Nearly half of the government’s 1.5million home building target could be met by giving a new lease of life to historic buildings currently lying vacant or under-used, MPs have said.
In a report examining the state of the UK’s built heritage, the Culture, Media and Sport Committee is calling on the government to learn lessons from international approaches such as Italy’s €1 homes scheme and adopt a ‘reuse first’ approach to unlock up to 670,000 new homes.
The report follows a more than 18-month long inquiry which uncovered how listed buildings, churches, old factories and monuments up and down the country are under significant and increasing strain from cost pressures, workforce shortages and a planning system that is complex and inconsistent.
Highlighting a major missed opportunity for heritage to contribute to the local and national economy, the committee calls for a change in the government’s approach both to secure the long-term future of the historic environment and to unlock its full potential to support growth.
In addition to making the case for reforms to the planning process and launching a ‘heritage-to-housing’ scheme, the report outlines recommendations related to improving financial support for old properties and tackling skills shortages in the heritage workforce.
It warns that the current VAT regime is discouraging repairs and reuse by making it more expensive that new construction and calls for targeted relief for maintenance and conversion. Funding for repairs to churches and other places of worship should also be maintained, the committee adds.
There also needs to be a new commitment to promoting careers and boosting skills in the heritage sector, the report says, amid a warning that shortages in the workforce pose one of the most serious risks to the long-term protection of the UK’s built heritage.
Dame Caroline Dinenage MP, Chair of the CMS Committee, said: “Old buildings and other pieces of our past play a vital economic, social and cultural role in our communities, but the sight of leaking roofs, crumbling brickwork and vacant premises illustrates how the current policy approach to heritage is failing miserably to support either its protection or potential.
Historic England says that there is potential to create a whopping 670,000 new homes and yet the government’s approach reveals a deep complacency, is devoid of ambition, and shows a complete lack of imagination.
We heard compelling evidence that the best way of protecting a building is for it to be occupied, used, lived in and loved. Other countries with a similarly rich heritage have shown what can be achieved by thinking outside the box. ‘Reuse first’ should be the guiding principle, with a heritage to housing scheme offering a clear win-win by preserving our historic buildings and helping to meet the pressing need for new homes.
Ministers also need to ensure adequate funding that incentivises repairs and renewal over construction, and meet head on the serious risk to heritage posed by the lack of skills and workforce in the sector.
It also shouldn't be right that private owners face significant obligations to protect historic buildings, while government departments are able to allow heritage assets to rot at public expense.
All the time that the government allows our historic environment to continue to deteriorate, we risk losing out on not just links to our past but on opportunities for economic growth and regeneration in our communities.”
