Much of the focus on tackling the housing crisis is on the construction of new homes, but a new report argues that Britain’s historic building stock can also contribute to the solution.
Historic England has published a new report to provide small and medium-sized developers with what it claims is clear guidance on re-purposing these old properties for residential use.
Heritage Works for Housing, as the report is called, suggests that up to 670,000 ‘new’ homes could be provided by converting historic buildings.
Commissioned by Historic England and drafted by Deloitte, the report is said to offer “comprehensive and expert insight” into the benefits and challenges of transforming historic buildings into residential use, as well as providing practical step-by-step guidance at all stages of the process.
This includes expert advice on feasibility testing, stakeholder engagement, heritage appraisal, design development, building consent, and ongoing maintenance.
Duncan Wilson, chief executive at Historic England, said: “This report demonstrates how historic buildings can be part of the solution to the housing crisis.
“It is a timely and useful guide for developers who want to adapt historic buildings for new housing, showing that historic buildings can offer attractive and sustainable living spaces that meet the needs and aspirations of modern homebuyers, while retaining their heritage significance and special character.
“It was great to have the support of Deloitte, who drew on their in-depth experience of delivering housing in historic buildings when drafting the report.”
As well as helping to address the housing shortage, Historic England says that re-purposing historic buildings could also contribute to reaching net zero, through the reuse of the thousands of existing empty and under-used buildings.
It is a profitable option too, the organisation adds, with properties said to be worth up to 10% more just through their proximity to a listed building.
Main image: Park Hill, Sheffield. Image credit: Courtesy of Historic England. © Urban Splash
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