Safeguarding the Millennium Commission’s cultural legacy as landmark venues face rising costs

New analysis shows flagship sites such as The Lowry and The Glasshouse continue to deliver major economic, social and educational returns - highlighting the need for funding frameworks that reflect their long-term value.

With government guidance on cultural funding due to be updated next year, new analysis from national planning and development consultancy Lichfields shows that Millennium Commission-backed venues continue to generate significant returns for their communities - but warns that traditional appraisal models may understate their wider public value as operating and decarbonisation costs rise.

Drawing on recent casework for two flagship sites, the study found that The Lowry in Salford contributes around £48m a year in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the economy and welcomed 860,000 visitors in 2023/24. In the North East, The Glasshouse International Centre for Music has delivered more than 233,000 learning sessions and supported over 2.8 million attendances to education programmes since opening.

Alongside these headline numbers, the analysis highlights wider benefits in skills, inclusion and place-making that are often under-represented in conventional appraisal models.

Alex Davies, Associate Director at Lichfields, said: “Venues like The Lowry and The Glasshouse were built to inspire - and they still do. The returns are clear in jobs, visitors and learning, but the community value runs even deeper. As costs rise and net-zero upgrades come due, we need business cases that capture the whole picture so we can protect a national legacy and keep it working for the next generation.”

Between 1994 and 2006, the Millennium Commission invested more than £2 billion in 200 projects across the UK, including The Lowry, The Glasshouse and the Eden Project. A quarter of a century on, many of these venues face higher running costs, ageing plant and the need to upgrade for net zero - challenges that underline the importance of forward-looking funding frameworks.

Davies added: “As the government reviews its appraisal frameworks, there’s a real opportunity to embed these broader measures of value into how cultural projects are funded and assessed. That shift would help secure the legacy of the Millennium Commission’s investment and ensure similar returns from future regeneration programmes.”

The findings build on Lichfields’ earlier research, The Funding Dilemma, which explored how value-for-money assessments can overlook wider social and economic benefits. Together, the studies highlight the importance of developing appraisal frameworks so public investment decisions better reflect long-term outcomes.

The analysis calls for a more rounded approach to assessing cultural projects - one that recognises economic spillovers, education outcomes and the role these buildings play in regeneration and local identity.