Heritage neglect and heritage crime are on the rise, reports Dick Skellington.
In October the Victorian Society published a list of the 10 most-threatened Victorian and Edwardian structures in England and Wales. The list includes the first lending library, built in Swindon, and England's only listed spillway in West Yorkshire.
Thieves and vandals have plundered whatever they can retrieve, the society reports. It issues an open invitation to readers to 'name and shame' further examples of neglect and crime. Some buildings have fallen into disrepair despite having a Graded status – they include the Waterloo Hotel in Smethwick, a once glorious structure, the Pumphouse in Bootle and Ispwich's former town hall.
The society receives reports of arson attacks on historic buildings every week. Especially vulnerable are empty buildings, languishing for lack of preservation funding. Local council planners are particularly guilty, the society argues, for allowing traffic and parking priorities to determine quality of public space issues. Holborn Circus in London is cited as an example of how planners can destroy heritage.
Last June English Heritage reported that some of England’s most treasured historic buildings are being severely damaged by vandalism and theft. Over a third of churches have been affected by the illegal demand for lead and copper despite the introduction of security measures. Some have adopted an increased surveillance strategy, including CCTV monitoring, while in Cornwall over 140 medieval wayside crosses have been micro-chipped (for an in-depth analysis of risk factors and cost of repair see Heritage at Risk:Latest Findings.
The first comprehensive survey of the impact of crime on England’s heritage revealed almost a fifth of listed buildings were criminally targeted in 2011. In total over 70,000 listed buildings accounting for 19 per cent of the listed stock, were affected, with around 35,000 badly damaged. A heritage crime is defined as 'any offence which harms the value of England's heritage assets and their settings to this and future generations.'
Structures with the greatest level of protection were in fact the most vulnerable to attack; metal theft being the single most common offence with one in seven churches targeted. Some structures were the victim of arson attacks. Those churches where lead was taken from roofs saw far greater damage done by rain penetrating old wooden timbers, floors and ornate religious artefacts. The cost of repair runs into millions of pounds.
English Heritage has adopted a strategy to work in partnership to reduce levels of heritage crime. They encourage the use and development of partnership models particularly in higher risk areas. They have developed a range of recommendations including a Guide for Sentencers, the introduction of Heritage Impact Statements, Out of Court Disposals, Risk Assessment Guidance for Heritage Assets and Heritage Crime Prevention Measures. The aim is to work more closely with colleagues to develop a range of training courses on topics such as investigation techniques, evidence gathering and forensic methods. But will training and information awareness halt the flow of abuse and vandalism? And what can be done to reinvest in our decaying heritage when austerity is cutting so much?
Dick Skellington November 2012
The views expressed in this post, as in all posts on Society Matters, are the views of the author, not The Open University.
Cartoon by Catherine Pain
