Current Campaigns

Inspirational Places - the value of Britain's historic houses

In 2010 the HHA launched its manifesto calling for support from all political parties in the run-up to the Election and beyond.

The policy document demonstrates how much Britain’s historic houses contribute to the health and wellbeing of the nation, and stresses that this contribution is under threat, unless policies at national and local level are made more sympathetic to the needs of private owners.

Inspirational Places is based on quantitative evidence, much of it gained from the HHA’s Member Survey in autumn 2009. It sets out the challenges facing historic houses and proposes solutions, many of which could be implemented at little or no cost.

The HHA makes five key proposals:

• Recognition by all political parties of the contribution the private heritage sector makes to the success and well-being of the nation.
• Targeted fiscal relief to help conserve nationally important historic houses open to the public, including through improvements to Heritage Maintenance Funds.
• Cuts in unnecessary red tape to help historic houses to operate effectively and maximise their potential.
• Introduction of the Heritage Protection Reform which is sensible, uncontroversial and needed.
• Extension of eligibility for lottery grants to all historic houses where benefit to the public is significant.