The Northern Powerhouse initiative was developed to address issues around economic growth and productivity in the North of England. It aims to rebalance the UK’s economy away from London and the South East. The Northern Powerhouse covers the North-East, North-West and Yorkshire and was the …

Grants totaling £4 million have been awarded to improve displays and facilities at 39 museums and galleries across England. The grants, jointly funded through a partnership between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and the Wolfson Foundation, will be used for renovation and improvement …

Culture Minister, Matt Hancock, has placed a temporary export bar on Clive of India’s huqqa set and flask to provide an opportunity to keep them in the country. The Mughal ruby and emerald flask and the sapphire and ruby huqqa set are both at risk …

Around 6 million buildings in the UK were constructed before 1919 with the built heritage sector estimated to generate almost half the output of the construction industry overall. Against this backdrop, the NFB Heritage Group was formed by the National Federation of Builders (NFB) to …

The Neighbourhood Planning Bill will begin Committee Stage in the house of Lords on the 31st January. A House of Lords Library Briefing for Lords Stages of the Bill has been published.

The Local Government Finance Bill includes a range of measures to cut business rates for small businesses and local amenities. They include: bringing rural rate reliefs into line with those in urban areas – currently, eligible small businesses in rural areas benefit from a 50% …

The Clore Leadership Programme (CLP) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) have announced a three year partnership to foster future leaders in the heritage sector through a package of Clore training and development opportunities. Thanks to National Lottery players across the UK, HLF will fund …

The National Trust [Alliance Member] and Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) has launched new evidence which points to a lack of local democracy in the English planning system. In a survey of 1,200 ward councillors across England, conducted by LGiU, 72% of councillors say that …

Day Visitor Figures for the for the 2016 year to November have been published. Year to date, volume rose by +15% to 1.6 billion and value of visits increased by +11% to £54.7 billion. Separate DCMS figures show that in November 2016 there was a total …

The House of Commons Environmental Audit Committee today released its report following its inquiry into the future of the natural environment after the EU referendum. The Environmental Audit Committee report suggests that protections for wildlife and habitats could be weaker after the UK leaves the EU …

The Alliance was delighted to attend a parliamentary reception celebrating excellence in fundraising by the Institute of Fundraising on the 17th of January. Speakers at the event included Rob Wilson, Minister for Civil Society, who spoke of the Government’s vision for a ‘shared society’ and …

The Alliance has been asked by DCMS to encourage the heritage sector to work with Speakers for Schools – a charity that provides state schools with free talks from leading figures. They are currently creating a database of creative leaders who would be willing to give talks …