The humble Blue Plaque is set for a new lease on life following an announcement this week. The London Evening Standard has announced it will help breathe new life into English Heritage’s Blue Plaque’s scheme this week with the scheme – which was suspended in January due to funding cuts – set to relaunch next year in association with the newspaper. As many as 20 new plaques have already been funded through a £80,000 donation from property developer David Pearl, says the paper, and the public are being urged to help financially support the programme at www.english-heritage.org.uk/donate. The Standard also noted that from next year its readers will be able to vote for candidates for future plaques. Each Blue Plaque costs about £4,000 to create and install. Pictured is a Blue Plaque commemorating poet Alexander Pope’s residence in a Chiswick property between 1716-1719. The property is now the Mawson Arms public house.
Great news, but four grand! What are they made of? Moon cheese?
Reblogged this on atbankofdam.
I am delighted that the plaque programme has been reinstated, but I don’t understand what happened to an important historical task. Relying on public generosity or a newspaper’s campaign is not a long term solution.