English Heritage correctly recognises the importance of acting quickly and decisively to halt decay. Two years ago it commendably launched a scheme to encourage local authorities to use urgent works and repairs notices more frequently and more quickly. Grants were offered to underwrite the costs of serving notices and carrying out works. But the sad reality is that the scheme has not fulfilled its potential, because many local authorities are still loathed to commit the time and resources - even when offered 80% grants - to something few have experience of, which council solicitors are very wary of and which is often politically unpopular with councillors. Above all else they fear financial liability: will they be able to recover costs from owners and will they be saddled with a building requiring expensive repair?

English Heritage must re-target some of the £5m set aside under its buildings at risk grant programme to extend the assistance it offers to local authorities who are wavering. By utilising its unrivalled expertise it should employ staff in its new regional offices to draw up notices for inexperienced or overstretched councils. Moreover, English Heritage's powers outside London should be brought into line with those inside the capital, allowing it to serve urgent works and repairs notices itself (without having to go through the agency of the Secretary of State) as a substitute for those local authorities who remain unwilling to serve them themselves.

If local authorities won't act English Heritage must. It has used its enforcement powers within London successfully on many occasions. It must now do so in the rest of the country too.