HERITAGE AT RISK REGISTER 2009 / LONDON Contents HERITAGEContents AT RISK 2 Buildings atHERITAGE Risk AT RISK6 2 MonumentsBuildings at Risk at Risk 8 6 Parks and GardensMonuments at Risk at Risk 10 8 Battlefields Parksat Risk and Gardens at Risk 12 11 ShipwrecksBattlefields at Risk and Shipwrecks at Risk13 12 ConservationConservation Areas at Risk Areas at Risk 14 14 The 2009 ConservationThe 2009 CAARs Areas Survey Survey 16 16 Reducing thePublications risks and guidance 18 20 PublicationsTHE and REGISTERguidance 200820 21 The register – content and 22 THE REGISTERassessment 2009 criteria 21 ContentsKey to the entries 21 25 The registerHeritage – content at Riskand listings 22 26 assessment criteria Key to the entries 24 Heritage at Risk entries 26 HERITAGE AT RISK 2009 / LONDON HERITAGE AT RISK IN LONDON Registered Battlefields at Risk Listed Buildings at Risk Scheduled Monuments at Risk Registered Parks and Gardens at Risk Protected Wrecks at Risk Local Planning Authority 2 HERITAGE AT RISK 2009 / LONDON We are all justly proud of England’s historic buildings, monuments, parks, gardens and designed landscapes, battlefields and shipwrecks. But too many of them are suffering from neglect, decay and pressure from development. Heritage at Risk is a national project to identify these endangered places and then help secure their future. In 2008 English Heritage published its first register of Heritage at Risk – a region-by-region list of all the Grade I and II* listed buildings (and Grade II listed buildings in London), structural scheduled monuments, registered battlefields and protected wreck sites in England known to be ‘at risk’. A year later, this second updated regional edition of the register has been enlarged to include details of all scheduled monuments (archaeological sites) and registered parks and gardens, as well as conservation areas designated by local authorities that are also reported to be at certain or potential risk. In London Region the Heritage at Risk register uniquely character. In both urban and suburban conservation includes Grade II buildings in addition to those listed areas pressures from new development, both Grade II* and Grade I. Over the 18 years since residential and commercial, has the potential to affect recording of buildings at risk first began across the these special areas. In the context of local authority capital, the content of the register has changed and its budgets under strain and limited capacity in the reach has evolved to reflect the fact that the historic heritage sector across London, the challenges are environment is all around us. Over 90% of the buildings not going to be easy to address. on the original register have now been removed However it is not all doom and gloom; there have although every year new historic environment assets been significant successes – for example in tackling the at risk are identified and added so that the register is problem of mansions in parks like Valentines Mansion only ever a snapshot of what is a dynamic situation. in Redbridge. English Heritage also continues to work with partners in the High Street 2012 project that aims OF LONDON’S CONSERVATION to revitalise the historic environment of east London in AREAS ARE AT RISK OF LOSING preparation for the Olympics. Working in partnership 17% with the London boroughs, the Office of the Mayor, THEIR SPECIAL CHARACTER the Heritage Lottery Fund and the many local amenity societies and commercial and residents groups across This year the register also includes scheduled London, English Heritage’s London Region has monuments, registered parks and gardens and committed over £1,000,000 in the last year to repairing conservation areas that present particular challenges. and securing the future of the historic environment of Multiple ownerships and the complexity of issues the city both for its communities affecting these types of historic assets require a and its many visitors. comprehensive approach to the management of risk. Conservation Area Appraisals and Management Plans are tools that already exist and have proved effective in these situations and English Heritage encourages partners and those managing change to use them. There are an estimated 955 conservation areas in London, which has the largest percentage of suburban conservation areas of any region – a category that is particularly vulnerable to the small-scale, incremental Nigel Barker, Head of Regional Partnerships, loss of historic detail that leads to erosion of special London Region Contact: Cindy Molenaar, Business Manager, English Heritage London Region, 1 Waterhouse Square, 138-142 Holborn, London EC1N 2ST Telephone: 0207 973 3720 Fax: 0207 973 3792 Email: [email protected] 3 HERITAGE AT RISK 2009 / LONDON Heritage at Risk 2009 The 2009 register for England includes 5,094 nationally designated sites that are at risk, along with 727 locally designated conservation areas at risk.These sites are important and irreplaceable elements of our historic environment and help contribute to local and national character. By assessing their condition and identifying which are most at risk, we can define the scale of the problem and plan and prioritise the resources needed to bring them back into good repair – and, where appropriate, into practical use – for the benefit of present and future generations. The historic environment of London is under pressure. buildings at risk is also the result of work that has been Despite the contribution it makes to London as a put in by individuals and agencies over many years to world city, significant elements are at risk. In particular identify them and then secure their future. English the addition of registered parks and gardens to Heritage began assessing the condition of listed the Register has highlighted the plight of London’s buildings in the 1980s, publishing the first annual register cemeteries and the monuments within them. Often of Buildings at Risk in London in 1991, and the first overlooked, these landscapes have potential if restored national register of Grade I and II* listed buildings and and appropriately managed to make a positive structural scheduled monuments at risk in 1998. contribution to both local communities and visitors. The registers have enabled English Heritage and its London is often described as a city of villages each partners in local authorities, building preservation trusts with its distinctive character and appearance, which and funding bodies, as well as owners, to understand is often recognised by conservation area designation. the extent of the problem and to prioritise action and The addition of conservation areas to the register this resources. As a result, the proportion of England’s year highlights the pressures on what is often the most highest-graded (I and II*) listed buildings at risk has valued element of the historic environment to local fallen steadily from 3.8% in the baseline year of 1999 to communities – the places where they live, work and 3.1% this year. Of the Grade I and II* listed building and shop.The pressures are wide ranging and complex and structural scheduled monument entries on the baseline managing them successfully is particularly challenging. register, 48% have now been removed. It is a challenge we have to work on together. While the condition of the nation’s Grade I and II* listed buildings has improved, this year’s Heritage at THE NATIONAL PICTURE Risk registers show that England’s other nationally The table on the opposite page sets out the number designated heritage assets face much greater levels of and percentage of nationally designated assets that risk, and highlight the scale of the challenge and the have been identified as ‘at risk’.The significant variations resources needed, both at a national and local level. in the proportions at risk reflect important differences Working with property owners and our partners, not only in the physical character of the historic assets, we aim to achieve similar progress in reducing risk to but also differences in the way in which they are used. other heritage assets.This will be challenging in the Buildings generally have an economic value to their current economic climate, given the high proportion owners, particularly when capable of adaptive use. of heritage sites that do not, even in more prosperous The percentage of Grade I and II* listed buildings at times, generate an income.Their importance as part risk (3.1%) is thus lower than for the other asset types. of our heritage is nevertheless immeasurable, and their By contrast, assets that have far less economic urgent needs must not be ignored. benefit have higher percentages at risk. Archaeological Inclusion of sites on this register does not imply monuments have little direct economic benefit and, criticism of their owners, many of whom are actively as a result, often suffer from neglect, and a far higher trying to secure their future. While we have tried percentage,17.9%, is at risk. The main threats to historic to ensure that the information included is accurate, landscapes, parks, gardens and battlefields come from we will correct any errors or omissions brought either neglect or from unsympathetic development – to our attention. 6% of parks and gardens and 16.3% of battlefields are Further information on heritage at risk is given currently at risk. The main threats facing wreck sites on page 20, and on our website: www.english- are from the forces of the sea and natural decay, and heritage.org.uk/risk. An interactive