Birkenhead Park secures its place on the Tentative List!
Birkenhead Park is a step closer to achieving the highly coveted UNESCO World Heritage Site status!
Following the submission of our application in July 2022, the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport announced on Monday 10th April 2023 that Birkenhead Park would be included on the UK Tentative List for potential nomination for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. While inclusion on the Tentative List does not guarantee a site will progress to be nominated to UNESCO, Birkenhead Park’s inclusion on the Tentative List is still seen as a significant step closer to that goal.
The World Heritage Status inscription is awarded by UNESCO (United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation) to sites which are determined to have Outstanding Universal Value and makes the final decision on which locations become World Heritage Sites from lists of potential locations submitted to it by governments. The UK Tentative List includes sites that could become future UNESCO World Heritage Sites over the next 10 years. We don’t yet know if or when we’ll be nominated by the UK Government, but we’ll be working hard over the coming years to secure our nomination.
Birkenhead Park as a World Heritage Site would add to its international recognition and acknowledge the role it played as the forerunner for the public parks movement. It would be a massive achievement for the park, the wider community, and for Wirral. The Friends of Birkenhead Park, along with Wirral Council, have been working towards this goal for several years. It is hoped that the park’s success will boost the regeneration of Birkenhead and cement its historical significance in the development of urban public parks around the world.
Birkenhead Park’s inclusion on the UK Tentative List is an important milestone for the park’s potential to become a World Heritage Site. Birkenhead Park is a unique public space that has served the community for over 175 years, and this recognition is a testament to its historical, social, and cultural significance. We look forward to following its journey towards achieving this prestigious designation, and we’ll keep everyone informed of our progress in the coming years!
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