UK World Heritage Sites DCMS Portal

News and Events

[11 August 2008] Dorset and East Devon World Heritage Site is developing a World Heritage Education Programme (WHE). The new imitative is called "Making Sense of Our Sites"

[30 Julu 2008] Stonehenge Public Consultation - Have Your Say!

[23 July 2008] As part of this years Saltaire Festival, Bradford Council is organising the Inspired by World Heritage Photographic Competition. For further details, entry forms and posters visit the website. The closing date is 8th of September. A selection of images will be displayed at this years Saltaire festival.

UPDATES: UK 2008 Reactive Monitoring Reports [21 July 2008]

Liverpool Maritime World Heritage Site: Fire at Bluecoats Art Gallery PDF (43kb)

State of Conservation of City of Bath World Heritage Site PDF (49kb)

State of Conservation Report 117. Old New Towns of Edinburgh PDF (73kb)
State of Conservation of the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site, United Kingdom PDF (131kb)

Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and St Margaret's Church World Heritage Site and Tower of London World Heritage site PDF (108kb)

8 July 2008 - The Successful Nomination of Antonine Wall

Protection of World Heritage Sites: Consultation on Planning Circular

The Department for Communities and Local Government has published its consultation on the draft Planning Circular. This consultation document seeks views on proposed measures proposed by the Department for Communities and Local Government to enhance the protection of World Heritage Sites in England. The document also contains guidance from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport and English Heritage. The Government gave a commitment to introduce protection measures in its white paper Heritage Protection for the 21st Century.

If you wish to comment on the consultation, please visit the Department for Communities and Local Government website.

£20m individual donation for National Maritime Museum launches plans for major new wing [27 March 2008]

UK 2008 Reactive Monitoring Reports [5 March 2008]

The following Reactive Monitoring Reports for the following UK World Heritage Sites were this year submitted to UNESCO for consideration by World Heritage Committee at its 32nd session in Quebec Canada in the summer.

Stonehenge

Reactive monitoring is the reporting by the Secretariat to the World Heritage Committee, other sectors of UNESCO and the Advisory Bodies to the Committee on the state of conservation of specific World Heritage properties. It is important to note that these State Party reports are only one element of the reactive monitoring process and are not presented directly to the World Heritage Committee. They form part of working documents prepared by the Secretariat, informed by a variety of sources, as the basis for discussion and subsequent decisions by the Committee. Further information on reactive monitoring can be found in section IV.A of the Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention (WHC.05/2 1 February 2005).

21 to 23rd January 2008 World Heritage: Science and Technology: An Expert Workshop

Pontcysyllte Aqueduct World Heritage nomination [11 January 2008]

Periodic Reporting [2 October 2007]

World Heritage Policy Review [30 July 2007]
DCMS is currently leading a policy review to ensure that outstanding heritage sites in the UK, its Dependencies and Territories are appropriately identified, protected and promoted. As part of this review it has commissioned Pricewaterhouse Coopers LLP (PwC) to undertake a comprehensive study into the costs and benefits associated with World Heritage Site status in the UK. The study has involved a literature review followed by a series of case study assessments and wider surveying at some of the existing UK sites. In parallel we have been looking at wider issues relating to the identification, protection and promotion of World Heritage Sites, assisted by a new Advisory Group representing the interests of local authorities and various heritage bodies. We plan to engage the public more widely in a consultation this year on our future approach to World Heritage. Should we decide following this consultation to draw up a new Tentative List, we would expect to invite applications from potential sites in Spring 2008.

DCMS final report to UNESCO World Heritage Committee: Liverpool Mercantile Maritime City World Heritage Site (scanned PDF 638kb) [June 2007]

DCMS final report to UNESCO World Heritage Committee: Tower of London and Westminster World Heritage Sites (scanned PDF 807kb) [June 2007]

DCMS interim report to UNESCO World Heritage Committee: Liverpool Mercantile Maritime City World Heritage Site (PDF 325kb) [January 2007]

DCMS interim report to UNESCO World Heritage Committee: Tower of London and Westminster World Heritage Sites (PDF129kb) [January 2007]