CONTEXT 176 : JUNE 2023 19 WORLD HERITAGE SITES materials, and by this means to enhance the landscape for public enjoyment, improve wildlife habitats and conserve key parts of the world heritage site’s outstanding universal value. Traditional farm buildings are an integral part of the living and working landscape of the Lake District, and the scheme recognises the value that these buildings have for communities and for their contribution to the world heritage sites. To date seven barns have been fully restored, with more to be completed shortly. In addition to the more tangible building conservation results and contribution to the site’s outstanding universal value, the pilot, its follow-up and associated projects are supporting the retention and development of traditional construction skills and knowledge, and strengthening partnership working. The latter is a key component for the future management of this complex world heritage site. A national strategy? There is a low level of awareness of the obligations, presence, potential benefits, values, and significance of world heritage sites at all levels in the UK. Half of the sites, such as Stonehenge and the Tower of London, are well known as tourist destinations and icons, while other hidden gems such as Derwent Valley Mills and Saltaire are little known as or understood as world heritage sites. Finding the right balance between the need for regeneration and infrastructure development, and avoiding impacts on the conservation of world heritage sites and their buffer zones, has been challenging over the last 20 years. The delisting of the Liverpool world heritage site (one of only three sites to be have been taken off the list in the last 50 years) in 2019 was a sharp reminder of the consequences of not supporting more fully the planning, conservation, management of the world heritage sites. While the DCMS (and its arm’s-length agencies and other equivalents in the three nations) provides some policy guidance and capacitybuilding support for local world heritage site management, the onus for on-the-ground world heritage site coordination, management and conservation essentially lies with local authorities and other organisations that manage the individual sites day to day. There is as yet no national vision and strategy for a more coherent and consistent approach to world heritage site planning, management and support at a national level. World Heritage UK (WHUK), through its recent report UK World Heritage: asset for the future 2020, continues with others to call for a more strategic approach and stronger legislation to directly support world heritage site conservation, and to release their potential for contributing more to community welfare, economic regeneration, enhanced tourism and an underpinning of UK soft power in the next few years. The current Levelling Up Bill and its associated planning reforms may act as a catalyst to ensure that over the next 10 years the UK world heritage sites are more fully recognised, supported and understood, and that through exemplary management they will release and provide enhanced community welfare and economic benefits. References Unesco World Heritage Site Operational Guidelines for the Implementation of the World Heritage Convention UK World Heritage: asset for the future 2020 The author is grateful for contributions to this article from Adrian Farmer, world heritage site coordinator at Derwent Valley Mills World Heritage Site, and Alex McCoskrie, general manager of WHUK. Established in 2015, World Heritage UK (WHUK) is a registered charity that works with and on behalf of all the UK’s Unesco world heritage sites, across all four home nations and in four overseas territories, supporting the sites and their managers with many years of strategic and operational world heritage experience. Chris Blandford is president of World Heritage UK. The mid-19thcentury Arklid Barn at Nibthwaite in the Lake District World Heritage Site before restoration (Photo: Rose Lord) See page 10
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