Government Recognises Bletchley Park as a Site of National Importance

 

 

 

Culture Secretary Ben Bradshaw visited Bletchley Park today to announce the allocation of £250,000 DCMS funding for urgent repairs at the neglected WW2 Codebreaking Centre.  The grant, which comes from the reallocation of under-spends elsewhere in the DCMS budget for 2009-2010, will allow the Bletchley Park Trust to tackle a variety of badly needed works on the ageing site including resurfacing pot-holed roads and car-parks and new roofs for iconic, at-risk, codebreaking buildings.

 

Simon Greenish, CEO of the Bletchley Park Trust, welcomed today's announcement as hugely significant, saying:

 

"This enormously-appreciated funding boost will not only enable vital repair and maintenance of this WW2 site for the benefit of our rapidly growing number of visitors, but it also represents endorsement by the DCMS that Bletchley Park is a place of national importance which deserves Government support.”

 

Ben Bradshaw commended the work of the Bletchley Park Trust, saying:

 

 “The work carried out at Bletchley Park had a huge impact on the course of the war, and the museum does a brilliant job in bringing this alive for people of all ages.  But, having doubled its visitor numbers over the last three years, it urgently needs funds to keep it in good condition.  I am delighted to announce this grant which will help renovate the buildings and ensure that future visitors enjoy a really high quality experience when they come here.”

 

The announcement comes after a previous landmark was reached by the Trust in October 2009 when the Heritage Lottery Fund announced a first round pass for the Bletchley Park Trust application for museum development funding and awarded £460,000 to work up detailed plans.  These will be submitted early to mid 2011 in a bid to secure the £4.1 million needed to realize the plans and subject to the Trust raising the £1 million needed for match-funding the bid.  The Trust will then work on raising a further £5 million to complete the development.