Historic buildings can help the UK achieve NetZero goals argues new report published by Grosvenor Britain and Ireland

The Heritage and Carbon report which Donald Insall Associates helped to write in consultation with Grosvenor Britain and Ireland, the National Trust, Historic England, Peabody, Southern Housing Group and The Crown Estate, argues that historic buildings can play a leading role in the fight against climate change. But to do that, five core issues have to be addressed: policy, guidance, cost, supply chain skills and capacity in local government.

Around 500,000 buildings in England alone are protected by statutory listing and hundreds of thousands more are situated in conservation areas. They cover many building types from stately homes to public buildings, terraced streets and blocks of social housing.

The potential carbon savings from making these buildings more energy efficient could be vast. A study commissioned by Grosvenor* estimates that fabric improvements to listed buildings in England and Wales, combined with unlisted historic dwellings in conservation areas, could deliver operational carbon savings equivalent to 5% of the UK’s carbon emissions associated with all buildings in 2019.

Policy that is inconsistent and inconsistently applied, fragmented guidance and a skills gap offer little help to building owners, leaving a substantial percentage of UK building stock vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and preventing them from contributing to the Government’s net zero aims.

Using the impetus of the planning reform and COP 26, the report is part of a campaign this summer that will urge the Government to commit publicly to align heritage protection and environmental sustainability much more closely in the NPPF and include appropriate policies for carbon reduction in relation to all designated heritage assets, excluding scheduled ancient monuments.

That should be combined with other measures including funding for non-profit organisations to retrofit historic buildings, equalisation of VAT on alterations and repairs with those for new build, an overhaul of Energy Performance Certificates and support for expert guidance and training. All of this would act as a powerful stimulus to the green economy and help protect a crucial part of our common heritage which gives so many people a sense of civic pride and identity in Britain.

You can download the report here: http://bit.ly/HeritageandCarbon

Cordula Zeidler, Consultant, Insall, and co-author of the paper, said: ‘Historic buildings are beautiful,  inherently adaptable and have stood the test of time. We must build on these great qualities and allow them to evolve to become more energy efficient and resilient to climate change. Only if we achieve that will they remain desirable and liveable. At present, the planning system throws up barriers and confusion, and makes it hard to alter historic buildings. This must change, and this is why we are calling for planning policy to be positive and encouraging when it comes to adapting historic buildings in the face of the climate emergency.’

Tor Burrows, Executive Director, Sustainability and Innovation, Grosvenor Britain & Ireland and a COP26 Built Environment Ambassador commented: “The UK is a world leader in heritage protection. Time and again we have proved that our nation’s historic assets can be sensitively adapted to changing times and new uses. But ambiguous policy, inadequate funding and a major skills gap are stalling our ability to help them adapt once more – this time against the climate emergency.

“In 2021, we have a unique chance to protect our heritage and the environment. Nobody intended COP26 to arrive alongside planning reform but it creates an amazing impetus. The potential prize is equivalent to a 5% reduction in UK emissions associated with buildings and a substantial contribution to the sixth carbon budget. We just need the bravery to act and the place to start is getting policy right.”

National Trust Historic Environment Director Ingrid Samuel: “The National Trust believes sustainability and heritage protection should go hand in hand. Our built heritage must play a real role in tackling climate change. We shouldn’t be building new carbon-hungry houses, but instead get the right ingredients in place to retrofit them sensitively and in a cost-effective way. Redirecting planning policy to support this goal is clearly part of the answer, but it can’t be done in isolation.

“It is vital that Government aligns wider policy with appropriate skills and technology, and a real sympathy and understanding for historic fabric to ensure these special places are here for future generations.”

Dick Mortimer, Executive Director at Peabody said: Social landlords wanting to upgrade poorly performing historic homes face barriers at every turn. Changing planning policy won’t solve all the problems at a stroke. But alongside more funding, it would help combat fuel poverty amongst our residents.

“Many people on lower incomes living in older homes are forced to spend more on heating bills because of the planning system and the prohibitive costs of retrofit. This is a hidden inequality in society as well as a false economy, forcing more people into poverty and ill-health as a result. Allocating £10bn to improve England’s energy-poor housing would be an important part of “levelling up” and save the NHS £1.4bn per annum, paying for itself in just over seven years.” *Source Verco 2021 – excludes potential impact of grid decarbonisation.