Committee publication · Correspondence · 3 March 2026
Letter from Mark Chivers, Government Chief Property Officer, Office of Government Property, Cabinet Office, regarding Protecting built heritage oral evidence follow-up, 2 March 2026
From: Culture, Media and Sport Committee
Inquiry: Protecting built heritage
Summary
Mark Chivers, Government Chief Property Officer, writes to the Culture, Media and Sport Committee following his 3 February 2026 oral evidence session on protecting built heritage. He provides follow-up detail on two commitments: examples of government asset disposals that prioritised community and social value (Bletchley Park, Kneller Hall), and confirmation that the Department for Education's 13,000 newly announced apprenticeships will include heritage roles spanning levels 2–7.
Key findings
- Bletchley Park freehold transferred to Bletchley Park Trust for £1, preserving World War II code-breaking heritage and sustaining its operation as a major heritage attraction.
- Kneller Hall, Twickenham sold to an educational institution at approximately 15% below projected residential value, securing long-term educational and community legacy over maximising capital receipts.
- Department for Education's 13,000 newly announced apprenticeships will encompass heritage roles across construction qualification levels 2–7.
- Foundation Apprenticeships newly launched to support young people entering the construction sector, with DfE committed to ongoing engagement with employers to align apprenticeship offer with industry skills requirements including heritage.
Tone
FactualTopics
Key actors
Mark Chivers, Dame Caroline Dinenage, Bletchley Park Trust, Department for Education, Office of Government Property, Culture, Media and Sport Committee, Cabinet Office
Notable line
“The freehold interest was transferred for £1 to the Bletchley Park Trust. This ensured the preservation of the site's unique World War II code-breaking history and its continued operation …”
Key Quotes
“There are several successful instances of government disposals prioritising community and social value, often resulting in transfers at less than market value.”
“The freehold interest was transferred for £1 to the Bletchley Park Trust. This ensured the preservation of the site's unique World War II code-breaking history and its continued operation as a major heritage attraction.”
“Originally slated for a high-density housing development to maximise capital receipts, the site was instead sold to an educational institution. The sale was concluded at c15% below the projected residential value but, in doing so, secured a long-term educational and community legacy for the site.”
“… the program will encompass a broad spectrum of construction roles from Level 2 through to Level 7. This will include heritage roles.”
Source · parliament.uk record ↗