Former Heritage Minister John Penrose is celebrating as his proposal for a second National Trust, in the form of a financially-independent charity which will care for landmark English Heritage sites was confirmed in George Osborne’s Spending Review statement.??
The John Penrose website writes of the announcement:
The idea was first proposed, and the project begun, by John Penrose when he was Heritage Minister. Today’s announcement gives it the green light, and means that these nationally-important parts of Britain’s history will become self-financing, in the same way as the National Trust. And because they won’t need Government funding in future, they will be better protected from fickle changes in political priorities and fashions as well.
John Penrose said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted to see this idea becoming a reality. When we began the project, it seemed impossibly ambitious, but some of these sites are thousands of years old, and they need long-term financial stability if they’re going to be protected for thousands more. These new arrangements provide precisely the solid financial foundations they will need to survive intact for future generations to enjoy. Congratulations to Simon Thurley and everybody at English Heritage, DCMS and the Treasury for bringing the project safely home.’
Read more at: LINK
