Voting for archaeology and cultural heritage in Wales
The main parties’ promises in the Welsh Senedd elections 2021.
The 2021 Senedd elections may shift the balance of power in Wales. Archaeology and cultural heritage are fairly low down the list of manifesto commitments. But there will be impacts from the inevitable compromises that will be made in the lifetime of the next Welsh Parliament. Here is a summary of the main parties’ positions ahead of the elections.
Welsh Labour | Llafur Cymru
There are no specific references to archaeology in the 2021 Labour manifesto, and only two direct references to cultural heritage. One is support for the North West Wales slate landscape World Heritage Site application, including working ‘with local organisations to promote this cultural and economic opportunity’ and developing plans for a ‘Museum of North Wales’ (Chapter 8).
The other is to ensure that ‘Black, Asian, and Ethnic Minority histories are properly reflected throughout our cultural and heritage sectors including in our National Museums’ (Chapter 8), which includes a pledge for further investment in ‘our cultural sector and museum network’ (Chapter 7). There is also a commitment to address the recommendations from the Monuments and Street Names Audit and from the Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic Communities, Contributions and Cynefin in the New Curriculum Working Group (Chapter 7).
Other elements of the Welsh Labour manifesto may produce indirect impacts on archaeology and cultural heritage. These include:
Specific transport infrastructure proposals such as commitments to complete the dualling of the Heads of the Valleys road, and the widening of the M4; biodiversity projects for major routes into Wales (Chapter 4). These present both opportunities and challenges for heritage.
Developments in the planning system include proposals to ‘enable our town centres to become more agile economically’ through developing ‘masterplans for towns and high streets’ (Chapter 3) and regionally co-ordinated transport and land use planning (Chapter 9). These have positive potential for heritage, but the sector needs to stay fully engaged in consultation.
The creation of a ‘new system of farm support’ (Chapter 5) carries potential risks for archaeology and cultural heritage. It is important that the ‘historic environment’ is considered among the ‘additional environmental outcomes’ triggering public subsidy for food production.
The commitment to ‘introduce an all-Wales framework to roll out social prescribing’ (Chapter 1) may increase opportunities for developing volunteer-based community archaeology and heritage projects.
Another interesting development is the commitment to closer economic and research ties with other European countries, where archaeology and cultural heritage is already well-placed to deliver many of the objectives (Chapter 10).
Plaid Cymru | The Party of Wales
There are no specific references to archaeology in the 2021 Plaid manifesto, but the word ‘heritage’ appears 16 times. Heritage is a key focus for ‘Farming, Rural Wales and Tourism’, which explicitly recognises that ‘heritage tourism is the most popular and traditional form of tourism in Wales, where tourists are exposed to history through museums and heritage sites’ (page 65). This section also talks about the importance of cultural heritage in sustainable landscapes and language. Heritage is also mentioned in developing the hospitality and tourism offer in Powys (page 29). There are specific proposals for a state-owned system of heritage accommodation, and support to the North West Wales slate landscape World Heritage Site application (page 66). Other detailed proposals address steam railways and food tourism.
However whilst notions of sustainability and co-operation in the transition to a new system of farming support are welcome (page 62), there is no specific mention of the historic environment.
Further general support for cultural heritage is highlighted in the sections on ‘culture media and sport’ (pages 98–99), including a school curriculum commitment to Welsh history and heritage; and in the ambitious proposal for regional development areas in the Valleys and Arfor (part of the western coast) (pages 26–29). Specific proposals include support for developing a national centre for industrial heritage at Cyfarthfa Castle and Park at Merthyr Tydfil (pages 27 and 99).
Other elements of the Plaid Cymru manifesto may produce indirect impacts on archaeology and cultural heritage. These include:
A top-level ‘re-set’ of the planning system, identifying six new regions, including two regional development areas (page 76). Emphasis will be on pro-active planning and reducing development on greenfield sites; greater transparency is also promised, along with the creation of an ‘autonomous Welsh Planning Inspectorate, Cynllunio Cymru’ (page 77). The proposals are not detailed, but any changes to the planning system will impact on archaeology and cultural heritage.
Active travel and public transport commitments (pages 82–85) are potentially positive for the historic environment, as there is lower impact on archaeology and landscape settings than for road schemes (such as the M4 widening which Plaid Cymru explicitly rejects).
Commitments to reforesting and flood protection (page 37). These have positive potential for heritage, but the sector needs to stay fully engaged in consultation.
Although there is no specific commitment to social prescribing, the aims for improving mental health provision (pages 45–46) may increase opportunities for developing volunteer-based community archaeology and heritage projects.
Welsh Conservatives | Ceidwadwyr Cymreig
There are no specific references to archaeology in the 2021 Conservative manifesto, and only one direct reference to heritage — a commitment to free entry to Cadw sites for service personnel and veterans (page 36). However there are commitments to developing cultural heritage as part of a wider package for ‘rebuilding Wales’ tourism industry’ (page 11). Although the importance of archaeology and cultural heritage for tourism is not made explicit, it is implied in the impressive commitments to create a series of new cultural institutions, including a National Military Museum for Wales, a Welsh National Observatory, a Welsh Sports Hall of Fame and a National Art Gallery for Wales.
Other elements of the Conservative manifesto may produce indirect impacts on archaeology and cultural heritage. These include:
A commitment to abolish Natural Resources Wales (page 30), separating its regulatory and commercial functions. Although NRW has taken a while to cohere as an organisation, considerable progress has been achieved in delivering positive outcomes for the historic environment. Further organisational disruption may set this back.
An undertaking to support farmers and land managers with ‘public money for public goods’ (page 31) is welcome, but caring and safeguarding historic landscapes — including archaeology and cultural heritage — needs to be part of this. In this context a commitment to help farmers ‘reduce environmental costs’ is potentially worrying.
Although the manifesto does not call for full reform of the planning system, it does highlight ‘cutting red tape’ to ‘speed up house building’ (page 39) and, as in other parts of the UK, this could affect the long-established system of development-driven archaeology which has delivered real public benefit.
A series of commitments to infrastructure development (pages 13–14), primarily roads, may also impact on archaeology and cultural heritage — including a Freeport at Holyhead, upgrades to the A55, A40 and A470, and bypasses for Dinas Powys and Chepstow.
Wales Green Party | Plaid Werdd Cymru
Archaeology is specifically mentioned in the 2021 Green Party manifesto, as part of a commitment to using the planning system to ‘conserve, restore and where possible enhance, valuable landscape, ecological, geological, historical, archaeological, cultural and rural features’ (page 23).
Many other Green commitments for the planning system are also potentially positive for archaeology and cultural heritage — such as integrated approaches to placemaking and greater democratisation. There is also a commitment to ensure that the planning system simultaneously ‘promotes the local economic regeneration of damaged high streets and protects local heritage from destruction by encouraging repurposing of buildings for local economy uses’ (pages 22–23)
Some planning commitments may be challenging for archaeology and cultural heritage, such as a presumption against greenfield development, a commitment to ‘rewilding’ of land; some of the language around ‘bringing planning back to the people’ could imply side-lining some expertise which currently informs planning decisions.
The Green manifesto also identifies the need to protect and enhance ‘our Welsh culture and heritage’ through the transition to a ‘healthy food and farming system’ (page 20). It is not clear how this will be managed so that it ‘strengthens the Welsh language, culture and rural communities’. The ‘recovery’ of ‘landscapes’ is mentioned (page 19) but the emphasis is firmly on the natural environment and biodiversity with no mention of the important historic dimension to Welsh landscapes.
Other elements of the Green manifesto may produce indirect impacts on archaeology and cultural heritage. These include:
Consistent prioritisation of not-for-profit, publicly-funded and/or local and regional institutions and mechanisms for the delivery of many of the manifesto’s commitments; this will tend to reinforce the existing systems and approaches within Wales for delivering archaeology and cultural heritage.
Commitments to encourage ‘enjoyment of nature’ as part of health and wellbeing (page 22) may increase opportunities for developing volunteer-based community archaeology and heritage projects.
Recognising and valuing ‘the arts’ and ‘cultural industries’ and giving them a ‘key place in all community economy plans, linking cultural venues to economic recovery’ (page 27) is very welcome; this approach should also be extended to cultural heritage (including archaeology and museums).
Decolonising the curriculum, focussing on histories and role models from a diverse range of ethnicities and religions (page 29).
Welsh Liberal Democrats | Democratiaid Rhyddfryol Cymru
There is very little in the Liberal Democrat manifesto concerning archaeology and cultural heritage. Heritage is only specifically mentioned once, under the heading ‘Culture and Sport’ in a section on Communities. Here (page 40) there is a broad commitment to ‘support our arts, heritage and cultural sector to recover from the pandemic’, but no specific actions are set out.
Surprisingly for a Welsh election manifesto there is very little reference to food production and rural affairs. There are however strong commitments to reinforcing the devolution settlement as part of a ‘federal’ approach to the UK, and this includes a number of interesting proposals for ‘fixing our planning system’ (pages 63–64). This includes a commitment to ‘20 minute neighbourhoods’ and a new Planning Act to ensure greater transparency.
Hopefully this summary has been helpful for those interested in archaeology and cultural heritage. However you decide to vote, please do vote!
