Heritage at Risk in Essex Register 2011
Heritage at Risk in Essex 2011 The Heritage at Risk Register contains details of Heritage Assets known to be ‘at risk’ through neglect and decay, or vulnerable to becoming so. The 2011 register builds on the expansion of the 2010 register to include Register Parks and Gardens, Local Lists, Conservation Areas and the buildings. Although the main focus remains on buildings, the whole of the historic environment is encompassed in the register. The objective of the Register is to highlight the plight of heritage assets which are at risk, and initiate action towards securing their long-term conservation. In many cases, such action would be best brought about by a change of owner, and any individual or group seriously contemplating acquiring a building listed as For Sale in the Register should contact the relevant conservation officer listed under Contact. The Register is not, however, intended as a marketing document and those who wish to acquire an “old building” to restore may be best served by contacting local estate agents. There are a number reasons why a heritage asset becomes ‘at risk’, and whilst each individual case is unique, there are some recurring factors. While willful neglect and the refusal to repair are the most obvious causes, changes in industry, technology, demography and governmental legislation can lead to buildings becoming functionally redundant and at risk. Location can be another cause of a heritage asset becoming ‘at risk’. A heritage asset may be blighted by its surroundings, through changes in economy or as a result of insensitive development. Re-use of buildings within the curtilage of a larger building on private land can present problems, particularly if restrictions in access onto or within the site preclude a change of ownership.
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