The Heritage Lottery Fund needs to cut red tape and improve support to those who apply for cash to restore heritage sites, according to a report out today.A National Audit Office (NAO) inquiry says the fund has successfully supported projects since 1994 and awarded £3.8 billion of lottery cash to 24,000 projects that involve breathing new life into fading buildings.
But it wants the fund to give better support to applicants and grant recipients.
Experts from a Shropshire town agree that administration behind the applications should be streamlined.
Oswestry has benefited tremendously from Heritage Lottery money, used to transform many of the town’s historic buildings over the past decade.
But the borough’s conservation officer admitted that the administration for both applying for and running a Heritage Lottery funded scheme was incredibly bureaucratic.
Both Oswestry borough and Oswestry town councils have won lottery funding for historic buildings over the past decade.
Lottery funding has helped to secure the future of Castle Bank, the remains of Oswestry’s Norman motte and bailey castle, and restored important buildings including the impressive Guildhall and last year the Victorian station building, now a visitor centre.
And it has also helped transform Oswestry’s street scene, with funding for one successful Townscape Heritage Initiative and an application pending for a second phase.
Mr Peter Booth, conservation officer, said: “Oswestry has benefited tremendously from Heritage Lottery funding over the years.”
However he urged the lottery organisation and other funding bodies to streamline their application and other processes.
“It is true to say that their procedures are very bureaucratic and placed enormous administrative burdens on the station building scheme,” he said.Projects benefiting from aid
Other recent Heritage Lottery Projects across Shropshire and mid Wales include:
- The Severn Valley Railway’s Engine House at Highley - a £4.5 million scheme largely funded by the lottery.
- Whittington Castle - a £950,000 grant towards a £1 million restoration.
- Ellesmere mere - £53,000 towards regeneration of the Victorian Cremorne Gardens.
- Hopton Castle - £880,000 towards the building on the ‘at risk’ register.
- Bell restoration fund at Llanfyllin Parish Church - £20,000.
- Weston Park - £45,000 towards restoration of granary.
- Shropshire and Herefordshire Churchyards - £300,000.
- Cosford Museum - grant towards Cold War Project.
- Acton Scott Working Farm Museum - application for Victorian time portal.
By Sue Austin
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