Heritage Sites East of England 2025-10-13

Opened the debate

I am pleased to highlight our superb heritage in the east of England and the role of Government in supporting that. We are concerned about the devolution process which may not sufficiently prioritise heritage and culture within this process, despite their economic opportunities. The east is rich in history with sites such as Colchester's Roman circus and Gosbecks field needing sustained investment to realise their full potential. While welcoming recent funding announcements from the Government (£15 million through the heritage at risk capital fund, £5 million through the heritage revival fund, and a new £20 million museum renewal fund), we face ongoing funding challenges due to austerity cuts after 2010, with overall local authority spending on heritage dropping by 45%, and in the east by 60%. I encourage the Minister to create a dedicated regional heritage strategy for the east of England which could help shape devolved policy under new mayoralties, with clear priorities and long-term funding commitments.

Government Response

The Minister's response is missing in the provided transcript. The minister was expected to address issues of devolution, funding allocations for heritage sites, policy commitments related to heritage and culture, and respond to specific questions raised by the lead MP and other interveners. The Minister congratulated the lead MP on securing the debate and acknowledged the rich heritage in Essex. He highlighted government initiatives such as £270 million of funding to support arts venues, museums, libraries, and heritage sites across England. Specifically for Colchester, nearly £1.3 million was allocated to protect Colchester Castle through Arts Everywhere funding. Additionally, 37 historic buildings and sites in need of repair will receive over £2 million from the Government’s heritage at risk capital scheme, including Lowestoft’s derelict town hall and Great Yarmouth's Iron Duke restoration project. The Minister also praised the Heritage Schools programme for its educational value. He emphasised the removal of sites from Historic England’s heritage at risk register thanks to sustained investment. Furthermore, he discussed the Government’s efforts in supporting community ownership of heritage assets through the Heritage Revival Fund and changes to the definition of an asset of community value. The Minister acknowledged the importance of balancing heritage preservation with economic growth and development, and committed to ensuring that any planning system changes maintain heritage safeguards. He also addressed specific questions from the lead MP regarding devolution, restructuring of historical sites like the Roman circus, and potential use of virtual reality to enhance visitor experiences. We will continue to invest in our heritage, to forge collaborative and collective partnerships and to approach development in a pragmatic way, ensuring that precious sites, many of which have been mentioned by hon. Members, such as the Roman circus and the Balkerne water towers, as well as sites in the east of England and beyond, are not only preserved but celebrated for generations to come. I look forward to seeing the ongoing positive impact of these heritage projects in Colchester and across the east of England as we continue to build a future where our rich history stands proudly alongside new growth opportunities in all our communities.