Private Eye’s ‘Nooks & Corners’ has taken a moment to highlight the practical issues faced by ‘even careful owners and enthusiastic restorers’ who face the ‘nation’s worsening shortage of heritage skills.’
Private Eye’s ‘Nooks & Corners’ writes:
WHILE greedy developers and neglectful public authorities are likely to remain a menace to historic buildings in 2026, even careful owners and enthusiastic restorers face being thwarted by the nation’s worsening shortage of heritage skills.
Last November the Victorian Society uncovered the shocking situation in Birmingham, where the planning department once had seven conservation officers to ensure applications for listed building consent were given prompt and proper consideration and to monitor the condition of the city’s heritage assets. Now it has just one part-timer.
Birmingham is not alone. Bury council… doesn’t employ any conservation officers…
This certainly makes it difficult for responsible owners to follow the good practice guidance to check in with their local conservation officer about using appropriate materials for repairs and maintenance, and can cause lengthy delays to getting permission for urgent work.
Once listed building consent is… often ,,, contingent on using specific materials and techniques…
However, recent reports from Historic England (HE) and Historic Environment Scotland (HES show dire shortages there too- resulting in long delays and high prices.
