EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

  The Jodrell Bank Visitor Centre, opened in 1965, was one of the world's first science centres. It has attracted over 3 million visitors to a site which has research as its primary purpose, something that is unique amongst UK science centre attractions. Currently attracting over 60,000 visitors pa to an interim centre, we are planning to develop a significant new Centre for Visitors. Jodrell Bank has an unparalleled combination of an iconic brand, strong baseline visitor numbers (with evidence of significant further "pent up" demand), a potentially huge development site with excellent transport links, access to a pool of high calibre research scientists and the institutional support of the University of Manchester, one of the UK's major academic institutions. We would welcome a new system of support for existing science centres combined with strategic funding of new flagship centres tied to key government aims. Our experience suggests that the combination of an iconic scientific establishment with a new iconic science centre will provide a truly inspirational experience engaging the public with science and attracting young people into careers in science and technology.

  1.  The Jodrell Bank Visitor Centre, opened in 1965, was one of the world's first science centres. It operated in a visitor climate that preceded the current "Science Centre Sector" and can therefore offer some perspective on the financial sustainability of such attractions in general.

  2.  The original centre, on the site of the Jodrell Bank Observatory, was demolished in 2003, pending the development of a new Centre for Visitors. It has attracted over 3 million visitors, 150,000 per annum at its peak and, despite the demolition of the original visitor centre and Planetarium, the site continues to attract in excess of 60,000 visitors each year.

  3.  The Grade 1 listed Lovell Telescope, which celebrates its 50th Anniversary this year, is the key attractor at the site—its size and purpose are inspiring to visitors of all ages. However, the Observatory is also home to MERLIN, the UK's National Radio Astronomy Facility, and carries out a wide programme of leading edge Astronomy research on a 24-hour a day basis. This therefore means that visitors to Jodrell Bank enter a site which has research as its primary purpose, something that is unique amongst UK science centre attractions. The centre provides visitors with access to live science and scientists.

  4.  The new Centre at Jodrell Bank seeks to go beyond the delivery of curriculum support and create a space in which inspiration can be sparked off in a new generation of scientists, motivating school children to pursue their studies in science to higher levels. While we have not collected quantitative data over the last 40 years, experience suggests that this is a highly successful way of motivating school pupils to engage actively with education. Anecdotal evidence reveals many scientists in all Faculties in Manchester University who pursued their studies because of interest kindled during a visit to Jodrell Bank as a child. We believe that the pipeline for the next generation of UK innovators and researchers starts with experiences such as this.

  5.  No precise figures exist for the exact operational costs of the original visitor centre at Jodrell Bank. However, it seems from the information available that when income from ticket sales did not cover all running costs the deficit was covered by the Observatory (and therefore the University of Manchester).

  6.  In the current climate of higher education funding it is clearly not appropriate for the University of Manchester to commit significant funds to anything other than its core activities of teaching and research. However, the University is supporting the development project for the new Centre, and in the meanwhile is meeting demand from visitors by maintaining an interim visitor centre at the site.

  7.  The development project for the new Centre for Visitors at Jodrell Bank is exploring ways in which the financial sustainability can be assured. Discussions with tourism experts have indicated that, in addition to attracting funding, the new Centre must be developed in partnership with stakeholders at all levels.

  8.  To date, discussions about the new Centre for Visitors at Jodrell Bank have taken place with implementation partners from the following sectors:

—  Government (national, regional, sub-regional and local levels).

—  Industry.

—  Research councils.

—  Learned Bodies and Societies.

—  Education (schools, education authorities, higher education partners and curriculum support initiatives).

—  Science Centre and Museums sector.

—  Tourism (supporting regional bodies, competitor and partner attractions).

—  Conferencing.

—  Catering.

—  Retail.

  9.  Jodrell Bank has an unparalleled combination of an iconic brand, baseline visitor numbers of 60 000pa (with evidence of significant further "pent up" demand), a potentially huge development site with excellent transport links, access to a pool of high calibre research scientists and the institutional support of the University of Manchester, one of the UK's major academic institutions. Despite this and in the light of the current lack of government support for science centres per se, the task of putting together the right jigsaw of capital and running costs for the proposed new Centre is daunting.

  10.  A planned system of support for existing science centres would remove the uncertainty surrounding their sustainability. We would recommend that this is considered by the inquiry.

  11.  We also suggest that the strategic funding of new flagship centres tied to key government aims could contribute significantly towards building the future generation of the UK's scientists. Government funding would be particularly effective were it provided for centres such as that proposed at Jodrell Bank. In this situation, for example, any investment would accrue significant added value from its association with the existing factors listed in paragraph 9. Our experience suggests that the combination of an iconic scientific establishment with a new iconic science centre will provide a truly inspirational experience engaging the public with science and attracting young people into careers in science and technology.

June 2007