News & Events
Press Releases
Revised Olympic Budget
The announcement on 15th March that the revised budget for the Olympics will mean £90m less funds for the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), and thus for heritage projects, signals the vulnerability of the heritage lobby in relation to other parts of the voluntary sector. In making the announcement the government made it clear that the Big Lottery Fund would be ring-fenced, but the HLF was not.
Heritage Protection Review White Paper
ICOMOS-UK warmly welcomes the news that World Heritage sites (WHSs) are to be given statutory protection in the planning system in order to control development within sites and their settings, and to ensure there is no erosion of value over time; this is part of updating planning policy to strengthen WHSs in the planning system. We also welcome the announcement that specific call-in notifications will be introduced for significant developments affecting WHSs and that WHSs will, where appropriate, be given Buffer Zones.
The Commonwealth Institute
A leaked letter from the Foreign Office and DCMS to Ruth Kelly (ODPM) has revealed a move to introduce special legislation to overturn the Grade 2* listing of the Commonwealth Institute in order for its Trustees to maximise the site's potential value. ICOMOS-UK strongly opposes this move and has written to Tessa Jowell.
Liverpool
ICOMOS-UK, through its World Heritage Committee, have sent comments to Liverpool City Council on the proposals for the new waterfront Museum building submitted for planning approval. These comments were in respect of the potential impact of the proposals on the Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City World Heritage site.
Stonehenge
ICOMOS-UK welcomes the Government's commitment to improving the setting of Stonehenge and its recognition of the significance of environmental constraints across the whole of this iconic World Heritage site.
In line with other conservation organisations, ICOMOS-UK has pressed for more immediate smaller scale improvements to the Stonehenge landscape, in the absence of an agreed long-term solution to the roads problem which would respect the integrity of the World Heritage site's world famous archaeological landscape.
We look forward to working with partners to promote solutions that respect the significances of the World Heritage site and optimise the benefits that we consider it has the capacity to deliver.
ICOMOS-UK, The National Trust, The Council for British Archaeology, Friends of the Earth, CPRE, WANHS, ASLaN, Prehistoric Society, RESCUE and Transport 2000 have released a joint statement to the Press on their shared vision for Stonehenge. These organisations together represent a large heritage and environmental constituency, and reflect local, national and international views, with a diverse range of professional and public opinions.
Today's announcement of the five options to be discussed in the review process for the A303 road through the Stonehenge landscape, with details of how that process is to be conducted, falls far short of serious consideration of possible alternative schemes that are appropriate for this iconic World Heritage site. Please see the joint ICOMOS-UK, CBA and WANHS press release below.
ICOMOS-UK welcomes the announcement by the Road Minister, Dr Stephen Ladyman, on 21st July 2005 that he is to carry out a detailed review of possible options for the A303 road across the Stonehenge World Heritage site, as costs for the short tunnel have now risen considerably.
The Stonehenge A303 Public Inquiry finished in April 2004. The Inspector's report, which found in favour of the short tunnel across the site, has now been released.
ICOMOS-UK opposed the scheme for a short tunnel with four-lane highway at either end within the World Heritage site, which was the subject of a Public Inquiry from 17th February to 11th May 2004.
For the ICOMOS-UK view and our objection to this scheme, please see the links below: