Government confirms English Heritage restructure
£88.5m to fund capital investment and implement new structure
Following a public consultation last year, the government this week confirmed an £88.5m pot to restructure English Heritage, splitting off its planning and heritage protection responsibilities to a newly-constituted non-departmental public body, Historic England, from 1 April 2015.
Historic England will offer expert advice, champion the wider historic environment and provide support for stakeholders in the heritage sector, carrying out the planning and heritage protection duties currently under the auspices of English Heritage.
English Heritage will be reconstituted as a new charity, which will manage and promote over 400 properties and sites in the National Heritage Collection, including Stonehenge, parts of Hadrian’s Wall, Osborne House, and Castle Rising Castle.
All of English Heritage’s properties will remain in public ownership, but it is hoped that the new structure will allow the charity to capitalise on increased commercial and philanthropic opportunities, and it is anticipated that the charity will financially break even in 2022-23.
The government has agreed the business plan for the new charity, and English Heritage is to publish further details on the investment of additional government funding shortly.
English Heritage is also consulting on a draft corporate plan for Historic England. The consultation closes on 12 November.
Of the £88.5m total, £8.5m has been allocated to implement the new structure, while a further £80m of capital investment has been provided to restore and present the properties and improve the visitor experience.
Laurie Magnus will remain the chairman of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, which will lead the work of Historic England and retain residual responsibility for the National Heritage Collection and for holding the new English Heritage charity to account.
The charity will be advertising shortly to recruit independent trustees, with Tim Laurence appointed as transitional chairman elect, subject to ratification by the new board.
Simon Thurley, the chief executive of English Heritage, will stand down once the new structure is in place, as will Mark Pemberton, the director of national collections.
Links
English Heritage
Historic England will offer expert advice, champion the wider historic environment and provide support for stakeholders in the heritage sector, carrying out the planning and heritage protection duties currently under the auspices of English Heritage.
English Heritage will be reconstituted as a new charity, which will manage and promote over 400 properties and sites in the National Heritage Collection, including Stonehenge, parts of Hadrian’s Wall, Osborne House, and Castle Rising Castle.
All of English Heritage’s properties will remain in public ownership, but it is hoped that the new structure will allow the charity to capitalise on increased commercial and philanthropic opportunities, and it is anticipated that the charity will financially break even in 2022-23.
The government has agreed the business plan for the new charity, and English Heritage is to publish further details on the investment of additional government funding shortly.
English Heritage is also consulting on a draft corporate plan for Historic England. The consultation closes on 12 November.
Of the £88.5m total, £8.5m has been allocated to implement the new structure, while a further £80m of capital investment has been provided to restore and present the properties and improve the visitor experience.
Laurie Magnus will remain the chairman of the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England, which will lead the work of Historic England and retain residual responsibility for the National Heritage Collection and for holding the new English Heritage charity to account.
The charity will be advertising shortly to recruit independent trustees, with Tim Laurence appointed as transitional chairman elect, subject to ratification by the new board.
Simon Thurley, the chief executive of English Heritage, will stand down once the new structure is in place, as will Mark Pemberton, the director of national collections.
Links
English Heritage