Blink and you'll miss it: Northern Ireland's built heritage is disappearing at a frightening pace, aided by official policy and a failure to provide sufficient funds to allow the Environment and Heritage Service to properly fulfil its role. SAVE launched its latest publication, investigating the state of conservation in the province to a packed audience in Belfast in June, hosted by the Belfast Building Preservation Trust. The immediate reaction from those on the receiving end of the report was one of stunned silence, while those who work in conservation in Northern Ireland expressed their gratitude at the problems being brought to a wider audience. The situation can be summarised as follows:

· Buildings are being downgraded and de-listed as a result of an abject failure to enforce listed building control and prevent illegal alterations and demolitions. Owners - not buildings - should be punished.

· The current resurvey of listed buildings is proceeding far too slowly. The material gathered so far will take two years to process. In addition, it is resulting in too many de-listings: by the end of 2000 there had been 134 new listings, but 304 delistings. This situation is unique in the UK - England, Scotland and Wales have added significantly to their listed building stocks. The survey must be accelerated and policy changed to increase the number of protected buildings.

· Uniquely in the UK there is no spot listing policy or system of building preservation notices to save buildings under immediate threat in Northern Ireland. This must be introduced, as under the present system, it can take up to six months for a building to be listed.

· Following the collapse of the government grant aid programmes for conservation no new grants were available from November 1999 until April 2001, and then limited to works over £25,000.

· Conservation areas in Northern Ireland are essential for the preservation of local urban character. SAVE is concerned about the lack of adequate management and enforcement structures. As a result the character of these areas is being eroded swiftly. Article 4 Directions should be put in place without delay.

· Rural vernacular dwellings are being lost at an escalating rate. Current housing policies favour the replacement of supposedly "unfit" buildings (requiring mandatory demolition of the old house) rather than renovation. Grant levels should be reviewed and sustainable development encouraged in line with a commendable Housing Executive project which had been considered.

The cause of this situation? A complete lack of will on the part of bureaucrats and the majority of politicians to find solutions to these problems, which must be solved. Money is not the answer - although a little more might help ease the situation. A modicum of will to do something about the situation would, however, produce positive results, although this will require a complete change in the way historic buildings are regarded by those in power in Ulster. Let us hope that we can help bring this about, sooner rather than later, as the opportunity now exists with the end of the Troubles and the introduction of devolved government.

Media reaction to the report - nationally and locally - has been very positive. We await reaction from those responsible for the built heritage in Northern Ireland with great interest. Available from SAVE for £3 (Friends £2.40).