CAMPAIGNING MSP WELCOMES WORLD HERITAGE BID
Published: 14th Jun 2010
 THE Medieval burgh of St Andrew (left) is to be nominated as World Heritage Site following a Fife Council decision last week.
Ted Brocklebank MSP (pictured below), Shadow Minister for Culture, who has campaigned for World Heritage status for his home town of St Andrews since 2004 today welcomed the news.
He told St Andrews News: “Fife Council's decision to press ahead with publicly backing the bid will be welcomed by many people from the town and beyond.
“I remember when we started this campaign every household in St Andrews was canvassed, with a response of 99% in favour of such a move. We received support from many local people as well as St Andrews Community Council, the University of St Andrews, the Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St Andrews, the St Andrews Links Trust, St Andrews Preservation Trust, Scottish Enterprise Fife, the St Andrews Green Belt Forum and Action of Churches Together in St Andrews.
“It was also good to see so many distinguished University of St Andrews' graduates such as Lord Alton, Lord Forsyth, Mark Lazarowicz MP and Scotland's First Minister, Alex Salmond MSP, supporting the campaign. With cross-party support, I hope we can achieve a consensus to ensure that St Andrews is Scotland's next World Heritage Site.”
Councillors at a meeting of the local authority’s Policy, Finance and Asset Management Committee last week decided to include St Andrews and the Forth Rail Bridge on UNESCO’s tentative list of World Heritage Sites – the first stage in the process of achieving such status. The opportunity to apply is only opened once every 10 years.
Depute Council Leader Elizabeth Riches is delighted at the decision: “It’s fantastic and absolutely right that we make these applications. It just goes to show what an extremely special place Fife is when we can apply to have two sites considered," she said.
“Inscription as a UNESCO World Heritage Site is an acknowledgement of the truly global significance of such places. It would be an honour and a privilege for Fife to gain this accolade and could potentially bring real social and economic benefits. However the recognition does carry certain responsibilities to protect and preserve the sites properly for future generations – something that the council already takes very seriously.”
There is no funding given by either the UK or Scottish Governments to manage World Heritage sites.Edinburgh City Council currently receives a significant annual contribution from Historic Scotland towards the running of Edinburgh World Heritage – a charitable trust formed by the council to manage Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns which became World Heritage Sites in 1996.
Added Councillor Riches: “St Andrews’ case for success is...strong. The home of golf and Scotland’s oldest university, arguably Scotland’s most important religious centre and the country’s best-preserved medieval burgh, St Andrews deserves this accolade. And, far from restricting new development in the town, World Heritage status would simply help the council to ensure that all new development in the burgh is of the highest standard.
“Edinburgh’s example shows that there are ways of attracting funding to help with the costs of managing such sites. However it’s widely recognised that the potential benefits to Fife far outweigh any issues with cost. Applications will now be progressed and it’s hoped the council will hear if these have been successful by the end of the year.
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