English Heritage Attacked in Parliament over Closures

12.00.00am GMT Mon 2nd Feb 2004

The decision of English Heritage to close Marble Hill House to the public except for restricted opening times, is to be roundly attacked in parliament today by MP Vincent Cable in questions to culture secretary, Tessa Jowell.

The Marble Hill Society has already protested strongly over the decision to press ahead with closures in order to fit in with the deadline for publishing a guide on opening hours and the derisory level of public consultation. Local residents and supporters have put in a great deal of time and fund raising effort to build up the collection at the House and now feel that the partnership with English Heritage has been destroyed.

The House, built for Henrietta Howard the mistress of George II in the 1770's is regarded (e.g. in Simon Jenkins England's Best Houses) as one of the finest in the country.

Vincent Cable said: "I have appealed to the Minister to step in to give some time for consultation with the Marble Hill Society and the local council to explore other options. No one disputes the need for English Heritage to make some economies but the way it has gone about the decision to drastically curtail visitor hours is crass, arrogant and unimaginative. English Heritage is trying to present the community and the government with a 'fait accompli' and shouldn't be allowed to get away with it".