Chester’s Rows miss out on World Heritage status

Mar 24 2011 by David Holmes, Chester Chronicle

CHESTER’S famous Rows have lost the opportunity to sit proudly alongside World Heritage sites such as Stonehenge, The Giant’s Causeway and Hadrian’s Wall.

The Rows were one of 38 sites nationwide put forward by the government to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (Unesco) for consideration last July.

But the medieval shopping gallery – which welcomed its first customers over 800 years ago – has now been left off a ‘tentative list’ for potential nominations.

World Heritage status leads to increased tourism for members of the elite group as well as adding to the sense of pride among local residents and workers.

An exasperated Cllr Richard Short, Cheshire West and Chester Council’s executive member for culture and recreation, said: “The Rows are unique in the world as far as we can find out.

“But they seem to be saying The Rows only have national interest and not international interest.

“You just wonder about these decisions.”

Cllr Short said the status would have helped fund improvements and maintenance of the historic feature which has sometimes suffered from lack of footfall by shoppers and anti-social behaviour.

One idea had been to install a lift to provide better access to St Michael’s Heritage centre and Bridge Street Row East for older people and those with disabilities.

The Urban Land Institute recommended managing the Rows like an open air shopping mall and even opening a boutique hotel on the upper floors to generate more pedestrian flow. But Cllr Short dismissed the hotel idea as “wishful thinking”.

The 11 sites named on the UK shortlist include Cheshire’s Jodrell Bank observatory, the North Wales’ slate industry and the Lake District.