At-risk globally important places championed by new parliamentary group
Endangered historic, culturally significant and nature-rich places around the world have a powerful new voice in a cross-party parliamentary group. The All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for UNESCO World Heritage Sites was formed this month, prompted by concerns designated sites in the UK could be dropped by the international body.
UNESCO – the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation – was founded following World War Two to promote and protect places of exceptional value. These include the Taj Mahal and the Galápagos Islands. The 35 World Heritage Sites in the UK and British Overseas Territories include Durham Cathedral, Hadrian’s Wall and the Tower of London.
UNESCO stripped Liverpool of its World Heritage Status in 2021 following the loss of some of its historic docklands.
MPs have voiced fears other UK World Heritage Sites could face a similar fate due to unsympathetic development, climate change and flooding.
Jonathan Davies MP, Labour Member of Parliament for Mid Derbyshire, was elected the new parliamentary group’s chairman.
His constituency includes the Derwent Valley Mills WHS, designated by UNESCO in 2001 for its eighteenth-century role in pioneering the modern factory system, its striking landscapes and buildings dating from the Industrial Revolution’s beginning.
Speaking at the group’s inaugural meeting, Mr Davies said:
“UNESCO World Heritage Sites articulate the pinnacle of human existence and the best of the natural world. However, some of the UK’s sites face challenges that risk them being delisted by UNESCO. The special reasons these sites were designated of global importance must be safeguarded for future generations. This group campaigns for that.”
The group’s parliamentarians also elected Conservative MP Danny Kruger, whose constituency includes Stonehenge, as a vice-chairman. Former heritage minister Lord Parkinson has also joined the group.
WHUK’s president, Chris Blandford OBE, who attended the meeting, commented as follows:
“On behalf of WHUK, I am very pleased that we will be contributing to the development of the APPG by sharing our detailed knowledge of the international and national context together with the challenges of local management at the 35 World Heritage Sites that make up our UK World Heritage Site collection.
“Our World Heritage Sites are very special, and globally significant places and can be considered “the best of the best” of our cultural and natural heritage inheritance. However, their potential values and benefits are often unrealized. We believe that our diverse and remarkable World Heritage Sites have the potential to contribute to Government achieving its current missions concerned with balanced growth, tourism, well being, heritage led regeneration, education and renewable energy. The APPG will provide a great opportunity to investigate and reveal how this might be done for the benefit of all.
“We are glad to be working with the APPG to help them influence improvements to the protection and management of our World Heritage Sites, ensure they are better known and understood and more sustainably funded in the future. And by no means least, ensure that the sites provide tangible benefits , inspiration, learning for their local communities and their future generations.“
Front row L-R: Chris Blandford OBE, Wera Hobhouse MP, Jonathan Davies MP, Lord Wallace of Saltaire
Back row L-R: Alison Smedley MBE UKNC, Lord Parkinson, John Whitby MP, Lisa Smart MP, Lloyd Hatton MP, Liz Saville Roberts MP