‘Be not afraid of greatness’, urges Localis in landmark study on heritage and local growth

Heritage assets must be reclassified as essential civic and economic infrastructure if local communities are to unlock sustainable economic growth, a new report from the independent think-tank Localis has advised.

In a report published today entitled “What’s past is prologue – unlocking the value of heritage for local economies”, Localis calls for a major paradigm shift in how we treat historic environments as dynamic drivers of future local growth and regional wealth retention.

Using the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust and Stratford-upon-Avon as a primary case study, the paper considers the national implications of heritage as a sector - whose annual £15.3bn GVA exceeds the domestic sports sector and boosts the wellbeing of residents by a staggering £29bn a year.

The report warns that despite the immense proven value of heritage, critical structural barriers, including the loss of specialist conservation officers in local government, a lack of traditional building and conservation skills, and a complex and fragmented funding landscape threaten to undermine the potential to create full economic and social value.

‘What’s past is prologue’ arrives in the wake of a recent report from the Culture, Heritage and Sport Select Committee which estimated 670,000, or just under half of the government’s 1.5 million home building target, could be met by giving a new lease of life to historic buildings currently lying vacant or under-used, and called for a change in the government’s approach to the historic environment.

To overcome barriers preventing the historic environment from fully contributing to the local and national economy and capitalise on heritage-driven growth, the Localis report outlines actionable policy recommendations, including:

• Additional Green Book guidance: the publication of heritage-specific HM Treasury Green Book guidance to properly value community culture and historical assets during procurement.
• Mandatory integration: embedding heritage strategies directly into regional and mayoral Local Growth Plans to ensure preservation and economic development run parallel.
• Local SME empowerment: reforming local procurement models to protect regional retrofit supply chains, prioritizing adaptive reuse of existing historic structures over carbon-heavy demolition where appropriate.
• Grassroots ownership: giving communities direct levers for genuine grassroots stewardship to restore local identity and civic pride.

Localis head of research, Callin McLinden, said: “This report is grounded in a broad research process, drawing on interviews, an excellent roundtable and extensive source material from across local government, heritage, culture, academia, funding and place-based practice. Heritage is a complex policy issue because it cuts across so many other areas – particularly when considered alongside matters of economic development.

“Our aim was to therefore respect this complexity while distilling it into practical recommendations for all tiers of governance towards holistic, heritage-led growth.”

Localis senior researcher, Sandy Forsyth, said: “’What’s Past is Prologue’ provides insight into the integral place that heritage inhabits within local places by not only exploring its significant quantifiable value, but also by acknowledging that its protean nature roots it within the growth of equally and intrinsically multifaceted local economies.

“With place-shaping policy currently enjoying its time in the limelight, this report comes at a crucial moment that, if its recommendations are heeded, will ensure that places across England are able to make use of every asset, tangible or intangible, at their disposal.”

Rachael North, chief executive of the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, said: “‘What’s Past is Prologue’ invites us to imagine a future in which heritage is valued as more than the preservation of buildings and the curation of stories.

“This thoughtful exploration encourages us to see heritage as both a strategic asset and a form of enabling infrastructure: one that can drive economic growth while also strengthening wellbeing, social prosperity and a shared pride in place.

“This is heritage in action in its truest sense, weaving together past, present and future in ways which bring real opportunity for people and communities. The value of real, embedded community participation is something those of us working in heritage have known and felt for a long time, but it is important to see it set out as a necessary imperative, rather than a tokenistic nice-to-have.”

Tony Perks, deputy chief executive, Stratford on Avon District Council, said: “Stratford upon Avon is blessed with a rich heritage. As the birthplace of William Shakespeare, Stratford has an international reputation and attracts significant visitor numbers every year.

“A well-presented, coherent heritage offer has enormous potential to achieve good things, it can enhance health and wellbeing, provide fulfilment and employment, create a sense of ‘pride in place’.

“As Stratford embarks on the next stage of its heritage journey, this independent research provides a framework around which great ideas can be developed.”

END

Press enquiries:

Jonathan Werran, chief executive, Localis
(Telephone) 0870 448 1530 / (Mobile) 07967 100328 / (Email) [email protected]

Notes to Editors:

1. An advance copy of the report is available for download:

https://www.localis.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2026/07/Localis-Whats-Past-is-Prologue-A5-Report-July2026-PRF01a.pdf

1. About Localis

Localis is an independent think-tank dedicated to issues related to politics, public service reform and localism. We carry out innovative research, hold events and facilitate an ever-growing network of members to stimulate and challenge the current orthodoxy of the governance of the UK.

www.localis.org.uk

‘X’ @Localis

About Shakespeare Birthplace Trust

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust is the home of Shakespeare for the World.

We are a charity established by an Act of Parliament and care for a remarkable range of places, objects and archives in Stratford-upon-Avon– from the five Shakespeare family homes to over one million items in our world class collections. Celebrating Shakespeare is at the heart of everything we do.

The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust generates its income through the support of visitors, donors and volunteers.

1. 3. ‘What’s past is prologue’ policy recommendations

Central government

Make tangible and intangible heritage visible across national place policy

• Government should ensure that both forms of heritage are reflected consistently across infrastructure, regeneration, community ownership, cultural and place-based policy frameworks.
• This should build on the UK’s ratification of the UNESCO 2003 Convention by ensuring that local traditions, cultural practices, historic buildings, landscapes, collections and traditional skills are considered together where national funding and appraisal frameworks assess place value.

Publish heritage-specific appraisal guidance for place-based investment

• HM Treasury, MHCLG and DCMS should develop heritage-specific appraisal guidance or supplementary metrics for place-based heritage investment. These should help business capture non-use and more holistic valuations of heritage.
• The purpose should be to make existing Green Book principles easier to apply to heritage-led regeneration, rather than to create a parallel appraisal system.

Put heritage funding on a more sustainable footing

• Central government and major funders should apply full-cost recovery, early-stage development funding, multi-year revenue support and long-term maintenance planning more consistently across heritage, regeneration and ‘pride in place’ funding programmes.
• Government should also review fiscal barriers to repair, maintenance and adaptive reuse, including the uneven treatment of VAT relief beyond listed places of worship.

Rebuild specialist heritage capacity across local government

• Government should establish dedicated support for local authority heritage capacity. This should help councils prepare fundable projects, assess adaptive reuse, manage risk, support community ownership and integrate heritage across asset management, culture, climate adaptation, economic development, planning and tourism.

Regional government & strategic authorities

Make heritage a defined part of Local Growth Plans and investment evidence bases

• Strategic authorities should include heritage explicitly in Local Growth Plans, spatial strategies, investment frameworks and Integrated Settlement outcomes.
• Evidence bases should identify heritage clusters, historic high streets, visitor flows, conservation needs, retrofit demand, major heritage anchors, specialist suppliers, skills gaps and opportunities for local business growth.

Build heritage skills into regional labour market and green skills planning

• Strategic authorities should work with local skills bodies, colleges, employers and heritage organisations to identify demand for conservation, repair, retrofit, interpretation, visitor management and estate stewardship skills.
• Local Skills Improvement Plans, adult skills funding and regional skills strategies should make traditional building skills and historic building retrofit visible within green growth and local labour market planning.

Use destination management to measure heritage value, not just visitor numbers

• Local Visitor Economy Partnerships and Destination Management Plans should measure the contribution of heritage to retained local value.
• Indicators should include dwell time, overnight stays, seasonal spread, local spend, sustainable travel, accessibility, independent business participation, visitor dispersal and benefits for residents.

Actively shape regional heritage and retrofit supply chains

• Strategic authorities should build better intelligence on heritage and retrofit markets. This should include mapping supplier capacity, identifying gaps in specialist trades, supporting ‘meet-the-buyer’ activity, helping SMEs navigate procurement and coordinating visible pipelines of work across councils and public bodies.
• The aim should be to increase local and regional supplier capture while recognising that some specialist heritage supply chains operate nationally.

Local councils

Move from Local Plan recognition towards delivery-focused heritage planning

• Councils should go beyond recognising heritage in Local Plans towards the practical development and use of local heritage evidence bases, site allocations, regeneration strategies and asset management plans to identify where historic buildings can support adaptive reuse, housing need, public realm improvements, biodiversity, community use and town centre renewal.

Use council-owned heritage assets to support long-term stewardship

• Councils should assess publicly owned heritage assets through a stewardship test before disposal.
• This should consider whether assets should be maintained, reused, transferred, placed into community stewardship or supported through delivery vehicles such as Heritage Development Trusts, Community Interest Companies, cultural compacts or group stewardship arrangements.

Apply procurement reforms to heritage-led regeneration projects

• Councils should use relevant PPNs and strategic procurement principles to increase local value retention through heritage-led regeneration.
• Contract size, lotting, tender visibility, payment terms, insurance requirements, evaluation criteria, preliminary market engagement and subcontracting routes should be considered and designed with specialist SMEs, conservation professionals, social enterprises and local suppliers in mind.
• Councils should draw on National Lottery Heritage Fund and Historic England guidance on fair payment, whole-life value, SME access and the retention of specialist skills.

Strengthen community stewardship, inclusion and heritage literacy through holistic project governance

• Councils and heritage organisations should create practical routes for residents to shape what is protected, how it is interpreted and how benefits are shared equitably.
• Heritage projects should include clear governance arrangements for community participation, affordable access, the representation of contested histories, workforce inclusivity and heritage literacy to give local people the confidence and knowledge to interpret, use and care for local heritage.