Historic buildings have a crucial role to play in the Build Back Better and Net Zero agendas. These buildings are unique. They hold memories and history – and most importantly, they hold a major opportunity.

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We’ve been speaking exclusively with Historic England’s Chief Executive Duncan Wilson on the importance of preserving the UK’s historical assets, the role they’re playing in the Build Back Better agenda, and how regenerating underutilised and derelict buildings could help achieve the industry’s bid to achieve net zero…

Q. How does Historic England work with developers and those across the industry to preserve important historic buildings and sites?

Historic England works collaboratively with developers and others to ensure that historic buildings and places remain thriving, or to reinvigorate those which have fallen on hard times.  We like to engage early – when our advice can be most constructive, and when developers have most scope to accommodate it.  The transformation of a derelict historic brewery in Redruth into Kreson Kernow / the Cornwall Centre – a new archive at the centre of a larger development – illustrates both how historic buildings can play an important part in place-making and how we like to work.  Development which works with the grain and character of historic places realises more long-term value, as we can see at King’s Cross in London.  We will speak up if we think something is wrong, but it is rare that we don’t reach a compromise solution.

Q. What are some upcoming historic regeneration schemes that you are most excited about?

Many conservation and restoration projects have continued throughout the pandemic, many of them funded by lifeline grants from the Culture Recovery Fund, so that our precious heritage can continue to bring joy, purpose and meaning to people’s lives. These grants also sustained the heritage economy, much of which is in the hands of small specialist businesses and sole traders.

Exciting examples include the smaller, emergency repairs such as the ‘face-lift’ to the Grade I listed Megalosaurus dinosaur at Crystal Palace Park in London. Work by skilled craftsmen to make and install 22 new teeth, a new nose and lightweight ‘prosthetic’ jaw means the magnificent beast is still able to delight visitors young and old.  Larger scale restoration projects include work to the structure of the iconic Melville building, at the heart of the historic Royal William Yard in Plymouth. Here funding is helping to restore this magnificent Georgian property with the aim of bringing it back to life as a vibrant centre for business, arts and the community.

Q. How is Historic England playing a role in the build back better agenda?

Everything Historic England does contributes to Building Back Better as you can only do that – plan for growth – if you understand what is already there and the contribution it makes to the success of places.

Our work on high streets, our work on understanding the effects of climate change on historic places, our work to support high-quality development through the planning system, and of course our work on improving design standards: the purpose of all of this is to make sure that we learn from our heritage and make sure that it enhances our present and our future.

For example, our High Streets Heritage Action Zones programme is using the heritage of high streets to improve their future. We know that businesses are increasingly investing in historic properties and see the value of investing in historic places. Through recognising the important role that historic character makes to these high streets and regenerating them in ways that enhance that character, they will be better placed to attract both investment and visitors.

Heritage can contribute to Levelling Up through instilling confidence and civic pride in some of the country’s most deprived areas as communities are connected and inspired by local heritage, developing skills and learning. It will also support economic growth as struggling businesses are provided with a pipeline of work and supply chains are reactivated, whilst new venues and businesses are brought to life to host community activity.

Q. Where are some of the success stories from the £95m High Street Heritage Action Zone Programme?

In the eighteen months since on-site work began in April 2020, remarkable high street projects around the country have already begun rejuvenating historic buildings and bringing communities together.

Among the success stories so far is our Coventry demonstrator project. This has enabled the transformation of the Burges and Hales street area of Coventry, one of the few parts of historic Coventry to survive the Blitz. The scheme has been led on the ground by Historic Coventry Trust, with Coventry Business Improvement District and City Council having important supporting roles. This short video provides a flavour of the achievements of and lessons from the Coventry Demonstrator. The project received a 2021 Summer Award from Future Cities Forum for “boosting the local economy and engaging directly and successfully with the community”.

Elsewhere, in Prescot, Merseyside, the Picture Palace, which was the town’s very first picture house, is having its wonderful historic features reinstated, both inside and outside. It will return to use as a cinema to reinvigorate the leisure sector in the town, create jobs, and will be a destination for locals and visitors.

Q. How can restoration and renovation of historic buildings help to revive and support struggling high streets and town centres?

High streets have throughout history been the focal point for local communities. A hub for businesses and a meeting place for all, high streets were once the beating heart of towns and cities. However, in recent years high streets have faced challenges, most notably competition from online retailers and out-of-town outlets. These challenges have become only more prominent in the past eighteen months, with the restrictions on congregating due to Covid-19 and the further rise of online shopping.

In response to these challenges, Historic England’s High Street Heritage Action Zones (HSHAZ) programme has been designed to help make high streets more successful by using heritage as a catalyst for wider economic and social regeneration. By regenerating heritage assets and the wider public realm, as well as developing community based cultural activities, high streets will be transformed into hubs for local cultural, retail and commercial engagement. The scheme, delivered by Historic England, started ‘on the ground’ in April 2020 and incorporates more than 60 high streets around England. By investing £95 million of government funding into historic high streets, Historic England is working with local partners to unlock the potential of the high street to fuel economic, social and cultural recovery.

Q. How does reusing historic buildings help to lower carbon emissions and promote sustainability?

Historic buildings were built to last for generations. By sympathetically upgrading and reusing existing buildings, rather than demolishing and building new, we could dramatically improve a building’s energy efficiency and also make substantial energy savings because the carbon locked up in those buildings would not be released through demolition, and carbon involved in new build would be saved.

Embodied carbon is the carbon dioxide (CO₂) released during the construction and demolition of a building. Buildings and the construction industry are responsible for 42% of the UK’s total greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These emissions arise from three stages of a building’s life cycle – when it is built, its daily emissions, and its demolition.

Currently we are taking steps to reduce the daily emissions created by heating and powering our buildings, but the carbon savings which could be made from reusing, rather than demolishing, existing buildings are being overlooked.

Existing buildings already embody significant CO₂ emissions in their materials and by not counting this embodied carbon, we underestimate the entire carbon emissions of a new build by up to 31%.

Demolishing buildings not only produces millions of tonnes of waste (three fifths of all waste produced in the UK every year comes from construction, demolition and excavation) but building new has high energy costs and uses up precious resources.

To meet the government’s target of being carbon neutral by 2050, we know we must recycle and reuse our existing historic buildings, rather than demolishing and building new.

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