique in this respect and offers genuine accessibility for as long as such buildings survive.[417] Heritage Link made a very similar point, describing 'rich resources' spread across the country and forming the 'most widely available free cultural resource'.[418]

208. Mr Venning also spoke of the Government's wish to bring about greater involvement with ordinary members of the public in decisions about what buildings should or should not be protected, a key theme of the Public Value Conference held in January 2006 and addressed by both the Secretary of State at DCMS and the Minister with responsibility for heritage (Mr Lammy).[419] The public is in part already involved in decision-making procedures in the planning system, either indirectly, through elected local councillors on planning committees, or directly, taking part as members of Conservation Area Advisory Committees in those areas where they have been established and are being maintained.[420] The Heritage Lottery Fund has been active in developing ways of reflecting public views on its decision-making procedures, through citizens' juries;[421] and we have described the pilot programmes allowing purchasers of Lottery tickets to choose from potential beneficiary projects.[422]

209. The public has also shown itself attracted through voluntary commitment, joining local action groups to protect or 'save' local buildings from demolition.[423] Such buildings might be local landmarks such as former hospitals, train stations, chapels[424] or swimming baths, or they might be homes scheduled for clearance, such as in the Housing Market Renewal (HMR) Areas[425]. In many cases, public interest in the heritage of that community has been stimulated and supported by the Lottery-funded Local Heritage Initiative programmes.[426] The dramatic rise in membership of the National Trust - currently at a rate of 100,000 per year - is a further indication of public affection for the historic environment.[427]

210. There was consensus in the evidence to the inquiry that the public appetite for knowledge about the past was growing, whether through an interest in genealogy or in archaeology programmes on television,[428] awareness of local buildings, street names or monuments, or participation in archaeological events.[429] We heard that the appetite for archaeology was "huge", manifesting itself in high attendances at national archaeology days and the popularity of digs, such as the Dig Manchester project run by the University of Manchester, which has brought together children and volunteers to work alongside professional archaeologists on a series of excavations across the city. The aim is to involve people and schoolchildren in a practical, 'live' environment and the project has been energetically championed by a local councillor. The success of the dig in generating engagement is ascribed by the University largely to its novelty, being in a deprived area where few were aware of any local historical connection. Both primary and secondary schools were involved. We heard that the project had "opened the eyes of schoolchildren" to archaeology as a skill and potentially as a job.[430] The University noted that the project 'seemed to tap into a real need for community activity and purpose', possibly accentuated by the lack of any community centre or local hall as a focus for activities.[431] Such enthusiasm should not be allowed to wither. We believe that successor guidance to PPG 16 should be enhanced to reflect the importance of public access to information from archaeological excavations, and proper storage of items unearthed. Records of excavations should be publicly deposited, with appropriate linkage to Historic Environment Records. As we have already noted, Historic Environment Records have a part to play in developing awareness of local areas of archaeological interest.

211. Heritage Open Days offer similar opportunities in relation to buildings. The Civic Trust, a charity seeking to improve design in the built environment and bring about regeneration and local improvements, described its role in managing Heritage Open Days, which it described as "England's biggest and most popular voluntary cultural event, attracting over 800,000 people every year".[432] The Trust told us that the Open Days "raised awareness and appreciation of the built environment and stimulated curiosity and learning in people of all ages, abilities and backgrounds by offering full access to a wide range of properties and activities". Heritage Open Days have proven success in attracting new visitors from groups identified as 'priority' by DCMS (people in their twenties, or from ethnic minority groups, or from C2DE socio-economic groups).

212. The momentum of such initiatives needs to be maintained. People need to be given a chance to understand and value their surroundings if they are to become active in their preservation.[433] The Heritage Lottery Fund and the Civic Trust have achieved a great deal, as have English Heritage and the National Trust. Both central and local government have a role in ensuring that grassroots initiatives enabling direct access at no cost to the local historic environment can prosper. Local authorities should be prepared to assist in publicity and administrative support for such events if required.

Targets for participation

213. Making the nation's heritage accessible to all is defined by DCMS as a Government priority,[434] and participation is reflected in the Department's PSA 3 Target, to increase the take up of cultural and sporting opportunities by adults and young people aged 16 and above from priority groups. One indicator is directly relevant to the historic environment, measuring attendance at designated historic environment sites by people from black and minority ethnic groups, people with a limiting disability and people from C2DE socio-economic groups. To achieve the targets, DCMS recognises that the delivery chain is complex, with non-DCMS sponsored bodies (such as the National Trust and the Civic Trust) playing a major part in attracting and broadening the visitor base.[435]

214. The National Trust told us that "broadly speaking" it was "very supportive of the PSA target and the aspirations behind it in trying to reach new audiences", and it expected to play a significant role in helping to achieve the targets. It was critical however of the lack of consultation by DCMS in drawing up the target. The Trust warned that it was important "not to get distracted too much by crude numbers" and argued that quality and depth of experience were more important than the number and kind of people "through the door".[436] Mr Hutcheon, giving oral evidence on behalf of the Trust, saw the barriers to participation as being not so much the financial cost of entry but perceptions of how welcome visitors from certain groups would be: he argued that the sector needed to have the ability and the confidence to communicate effectively with young people or different types of people.[437]

215. The reliance of the PSA Target upon the measurement of visitors to designated historic environment sites is unfortunate, as it reinforces the impression gained by some that DCMS is concerned with major sites rather than the more "everyday" heritage which is more accessible (and more valued) by the public.[438] The Taking Part survey, commissioned by DCMS as a continuous household survey to gather statistical data on participation, is likewise based upon visits to designated sites and museums.[439]

216. DCMS Ministers have given a quite different impression in public, for instance at the Public Value Conference held in London in January 2006. Both the Secretary of State and Mr Lammy gave keynote speeches. The Secretary of State spoke of the historic environment as being "a vital part of the public realm … the places that people instinctively recognise and value as not just being part of the landscape or townscape but as actually being part of their own personal identity". This message echoes much of what was said by DCMS in A Force for our Future in 2001. We are confident that DCMS does recognise the presence of heritage beyond iconic sites, although it has yet to convince many in the sector. We recommend that DCMS should acknowledge clearly in policy documents that using targets which measure visits to designated sites does not reflect the full extent of engagement with the historic environment. We believe that the Department's commitment to heritage would be reinforced if a specific PSA target were to be developed reflecting progress in protecting and preserving the historic environment, perhaps including a target for a reduction in the number of buildings classified as being at risk.

Heritage and education

217. A large part of A Force for our Future was devoted to realising the educational potential of the historic environment. As the document made clear, archaeological remains and historic buildings give valuable clues about the individuals and institutions which created them and occupied them. Both English Heritage and the National Trust attract large numbers of schoolchildren on visits - in the region of 500,000 in each case.[440] Historic Royal Palaces, the Civic Trust and members of the Historic Houses Association also run educational programmes or workshops based upon school visits.[441] Most cathedrals offer tours, trails and workshops to supplement classroom learning.[442] Ms Cherry, Vice Chair of the Twentieth Century Society, described the potential for schools to "encourage children to be interested in their surroundings at primary level [and] at secondary level" and to spur children into thinking about design. She stressed that local streets and 1960s buildings had just as much of a role to play in stimulating interest as did major heritage sites.[443]

218. The Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE) submitted evidence to the inquiry by the Education and Skills Committee in the previous Parliament into Education Outside the Classroom; and it argued strongly that "getting young people out of the classroom to actively experience their immediate built environment is crucial". CABE drew attention to research listing a huge range of benefits from off-site trips to buildings and public spaces, including contextualised learning, increased motivation, interaction with professionals, and "resonant experiences". CABE acknowledged however that there was a shortage of educationalist able to interpret the built environment to children, a challenge which it was seeking to address by developing and encouraging those with the potential.[444]

219. DfES has since launched its Manifesto for Outside the Clasroom. The launch was hosted by the National Trust, which saw the initiative as "absolutely central in terms of … engaging youngsters in their natural and historic environment".[445] DCMS and the Department for Education and Skills have recently published Laying the Foundations, a guide for teachers and others to various ways in which the historic and built environment can be applied to a wide range of curricular subjects. Besides offering a series of case studies, Laying the Foundations lists sources of advice and support for teachers seeking to draw on the opportunities presented by the built environment. DCMS plans further activity later in 2006 through the Engaging Places project, providing online resources and other support to the historic and contemporary built environment sector to enable a more strategic approach to education.[446]

220. We commend DCMS and DfES for their efforts to raise the profile of the historic environment in curricular education. We see this as a valuable long-term investment in participation in heritage.

221. As a postscript, we note that positive, stimulating experiences during primary and secondary education can awaken children's interest and lead to career decisions. Regular engagement with the historic environment, well interpreted, can encourage children to enter associated professions such as archaeology, local authority conservation services, and crafts. A variety of issues were raised in evidence suggesting that increasingly there were barriers to entry into such professions, either as a result of Government secondary and further education policy or pay rates and career prospects. There were serious questions about disincentives at key decision-making points in young people's lives, which deserve fuller scrutiny than we are able to give in this report. We may return to the issue in a future inquiry.

416 Q1 Back

417 Ev 16; also Ms Case Q 270 Back

418 Ev 159 Back

419 Q1 Back

420 The establishment of Conservation Area Advisory Committees was recommended by the Government in 1975 as part of a periodic review of good practice in heritage management. Typically, a Committee would advise on all conservation areas within a local authority area and would be formed of representatives of local professions and lay opinion. 75% of councils do not have such a Committee (see Dr Dungavell, Q 7). Back

421 See para 73 Back

422 See para 74 Back

423 Mr Wilkinson Q 34; Mr Burton Q 51; Dr Heyworth Q211, describing the Adopt a Monument scheme Back

424 Dr Freeman Q 41 Back

425 Known as Pathfinders Back

426 Ev 75 Back

427 Mr Burton Q 51 Back