The project will include heritage interpretation initiatives including blue plaques, street plates and heritage ‘totem’ signs as well as public realm improvements. Timberhill and Elm Hill have been selected since they encapsulate two of the city’s principal economic offers – speciality retail and heritage.
The award follows a successful pilot in the Norwich Lanes which was pioneered by HEART with the support of local traders and
Norwich City Council. Following a two year programme of heritage and public realm improvements, a report commissioned by EEDA on the effectiveness of the pilot by the new economics foundation (nef) concluded that the Lanes work “demonstrates that well-structured heritage development within a coordinated strategy can have considerable impact and is financially self-sustaining.” Specifically, the report found that the investment of £495,000 in the Lanes will have created a potential benefit for the local economy of £16,676,498 over a ten-year period, and that similar benefits could be achieved by rolling out the Lanes approach to other areas of the city.
Michael Loveday, HEART’s Chief Executive said: “nef’s clone town research showed how everywhere is beginning to look the same with the same global retail chains. With Norwich growing rapidly over the next 12 years we have a challenge to avoid it falling into that clone trap. HEART’s mission is to celebrate the specialness and uniqueness of places and we believe that by making the most of Norwich’s world class assets we can ensure that it is regarded as somewhere unique, not just a ‘clone town’ anywhere. There is real enthusiasm from the Elm Hill and Timberhill areas and the Norwich City Council to replicate ‘the Lanes Effect’ in these two potentially important but sometimes overlooked areas of the city.”
As with the Lanes work, HEART hopes to engage local people in researching and developing stories for the areas which can be communicated through the heritage interpretation devices. Already some interesting threads are beginning to emerge. These include the first black circus proprietor in the UK, Pablo Fanque, who was baptised in St John Timberhill in the late 1700’s and is celebrated in one of John Lennon’s songs. Also the remarkable Orford Cellar, just around the corner from Timberhill, hosted rock greats including Ginger Baker and Eric Clapton regularly as well as Jimi Hendrix and David Bowie.
HEART’s Chair, and Chairman of the Jarrolds Group, David Hill said that HEART was delighted that it had been acclaimed by such a well regarded body as nef for its Lanes work and that the conclusions had underscored the economic benefit that heritage led regeneration could bring. He looked forward to working with local people and Norwich City Council to deliver benefits of equal value to the Timberhill and Elm Hill areas.
An EEDA spokesperson said that they regarded HEART’s work as being a pioneering model in the region which other areas should follow and this was reflected in the fact that the current award took the level of EEDA support for HEART up to
£1m over the last two years.
Philip Cutter, co-owner of The Gardeners Arms / The Murderers, on Timberhill, said: “I’m very pleased that Timberhill is being recognised in this way. It is such a historic area with hidden history that lots of people don’t know about. The plaques and signs will help tell this story and bring the past to life as people wander around the area.”