Item No. 14 CABINET MEETING – 6 OCTOBER 2010 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SHEET – PART I Title of Report: WEARMOUTH-JARROW WORLD HERITAGE STATUS Author(s): Executive Director of City Services Purpose of Report: The purpose of this report is to advise Cabinet Members of the development of the Nomination of Wearmouth-Jarrow for World Heritage Status and to achieve the co- ordinated endorsement of the Nomination to support its submission to the Department of Culture Media and Sport. Description of Decision Cabinet Members are requested to: i) Note the activity relating to World Heritage. ii) Endorse the nomination of the Twin Anglo Saxon Monastery of Wearmouth- Jarrow, by the UK government, to the World Heritage List. iii) Give approval to the Executive Director of City Services, in consultation with the Member with Portfolio for Safer City, to exercise his rights under delegated powers for the Nomination File to go forward (as the UK’s Official Nomination) to the Secretary of State in December 2010 who subsequently submits to UNESCO in January 2011. Is the decision consistent with the Budget/Policy Framework? Yes If not, Council approval is required to change the Budget/Policy Framework Suggested reason(s) for Decision: The Nomination will be submitted to the Department for Culture Media and Sport as preparation for it becoming the UK’s official nomination to UNESCO in January 2011. In approving this nomination, the Secretary of State must be assured that the partners to the nomination stand foursquare behind it and endorse it. This report seeks that endorsement on behalf of Sunderland City Council. Building on the City Council’s active engagement in and support for the Wearmouth- Jarrow Partnership since 2002, such an endorsement is an enabling action by the City Council which demonstrates its contemporary commitment to the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership in submitting the Nomination to DCMS for onward submission as the UK’s sole nomination for 2011. Members should note that actions within the Wearmouth-Jarrow Management Plan will be subject to a value-for-money assessment, as detailed estimates of these costs cannot be predicted at this stage of the project. Any future financial commitment will be identified and included in the Council’s annual budget planning and medium term financial planning process and managed through the Council’s involvement in the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership. A list of the seven actions outlined in the Management Plan, which relate to Sunderland City Council, is contained in Appendix III. Alternative options to be considered and recommended to be rejected: The alternative option would be for the Council not to endorse the Nomination, which will be submitted, via English Heritage, to the DCMS by the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership. At this stage, this would compromise the submission of the Twin Anglo Saxon Monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow as the UK’s sole nomination for 2011. Is this a “Key Decision” as Relevant Scrutiny Committee: defined in the Constitution? Yes Sustainable Communities Is it included in the Forward Plan? Yes CABINET 6 OCTOBER 2010 REPORT OF EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF CITY SERVICES WEARMOUTH-JARROW WORLD HERITAGE STATUS 1.0 PURPOSE OF THE REPORT 1.1 To advise Cabinet Members of the development of the Nomination of Wearmouth-Jarrow for World Heritage Status and to achieve the co-ordinated endorsement of the Nomination to support its submission to the Department of Culture Media and Sport. 2.0 DESCRIPTION OF DECISION (Recommendations) 2.1 Cabinet Members are requested to: i) Note the activity relating to World Heritage. ii) Endorse the nomination of the Twin Anglo Saxon Monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow, by the UK government, to the World Heritage List. iii) Give approval to the Executive Director of City Services, in consultation with the Member with Portfolio for Safer City, to exercise his rights under delegated powers for the Nomination File to go forward (as the UK’s Official Nomination) to the Secretary of State in December 2010 who subsequently submits to UNESCO in January 2011 3.0 INTRODUCTION/BACKGROUND 3.1 The World Heritage List includes 911 properties, in 148 countries, forming part of the cultural and natural heritage, which the World Heritage Committee of UNESCO considers as having Outstanding Universal Value. 3.2 Five attributes have been developed which express the Outstanding Universal Value of Wearmouth-Jarrow: • The visible remains of the Anglo-Saxon monastic building complexes, with their exceptional examples of 7 th Century stone carving, • The relationship between the twin monastery and its estuarine settings, linking the sites by sea and placing the monastery at the heart of a trading community, • The in-situ excavated remains of the Anglo-Saxon monastic complex, • The layout – setting out a pattern which was to dominate mediaeval monastery building in Europe, • Further potential archaeological remains. 3.3 This Property is also particularly rich in associative attributes, which substantially augment understanding of its Outstanding Universal Value: • The legacy of knowledge and understanding derived from the work of the monastery, exemplified by Bede’s work and influence, • The rich combination of the in-situ remains, archaeological collections and documentary evidence from the twin monastery, which together provide a superlative description of its life 1300 years ago. 3.4 Sunderland City Council is a founder member of the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership. The bid for World Heritage Status (WHS) for the twin Anglo Saxon monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow is directed by the partnership’s Management Group which is chaired by the Bishop of Jarrow. Membership of this, and other related groups, includes the Chief Executive and Officers from the City Council. A range of disciplines from within the City Council are represented throughout the Partnership structure, including Culture and Tourism, Conservation, Planning, Corporate Communications and Finance. 3.5 Pursuing and achieving World Heritage Status for the twin monastery is at the heart of Sunderland’s strategic ambitions. It is a key enabler to Aim 3 of the City’s Economic Masterplan: to achieve ‘A prosperous and well connected waterfront city centre’ and underpins Aim 5 of the Sunderland Strategy (2008-25). 3.6 Other partner organisations include South Tyneside Council, the Parishes of Jarrow and Monkwearmouth, Diocese of Durham, Bede’s World, the National Glass Centre, Tyne and Wear Museums, English Heritage, the University of Sunderland and ONE North East. 3.7 Sunderland City Council is represented at each level in the Partnership’s governance structure, with a particular focus on producing the Nomination File through chairing the Document Working Group and providing project support across its Task Groups. 3.8 Nominations to the World Heritage List are made by the relevant state party – in this case the UK government. If the Partnership is able to secure inscription, as the UK nomination for 2011, it will bring increased awareness and footfall for the twin monastery of Wearmouth-Jarrow as a focus for tourism, inward investment, study and regeneration. 4.0 CURRENT POSITION 4.1 Following a delay in submitting earlier nominations, the Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has announced that Wearmouth-Jarrow will be nominated by the UK in 2011 for World Heritage Status. Nominations have to be made to UNESCO before 1 February in the Nomination year and the UK is only allowed one Nomination per year. 4.2 In order to achieve inscription, a Nomination File must be submitted. This contains a Nomination Document which sets out the specialist case for inscription, along with a Management Plan which explains how the agencies responsible for the site will work together to manage it. 4.3 After extensive public consultation in 2009, the Nomination File has been edited and further developed by the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership. The Partnership has worked closely with English Heritage and ICOMOS UK, as advisors to DCMS to prepare the Nomination File for submission. 4.4 A final, complete draft has been prepared and was transmitted to English Heritage on 1 October 2010, subject to its advisory amendment and authorisation, prior to consideration and finalisation by the Secretary of State for Culture Media and Sport in December 2010. 4.5 The Executive Summaries of both documents, which themselves form part of the Nomination File, are appended (I & II). The full document will be available on the Council’s intranet site from 1 October 2010. 5.0 REASONS FOR DECISION 5.1 The Nomination will be submitted to the Department for Culture Media and Sport as preparation for it becoming the UK’s official nomination to UNESCO in January 2011. In approving this nomination, the Secretary of State must be assured that the partners to the nomination stand foursquare behind it and endorse it. This report seeks that endorsement on behalf of Sunderland City Council. 5.2 Building on the City Council’s active engagement in and support for the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership since 2002, such an endorsement is an enabling action by the City Council which demonstrates its contemporary commitment to the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership in submitting the Nomination to DCMS for onward submission as the UK’s sole nomination for 2011. 5.3 Members should note that actions within the Wearmouth-Jarrow Management Plan will be subject to a value-for-money assessment, as detailed estimates of these costs cannot be predicted at this stage of the project. Any future financial commitment will be identified and included in the Council’s annual budget planning and medium term financial planning process and managed through the Council’s involvement in the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership. 5.4 A list of the seven actions outlined in the Management Plan, which relate to Sunderland City Council, is contained in Appendix III. 6.0 ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS 6.1 The alternative option would be not to endorse the Nomination, which will be submitted, via English Heritage, to the DCMS by the Wearmouth-Jarrow Partnership.