Heritage Strategy - Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council

Chapter 4: Celebrating, Conserving and Creating our future <strong>Heritage</strong>: The Way Forward
4. celebrating,
conserving and
creating our future
heritage: The Way
Forward
<strong>Heritage</strong> continues to evolve and be created – a new development today can be the historic
buildings and conservation areas of the future; further archaeological sites will be
unearthed; changes to habitats and climates mean our natural heritage changes also;
discoveries of new documents can illuminate previously unknown aspects of our history;
new attractions will be developed to celebrate our heritage. This continual evolution of
heritage means that we need to consider protecting what is valued today, but harnessing
the heritage of the future through good research, design and development, and using new
technology. Some of <strong>Stockton</strong>’s history will be for future generations to discover and
interpret – we must put in place the support and foundations for this to happen.
It is hoped that this <strong>Strategy</strong> will have helped to inform on the breadth of heritage that the
Borough has: what projects are taking place and have been successfully completed and
where you can join in and engage with heritage either as a volunteer, researcher or visitor.
In these challenging times, it is important to recognise the benefits of heritage and to reassert
the wider impact it has in enriching lives and contributing to healthy communities. It
is therefore more important than ever that local government, communities and partners
continue to work together and support each other in managing our heritage and delivering
future projects. SBC continues to support and provide direction in community celebration
and conservation of heritage. It also relies on community support through time and effort
in enabling <strong>Stockton</strong>’s history to be recognised and promoted.
As already discussed, heritage has a vast amount of people involved within the process of
its care and presentation. This includes the numerous societies, friends and volunteers who
contribute to heritage projects, as well as the Council and its partners in delivering, for
example, planning services that help to manage and enhance our historic environment.
<strong>Heritage</strong> touches on many aspects, as detailed in the case studies given throughout this
<strong>Strategy</strong>. It has the potential to improve health and well-being; develop a sense of pride;
help to establish relationships through volunteering and meeting people; and provides
opportunities to develop new skills. This <strong>Strategy</strong> has aimed to bring heritage to the
forefront in terms of community values (sense of ownership and knowledge of their
heritage) as well as celebrating the projects delivered to date. The <strong>Strategy</strong> can be used as a
framework from which further engagement, understanding, increases in visitor numbers
and enhancing visitor experiences within the Borough can be delivered.
The Cenotaph, <strong>Stockton</strong>
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