Heritage Counts 2006 East of England
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Volunteers with steam powered paper machine, Frogmore Mill,The Paper Trail Project, Hemel Hempstead HERITAGE COUNTS 2006 EAST OF ENGLAND Heritage Counts 2006 is the fifth annual survey of the state of the historic environment in the East of England. The report identifies the principal trends and challenges facing the historic environment, with a particular focus in 2006 on the role that communities play by valuing and engaging in the heritage of the region.This document is one of nine separate regional reports and has been prepared by English Heritage on behalf of the East of England Historic Environment Forum. It is supplemented by a set of indicators for the historic environment, which is available on the www.heritagecounts.org.uk website and should be read in conjunction with the text provided here.The national report Heritage Counts is also available online at www.heritagecounts.org.uk The East of England is facing a period of rapid change. New communities are developing across the region, particularly in three growth areas.The East of England Historic Environment Forum is working with a wide range of partners to reach new audiences and improve community understanding and participation in heritage issues.This is particularly important in the areas that are most affected by growth.The whole of the sector is committed to involving more people who can benefit from the historic environment in different ways.This report includes examples of successful projects that are doing just that. All across the East of England communities and heritage organisations are actively involved in conserving and finding new uses for the historic buildings and landscapes that add so much to the quality of life in the region. I hope you enjoy finding out more about this work from Heritage Counts 2006. GREG LUTON CHAIR OF THE EAST OF ENGLAND HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT FORUM John Webber, who is from Huntingdon in Cambridgeshire, COVER STORY Apsley and Frogmore Mills were has been an Images of England volunteer since the project the birthplace of paper’s industrial revolution. Now, started in 1999. He has taken more than 1,500 images for this unique project contributes to the regeneration the project across the East of England, including the Church of Hemel Hempstead in Hertfordshire by attracting of All Saints, Huntingdon. visitors and working closely with the education, Images of England is a major heritage initiative run by the training and business sectors. Commercial paper National Monuments Record (NMR), the public archive of making continues at Frogmore Mill, specialising in English Heritage.The project aims to create a ‘point in time’ recycled paper and developing sustainable production photographic record of every listed building in England.There systems.A large group of volunteers support The will be over 300,000 images available when complete. Hundreds Paper Trail, guiding visitors, restoring machinery of volunteer photographers are currently participating in this and demonstrating papermaking. huge photographic survey. 2 HERITAGE COUNTS 2006 EAST OF ENGLAND KEY REGIONAL FACTS • Population of 5.4 million in 2001, which had THE REGIONAL increased by 11% over the previous two decades. The East of England is one of the fastest growing of CONTEXT the English regions and the population is expected to increase by 9% (an additional 493,000 people) by 2021. • In 2003, 6.2% of the region’s population belonged to black and minority ethic communities. • The region’s economy is strong and growing. After London and the South East, it had the third Growth Areas and Sustainable Communities highest Gross Value Added (GVA) per head in Three of the four main growth areas in England the UK in 2004. affect the region: • Pockets of severe deprivation exist, especially in • Thames Gateway (which includes Thurrock, part urban areas and isolated rural and coastal areas of Basildon, the boroughs of Castle Point and (for example Bedford, Luton and Great Yarmouth). Southend, and a small part of Rochford); • The second largest of the nine English regions (after • London-Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough; the South-West), with an area of 19,110 km, 15% • Milton Keynes-South Midlands (which includes of England’s total. Luton, Dunstable, Houghton Regis and Bedford). • Four fifths of the land area is rural and home to 44% of the region’s population. Nearly 500,000 new houses are planned by 2021. • A fifth of England’s market towns are in the East Managing change to the historic environment is part of England. of the wider issue of developing new and existing communities in the region. Draft East of England Plan Examination in Public Heritage Protection Review The draft East of England Plan Examination in Public The Government is currently preparing its White Paper was published in June 2006.The Panel considered that on Heritage Protection reform.The proposed system reconciling the agendas of growth and the environment includes proposals for a unified Register of Historic Sites and climate change was a key issue for the region. and Buildings for England, a unified consents regime, The Panel believed that it was important to show how the introduction of statutory management agreements, the Regional Spatial Strategy is making a contribution to and new statutory requirements relating to Historic sustainable development. It recognised that this would Environment Records. English Heritage in the East of require marked change in habits and attitudes to water use, England has undertaken pilot studies to test the proposed energy consumption and waste. For further information, changes at Holkham Estate, Norfolk, and the University please see www.eera.gov.uk/category.asp?cat=447 of East Anglia, Norwich. Aerial view of UEA, Norwich, one of the pilot projects in the East of England to test the application of the proposals for a reformed heritage protection system HERITAGE COUNTS 2006 EAST OF ENGLAND 3 DEFINING COMMUNITIES Historically, the East of England has been the focus for developing new communities as people moved out of London looking for a better quality of life.The foundation of Letchworth Garden City in the early 20th century was part of this movement. It was the first Garden City in the world and was designed to create an alternative to the poverty and slum conditions that were prevalent at the time. Stevenage and Harlow New Towns were developed in the aftermath of the Second World War to provide new communities for people from London. Now three growth areas are in development that will affect the East of England:Thames Gateway, London- Stansted-Cambridge-Peterborough, and Milton Keynes- South Midlands.There is a strong focus on ensuring that these new communities will be sustainable by making ORSETT AGRICULTURAL SHOW: effective use of natural resources, protecting the environment, promoting social cohesion and strengthening PROMOTING THURROCK’S the economy.The historic environment can help to create RURAL HERITAGE an immediate sense of pride in an area, a shared sense of Thurrock is situated in South Essex and within the belonging, and assist people to identify with the place they Thames Gateway area. It is often perceived as an live and with their neighbours. industrial and residential district, including areas of deprivation. In fact, in spatial terms Thurrock comprises 60% agricultural land and 40% industry and housing. CELEBRATING In 2006, the agricultural community celebrated the 60 YEARS OF 100th Orsett Agricultural Show, which was founded STEVENAGE to encourage the skills of ploughing and animal husbandry and to celebrate the hard work of the agricultural NEW TOWN labour force.The show was an excellent opportunity In 1946 Stevenage was to promote the rich variety of local heritage to both declared the site for the first older and new communities of the Thames Gateway post-war new town. Sixty in the Thurrock area. years on the memories need The Thurrock Museum Service co-ordinated an to be captured before they are lost. In December 2005, approach to all local heritage groups, working in Stevenage Museum was awarded £50,000 by the Heritage partnership with the Community Volunteer Service and Lottery Fund.This has enabled the Museum to redesign Heritage Development Officer,Thames Gateway South the new town gallery to provide exciting, up-to-date Essex. Fifteen community groups signed up to work displays.Visitors can watch film footage, listen to the together at the Orsett Agricultural Show, including family voices of local people telling their stories, step into a history, archaeology, local history, industrial history, fire 1950s new town kitchen and explore the recent past service, military heritage and community heritage groups. using hands on, family-friendly activities.The Museum They gave presentations about their group’s activities and, is transcribing and editing oral histories, storing them where possible, live demonstrations.There is no doubt digitally and making them available to all visitors using that the groups achieved a greater impact on the public an interactive database in the gallery. Museum staff are by working together, both in terms of entertainment, visiting community groups and working with local primary learning and access to local heritage.The Heritage and secondary schools to talk to older residents and Development Officer develops community heritage capture their memories of the early years of the new projects in the Thames Gateway South Essex area on town.This project contributes to town-wide celebrations behalf of the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council of the sixtieth anniversary of Stevenage new town. East of England. 4 HERITAGE COUNTS 2006 EAST OF ENGLAND Church warden Colin Smith WHAT outside Lackford Church COMMUNITIES VALUE LACKFORD CHURCH, SUFFOLK: A LOCAL COMMUNITY In recent years the historic environment sector has been COMES TOGETHER TO SAVE engaged in a keen debate about how we identify what ITS VILLAGE CHURCH people value.This is challenging us to think about how we Lackford Church was forced to close in 2002 for safety interact with different communities and how we justify reasons due to severe roof damage.