Next step in finding new UK World Heritage sites announced
An expert panel to decide which new UK sites will be nominated for World Heritage Status has been announced. This independent panel of nine people, meeting for the first time this week, will be chaired by Sue Davies, Chair of the United Kingdom National Commission for UNESCO’s (UKNC) Culture Committee. Two other UKNC Culture Committee members, David Thackray and Professor Mike Robinson, will also sit on the panel. The panel will now begin the process of forming a new UK Tentative List of sites for World Heritage Status based on the 38 applications submitted to the Department for Culture Media and Sport (DCMS) earlier in the year.
Tourism and Heritage Minister John Penrose said:
The variety and unique nature of the UK’s heritage is recognised around the world. But if we’re to succeed in getting more UK sites awarded World Heritage Status we have to make sure the strength of the nominations we put forward are second to none. I’m in no doubt that the expert panel chaired by Sue Davies will do a fantastic job in whittling down the list to ensure we have the very best chance of succeeding in front of UNESCO in the future.”
Once the new Tentative List has been completed by spring 2011, it will be submitted to UNESCO. Nominations from this list will then be put forward from 2012 for inclusion on the World Heritage List. This follows the 2009 DCMS World Heritage Policy Review Consultation and the announcement in February 2010 that the UK would be putting forward fewer sites for consideration by UNESCO for World Heritage status.
Written: 01/12/2010 , last modified: 02/12/2010
