Protecting our historic environment can be complex and can bring higher costs and technical demands, yet at the same time can deliver intrinsic cultural value. This session provided some inspiring insight into how our heritage buildings can become viable and prosperous again, bringing community and environmental benefits. A series of exemplar projects across all scales and complexities were presented by voices across the industry.

The entries on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register provide an annual snapshot and  health check of England’s most valued historic buildings and places. The register has been running for nearly 25 years and should be thought of in a positive way. It’s designed to facilitate funding opportunities and encourage groups to get involved by helping with partnerships that might unblock small or larger sums of money. Public value is a key focus for both open spaces and their heritage structures, particularly those that can benefit the large numbers of people who enjoy them.

Katie presented four fascinating projects across a wide range of scales. The Grade II* listed Battersea Power Station is an iconic London landmark that was in a very poor state and was on the register for 30 years before it was recently redeveloped. The highly skilled conservation work to preserve as many of the original features as possible included rebuilding the chimneys using original 1930s methods. A favourite project of Katie’s is the conversion of derelict Victorian public toilets in Bloomsbury into a wine bar. The original cubicles are retained as booths with tables along with some of the graffiti. A fire damaged Victorian gatehouse by Norman Shaw was faithfully reconstructed during the first Covid lockdown by sharing historic information online. Lastly, a Grade II listed drinking fountain and cattle trough was brought back into public use, a small step with great value that can also help to reduce plastic use.   

As a borough with a wide range of heritage assets, Mike chose to highlight two projects which form part of the northeast London borough’s cultural quarter. At its heart is the former Granada Cinema. The council purchased this Grade II listed building to facilitate its conservation following consultations with community groups who had brought Soho Theatre on board. It is estimated that this type of mid-sized venue can generate between £46-£61m back into the local economy over ten years, so a strong business case for restoration. Through investigations on site with specialists such as paint conservators and by using archive images, the missing gable end was reinstated, and the original windows, plasterwork and paint decoration was repaired or replicated. Grant funding from Historic England made this all possible. The second project was Saint Mary’s Church which sits in the most ancient part of Walthamstow. A small single storey extension with offices, toilets and a café has unlocked a key route and animated the wider conservation area. Moveable furniture in the church introduced the flexibility to function as a music venue.

Harriet presented the rescue of Boston Manor which was removed from the Heritage at Risk Register last year. Dating from 1622 is this Grade I listed Jacobean manor house in Hounslow which functioned as a country house until it fell into decline and was eventually bought by Hounslow Council in the 1920s. 

The house has been completely repaired and restored to facilitate a range of uses, with funding from a range of grant providers. From the start, proposals were tailored to meet project outcomes required by the different funders. Anticipating these and building them into the project plan helps for a smoother process, for example, requirements such as employing apprentices are great initiatives that can help to reduce the skills gap. Also important is where and how to place the modern facilities for minimal impact. For Boston Manor they were inserted in the service wing where most of the historic fabric had been lost. When working with historic fabric, specialists need to be qualified in historic materials and traditional techniques and also understand modern building standards, such as fire insulation.

As the project progressed there were many discoveries on site which informed the design of the final scheme which is a community space that the public can actively engage with. Part of the financial stability for the project comes from the historic spaces being used for events and even film hire, so items such as power sockets are disguised as much as is practicable.

As a committee member for the National Lottery Heritage Fund for London and South area Lydia has seen a lot of funding applications. She advises that the interesting projects are those that have analysed the local economic opportunity and think creatively about the users and how they contribute to regeneration. Her personal view is that she would like to see schemes which takes risks and find new approaches and innovation. 

 

This firstly centred around what the industry can do to help alleviate the costs of conservation work or to better explain them to clients and communities. Key thoughts were:

-  Develop relationships with Historic England and have pragmatic discussions around how schemes can be delivered and where funding can be targeted.

-  Prioritise works that will provide income streams so the heritage asset can be cared for. This might mean implementing a part of the scheme and then balancing this alongside the conservation work.

-  Conservation projects are often more costly than new build due to the unexpected surprises along the way, but they are inherently sustainable.

-  Storytelling brings people along with you on the journey, presenting a coherent vision of how the building will bring positive community benefits. There is a lot of love and interest in historic buildings.

Secondly, the panel were asked about what should happen in terms of the workforce for conservation projects going forward. Key thoughts were:

-  There is quite a small pool of specialists so the main thing to do is to encourage the next generation, so younger people coming in and picking up the traditional skills.

-  Storytelling is key here too around why they might want to work with this type of craft, a passion for historic buildings and the opportunities it can bring.

-  A key skills gap is around retrofitting and energy efficiency in relation to historic environments.

 

These decisions depend on the wider conservation philosophy and the historic evidence available. For this 400 year old house, different historic spaces are presented to slightly different moments in time that tied in with the use. There are a lot of different elements to consider in making these decisions.

Katie advised that there are a lot of research documents on the Historic England website on the benefits derived from heritage conservation.

Historic England research on heritage and the economy

 
What do you see as the future for Heritage funding?

There are a lot of heritage assets that we would love to see all restored but there is a limited amount of money. The priority is around the impact on people, their wellbeing and economic activeness, how will the asset be used, is it generating jobs, encouraging tourism or increasing footfall? It needs to be viable and have the wider business case.

Other useful resources:

Report on skills, heritage and retrofit by Grosvenor, The Crown Estate, Historic England, National Trust and Peabody

Government Green Book Guidance for calculating benefit cost ratios