People in the Westcountry lead the nation in cherishing their heritage, with many prepared to take action to save cultural treasures.

The importance with which history is held in the region is revealed at the launch of a new organisation which is dedicated to championing heritage.

Historic England has today unveiled plans to help preserve the South West’s unique environment.

Duncan Wilson, Historic England chief executive, said the future was looking bright.

“This is a new era for the South West’s heritage and Historic England is committed to working with local communities, owners and partners to ensure this heritage is valued and protected.

“From the South West’s special historic buildings to those that form the backdrop to everyday life, this heritage is the physical embodiment of the past and the legacy that together we shall carry into the future.”

Historic England is a new organisation which advises the Government and provides expertise on the historic environment and used to be a part of English Heritage.

Simon Hickman, principal inspector for historic buildings in Devon, Dorset and Cornwall, said heritage was one of the South West’s major economic assets.

“We want to make sure people see that heritage isn’t a bar to growth,” he said.

To mark its launch, a poll has been released which shows the importance of heritage to people in the Westcountry.

It reveals that people in the South West (41%) are the joint leaders with the South East in taking action to help save a local historic building.

It also finds that people in the South West are more aware of their heritage, with 43% saying they know of historically significant buildings or places in their local area and 69% saying they have an interest in the history of buildings in their local area.

The survey reveals that 79% of people in the South West believe country houses and castles are the most important types of heritage to save.

This year Historic England says it is helping to find exciting new futures for some of the most cherished heritage in the South West.

It will be working with Plymouth City Council and the Ministry of Defence on development proposals for South Yard in the Devonport Naval Base.

The 7.5-hectare site, recently designated as an Enterprise Zone, will become a marine industries campus attracting £110 million of public and private investment.

The scheme embraces the distinctive character of the 17th-century naval base and will provide 32,400 square metres of high-tech and manufacturing space and create up to 1,100 jobs.

The organisation will provide expert advice and

support to the regenerate the former Perran iron foundry in Cornwall.

At its height, the foundry was a principal supplier of parts and machinery for the Cornish and global mining industry, and employed over 400 people. A scheme for the sensitive conversion of the whole site was granted in 2008 and is currently being successfully implemented.

Historic England is been supporting Dorset County Council in preparing the South West’s first Listed Building Heritage Partnership Agreement (LBHPA) to manage on-going maintenance and standard repairs to the many historic bridges in its ownership.

Over 170 bridges in the county are listed and an LBHPA means a long-term programme of works to repair the bridges can take place without the need for repetitive applications for Listed Building Consent.

It is hoped that the agreement will be signed later this year.

In a bid to tackle heritage crime in Somerset, Historic England and Avon and Somerset Police held a seminar in Taunton earlier this year,

attended by police, the Southwest Heritage Trust, Somerset County Council and Finds Liaison Officers from the portable antiquities scheme.

The one-day event raised awareness and understanding of the threat and impact of crime and anti-social behaviour on Somerset’s rich and diverse range of historic buildings and archaeological sites.

The organisation plans to offer more workshops in the South West to raise awareness of rural and heritage crime this year.

Historic England, which revealed almost everyone in England now lives within a mile of a designated heritage asset, says it is also looking at the South West’s public libraries, post-war public sculpture and even its pubs to see which of them are so special that they deserve listing.