Evaluation of the Townscape Heritage Initiative: Evidence from the Heritage Lottery Fund

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) was set up in 1994 to distribute a share of National Lottery funds to projects involving the local, regional and national heritage of the UK. The Fund's urban regeneration programme, the Townscape Heritage Initiative (THI) was launched four years later. The THI is a conservation-led, area-based programme which aims to contribute to the regeneration of urban areas with heritage and socio-economic need. The rationale for the programme is that investment in historic fabric will benefit the appearance of an area, improve confidence, quality of life and economic performance, so initiating a cycle of new investment. The THI has now channelled more than £170m of HLF funds into over 175 towns and cities and secured at least the same amount of investment through public partnerships and private sources. This paper draws on the latest results of a longitudinal evaluation of the programme carried out by Oxford Brookes University between 1999 and 2008 ('Townscape Heritage Initiative five year review evaluation — final report', available at http://www.hlf.org.uk/HLF/Docs/ ResearchAndConsultation/THI%20five%20year% 20final%20report%201%20Aug.pdf). Oxford Brookes' researchers followed the progress of 17 case studies, beginning with a detailed baseline data-recording exercise. The research is thought to be the most significant evaluation of heritage-led regeneration in print to date, and this paper summarises the key impact findings and presents what appear to be some of the most significant prerequisites for achieving successful outcomes from a THI scheme. A case is also made that, particularly in relation to the most deprived towns and cities, conservation funding needs to be integrated within a wider regeneration strategy to have a high likelihood of success.