The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has announced the latest successful awards under the Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) funding scheme, and the IHBC is delighted to report that IHBC members were key to successful bids in Wales and elsewhere, spurring heritage-led regeneration practice that can be highlighted at the IHBC’s stand at Regen 2015, in Liverpool on 24-5 March.
IHBC Director Seán O’Reilly said: ‘We are delighted to hear of the dedicated work by IHBC members producing successful applications for funding. In many of these cases IHBC members are using their skills to help advise as part of their statutory duties, but also going beyond that duty to seeking out ways to support the regeneration and long term sustainability of local communities and the historic environment.’
‘We are delighted to welcome the funding for successful bids throughout the UK, as this HLF funding is often the key to the regeneration of historic areas, providing critical support for repairs, unlocking new business spaces and opportunities, and upskilling heritage skills among local tradespeople.’
‘Be assured that we will be promoting our members’ roles in successes such as these at our stand at the regeneration sector’s key event this year, Regen 2015, in Liverpool’s St George’s Hall on March 24-5, so please be sure to encourage all your colleagues along there to find out more!’
The HLF writes:
The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has announced an investment of £19.3m in 13 historic areas spread across England, Scotland and Wales.
This money will encourage effective partnerships between local authorities and small businesses so that repairs and restoration work can be carried out.
HLF’s regeneration advisor, Ben Greener, said: ‘Regeneration involves transforming places. Heritage is often central to this process, whether in the form of restoring a much-loved landmark or refurbishing boarded-up buildings.
‘We believe that historic townscapes are the beating heart of local places. Past research shows that even small changes, such as improving shop fronts or restoring a building’s historic features, can make a real difference.’
This investment will provide an economic boost and vital employment and training opportunities, from start-up spaces for small businesses to enhanced public places for residents and visitors. The uniting factor in all the schemes is that they are part of a wider strategy for improving the UK’s high streets and conservation areas.
High Streets Minister Penny Mordaunt said: ‘We know from the pride and enthusiasm that people have for their high streets that they are an essential part of many communities. Projects like these can bring enormous benefits to town centres and provide a catalysis for wider regeneration that creates more businesses and jobs.’
The successful projects are:
- Boston Townscape Heritage Project, East Midlands – earmarked grant of £1m, including £73,000 development funding
- Wisbech High Street Project, East of England – earmarked grant of £2m, including £108,600 development funding
- Barking Town Centre Conservation Area, London – earmarked grant of £1.4m, including £101,400 development funding
- NE1 Bigg Market Project – Giving a Historic Heart Back to Newcastle, North East – earmarked grant of £1.8m, including £202,800 development funding
- Skelton Villages Civic Pride Community-led Townscape Heritage, North East – earmarked grant of £1m, including £94,800 development funding
- Gladstone’s View – Northgate Townscape Heritage Project, Blackburn, North West – earmarked grant of £1.5m, including £50,000 development funding
- Govan Cross Townscape Heritage Initiative, Scotland – earmarked grant of £1.8m, including £50,000 development funding
- Fraserburgh Town Centre Heritage Regeneration Scheme, Scotland – earmarked grant of £1.8m, including £58,000 development funding
- Paisley Town Centre Townscape Heritage Project, Scotland – earmarked grant of £2m, including £113,300 development funding
- Holyhead Townscape Transformation, Wales – earmarked grant of £1.6m, including £39,000 development funding
- Dolgellau Townscape Heritage, Wales – earmarked grant of £1m, including £31,400 development funding
- Dudley Historic Core Townscape Heritage Scheme, West Midlands – earmarked grant of £1.2m, including £44,000 development funding
- Bridlington Quay Townscape Heritage Initiative, Yorkshire – earmarked grant of £981,500, including £50,700 development funding
The Isle of Anglesey County Council writes:
A major project to restore Wales’s oldest port town is in line for a massive £1.55 million grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund.
For almost 2,000 years Holyhead, on Anglesey, has been a safe haven for Roman galleys, Viking longships, Irish ferries and tourist cruise ships and the grant is one of only two successful applications in Wales.
The money committed will continue a significant makeover of the town centre which has been carried out through the Holyhead Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) delivered by Isle of Anglesey County Council.
It has already seen the conservation of the listed Cenotaph, the installation of a memorial to the Dutch sailors who served in the port during the Second World War and the regeneration of important historic buildings in the town, including the former Kwik Save on Market Street, 1 Stanley Terrace and the Empire Cinema, amongst others.
The THI has also supported the training of local construction tradesmen in traditional building skills to enable them to carry out building conservation work.
The Lottery money will be added to £900,000 already committed by the Welsh Government and other funders, to take the total amount to be spent in Holyhead over the next four years to over £2.5 million.
Holyhead Councillor J Arwel Roberts, Deputy Leader of the Isle of Anglesey Council and Portfolio-holder for Planning and the Environment, said: ‘I’m delighted that we have been successful in securing this major grant from the Heritage Lottery Fund. This will enable us to build on the excellent work already done in the town and which is hugely significant not just for Holyhead but for Anglesey and for North Wales.
‘Holyhead has a rich culture and history and it continues to be an important port and this project can bring more homes and jobs to the town and make the centre a vibrant place once more.’
Albert Owen, MP for Anglesey, said: ‘This is wonderful news. Out of 30 applications across the UK only 13 were granted this year and only two of them in Wales, with Holyhead as one, so it was highly competitive. It will allow the continuation of the work that has been done in Holyhead and fund more housing and mixed use projects in the town centre.
‘The Welsh Government money is from their Viable and Vibrant Places programme and must be spent over the next two years’.
Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty Lesley Griffiths said: ‘The Heritage Lottery Fund’s decision to invest £1.55 million in Holyhead is further fantastic news for the area. This funding will complement the £7.5 million investment by the Welsh Government to regenerate Holyhead and support our vision for communities across Wales to be vibrant, viable places to live, work and socialise.’
A number of properties are targeted within the town centre conservation area and the project will see the Council working with the private sector to create homes, finding new uses for the historic properties while involving Mon Communities First to create apprenticeships and training opportunities, leading to potential jobs.
A number of long term derelict properties will be targeted including 3, Market Hill and the former Crown Restaurant site, which will complement other initiatives planned for the former Market Hall and the enhancement of St Cybi’s Roman Fort and its surroundings.
Holyhead builders DU Construction have taken advantage of the opportunities to train staff in traditional building skills through the nine of the workforce have been on courses.
DU Director Mark Blackwell has sent nine of his workforce on a variety of courses and he said: ‘It has meant we are now able to take on work which we previously would have been unable to carry out and been able to use these skills on those jobs. Our staff have been on a number of different courses in traditional skills and now that we have the ability to work with materials like lead on roofs and with sash windows and lime mortar we can take on this sort of work.
‘It means that not only can we carry out work here on Anglesey but also across North Wales and that means jobs and apprenticeships here.’
Jennifer Stewart, Head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Wales, said ‘I’m thrilled that we’ve been able to give this initial support to the Holyhead Townscape Transformation project. We’ve supported regeneration projects in the town in the past and have seen wonderful developments in recent years. We want to help provide an economic boost to Holyhead, helping them to work with small businesses and communities to protect and bring alive their distinctive heritage and buildings – these buildings make up the very fabric of history.’
IHBC newsblogs on heritage skills
‘Regen 2015’: www.regen-2015.com
