World Heritage Site Designation: Future Implications From a UK Perspective

Abstract

With specific reference to sites in the United Kingdom, this paper critically explores the process of obtaining World Heritage Site (WHS) designation status. The paper critiques the current process with particular reference to; the procedure for inscription, stakeholder interest in application, perceived selection criteria, benefits and challenges of obtaining WHS status, and consequences for sites of failing to secure the UNESCO endorsed award. Methodologically, the paper reports on the outcomes of a series of in-depth interviews and written correspondence with key personnel at a selection of heritage sites across the United Kingdom. The sites include Edinburgh Old and New Towns, New Lanark Heritage Village and Maritime Greenwich. Throughout the paper, the role of stakeholders and the need for a management plan in the inscription process are reviewed, as is the sustainability of the World Heritage List itself. Above all, the paper investigates the strategy adopted by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport in its short-listing of candidates from within the UK, in light of the prevailing policies of UNESCO. The paper concludes with a set of procedural recommendations for sites wishing to pursue the goal of WHS designation in the early years of the new millennium.