The Society of the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) has launched a campaign to stop heritage being singled out for harsher treatment under the government’s Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) as it calls on government to protect England’s heritage.
The SPAB writes:
The SPAB is the country’s oldest heritage body and during its 130 year history it has seen English heritage protection develop into a world-leading, highly regarded model.
The current system of heritage management and grant-giving, involving voluntary and public sectors, assists tourism, jobs, regeneration and our well-being. ‘Further erosion of this carefully constructed system would be a disaster’, says SPAB Director, Matthew Slocombe. ‘The work of many generations, and of all main political parties, could be undone’.
The Society’s concerns arise from recent press reports about the way in which funding cuts may be distributed in the forthcoming CSR. English Heritage (EH), the principal government-sponsored heritage organisation, took a disproportionate hit in the CSR of 2010, with Arts and Museums escaping relatively lightly. Now, it looks as if the same may happen again.
‘English Heritage has already been stripped to the bone’, says Slocombe. ‘They have nothing left to give, yet it looks like the cuts may again hit them much harder than other sectors supported by the Department for Culture Media and Sport. This would be a catastrophe for organisations like the SPAB and the causes we champion.’
Although the SPAB is principally backed by its members and supporters, the Society is dependent upon EH funding for a significant proportion of its work. Without this support we may cease to be able to offer training and advice, and to lever-in voluntary expertise.
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