The strategy has been developed by the Heritage Strategy Group, chaired by the Heritage Champion, Cllr Phil Davis, as a partnership document for the city as a whole.

Deputy Leader for Birmingham City Council, Cllr Ian Ward, said: “Protecting the Past, Informing the Present is an important document that sets out Birmingham’s strategy for its heritage for the next five years. The strategy builds on the many gains made over the past five years, not least those which have enabled us to prioritise projects and lead a co-ordinated approach to bids to the Heritage Lottery Fund.

“This new strategy acknowledges the changes to the heritage landscape resulting from the economic crisis and reductions in public funding. It therefore sets out the need to attract funding and work with partners outside the authority collaboratively to promote the city’s heritage tourism assets. We are asking the city council to adopt the partnership strategy and commit to integrating its principles and action into service planning.”

Cllr Davis, Chair of the Heritage Strategy Group, said: “I’m grateful to the various groups and individuals who’ve contributed to the new strategy.

“Together we’ve identified 20 actions which will help promote and join up Birmingham’s heritage appeal to residents and visitors. These include, for example, quick promotional wins like joining the European Route of Industrial Heritage (ERIH) network. Longer term, we also have exciting learning and tourism opportunities around the UK 2019 bicentenary celebrations of the life of steam pioneer James Watt.

“Cash is tight but there’s a great deal of co-operation and enthusiasm in the city around the wonderful buildings, collections and stories that Birmingham has. Above all, we need to make our huge contribution to the industrial revolution better known and link that to our modern manufacturing skills in living creative centres like the Jewellery Quarter.”

“Brum helped make the modern world and its rich mix of people celebrates 21st century life. If we tell this story well, visitors and investors will come – not least from rapidly industrialising China and India. This strategy will help us do this.”