Biennial Conservation Report 2011-13 1
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English Heritage GHEU/ GHEU/ English Heritage 1 Waterhouse Square 138 – 142 Holborn BIENNIAL London EC1N 2ST Historic Estates Unit Government Historic Estates Unit Government CONSERVATION T: 020 7973 3000 www.english-heritage.org.uk REPORT The Government Historic Estate 2011–13 Compiled by the Government Historic Estates Unit BIENNIAL CONSERVATION REPORT 2011–13 REPORT BIENNIAL CONSERVATION English Heritage The report has been written by Will Holborow with contributions from colleagues in GHEU Design by Francis & Partners Printed on recycled paper by Park Communications Ltd Photographic credits: Front and back cover: English Heritage/James O. Davies 2, 32-34, 36, 37: Parliamentary Estates Directorate (Adam Watrobski) 12: English Heritage/James O. Davies 18, 19 (top); 20, 23 (bottom), 28, 29: English Heritage 13, 16, 19 (bottom), 25 (bottom), 35: GHEU 14, 17: © English Heritage Photo Library 21: Environment Agency 22, 23 (top): Barrett Forster Ltd 24, 25 (top): Peter Cook 26, 27 (top): Alan Johnson 27 (middle and bottom): © English Heritage.NMR 30 (bottom): Crown copyright 30 (top), 31: Mark Khan English Heritage 1 Waterhouse Square 138-142 Holborn London EC1N 2ST www.english-heritage.org.uk This report is available in pdf form on the English Heritage website (www.english-heritage.org.uk) Hard copies are available free of charge from GHEU (tel. 020 7973 3174) If you would like this document in a different format, please contact our Customer Services department: Telephone: 0870 333 1181 Fax: 01793 414926 Textphone: 0800 015 0516 Email: [email protected],uk Any queries regarding the subject matter should be addressed to the Head of GHEU at the address above Product code 51875 April 2014 Above: Diamond Jubilee stained-glass window for Westminster Hall BIENNIAL CONSERVATION REPORT 2011-13 1 CONTENTS Section 1.0 Introduction 3 Section 2.0 Progress with stewardship 4 2.1 Profile of departments’ estates 4 2.2 Changes to the management of departments’ estates 4 2.3 The Protocol 5 2.4 Specialist conservation advice 5 2.5 Condition surveys and asset management 5 2.6 Heritage at risk 6 2.6.1 Buildings at risk 6 2.6.2 Field monuments at risk 7 2.6.3 Historic parks and gardens at risk 8 2.6.4 Maritime heritage at risk 8 2.7 Access to heritage sites 8 Section 3.0 Recent initiatives 9 3.1 National planning policy and guidance 9 3.2 The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 9 3.3 Standing clearances 9 Section 4.0 Disposals and transfers 11 4.1 Surplus public-sector land 11 4.2 Disposals on the MOD estate 11 4.3 Disposals on the civil estate 11 Section 5.0 English Heritage’s planning and conservation advice 13 5.1 National Planning & Conservation Department 13 5.2 Informal site-specific advice 13 5.3 Works by Crown bodies 13 5.4 General conservation advice 14 5.5 Conservation training 14 Case Studies 15 Tables 38 A Progress by departments in complying with the DCMS Protocol 38 B Progress by other historic estate holders 54 Annex: Heritage Assets at Risk 58 2 BIENNIAL CONSERVATION REPORT 2011-13 Diamond Jubilee stained-glass window for Westminster Hall Front and rear cover image: HM Prison Kingston, Portsmouth: Roof of the central octagonal rotunda BIENNIAL CONSERVATION REPORT 2011-13 3 1.0 INTRODUCTION This report on the condition of the government’s historic estate covers the two financial years 2011/12 and 2012/13, and subsequent developments up to the end of December 2013. Its purpose is to draw attention to the government’s record in managing its historic estate, in accordance with the standards set out in the Protocol for the Care of the Government Historic Estate. The report is based on returns provided by The sale of surplus land across the government individual departments and agencies (referred estate continues, involving heritage assets such as to throughout this report as ‘departments’). courts, prisons and military sites. English Heritage A summary of their progress, measured against has maintained and strengthened its relationships some of the standards set out in the Protocol, with the departments at the forefront of the is provided in Table A. This confirms that government’s disposal programme – the Homes some departments have not yet instigated & Communities Agency, the Ministry of Defence a comprehensive programme of inspections for and the Ministry of Justice. This is helping to their heritage assets, and are thus unable to ensure that the significance of any heritage assets report on their condition, whilst others are falling is understood at an early stage in the disposal behind with their programmes of inspections. process, and that opportunities for appropriate Three non-departmental organisations – Historic re-use are identified. Royal Palaces, Parliamentary Estates Directorate and the Royal Household Property Section – Other notable developments during the provide information for this report on a reporting period have included the wholesale voluntary basis. Their progress is summarised review of national planning guidance, concluding in Table B. with the publication in March 2012 of the National Planning Policy Framework, and the The report includes case studies that illustrate enactment of the Enterprise & Regulatory some outstanding conservation projects, Reform Act of 2013, which introduces a new examples of good design in historic areas and suite of measures designed to streamline listed changes arising from the disposal or transfer of building controls. heritage assets. The Annex provides details of all heritage assets at risk on the government estate. The Government Historic Estates Unit (GHEU) continues as a source of strategic and specialist Significant changes during the reporting period advice within English Heritage (see Section 5). include the setting up of the Canal & River Trust The Unit supports government property in 2012 as an independent charity to replace managers in fulfilling their obligations towards the British Waterways. In July 2013 the government heritage assets in their care, and monitors their announced that English Heritage’s National progress in doing so through this report. Collection of historic properties would be transferred to a new charity in April 2015. 4 BIENNIAL CONSERVATION REPORT 2011-13 2.0 PROGRESS WITH STEWARDSHIP 2.1 Other designations have been prompted by the Profile of departments’ estates disposal of surplus military sites – see case Table A gives details of the historic estates study on p.28. managed by 24 government departments and agencies (including four property centres which report to the Department for Transport), and 2.2 two non-departmental public bodies (English Changes to the management of Heritage and Royal Botanic Gardens Kew). departments’ estates A brief profile of each organisation’s estate is Notable changes during the reporting period included in the first column of the table, with a include the transfer in 2011 of prisons, formerly summary of their heritage assets. There is a wide under NOMS (National Offender Management range in the number of designated assets on Service), and the Probation Service estate to each estate; 15 of the estates are small, the Ministry of Justice. The Department for with up to 10 listed buildings and scheduled Education and the Department for Communities monuments. At the other end of the scale, there and Local Government have merged their are six estates with over 100 listed buildings and property management functions. The scheduled monuments: Department of Energy and Climate Change appears in this report for the first time, having Ministry of Defence – 1,360 taken over from Defra as occupier of two listed Forestry Commission – 910 buildings in Whitehall. Environment Agency – 579 (estimated) Highways Agency – 426 In 2012, British Waterways in England and Wales Ministry of Justice – 319 was replaced by the Canal & River Trust (CRT), The Royal Parks – 170 a company limited by guarantee and a registered charity. The future sustainable operations of In addition to listed buildings and scheduled the Trust rely in part on a 15-year funding monuments, departments’ estates include agreement with Defra. Further information about designated conservation areas, registered historic the transfer is included in the CRT’s annual parks and gardens, registered battlefields and report1. As a result of this change in status, world heritage sites. the waterways estate is no longer covered in this report. In June 2013 the government announced Some assets have received statutory protection its proposal to establish a new charity to manage as listed buildings or scheduled monuments English Heritage’s National Collection of historic during the reporting period. The great majority properties – see p.17. The government will of new designations have been on the MOD confirm its decision, following public consultation, estate; these include buildings or structures in 2014. which have been given statutory protection under English Heritage’s thematic study of Cold War sites, including parts of the underground site at Corsham – see case study on p.27. 1. http://canalrivertrust.org.uk/about-us/ BIENNIAL CONSERVATION REPORT 2011-13 5 2.0 PROGRESS WITH STEWARDSHIP 2.3 2.4 The Protocol Specialist conservation advice The Protocol for the Care of the Government The Protocol requires that departments and Historic Estate2 lays down a consistent approach agencies ensure that their professional advisers to the management of heritage assets. These have appropriate expertise in relation to their standards are widely understood and accepted heritage assets. Table A, column 4, comments on as a benchmark of good conservation the use of specialist conservation consultants by management practice for public bodies. each department. There are many different Government Construction: Common Minimum arrangements, ranging from the ad hoc Standards for procurement of the built environment appointment of specialists to the systematic in the public sector (Cabinet Office)3 summarises use of framework agreements. the mandatory standards that apply to central government, including departments, executive The Ministry of Justice manages a framework agencies and the non-departmental public bodies contract for specialist architectural and for which they are responsible.