Cornwall's Complex Bid for World Heritage Site Status is 'on the right track', but will take until 2005 to gather detail |
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It emerged yesterday that national advisers have agreed that the Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape World Heritage Site Bid, which is being delivered by Cornwall County Council, is on the right track but will need an extra year due to the sheer scale of the project. The bid was not due to be submitted to UNESCO (United Nations Education Social and Cultural Organisation) until 2004, however a pre-submittal review by ICOMOS UK (International Council on Monuments and Sites) and English Heritage, who advise the Government on the viability of bids, agreed that it would be beneficial to delay the bid for one year due to its constantly evolving nature and the high amount management detail required. Cornwall’s World Heritage Site Bid is unusual in that it is based on both a landscape and cultural approach. It has been necessary to examine not only mine sites, but sites and structures which relate to important changes that took place in the transport networks, infrastructure, economy and settlement of Cornwall and West Devon which can be shown to be linked to developments within the mining industry, which was at the forefront of the Industrial Revolution. As well as these factors, there are also 73 organisations involved, ranging from local authorities, national agencies, funding bodies, academic and research bodies, landowners, mining companies and all those concerned with the future of mining heritage who need to be continually consulted and co-ordinated. Susan Denyer, from ICOMOS UK, says, “The scope of the proposed Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscapes Bid is very much in-line with the way the World Heritage Convention has moved, in recent years, towards a much broader idea of cultural heritage reflecting the lives of the ordinary people and with a strong social dimension.” “But managing the sites, particularly if they are scattered over several areas, is a challenge if the potential is to be optimised. I strongly support the County Council’s decision to give more time to pulling together this complex bid in order to gain the strong involvement and support of local people, and to show how the bid can be one of the key drivers for sustainable development in the region.” Cornwall’s mining heritage was named by the UK Government in 1999 as one of 25 possible sites it would like to see put up for World Heritage Site Status. As well as recognising the unique role of Cornish Mining in shaping modern industrial society, World Heritage Site ‘inscription’ will bring tangible benefits to the region. It will draw down conservation funding, be a major asset to international tourism marketing and assist the regeneration of former mining communities. If successful, former mining areas in Cornwall and West Devon will join places such as Stonehenge, the Taj Mahal and the Great Wall of China on the list of ‘inscribed’ sites. A new Co-ordinator will shortly be appointed to complete the bid process, including the writing of a Management Plan, now due to be submitted to UNESCO by February 2005. The Nomination Document will define the Bid areas, indicating the ways in which the proposed site meets a number of the UNESCO criteria for World Heritage Sites and sets out the history and importance of the area. It will also include a summary of the history of hard rock mining in Cornwall and West Devon, particularly the period of the Industrial Revolution to the present day, describe the social, cultural and landscape changes and identify the extent and importance of this surviving legacy as well as identify the roles of key inventors, engineers and entrepreneurs in the development of mining and allied technologies. The Management Plan, in comparison, will set out the framework needed to ensure the appropriate management of the World Heritage Site, both in the form of protocols covering conservation issues, public access, interpretation, presentation and also site by site prioritised management recommendations. Nick Johnson, Historic Environment Manager for the County Council’s Environment and Heritage Service, says, “The project has been underway now for 18 months and it is astonishing how much information about this crucial period has been gathered together. This is a very complex bid and we felt that more time was needed to address the important issues of how we can both protect the wider mining related landscapes of mines and settlements and yet ensure that this important legacy plays a positive role in economic regeneration and community pride. We are delighted that our national advisors have given us a clear indication that we are on the right track.” Further information is available by looking at the World Heritage Site web-site at www.cornish-mining.org.uk. NOTES TO EDITORS
MORE INFORMATIONNick Johnson, Historic
Environment Manager, Cornwall County Council on 01872 323604 or
njohnson@cornwall.gov.uk |