GRAND IDEAS FOR THE NATIONS HERITAGE
25 proposals for the future of conservation put forward to mark SAVE's 25 Anniversary
The scandal of decay - rescue and prevention
An estimated 10,000 historic buildings across the UK, capable of reuse, are at risk from neglect or decay. Here we suggest measures that will speed up the process and help save thousands of buildings.
These buildings have decayed through sheer neglect. To prevent others suffering the same fate in the future we need to embrace a more sustainable approach to the conservation of the historic environment - the emphasis must shift from cure to prevention. Therefore, we also recommend practical policies to encourage regular maintenance.
1. Give grants to Grade II listed buildings at risk in England. 90% of all decaying historic buildings are listed Grade II. English Heritage must set aside funds to grant aid the repair of the most needy of these.
3. Modernise enforcement powers so that they are used not as a last resort but frequently and swiftly to prevent expensive and irreversible damage.
4. Give English Heritage powers to take enforcement action across the whole country- if local authorities won't, or can't, serve urgent works or repairs notices, English Heritage must.
5. Activate building preservation trusts. These charities exist to rescue historic buildings the market can't save.
6. Introduce Monument Watch: daily care stops decay. The Dutch organisation Monumentenwacht offers a successful model of a practical project encouraging regular maintenance to prevent decay.
7. End VAT discrimination against historic buildings. VAT on maintenance and repair encourages alteration where repairs would be more appropriate. Equalising rates at 5% would do more than any other single measure to encourage restoration.
8. Builders rubbish: an unexpected source of funds . Conservation must fully exploit the landfill tax credit scheme.
Strengthen Protection
Key areas of our historic environment still require effective protection to prevent their destruction.
9. Fill the gaps in the lists of listed buildings. English Heritage has abandoned geographical surveys in favour of thematic surveys leaving a large number of buildings, which should be protected, unlisted
10. Give local communities a say in protecting historic landscapes.The policy of "locally listing" landscapes should be adopted by all local authorities.
11. Strengthen the protection of conservation areas. Without stronger protection the character of many conservation areas will soon be erased by uPVC windows and other insensitive alterations.
12. Rise to the challenge of the 20th century's industrial legacy. We need to adopt new approaches to conserve the best of these remarkable sites.
13. Wales: give conservation a proper voice. Cadw must be given greater scope for direct action and public leadership by redistribution under independent commissioners.
14.Northern Ireland: stop delisting and start spot listing. Buildings are being delisted as a result of unauthorised but minor alterations; at the same time there are no powers to spot list previously overlooked buildings threatened by demolition.
15. Historic towns and cities need specialist conservation officers. All councils need the skills to assess demolition and alteration applications.
16. Government no longer needs to sell redundant historic buildings to the highest bidder, if an alternative is more sympathetic. Vigilance is required to ensure this is implemented.
17. The same should go for local authorities and charities. Local authorities should be subject to similar guidelines; new legislation for charities should be more widely known.
Revival
Conservation can play a key role in bringing new life and prosperity to our towns, cities and villages.
18. Tackle the wounds in our urban fabric. Fill gap sites with imaginative and sensitive new buildings or instant planting.
19. Use the wasted space above shops. As many as one million new homes could be created in this way.
20. Tackle the humble heritage. They may not architectural gems, but many workshops, barns and sheds are important to local character and can provide excellent space for new enterprises.
Educate and Inspire
Work done with good intentions but without a proper understanding can be a major danger to many historic buildings. Equipping those who own, maintain and repair historic buildings with the correct information and skills is the key to the long-term conservation of the historic environment.
21. A new undergraduate degree course in conservation, to equip conservation professionals with the wide range of skills they need.
22. Train architects, engineers and surveyors to have an understanding of historic buildings. All must have a basic education in the construction, repair and alteration of historic buildings.
23. Equip the building trades with an understanding of traditional repair techniques.These skills are dying fast. We must begin to re-educate the construction workforce.
24. Help owners of historic buildingsby establishing a one stop conservation information service and providing imaginative information packs for new owners.
25. Open up the archives. Put the mass of public and other records online so that everyone can easily uncover the history of a building, street or area.