Written evidence submitted by
The Presbyterian Church in Ireland

1. What are the most significant challenges facing owners and operators of built heritage assets, and how are they affecting what those sites can offer? What interventions are needed to prevent the managed decline of heritage assets on publicly-owned land? What can the Government do to make it easier for communities or local businesses to take ownership of historic buildings?

• Lack of funds and rising costs of materials and labour.
• Lack of professionals with accreditation in conservation - also applies to Conservation Officers in local Planning Offices.
• Lack of contractors with expertise in the built heritage - can impact on tender returns.
• Remove VAT from works to listed buildings.
• The cost of upkeep - regular, ongoing maintenance
• Pragmatic and sympathetic approach required for the adaptation of listed buildings
• Conflict between protection for our listed buildings and the desire for net zero standards.
• The number of buildings in the PCI estate, now surplus to requirements, which are falling into disrepair as Congregations dwindle or cease to exist. 
• The expense required to remodel the interior of an old, listed building for modern worship -  the church is not the building but the people.

2. How effective are the current funding and finance models for built heritage? What should long-term public funding for the sector look like?

• Provide funding to HED to allow the reinstatement of Grants to listed buildings.
• Government should announce that the LPWG Scheme is to continue after 31st March 2025
• Provide an effective grant funding scheme for works undertaken to the built heritage
• PCI cannot accept funds from the Heritage Lottery Fund as these monies can be directly linked to gambling which the PCI cannot condone. Public funding should be made directly from central funds so that they can be accessed by all. In NI this could be by additional funds to the block grant from Westminster specifically allocated for the purpose of preserving built heritage.

3. What role does built heritage play in the regeneration of local areas and in contributing to economic growth and community identity? How can heritage buildings be supported to increase energy efficiency and contribute to the Government’s net zero targets?

• The Townscape Heritage Schemes acted as a catalyst for further regeneration by attracting addition investment from the public and private sector. Every £1m of HLF funding in Northern Ireland attracted £1.5m from partner organisations, making a huge impact on the local economy and the conservation of heritage. This has proved to be a significant factor in the regeneration of local areas, with the refurbishment of the built heritage being the catalyst to the regeneration of whole communities.
• The government has published proposals to make it easier for owners to retrofit historic buildings to improve their energy efficiency. This will need to be monitored so that works are carried out correctly and to best conservation standards.
• Grants should be available to improve building efficiency wherever possible bearing in mind that older buildings may be difficult to improve in this regard because of their construction.

4. What are the financial, regulatory and practical barriers to preserving built heritage? What policy changes are needed to make restoring historic buildings easier and less expensive?

• It has recently been announced that the government intends to introduce a National Development Management Policy, which is intended to bring consistency to the planning process, specifically on improvements to historic buildings. At present this is probably being introduced in England and there is no timescale for development in NI.
• Training for staff required for progress through the Planning System and Building Control - more knowledge required over 'deemed to satisfy' conditions
• Lack of government support in the form of grant aid
• Policy changes are required to the planning regulations to allow for more flexibility when deemed necessary.
• Inability to access funds from some sources (see previous section responses)

5. What policies would ensure that the UK workforce has the right skills to maintain our heritage assets?

The following policies have already been identified and should be implemented:

• National Retrofit Strategy: A government-industry partnership that provides training, funding, and advice to improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings 
• Specialist heritage placements: Apprenticeships that allow people to gain skills in heritage conservation 
• Shared apprenticeship schemes: Programs that allow apprentices to work with multiple employers to gain the skills they need 
• Consistent government support: Reliable funding, regulation, and promotion of heritage 
• Integration of heritage into planning: Including heritage in social, economic, and environmental policies 
• Stronger commissioning role for local authorities: Ensuring that local workforces have the skills that employers need
• Encourage apprenticeship and mentoring schemes for contractors so that skills can be preserved.