Indicator Data
Each year, Heritage Counts collates datasets about a range of indicators that provide useful insights into the state of the historic environment. In most cases, these indicators have been collected since 2002, providing over 15 years of trend data. For 2021 we also looked at new data available on COVID-19 and its impact on the heritage sector.
The evidence collected here is used by historic environment professionals to understand changes in the historic environment and to develop policies to protect it and to demonstrate its importance.
The indicator datasets are organised according to the five strategic priorities of Heritage 2020 below (you can find out more about Heritage 2020 from the Historic Environment Forum web pages). The data are presented as easy-to-use statistics in Excel spreadsheets. These enable year-on-year changes in the historic environment to be tracked at the national, regional and, wherever possible, local level:
Discovery, identification and understanding provides indicators on the scale and scope of the historic environment. England’s protected heritage assets and the natural environment
Constructive conservation and sustainable management outlines the overall condition of the historic environment with indicators from the Heritage at Risk programme and data on managing the historic environment, including planning statistics
Public engagement presents data on participation in heritage, heritage membership and volunteering in the sector
Capacity building includes indicators of heritage investments from private, public and voluntary sectors, as well as the skills and capacity of the sector
Helping things to happen provides data from Building Preservation Trusts and the local authority Heritage Champions initiative
Local Authority Profiles
Local Authority Profiles present comprehensive, comparable datasets and information on the historic environment for each local authority and national park in England. Local communities with an interest in conserving their local heritage, and local authority staff, can use the Local Authority Profiles to find a range of information.
The following categories of information are available in the local authority profiles:
- Number of designated heritage assets
- Number of 'at risk' designated heritage assets
- Whether the authority has a Heritage Champion
- Number of planning applications, listed building consents and parks and garden consents
- The number of historic environment specialists advising the local authority on conservation and archaeology
Please note: Some users with older versions of Excel may experience difficulties opening the files. Please treat them as a trusted document in any dialogue boxes that pop up. If you still experience difficulties, please email [email protected] so we can send you the files.
Visitor attraction trends
In 2021, Historic England commissioned BDRC to produce a report on Visitor Attraction Trends in England. The report provides a comprehensive England-wide analysis of heritage attractions and visits in 2020 and trend data. The report includes additional analysis of the impact of COVID-19 on visitor attractions.
