Maxmising the value of industrial heritage in historic towns: restoration, regeneration & reuse

[i]English Historic Towns Forum [/i] 17-19 October 2007 Thistle Hotel, Newcastle upon Tyne The immense value of the industrial heritage of the UK is gradually being recognised, and not only by those who have always drawn satisfaction from the architecture, the manifestation of technical advancement and the testimony to social and economic change. This conference draws together hard evidence of this value and demonstrates, with case studies from across Europe and the UK, how our industrial past can contribute to economic and social regeneration in areas which might have been written off as dark places, not worthy of revisiting, let alone investment. At a time when sustainability and energy efficiency must be key factors in regeneration, research now strongly supports the re-use of resources in which so much energy has already been invested. Everything from the bricks and mortar to the people whose lives were dependent on the industries can be built upon to reinvigorate a place and to bring investment and confidence back to an area. Restoration, re-use and regeneration are the key threads running through the success stories presented at this event. They help to identify the ‘ghost identity’ of a place and to build on this and the wealth of the buildings themselves. If you have mills, mines, monumental structures, warehouses, docks and quaysides, engine sheds, steelworks, or any of the other buildings associated with our industrial past, but really do not need another museum, you may draw inspiration and confidence from the speakers at the conference who all have extensive experience of turning history into a valuable asset. [b]Who should attend? [/b] -Local Authority planning, conservation, tourism, regeneration & economic development officers - Town centre managers - Elected Members, Community leaders & representatives of Civic & Amenity Societies - Private sector developers, urban designers, architects & house builders - Archaeologists, curators & archivisits - Policy makers, budget holders & strategic planners For more information: www.ehtf.org.uk