-English Heritage highlights best practice in conservation areas –
Nearly one in 10 conservation areas in the South East are at risk of neglect, decay or damaging change. This finding was revealed today (Tuesday 23 June) by English Heritage as it launched the 2009 Heritage at Risk (HAR) register.
Gosport Council has received praised from English Heritage for its positive management of the conservation areas in its care.
The 2009 Heritage at Risk register offers the most detailed insight into the state of the region’s priceless historic treasures and includes the results of the first ever national survey into the condition of our conservation areas. These areas, designated by local councils to protect their unique character and appearance – represent a large part of the region’s built heritage. Now, based on the survey’s findings, English Heritage is launching a Conservation Areas at Risk campaign to get residents, local groups and councils working together to improve these special places before it is too late.
For the survey, English Heritage asked all local authorities in the region to complete a questionnaire for each of its conservation areas. There are more that 2,000 conservation areas across the South East. Our survey identified that that 140 out of 1,224 sampled conservation areas are at risk – 11% of the total, and under the national average of 15%. Among the most commonly identified problems were development pressures, poorly maintained roads and pavements, street clutter, ‘garden grabbing’ for off-street parking and traffic issues.
This year, St George Barracks North, Gosport has been highlighted as a Conservation Area that has been significantly enhanced. It was originally designated in 1990 and forms part of redundant defence estates found widely across Gosport. The area consists mainly of Grade II listed officers’ quarters built in 1856 and a guard house. It is linked to the Royal Clarence Yard redevelopment and part of the wider waterside area across from Portsmouth and Gun Wharf. According to English Heritage, this is an example of a sensitive conversion of institutional buildings for residential use, which has resulted in the enhancement of the conservation area. The barracks are now home to 160 new dwellings.
Chris Haslam, who was a young soldier when he was stationed in St George Barracks from September 1969 until mid 1971 said: “I often think of my days as a young soldier in Gosport and have made several visits since. During my time there, the barracks were very lightly used and most of the space was empty. This was most likely due to the fact that most of the soldiers were away on-board ship. I have so many fond memories of the area and was delighted to discover that English Heritage has highlighted the value of the heritage at this site.”
Dr Andy Brown, South East Regional Director of English Heritage, said: 'For the first time, we now have a regional snapshot of what sort of pressures our cherished Conservation Areas are under. I want to see how we can help local councils to rise to the challenge of Conservation Areas at Risk by highlighting best practice in the South East and by encouraging better local partnership working. There is so much that can be done to improve the situation without it costing the earth.'
Dr Simon Thurley, Chief Executive of English Heritage, said: “To find out for the first time ever what condition the nation’s conservation areas are in, we asked every local authority to complete questionnaires for each of its conservation areas. We are delighted that 75% responded, a heroic effort on behalf of council conservation teams.
“Analysing the results it is clear the problems fall into two main areas: what owners do to their properties and what councils do or fail to do to the streets, pavements, parks and public spaces.
“So, we are asking for three things. First, we want councils to make more use of Article 4 Directions – only 13% of conservation areas currently have one - to protect small but important original details such as windows, doors and front gardens. Lose these and slowly but inevitably you lose the character and the history that made the area special in the first place. And where there are neglected or derelict buildings, councils should use their powers to encourage owners to repair or sell them.
“Secondly, we want council departments to work together to take better care of the public areas. Highways and Environmental Services teams, even Health and Education departments whose buildings often dominate a conservation area, they all need to co-operate to save the public parts of conservation areas from decay. Conservation areas should not just be the responsibility of the council’s Conservation Officer.
“Thirdly, we want local people to get involved. Our survey shows that conservation areas with community support are more than twice as likely to have improved over the last three years as those without. And there are countless instances where civic societies and residents groups are helping councils by finding out what local people value, by doing street clutter audits, commenting on planning applications or helping to prepare local lists of historic buildings.”
There are also financial reasons why caring for your conservation area makes sense. An English Heritage poll of estate agents reveals that 82% think original features add value to a property and 75% think being in a well-kept conservation area enhances house prices.
Dr Thurley continued: “Millions of us live in, work in, pass through or visit conservation areas. They are the centres of historic towns and villages, 1930s suburbs, rural idylls or estates of industrial workers’ cottages: the local heritage which gives England its distinctiveness.
“These are difficult economic times but our research shows that conservation areas do not need time-consuming or costly measures, just prioritising as places people cherish, the commitment of the whole council and good-management by residents and councils alike. Well-cared for they encourage good neighbourliness, give a boost to the local economy and will continue to be a source of national pride and joy for generations to come.”
HERITAGE AT RISK REGISTER 2009
Contained within the 2009 HAR register is a list of South East Buildings at Risk. English Heritage has now secured the future of 109 local buildings from the original 1999 register. In 2008/09 alone, it succeeded in removing 10 entries from the register, including the Old Shoreham Toll Bridge in West Sussex, Chatham Smithery in Medway and Dropmore House in South Bucks.
Of the 10 buildings removed from this year’s register, eight were on the original Buildings at Risk 1999 register. This means that in the last 11 years, English Heritage has secured the future of 109 of the 233 buildings on the original register – more than any other region in England.
The 2009 register contains, for the first time, full details of all conservation areas, registered parks and gardens, and scheduled monuments (archaeological sites) at risk in the South East. This year, more than 400 heritage assets have been added to the South East HAR register. New additions include:
The region still has one registered battlefield at risk, which is the site of the first battle of Newbury (1643).
Other key findings for the region include:
10 per cent of the South East’s region’s 2,627 scheduled monuments are at risk. They include prehistoric burial mounds, Roman towns, castles and abbeys. However, in this year’s register’ Seven Barrows, a Bronze Age cemetery in West Berkshire has been reduced from high to low risk.
In the South East, nearly two per cent (1.9 per cent) of Grade I and Grade II* listed building entries have been indentified at risk. This accounts for 104 of the 5,561 buildings in the region.
There are 24 registered parks and gardens in the South East considered to be at risk – nearly seven per cent (6.6%) of the total number of registered landscapes. This is higher than any other region in England, and represents one quarter of the 96 sites considered at risk nationally.
Please use the below link to access each section of the HAR register:
http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/server/show/nav.21056
What can you do?
Portsmouth’s residents have a role to play and local knowledge can be an enormous help to local authorities in the active management of conservation areas. To find out more about the Conservation Areas at Risk campaign, and how you can get involved please visit www.english-heritage.org.uk/conservationareas
For a free copy of the campaign booklet, please either register on the website or contact English Heritage Customer Services: 0870 3331181 customers@english-heritage.org.uk
