Unlocking The Power of the Past: Why Heritage-led Regeneration Works

In recent years, the challenge of reviving our high streets has grown ever more urgent with the increase of online retailers weakening the high street offering. From boarded-up shopfronts to declining footfall, the signs of economic strain are all too familiar.  

Heritage-led regeneration has emerged as an interesting way for breathing new life into our town centres. Through Historic England’s High Streets Heritage Action Zones (HSHAZ) programme, 66 high streets across England were rejuvenated, not just aesthetically, but economically, socially, and culturally.  

More than bricks and mortar 

The most visible success of the programme is the physical transformations. Hundreds of shopfronts were restored, bringing back much needed visual variety to these underinvested streets. Long-term neglected buildings were given new purposes such as homes, community spaces, cinemas, market halls, and cafés. These improvements were not just aesthetic but aimed to encourage footfall, create new economic opportunities, and instil more pride in these places. 

But this heritage-led regeneration programme did not stop at the bricks and mortar. Perhaps more profoundly, it supported people to reconnect to their places and its history. Over 2.7 million people took part in cultural activities linked to the HSHAZ programme; many of them rediscovering the mix of stories, spaces, and identities that make their high streets unique. In areas like Bedford, Redruth and Wakefield, local residents and cultural groups spoke of the joy and energy these events brought after challenges such as the Covid-19 pandemic and other economic pressures. This kind of engagement helped to raise local pride and cohesion, some of the things which are often-unseen but help to hold communities together. 

Looking beyond the numbers 

From an evaluation perspective, the HSHAZ programme provides a lot of information and insights that needs digesting. It demonstrated clear success in areas like partnership-building with over 130 local collaborations formed. It also showed how heritage can attract investment, with more than £140 million of match funding brought in from public and private sources. 

Yet, measuring the deeper impact proved more challenging. Some strands of the programme lacked clear metrics to track progress especially in the community and cultural space. Without the existence of baseline data on demographics or engagement, it was difficult to draw firm conclusions on who benefited and how. 

However, Historic England and Amion did go some way to fill this gap by trialling new evaluation approaches. This included techniques like footfall analysis and perception surveys comparing HSHAZ projects with control towns. The results of which gave us glimpses into the multiplier effect of heritage investment, such as increased visits, higher spending and improved perceptions of place. In one location, we even saw sustained footfall increases clearly linked to the heritage-based activities. 

Learning from heritage-led regeneration programmes 

There were some successes and there were some limitations, but the latter are instructive. Heritage-led regeneration is not a silver bullet, and external challenges like Covid-19 and inflation took their toll on delivery timelines. But there is a  key lesson here: we believe regeneration rooted in local identity has staying power. When communities feel part of the interventions and changes taking place, the outcomes seem more meaningful and more durable. It is about putting in place the key components to build upon rather than clear cut improvements and impacts from day one.  

Could this be a better model for the future? 

If we want high streets to thrive, we must move beyond short-term fixes. Heritage-led regeneration shows us what is possible when we invest not only in buildings, but in belonging. The HSHAZ programme reminds us that history is not just about looking back; it can be a foundation for building better, more resilient places and communities for the future.