The best way to boost a town’s ailing economy is to invest in its cultural past rather than simply pour money into new businesses. This is the clear-cut evidence produced by a new piece of expert academic analysis that will put hard facts into the hands of those hoping to revive declining English regions.
The report, commissioned by Historic England, the public body that promotes and looks after the country’s historic environment, has applied strict mathematical criteria to reveal the true value of any area rich in cultural heritage. It has found that wherever heritage and cultural history are linked to the work of new artistic and scientific communities, greater economic productivity and business growth are the result.
“This report reveals what has been suspected for a long time – that there is a tangible link between historic places and increased creativity and economic activity,” Neil Mendoza, chair of Historic England and chair of the government’s culture and heritage capital programme, told the Observer. “It demonstrates that the heritage that surrounds us and belongs to us all has a positive, significant effect on artistic creativity as well as a positive impact on scientific creativity. It makes sense, because we know that heritage is a catalyst for regeneration. It boosts local pride and it makes people feel good – 93% of people agree that local heritage raises their quality of life.”
The detailed research, to be released on Tuesday, was conducted by the Italian academic Prof Silvia Cerisola of the Polytechnic of Milan, who has carried out similar studies across Europe. This time she has drawn on not only her own methodology but also on other recent analyses of cultural value across England. Comparing data on local heritage sites and on the presence of listed buildings against wider census and business information on industry and commerce, Cerisola and her team have established what they call “a significant step forward” in proving the strength of arguments regularly deployed on behalf of the creative and heritage sectors.
“In particular,” the report concludes, “cultural heritage came out to be a determinant of economic creativity, which in turn – when interacting with artistic and scientific creativity – favours economic development.”
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The report also suggests that regions with high levels of creative talent perform better at wealth creation. One example is the regeneration of the former home of the Hastings Observer in Sussex, a 1924 building which has been unoccupied since 1985 and which, after £6.7m of investment, including £3m from one of Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zone grants, now offers 64 creative workspaces and a refurbished board room for meetings and events.
Mendoza believes the wider implications are just as clear. “The results show how important our built heritage really is as a magnet for creative industries, and how much it brings to the table,” he said. “It is a signal that we should see our heritage as a vital influencer of creativity and economic growth, and one of our country’s core strengths.”