THE bid to give Charles Darwin's home international status has moved a step closer after getting Government approval.
Bromley's World Heritage Site nomination focusing on the 19th-century scientist's life in Down House, Downe, has been rubber-stamped by Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell.
The bid, which took Bromley Council and the community two years to prepare, has been sent to the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization in Paris.
Officials will spend the next 18 months considering the bid. A visit to the borough is expected by the end of this year and a decision will be made next year.
Bromley Council leader Councillor Stephen Carr said: "This is an exciting application and will give the area international recognition.
"More importantly it would enable this area and its legacy to remain intact for generations to come."
Charles Darwin lived in Downe for 40 years and wrote The Origin of Species there.
For more information on Darwin and the bid, visit darwinatdowne.co.uk
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