Written evidence submitted by the
Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust

Thank you for the opportunity to provide evidence to this important inquiry on protecting built heritage.

As the custodians of the Historic Dockyard Chatham, a site of exceptional national and international significance, the Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust (CHDT / Trust) is uniquely placed to offer insights into the challenges and opportunities we face in preserving and managing built heritage. CHDT is a Preservation and Learning charity established in 1984 following the closure of Chatham Dockyard, ending a 400-year connection of the Royal Navy in Chatham and on the River Medway. CHDT is the custodian of The Historic Dockyard Chatham, a uniquely significant historic estate.

The Historic Dockyard Chatham is a site of outstanding international maritime heritage significance that played a highly important and significant role in supporting the Royal Navy for four hundred years. Encompassing an area of 80 acres (37 hectares), the site contains over 100 buildings and structures, 48 are scheduled as ancient monuments, with 54 listed as Historic Buildings, eleven at Grade I, and thirty- two at Grade II*. The site is also designated as a Conservation Area. Today it is the world’s most complete dockyard of the age of sail.

As we move forward in the 21st century, we face significant pressures from changing funding models, shifting public expectations, and the physical demands of maintaining structures that have borne witness to centuries of history.

The Trust’s experience highlights several key themes that are central to the debate on safeguarding- built heritage:

1.       The need for sustainable funding mechanisms that support long-term preservation without compromising the future viability of heritage sites.

2.       The importance of public and community engagement in ensuring that heritage sites remain relevant and accessible for future generations.

3.       The role of partnerships, collaboration, and innovation in adapting historic structures for modern use, while maintaining their cultural significance.

As we respond to the Committee’s questions, we will draw upon our practical experience in managing this exceptional site, as well as the lessons we have learned about the balancing act between conservation, accessibility, and economic sustainability.

We are committed to contributing to a broader conversation about how we can protect and enhance the built heritage of our country, ensuring that it remains a living, breathing part of our national identity for generations to come.

For and on behalf of Chatham Historic Dockyard Trust.

Jonathan Arthur

Director of Estates & Preservation

Submission

1                    Significant Challenges Facing Owners and Operators of Built Heritage Assets

CHDT face several significant challenges as owners and operators of built heritage assets. These include:

1.1                Financial Viability

Maintaining historic sites such as the Historic Dockyard Chatham requires substantial ongoing investment, particularly when it comes to conserving and preserving buildings with specific heritage protections. Revenue generation from such sites can often be limited due to restrictions on development and the costs associated with conservation work.

Since its establishment, CHDT has been the recipient of investment through an initial endowment to part fund the management and maintenance of the former dockyard estate, and latterly though DCMS revenue support (totalling £196K p.a at March 2024). CHDT moved to a position of financial self-reliance, following the withdrawal of revenue support from April 2024.

The Historic Dockyard’s development has been underpinned by significant capital investment totalling in excess of £75M since 1984. Capital funding grant funding has been received through a range of funding partners, notably the National Lottery Heritage Fund, which has supported a 40-year track record of heritage-led regeneration of the Dockyard estate.

The sustained long-term investment into The Historic Dockyard has been a critical factor in our successful development. The Trust’s sector-leading strategy of ‘Preservation through Re-use’, has enabled the development of a robust, diversified business model which has enabled us to adjust to the withdrawal of regular Central Government support. The utilisation of our historic estate, transforming heritage liabilities into heritage assets, drives vital revenue which underpins our charitable model.

Today, The Historic Dockyard Chatham is an exemplar of a mixed-use heritage estate, home to over 190 businesses, supporting c.600 jobs (FTE), a Higher Education campus for two educational partners, a thriving creative industries cluster and film location, a leading Museum and Visitor attraction, and residential community to 400 people in a mixture of historic and new-build houses. The Historic Dockyard Chatham generates an estimated £28M GVA annually into the Medway and Kent economy.

Despite the resilience of CHDT’s model, which enables us to meet revenue costs to deliver our charitable purpose, we continue to be reliant on securing major grant funding to undertake significant capital projects to meet the ongoing preservation needs of the estate.

1.2                Building Regulations and Compliance

The complexities of heritage protection laws and regulations can often hinder adaptive reuse or sensitive development of heritage buildings. For example, replacing windows, or adding modern amenities may limit opportunities for the commercial use of buildings or reduce the ability to upgrade them to meet modern standards.

1.3                Environmental Sustainability

Historic buildings, particularly those constructed in pre-modern eras, may not be energy efficient and could be costly to retrofit to meet modern environmental standards. The lack of appropriate frameworks for upgrading heritage buildings for energy efficiency, while maintaining their historical integrity presents another challenge.

To prevent the managed decline of heritage assets, CHDT feel several interventions are needed:

2.0                Targeted Funding

To preserve historic buildings and estates, requires significant and sustained financial support., Long-term and sustained financial support for conservation initiatives that not only focus on new developments which secure their re-use, but also the ongoing planned preventative maintenance costs should be considered.

Investment into adaptive re-use ensures that buildings and structures are not only preserved for future generations but also made more sustainable and relevant within the context of the modern economy. Such funding allows for the adaptive reuse of these buildings, ensuring they continue to play a valuable role while meeting the evolving needs of the community.

Investment into Planned and Preventative Maintenance of historic Buildings and Estates is equally vital, but often far harder to secure. Whilst development and re-use projects can prove easier to secure external funding, it is ongoing, day to day activity of planned preventative maintenance (PPM) which ensures that heritage buildings and estates are safeguarded for future generation. Through investment in PPM, long term costs can be significantly reduced by limiting harm to historic buildings through their degradation.

2.1                Simplification of Regulatory Frameworks

Streamlining conservation regulations and providing clearer guidance on what is permissible would make it easier for owners and operators to undertake necessary works. This should include clearer pathways to alter buildings for energy efficiency without compromising their historical value.

2.2                Incentivise Local Ownership

To make it easier for communities or local businesses to take ownership of historic buildings, there could exist grants, tax breaks, or preferential loan terms to local businesses, charitable organisations, or community groups interested in taking on and preserving historic buildings.

2.3                Community Engagement

Ensure that local communities are involved early in the process of taking over heritage assets, offering training and expertise on heritage management, and ensuring that projects align with community needs and values.

3.0             Effectiveness of Current Funding and Finance Models for Built Heritage

Current funding models for built heritage are often fragmented, bureaucratic, and insufficient for the scale of the challenges faced. There is a heavy reliance on grants, but these are often competitive and limited in scope. Heritage assets also struggle to attract private investment due to the inherent risks associated with restoration and preservation projects.

Long-term public funding for the sector should:

• Provide consistent, predictable funding models, through a heritage conservation fund that enables medium- to long-term projects to be undertaken without the uncertainty of annual budget cycles.

• Offer support for both capital investment in restoration and operational costs for managing and maintaining heritage sites, as many public heritage sites struggle with ongoing operational viability.
• Investment into Planned Preventative Maintenance to ensure that buildings and managed and maintained, often reducing long-term liabilities and costs.

4.0              Role of Built Heritage in Regeneration, Economic Growth, and Community Identity

Built heritage plays a crucial role in local regeneration, contributing to both economic growth and community identity. Historic sites attract visitors, promote local tourism, and stimulate job creation in sectors like hospitality, education, and heritage conservation.

Historic sites foster Place Making and Place identity, providing community pride and continuity, contributing to local identity. For example, the Historic Dockyard Chatham is a key part of the maritime heritage of the area and a vital resource for local communities to engage with their history. Chatham and the Medway Towns were shaped by the 400-year presence of the Royal Navy in the area, it is through the preservation of this unique estate that this heritage is sustained for future generations.

6.0              Sustainability and Climate Change Adaptation

To increase energy efficiency and contribute to the Government's net-zero targets requires investment and support:

6.1                Greening Heritage Buildings:

Government funding should support energy audits and provide grants for retrofitting historic buildings, such as installing energy-efficient heating systems, improving insulation, secondary glazing, or adaptation of rainwater goods, whilst respecting the building’s historical integrity.

6.2                Incentivise Green Practices:

Encourage innovation in sustainable technologies specifically designed for heritage buildings, such as the use of non-invasive energy systems.

7.0                Barriers to Preserving Built Heritage

The financial, regulatory, and practical barriers to preserving built heritage are significant.

7.1                Cost

The excessive cost of repairs, particularly when conservation rules require the use of traditional materials and techniques, often makes restoration projects financially unviable.

7.2                Regulatory Complexity

Navigating the regulatory frameworks of heritage protection can be bureaucratic and time- consuming. There is often a lack of clarity around what is permissible, leading to delays and increased costs.

7.3                Planning Restrictions:

Consent for Scheduled Ancient Monuments (SAMs) does not typically require planning permission in the conventional sense, but it is still subject to stringent regulations and restrictions. These rules can limit the ability to adapt heritage assets for modern uses, which can restrict opportunities for adaptive reuse and income generation. While planning restrictions are designed to protect the historical and architectural integrity of these assets, they can also restrict their potential to be effectively used in a way that supports sustainability and long-term financial viability.

Policy changes that would make restoring historic buildings easier and less expensive:

8.0                Flexibility in Planning

Allow greater flexibility for adaptive reuse, with clearer guidelines on what is permissible within the context of heritage protection.

8.1              Support for Innovative Preservation Techniques

Incentivise research and development into new, cost-effective preservation techniques and materials that can lower the cost of restoration work.

8.2                Policies to Ensure the UK Workforce Has the Right Skills to Maintain Heritage Assets

The shortage of skilled workers in heritage conservation is a pressing issue. This includes the need for craftsmen, restorers, and project managers with specific expertise in historic buildings.

Policies that can address this gap include:

8.3              Vocational Training & Heritage Skill Apprenticeships

Investing in training and apprenticeships within heritage-specific trades, such as traditional stonemasonry and historic building conservation, is essential for the continued preservation of our built heritage. Collaborations between government, industry, and heritage organisations should be prioritised to create structured career pathways, ensuring that skilled tradespeople are equipped to meet the demands of the sector.

Government-backed apprenticeship programmes focused on heritage conservation would not only provide organisations like ours with a sustainable talent pipeline but also support the long- term future of craftsmanship. By developing opportunities for young people to learn these vital skills, we can ensure that experienced tradespeople remain active in the field and are able to pass on their expertise. These programmes would contribute to the broader economy, nurturing a workforce capable of maintaining and conserving historic buildings while preserving the knowledge and skills necessary to keep this craft alive for future generations.

8.4              Higher Education

Support academic and vocational institutions offering courses on heritage management and conservation, ensuring that young people are encouraged to enter the sector.

8.5              Partnerships with Employers

Forge stronger links between the heritage sector and universities, heritage charities, and local government to develop workforce pipelines specifically designed for the challenges of maintaining historic buildings. The specialist skills required to care for and conserve our built heritage are increasingly rare, and without a concerted effort to nurture the next generation of skilled heritage professionals, we risk losing invaluable expertise.