The best way to boost a town’s ailing economy is to invest in its cultural past rather than simply pour money into new businesses. This is the clear-cut evidence produced by a new piece of expert academic analysis that will put hard facts into the hands of those hoping to revive declining English regions.
The report, commissioned by Historic England, the public body that promotes and looks after the country’s historic environment, has applied strict mathematical criteria to reveal the true value of any area rich in cultural heritage. It has found that wherever heritage and cultural history are linked to the work of new artistic and scientific communities, greater economic productivity and business growth are the result.
