Built and Historic Environment
DCMS is responsible for the identification, recording, protection,
conservation, enhancement and interpretation of heritage assets, and for
their promotion as part of contemporary culture.
Heritage assets are buildings, monuments, sites or landscapes that have
significance because of their historic, archaeological, architectural or
artistic interest, whether designated or not. They are components of the
historic environment.
The department provides grant-in-aid to English Heritage (EH), the
Government's statutory adviser on all matters concerning the conservation
of England's historic environment. English Heritage works in partnership
with the central government departments, local authorities, voluntary
bodies and the private sector to:
• Conserve and enhance the historic environment
• Broaden public access to the heritage
• Increase people's understanding of the past
EH’s funding agreement is jointly signed by the Department for
Communities and Local Government and Defra to reflect their roles in
support for the historic environment, through planning and funding for
other organisations with responsibility for heritage assets at local and
regional level, including the National Parks.
English Heritage has a national and regional office structure and works
with local and regional organisations and local authorities to encourage a
positive approach to the care and maintenance of the historic environment.
In the West Midlands, English Heritage can be contacted on tel: 0121 625
6820. English Heritage West Midlands Regional Office
Government Office for the West Midlands works with English Heritage on
statutory planning issues.
Heritage Lottery Fund
The Heritage Lottery Fund is the UK’s leading advocate for the value
of heritage to modern life. The Fund sustains and transforms heritage
through innovative investment in a wide range of projects with a lasting
impact on people and places.
HLF has a wide definition of heritage and funding supports a range of
projects of all sizes from under £5,000 to over £5m including
historic townscapes, biodiversity, archaeology, parks, historic buildings
and sites, museum collections, archives, and industrial, transport and
maritime heritage.
The Heritage Lottery Fund works through a regional structure with local and
regional organisations including local authorities. The Development
Team in the West Midlands provides free advice and support to all potential
applicants to help them to develop their project ideas. Tel: 0121 616 6870.
Heritage Lottery Fund in the West Midlands
Architecture, Urban Design and Public Space
DCMS provides grant in aid to the Commission for Architecture and the Built
Environment (CABE) which is the government’s advisor on architecture,
urban design and public space.
CABE works across the English regions to build local and regional capacity,
share ideas and develop policies linked to local needs and priorities. It
works with regional organisations and networks to put good design and
placemaking at the heart of strategies and projects to make places that
people want to live and invest in. CABE works closely with the
Department for Communities and Local Government, which also provides grant
in aid funding to CABE.
In the West Midlands, CABE funds the following architecture centres:
• MADE (Midlands Architecture + the Designed
Environment) - Supports and promotes excellence in the designed
environment, including buildings, places and public spaces, parks and
green spaces. Tel. 0121-633-9333.
• Urban Vision North Staffordshire - Promotes
high quality urban and architectural design within and around the North
Staffordshire conurbation in the West Midlands.
• Architecture Centre Network - a development and
advocacy organisation for the architecture centres.
Museums, Libraries and Archives
For the Museums and Galleries sector, DCMS has four main priorities:
• Ensuring that children have the opportunity to enjoy a vibrant
cultural and sporting life
• Opening institutions to the widest possible cross section of
people
• Ensuring that the creative, leisure and tourist industries
provide the maximum possible benefit to the economy
• Ensuring our museums and galleries are exciting, modern and
provide real value for money
By focusing on these objectives it aims to improve education, social
cohesion, regional regeneration, the quality of our institutions and our
cultural life.
DCMS holds policy responsibility for public libraries in England, while
individual services are delivered by library authorities across the
country.
Archives are a rich resource of knowledge for the nation.
The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) is the lead strategic
agency for museums, libraries and archives. It advises government on policy
and priorities for the sector and has a strong evidence and research
capability. It acts as a powerful advocate for the three sectors, and
promotes innovation and change. It enables museums, libraries and archives
to provide more and more people with high quality experiences that enrich
their lives. Government Office for the West Midlands works with MLA to
support its agenda.
The MLA is a unified national team with expert staff working flexibly
across the nine English regions. All regional staff have a key
responsibility to work closely with local government on the development of
museums, libraries and archives in their areas, and more widely on
integrating the cultural and sporting agenda to ensure the sector builds
communities, helping inspire learning and regeneration. See
MLA in the West Midlands for details of activity in
the region and contact details for the regional field team (tel: 0121
345 7300).
Within its remit, the MLA has responsibility for the following key
programmes:
Libraries Action Plan - The MLA is helping local councils develop better
library services for people and communities. This includes action to extend
and improve the highly successful digital services that are already
creating a 24 hour library service, seven days a week.
Renaissance in the Regions - The MLA leads the Renaissance £48
million annual programme that is transforming England’s regional
museums. Working in partnership with local government and other funders, it
is increasing public participation, delivering education, learning and
community development and contributing to regeneration and renewal.
