Tom Scotney

Very few, it seems, and certainly nothing particulary tangible. This has already been discussed on some of the usual places but I’ve been writing and talking to people about it all day (see in full here and here), so I’ve decided to stick my oar in anyway.

One thing that seems to come up a lot is that people can’t seem to see any actual benefit to it. From talking to a number of people round Birmingham - and also at the Ironbridge Gorge WH site over in Shropshire, it seems that the only benefits anyone mentions in increased tourism, and some kind of nebulous “community” spirit.

Of course no-one can really predict the effect that the extra exposure this might have on tourism numbers, extra shoppers, that sort of thing, but given that the vast majority of people don’t even know much about what WHSs are, it can’t be that much of a pull. THe head of the Ironbridge WH site even said to me that there aren’t many in the world that this makes any difference to.

And in terms of a community spirit… The WHS classification gives very little actual legal protection or guidance, if any, to an area. In terms of creating and protecting communities in Birmingham, that’s a job for the people that live and work in them, not the UN.

And the most important thing: this is just absolutely not going to happen, apart from anything else. To become a WHS, this would have to be approved by the planning committe, the full council, English Heritage and the Department of Culture Media and Sport, beating the likes of Shakespeare’s Stratford. It ain’t gonna happen. And it’s hard not to be cynical and wonder if this is just a big plug for the Quarter without much intention of it working - viral marketing from the council?