The Historical Buildings Council (HBC) for Northern Ireland has published its 19th report, which discusses the challenges of listing and de-listing properties.
In the report, Chairman Marcus Patton discusses the impact of ‘decimated’ building grants and the time spent ‘considering the reorganisation of local government instead of architectural aesthetics’. He says surveys have continued to identify buildings that have been ‘mutilated rather than protected’ and may now be delisted.
Other topics mentioned in his summary include ecclesiastical exemptions, the future of thatched cottages and planning in Northern Ireland.
It also contains articles looking at:
- façade retention
- the interrelated problems of damp, dry rot, insulation and energy conservation in historic structures
- protecting our built heritage
- dating historic buildings.
The HBC was established under Article 198 of the Planning Act (Northern Ireland) 2011. Its function is to review and occasionally report on the general state of preservation of listed buildings, and to advise on such matters relating to the preservation of buildings of special architectural or historic interest.
