l Review 2012–13 A Annu THE ARCHITECTURAL HERITAGE FUND Annu Al Review 2012–13 COnTENTS 1 Chairman’s Foreword 3 Chief executive’s Review 6 Completed Projects 26 Projects under Development 58 AHF Financial information 62 About the AHF FROnT COVER: llanelly House (see p.24) INSiDe FROnT COVER: Grey Mill (see p.52) CHAIRMAN’S FOREWORD This will be my final Foreword for theAnnual Review, as I retire next March after seven years as Chairman of the Architectural Heritage Fund. During my time with the AHF I have been very ably supported by our Chief Executive, Ian Lush, and his excellent staff team for which I convey my sincere thanks. I have thoroughly enjoyed my association with the AHF, finding it both stimulating and challenging and have been particularly struck by the remarkable commitment shown by so many of our clients. The projects we support are often in areas of considerable deprivation and disadvantage, and yet people come together as a group to save buildings and find viable new uses for them despite the many difficulties they face. The AHF is facing its own challenges; the demand for our loans is increasing both in quantity and size, but at the same time more of our existing borrowers are struggling to repay in full and on time. We are managing this situation carefully Two long-serving members of the Council and also working closely to find longer- of Management retired this year: George term solutions with our very supportive McNeill, a stalwart of the Scottish historic funders – English Heritage, Cadw, environment movement whose passion and Historic Scotland, the Northern Ireland strongly-held views were of great value to Environment Agency, the Andrew Lloyd the AHF, and Colin Amery, whose erudition Webber Foundation, the J Paul Getty Jr and knowledge were equally helpful. Charitable Trust and the Pilgrim Trust. We welcomed three new Trustees in April We were also pleased to receive a generous 2013 and following our governance review individual donation from Randall M Kells the regular refreshing of the Council’s in the United States, whose support membership is working well. is much appreciated. It has been an honour to serve the AHF as its Chairman, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank my fellow Trustees for their support during this time. I will look forward to continuing to observe from afar as the organisation continues its vital work supporting heritage-led regeneration projects throughout the UK. TOP: Upminster Windmill (see p.29) ABOVE: The Charterhouse (see p.39) BELOW LEFT: Belfast Corporation Baths (see p.47) John Townsend Chairman October 2013 1 Russell Institute (see p.51) CHIEF EXECUTIVE’S REVIEW Just before embarking on this year’s article for our Annual Review, I met with Terry A’Hearn, who has been Chief Executive Officer of the Northern Ireland Environment Agency (NIEA) since November 2012. Terry showed me his business card and the statement on the back of it, which is now the motto for the whole of NIEA: ‘To create prosperity and well-being through environment and heritage excellence’. These inspiring words could equally format for English Heritage, whilst also serve as the Architectural Heritage Fund’s working closely in partnership with EH and mission, or that of almost any of our the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation on clients, and so with Terry’s permission I the Challenge Fund. am repeating them here. NIEA, along with Cadw in Wales, English Heritage and Looking back more generally over the Historic Scotland, continue generously last 12 months, I am struck in particular by to support our work, seeing the AHF as a how quickly things can change in our work. key partner in working with not-for-profit In June 2012 we hit an all-time low for loan enterprises and community groups seeking applications, and were concerned that the to find beneficial and sustainable uses for impact of recession was being keenly felt historic buildings at risk, and we are proud by our clients and potential partners. of our enduring relationships with all four 12 months later our Council meeting was Government agencies/departments. faced with a record number of applications for loans and grants, and we were having to In Northern Ireland we had a welcome turn people away for the first time in many ABOVE: Ninhams Court (see p.29) boost to the funding available through years because of this very high demand. BELOW: Castle House (see p.36) the Acquisition Grants scheme which we administer on behalf of NIEA. This enabled us to offer three grants: £75,000 to Gracehill Old School Trust for the acquisition of the Old Village Shop in Gracehill; and £125,000 (the maximum available) each for two projects in Derry/Londonderry, the focus of so much attention in 2013 during its year as Capital of Culture. These were to the Inner City Trust for 31–33 Shipquay Street; and to Culturlann (the Irish Language … I am struck in particular by how quickly things can change in our work. Centre) for 33–35 Great James Street. In Scotland we continue to manage the buildings at risk initiative on behalf of Historic Scotland, run by Stuart Eydmann, and are looking forward to the final results of his work over the next few months. Similarly in Wales we have taken an active part in the discussions prompted by the advent of the new heritage bill and possible new infrastructure arrangements within the sector, and are equally engaged with the debates around the potential new 3 THIS PAGE (clockwise from top): What led to this dramatic change? Firstly, We have also changed the way in which Ingestre Hall Orangery (see p.40) we broadened our criteria from April 2013 we support clients in the earliest stages of Castle House (see p.36) to allow any not-for-profit organisation to their work. For some time we had felt that Belfast Corporation Baths (see p.47) apply, rather than just charities and similar the Options Appraisal scheme was not OPPOSITE (clockwise from top): bodies. This has already allowed us to necessarily serving our purposes as St John’s Church (see p.18) The Charterhouse (see p.39) invest in some interesting projects which effectively as it might, and following Russell Institute (see p.51) would not have been eligible previously. discussions with our Board and a number We are also seeing the impact of the of regular clients, as well as with the UK Community Right to Bid initiative, which Association of Preservation Trusts, we enabled local people to prevent the Ivy replaced the Options Appraisal Grant with House pub in South East London from being a Project Viability Grant. These were only sold for housing, with the help of a rapidly- launched in April this year so it is too soon agreed loan from the AHF. This also to assess their impact but certainly there highlights another factor in the changing has been considerable interest in the landscape: many of the new applications scheme so far. These new grants are a we are receiving are for projects which need particularly useful tool for our team of to draw down the funds much more quickly Regional Support Officers in England, than more traditional long-term restoration another joint initiative with English Heritage, schemes, hence increasing the demands as they support community groups in those on our cashflow. vital early stages. The RSOs are working very effectively, helping EH and the AHF in Less positively, we are still seeing the tackling priority buildings at risk throughout impact of the recession on our clients with England, and complementing the ongoing overdue loans, caused by a combination of efforts of our core development staff in the lack of available new finance, stagnant London and Edinburgh. property prices (outside London and the South East) and challenging trading conditions. We are working closely to find solutions in each case in order to unlock more support for new projects as they come in. 4 The Heritage Lottery Fund has also launched new schemes, and we were delighted to work closely with them on the development of the ‘Heritage Enterprise’ grants. I was pleased to speak at the launch of Heritage Enterprise at the House of Commons in April, alongside HLF Chair Dame Jenny Abramsky and Nick Boles MP, Minister for Planning in the DCLG, and we are also collaborating with the HLF on the guidance for potential applicants for our Project Viability Grants and the HLF’s Start Up Grants, which cover similar ground. We were also very pleased this year to be able to extend our Cold Spots Grant scheme, which is intended to boost activity in the East Midlands, for projects involving industrial heritage in England, and now for schemes anywhere in Wales (having previously just focused on South Wales). This extension of the scheme is thanks to a further two years of funding from the J Paul Getty Jr Charitable Trust and the Pilgrim Trust, and we are very grateful to both for this continued support. Our Chairman, John Townsend, covers the recent retirements from our Council of Management in his Foreword, but I would like to add my own thanks to John and the rest of the Council for their hard work on behalf of the AHF this year, and in particular to all my colleagues, who continue to show their commitment and enthusiasm for our work in an exemplary manner. By the time this Annual Review is published we will have moved offices and launched our new website, and our Office Manager, Diane Kendal, deserves special mention for master-minding all three – the publication of the Review, the office move and the website.