Decision details

Purpose of Report: To consider potential application for York to become designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

The Executive will be asked to
• Accept the recommendation of the York World Heritage Steering Group (YWHSG) report that York should make a bid for World Heritage status;
• Commit City of York Council, together with YWHSG, to ask the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to consider an application from York for admittance to the UK Tentative List of World Heritage Sites;
• Work with YWHSG to take the bid project forward to Stage 2, including forming a broad-based public and private partnership to take forward the required work.

Resolved:  (i)      That the recommendation of the YWHSG report that York should make a bid for World Heritage status be accepted.

                   (ii)      That City of York Council, together with YWHSG, commit to asking the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport to consider an application from York for admittance to the UK Tentative List of World Heritage Sites.

                   (iii)     That the council work with YWSG to take the bid project forward to Stage 2, including forming a broad-based public and private partnership to raise the approx. £7.5m required in 2022/23 to fund the required work.

                   (iv)    That it be noted that there is currently no identified council funding stream to cover the cost of any Stage 3 bid and that, if a bid is successful and can proceed to Stage 3, the council will seek support from partners to progress this.

Reason:     To seek the international recognition and prestige that World Heritage status confers.