Blue plaque funding cut

[YesItsARover]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-209264...

"Funds have been cut from £130m in 2010/11......The scheme, responsible for 869 plaques across London"

How much to run 900 static signs that may need a paint every couple of years??

"A spokeswoman said it costs an average £965 per plaque.
She said that by reducing the team by two full-time equivalent posts and suspending installations, about £120,000 would be saved each year for two years"

I think someone is being ripped off here. Is it really just a committee to decide who gets a plaque then Dave to come along and drill two holes in someones wall or am I overlooking £129,000,500's worth of cost somewhere?

[10 Pence Short]

I would imagine the £130m figure is English Heritage's entire annual budget, rather than the blue plaque budget alone.

[ralphrj]

£130m is the total government contribution to English Heritage's budget not what EH spend on blue plaques.

[YesItsARover]

Ah good, then my sums are not out by that much then

[Derek Smith]

D'you think that the last house they put a blue plaque on with have a blue plaque on to say it was the last one?

[Hooli]

Is there anyone left to put up a blue plaque too?

[Galsia]

It must have cost a lot of money to take all of the Jimmy Savile ones down...

[otolith]

"Cuts have to be made - what will cause the greatest publicity"

[Mojooo]

otolith said:

"Cuts have to be made - what will cause the greatest publicity"

should the cuts be hidden? surely the public have a right to know

of ocurse in this case no one might give a toss about blue plaques.

I've seen a plaque for Benny Hill in central London but it looks liek it wasn't put up by these guys.

[otolith]

Mojooo said:

should the cuts be hidden?

Yes. If it is possible to make cuts without their effects being visible at all, absolutely. And if that is the case, someone should get their arse kicked for not having already stopped spending money for no discernable benefit.

Failing the possibility of hiding them completely, however, any cuts which have to be made should be chosen to minimise their impact upon the taxpaying public, which appears to be the opposite strategy to that favoured by public sector management.

Edited by otolith on Monday 7th January 11:40

[crankedup]

Not sure as to whether their is a benefit in 'Blue Plaques' or not. The only possible up side is within tourism, the tourist guide announcing ' joe bloggs was born in this house 200 years ago' The plaque represents a public acknowledgement of that fact I suppose.

[blueg33]

How do the placques manage to cost nearly £1000 each?

[rpguk]

I can well understand them averaging out to £1000 each. There'll need to be research carried out, a bit of paperwork, maybe some PR with the local press and an unveiling, production on a fairly low scale of the plaques, site survey and often these will be on important buildings so more complications to bring up the average cost. The building owner won't want a couple of cowboys coming along and making a mess of things.

£1000 seems a fairly reasonable average cost to do the job properly IMHO.

As a total saving though, I can't imagine shelving the scheme will make any huge savings so I'm somewhat inclined to think doing so does act as a political statement. However if necessary I'd prefer they paused this scheme rather than cut back on essential maintenance to important buildings.

[blueg33]

rpguk said:

I can well understand them averaging out to £1000 each. There'll need to be research carried out, a bit of paperwork, maybe some PR with the local press and an unveiling, production on a fairly low scale of the plaques, site survey and often these will be on important buildings so more complications to bring up the average cost. The building owner won't want a couple of cowboys coming along and making a mess of things.

£1000 seems a fairly reasonable average cost to do the job properly IMHO.

As a total saving though, I can't imagine shelving the scheme will make any huge savings so I'm somewhat inclined to think doing so does act as a political statement. However if necessary I'd prefer they paused this scheme rather than cut back on essential maintenance to important buildings.

Good point about the research etc

I am in favour of the plaques, I plan to have one on the house I was born in