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Ipswich Liberal DemocratsWorking for Ipswich |
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Government must act to save historic buildings in Suffolk
September 10, 2007 9:50 AM
Liberal Democrats in Ipswich have called on the Government to act now to save historic buildings before they are lost forever.
Deputy Leader of the Liberal Democrats on Ipswich Borough Council, Cllr Andrew Cann, made the call following the publication of the 2007 "Buildings at Risk Register" by government heritage organisation English Heritage which listed 28 historic buildings in Suffolk as being at serious risk of further decay and damage.
Cllr Andrew Cann, said, "These buildings are important to our local heritage and their loss would be a big blow. English Heritage have suffered a big drop in the amount of money the government provides to support our heritage. In 1999, the cash available for these buildings was £6.6 million. Last year that dropped to £4.4 million.
Building and repair costs are rising and without government action to stop the rot now, I fear schemes to save these buildings may become too expensive leading to the loss of some of our great historic buildings.
One measure the government can take is to lower the VAT charged on renovating or extending homes and buildings. It is unfair that when a building is converted into housing or is renovated or extended, VAT has to be paid at the full rate on the building materials.
Yet at the same time, a house that is built from scratch on a greenfield site is charged no VAT at all. The effect is to encourage more new houses to be build in greenfield areas and to make it more expensive to improve and renovate existing buildings.
Our proposal will make it cheaper for many people who own older, historic buildings to carry out repairs and renovation. And we would pay for this by charging the same lower rate of VAT on materials used in building new houses built on greenfield sites.
This will also mean owners of historic buildings rely less on grants from the government to improve and protect their property. We believe buildings here in Suffolk would benefit greatly from this."
Notes
1. English Heritage have published an annual Building At Risk Register. The aim of the Register is to maintain a list of historic buildings that require attention to protect them from further decay and where possible to focus assistance on bringing them back into practical use. The Register for 2007 is available on the English Heritage website and includes details on each building at risk. It is first divided by region and then by local authority: http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/upload/pdf/BAR_summary_2007.pdf
2. The buildings in Suffolk on the list are (pages 45 - 47):
Babergh
Barn north east of Bentley Hall, Bentley Hall Road, Bentley
Lawshall Hall, The Street, Lawshall
Ipswich
Church of St Peter, College Street (north side), Ipswich
St Lawrence Church, Dial Lane, Ipswich
45 & 45A St Nicholas Street, Ipswich
Mid Suffolk
Badley Hall, Badley
Badley Hall- Barn 100m south east, Badley
Badley Hall- Dovecote 60m east of Badley Hall, Badley
Drinkstone Post Mill, Woolpit Road, Drinkstone
Eye Priory Guest House, Eye
Barn 200m west of Hall's Farmhouse, Halls Lane, Norton
St Edmundsbury
Moreton Hall, Bury St Edmunds
Culford Hall, Culford Park, Culford
Church of St Mary, Ickworth Park, Ickworth
The Umbrello, Great Saxham Hall, Chevington Road, Great Saxham, The
Saxhams
Suffolk Coastal
Martello Tower "Z", south east of Buckanay Farm, Alderton
Bawdsey Manor, Bawdsey
Transmitter Block, Bawdsey Manor, Bawdsey
Martello Tower "W" at Rose Cottage, Bawdsey
Chapel of St James' Hospital, Dunwich
Grey Friars, Dunwich
Friston Post Mill, Mill Road, Friston
Glevering Hall Orangery, Easton Road, Hacheston
Leiston Abbey (First Site), Leiston
Remains of Sibton Abbey, Sibton
St Margaret's Chapel, Mells, Wenhaston with Mells Hamlet
Waveney
Moat Farmhouse, Shadingfield, Beccles
Mettingham Castle, Mettingham
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