How do you think Wrexham Council can look after and preserve our local heritage?

UPDATE: Wrexham Council have since been in touch to say a change of date meant this consultation closed yesterday. We were made aware of this change this morning.

ORIGINAL: Members of the public are being invited to have their say on how Wrexham Council can look after and preserve our local heritage.

Wrexham County Borough is full of heritage – from historic buildings in the town, two National Trust sites, the Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Wrexham Musuem, two Victorian Markets, Brymbo Steelworks and many more buildings, landmarks and objects.

Across Wales the heritage sector supports close to 40,000 jobs and generates £749m a year. It is also one of the reasons North Wales is a top visitor destination (it was recently cited by Lonely Planet as the fourth best place to visit in the world).

It has been 13 years since the local authority published its last heritage strategy, however “pressure on public spending” has been cited as a reason for the closure of some local sites.

Now the Wrexham public are being invited to have their say on a new draft strategy, which aims to preserve and develop a distinct ‘heritage brand’ for Wrexham’s history.

The vision of the new strategy, which would be in place up until 2028, is “To enable the full potential of our heritage to flourish, so that it can make the maximum possible contribution and enrich all aspects of life in the County Borough, for the benefit of local residents and visitors alike.”

Within the consultation members of the public are asked whether they agree or disagree with plans to create ‘The Wrexham Heritage Partnership’ to drive forward the strategy and identify and seek funding for key developmental opportunities.

Other suggestions include:

– Undertake an audit of key monuments in order to identify and cost their conservation needs. Funding will then be applied for to support a rolling programme of work over the life of the strategy.

– Establish a network of Heritage Hubs and seek new and imaginative ways of linking heritage sites with associated services and businesses.

– Develop a distinct ‘heritage brand’ for Wrexham’s heritage and seek new and imaginative ways that the brand can be marketed and promoted.

– Identify key educational opportunities to increase the number of school visits to key sites.

There is also the chance to feedback on what you think should be included in the strategy and what, if anything, you think is missing from the process.

Councillor Hugh Jones, lead member for people, said: “Heritage helps define us as individuals, as a community, and as a nation. It’s also an important part of the economy in Wales, supporting jobs and investment.

“Our heritage in Wrexham comes in many forms – from castles, stately homes and former coal mines, to the words and objects from the past that are cared for in our museums.

“It’s important we look after our heritage, so please take a look at our new strategy and tell us what you think. If we want to get the most from our past, we need a good plan for the future.”

The draft strategy will be presented to the executive board for consideration later this year.

The draft heritage strategy can also be viewed here.