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Safeguarding the Millennium Commission’s cultural legacy as landmark venues face rising costs
New analysis shows flagship sites such as The Lowry and The Glasshouse continue to deliver major economic, social and educational returns – highlighting the need for funding frameworks that reflect their long-term value. With government guidance on cultural funding due to be updated next year, new analysis from national planning and development consultancy Lichfields shows that Millennium Commission-backed venues continue to generate significant returns for their communities – but warns that traditional appraisal models may understate their wider public value as operating and decarbonisation costs rise. Drawing on recent casework for two flagship sites, the study
found that The Lowry in Salford contributes around £48m a year in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy and welcomed 860,000 visitors in 2023/24. In the North East, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music has delivered more than 233,000 learning sessions and supported over 2.8 million attendances to education programmes since opening. Alongside these headline numbers, the analysis highlights wider benefits in skills, inclusion and place-making that are often under-represented in conventional appraisal models. Alex Davies, Associate Director at Lichfields, said: “Venues like
The Lowry and The Glasshouse were built to inspire – and they still do. The returns are clear in jobs, visitors and learning, but the community value runs even deeper. As costs rise and net-zero upgrades come due, we need business cases that capture the whole picture so we can protect a national legacy and keep it working for the next generation.” For more information visit
https://lichfields.uk/
Ultra-Fin UFH assists quest for net zero with supporting role in the Actors’ Church
A recently completed contract for an underfloor heating company has demonstrated how a Grade I listed landmark building can undergo a transformation, in terms of its energy efficiency, without any traces being left on the existing historic internal fabric: while also future-proofing it for a switch to a fully renewable heating source in the coming years. St. Paul’s Church in Covent Garden is not only known for its architecture but also as the ‘Actors’ Church’, hosting memorials to
film and stage stars from Charlie Chaplin to Sir Noel Coward. Working with the Diocese of London and under the Church of England Net Zero Carbon programme the Church has achieved what might have seemed impossible less than a year ago. Established in 2024, Ultra-Fin UK already has a strong presence in the heritage sector and was exhibiting at this year’s Listed Property Owner’s Club show at Olympia. The team met Westminster Churches Net Zero Forum Officer, Alison Moulden, who made the introduction to the Parish priest, Revd. Simon Grigg, and Parish Administrator, Phil Hunt, who took a keen interest in the potential of the underfloor heating system which is designed for joisted floors. Director Tom Dixon-Smith said:
“Our business model normally involves supply and training but the nature of this project inspired us to take on the role of manufacturer, supplier and installer, using our own team of engineers. The Church is so important we weren’t prepared to let anyone else complete the project”. Tom went on to say, “Phil Hunt did a fantastic job of steering the project application through all the Grade I listing
and other compliance issues and we supported that by producing what became a 250-page document detailing not just the system but also the installation method. For example, we had to calculate how many notches we would have to take out of the existing joists once the historic floorboards were lifted and also specify the insulation solution over which the system would run.” The support for the insulation is provided
by a super tough, A1 fire rated breathable PhotonWrap barrier, which also enhances the heat delivery from the Ultra-Fin diffusers by being heat reflective. The membrane was lapped over the joists, held in place with staples and painted black along the top of where it sits on the joists to prevent a shiny glare from between the floorboards. The composite PEX Aluminium pipe and the Ultrafins were installed during a 13-day period in August 2025, before the company’s engineers completed the connections to the existing boiler and undertook the commissioning. The new underfloor heating extends across the whole of the nave from in front of the Altar to the main entrance.
www.ultra-fin.co.uk JR4
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