Data for Heritage Places – a new analysis using the Heritage Index

Data for Heritage Places – a new analysis using the Heritage Index

How we’ve used data about heritage, society and investment levels, alongside local insight, to select an initial nine locations across the UK for strategic investment.

In our new 10-year strategy, Heritage 2033, we set out how we will help transform heritage through our place strategic initiative.

Heritage Places will put heritage at the centre of local approaches to boost pride in place, revitalise local economies and improve people’s connection to where they live, work and visit.

A mock directional sign pointing to the nine Heritage Places

Over the next decade, we’ll invest £200million to support 20 places across the UK. Today (8 October 2023), we’ve announced the first nine:

  • Stoke on Trent (Midlands & East)
  • Leicester (Midlands & East)
  • County Durham (North)
  • North-East Lincolnshire (North)
  • Torbay (London & South)
  • Medway (London & South)
  • Glasgow (Scotland)
  • Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon (Northern Ireland)
  • Neath Port Talbot (Wales)

On this page and in the attached reports, we detail the quantitative analysis and local knowledge (qualitative factors) that supported the selection of these places and the design of the strategic initiative.

A new framework for place and heritage

Our Heritage Places framework is founded on three principles to identify locations where our investment could have the strongest impact:

  • Need: places with heritage at risk of loss, damage or neglect, where the sector lacks capacity and the community faces multiple challenges.
  • Opportunity: local factors, such as events and funding, that may act as multipliers for investment and impact.
  • Potential: quality and type of heritage, and prior experience and infrastructure, that make success and impact more likely.

Quantitative factors

The data we analysed included:

  • a modified Royal Society for the Arts (RSA) Heritage Index (identifying need)
  • Indices of Multiple Deprivation (identifying need)
  • previous Heritage Fund investment (identifying need)
  • other place-based investments (identifying opportunity)

The quantitative analysis of need allowed us to create a shortlist from the 374 authority areas across the UK for deeper analysis of the potential and opportunity by our local teams. Our six committees and Board of Trustees then agreed the final selection of places for targeted strategic intervention over the lifetime of Heritage 2033.

Find out more

To explore the full details of the quantitative analysis and qualitative factors we used to inform Heritage Places, and the individual datasets for our England areas and the devolved nations, download the documents from this page.

Learn more about how Heritage 2033 will help ensure heritage is valued, cared for and sustained for everyone’s future.

We regularly conduct research to discover what is happening in the heritage sector, and we evaluate our work to better understand the change we are making. Read more of our insight

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