£200m of lottery cash will focus on ‘clusters’ of heritage in poorer areas

Scheme aims to target poorer regions with concentrations of monuments, buildings and protected landscapes

Applying some common sense can sometimes be a radical move. From 9 October an oddly simple new 200m scheme will, for the first time, focus on clusters of heritage sites, including ancient monuments, protected landscapes, museums and an abbey, in specifically targeted, poorer areas of Britain.

The new 10-year plan will be unveiled by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which has been supported by lottery players for nearly 30 years. It means the fund can spend its cash on preserving and improving a group of significant landmarks inside a concentrated development area, rather than only spending its money on individual projects.