PUTTING OLD BUILDINGS TO PRODUCTIVE NEW USES - page 1Date added: 05/01/2005

The April 2005 conference took its lead from the charge upon government to deliver more housing and its' corresponding aspiration that new and revived communities be 'sustainable'. However, do sustainable communities really encompass heritage buildings? Or are they so strongly focused on building the society of the future that they leave their physical heritage behind?

 

The UK Government has often seen heritage as a 'break' on economic growth, shown implicitly by VAT charges on repairs on existing buildings, but not on new build properties. Given that only one Government Quality of Life indicator - Buildings at Risk - relates to heritage, many feel that the historic environment has been overshadowed by the government's and public's enthusiasm for the natural environment. Does this mean that despite the government's focus on sustainability, greater priority should be given to the significance of heritage in the future of sustainable communities?

 

Does even the public still place a value on its' heritage? Do old buildings have a role to play in this brave new world? Are they too inflexible and wasteful of space, or can they pull together and unite communities?

 

Britain has limited land resources, what part can our built heritage play in using these resources in a sustainable fashion?

 

This timely conference looked at heritage led regeneration and sustainability in depth. Our attendance was in part due to our interest in this topic but also in part because of a number of ongoing projects involving heritage buildings.