HERITAGE AT RISK REGISTER 2009 / NORTH EAST Contents HERITAGEContents AT RISK 2 Buildings atHERITAGE Risk AT RISK 6 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 2008 20 21 The register – content and 22 THE REGISTERassessment 2009 criteria 21 Contents Key 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 / NORTH EAST HERITAGE AT RISK IN THE NORTH EAST 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 / NORTH EAST 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. As the North East Heritage at Risk register expands English Heritage in the North East has designed a to include new types of asset, sight of the individual range of tools not only to address the immediate treasures within it has not been lost. Nine buildings at challenges but to keep us moving ahead. By carrying risk are being removed from the North East register out a survey of all our places of worship, the region is this year, with many more heading in a positive already looking forward to 2010, when these buildings direction. Over £1.6m was allocated in grant money will be the focus of Heritage at Risk. There will always during 2008/09, covering more than forty different sites be unexpected heritage fires to fight but the Heritage at risk across the region. Importantly, this grant aid has at Risk programme increasingly allows us to work been used to lever in substantial amounts of partnership with owners to prevent the initial spark from igniting. funding and to address strategic issues, such as Combined with a focus on building sustainability replenishing the dwindling stock of heritage skills. into all projects, we are optimistic that the North East will remain an area with an astonishing array of IS THE HIGHEST historic delights for all to enjoy and value for many PERCENTAGE OF GRADE I years to come. 7.2% AND II* BUILDINGS AT RISK IN THE COUNTRY While positive progress has been made on a wide range of projects in 2008, there is no scope to relax. New challenges will arrive as the scope of the Register widens and our knowledge of the condition of regional heritage assets develops.This coincides with an Carol Pyrah, Planning & Development Regional economic recession that will undoubtedly have a Director, North East serious impact on the ability of owners of historic sites at risk to repair them. Available funding will have to work harder; literally every penny counts. It is our job to assist with this task; through provision of advice, grant-aid or a mixture of the two. Other ever-present pressures will not go away and, indeed, may be exacerbated by the financial climate.The twin problems of vandalism and vacancy continue to haunt many locations in the region, with the former an ongoing problem for places like Bowes Railway. Contact: Stephen Allott, Business Manager, English Heritage North East Region, Bessie Surtees House, 41-44 Sandhill, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 3JF Telephone: 0191 269 1235 Fax: 0191 269 1130 Email: [email protected] 3 HERITAGE AT RISK 2009 / NORTH EAST 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. Publication of the 2009 register shows that Heritage put in by individuals and agencies over many years to at Risk continues to be a challenge for the North East. identify them and then secure their future. English The headline figures show 7.2% of the Grade I and II* Heritage began assessing the condition of listed listed buildings and 19% of the conservation areas are buildings in the 1980s, publishing the first annual register at risk, and that 14.8% of the scheduled monuments of Buildings at Risk in London in 1991, and the first are at risk. More positively, only 2 of the region’s 53 national register of Grade I and II* listed buildings and registered parks and gardens, and only 1 of the 6 structural scheduled monuments at risk in 1998. registered battlefields are at risk. Understanding the The registers have enabled English Heritage and its levels of risk and the reasons for it is vital in allowing partners in local authorities, building preservation trusts owners, local authorities, English Heritage and other and funding bodies, as well as owners, to understand partners to tackle the problems. the extent of the problem and to prioritise action and The North East is justly proud of its high quality resources. As a result, the proportion of England’s of life, based in large part on the attractiveness of highest-graded (I and II*) listed buildings at risk has its environment, and the region’s heritage plays an fallen steadily from 3.8% in the baseline year of 1999 to important role in the regional economy. An example 3.1% this year. Of the Grade I and II* listed building and of this is the pioneering work in the Northumberland structural scheduled monument entries on the baseline Local Area Agreement that includes a local target to register, 48% have now been removed. reduce the level of risk to the county’s heritage. 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.We welcome further information 6% of parks and gardens and 16.3% of battlefields are and corrections. currently at risk.The main threats facing wreck sites Further information on heritage at risk is given are from the forces of the sea and natural decay, and on page 20, and on our website: www.english­ wreck sites have the highest proportion at risk (19.6%) heritage.org.uk/risk. An interactive database providing of all asset types.The relatively low proportion of listed detailed information on all heritage sites at risk buildings at risk is also the result of work that has been nationally can also be found on our website. 4 HERITAGE AT RISK 2009 / NORTH EAST SOURCE OF RISK TO SCHEDULED MONUMENTS IN THE NORTH EAST 1% 1% 1% SOURCE OF RISK NUMBER PERCENTAGE 3% 4% Plant growth 73 36 Arable ploughing / clipping 21 10 4% Deterioration – in need of management 21 10 Scrub / tree growth 17 8 4% 36% Collapse / subsidence 14 7 Natural erosion 10 5 5% Animal burrowing 9 4 Forestry 9 4 Other* 9 4 5% Stock erosion 9 4 Vandalism 6 3 Digging 2 1 Dumping 2 1 7% Visitor erosion 3 1 * ‘Other’ category includes Flooding (0.5%), Gardening (0.5%), Public utilities (0.5%), and 8% 10% Road construction (0.5%) 10% NUMBER AND PERCENTAGE OF HERITAGE ASSETS AT RISK NATIONALLY AND IN THE NORTH EAST ASSET TYPE ENGLAND 2009 NORTH EAST 2009 NO.