PRESS RELEASE, 23rd June 2010
Like other parts of the Third Sector, ICOMOS-UK understands the need for government cut-backs but is concerned about the possibly severe implications of the budget in terms of the capacity of the charitable sector in general, and the heritage sector in particular to deliver appropriate services in the light of the re-trenchment of the public sector in many areas.
The ability of the heritage sector to deliver important cultural services (alongside equally important eco-system services) is now widely recognised. These resources relate to the social aspects of the ‘big society’ that the Government has rightly focused on – the sense of place, sense of well-being and the idea of local distinctiveness, all of which have been acknowledged in the new PPS5 and in the work many Agencies have been undertaking in response to the ratification of the European Landscape Convention. The ability of the heritage sector to contribute substantially to GDP is now also widely recognised, through the way it underpins much of the tourism sector, as has been confirmed by the arrangements for the 2012 Olympics.
Yet the cultural heritage sector relies to a much greater extent on the charitable sector than either the Arts sector or the Environment sector. And the anticipated cut-back of DCMS resources linked to a potential decrease in revenue from gift aid, as a result of the £1,000 increase in the personal income tax allowance, and to an increase in VAT, will all impact negatively on the charitable sector.
There is an urgent need for the heritage sector to create a platform from which to engage with the government in order to underline the strong relationship between the charitable sector, government agencies and local authorities and to make the case for appropriate resources to sustain these relationships, in straightened times.
