Heritage funding too little and maybe too late

10.15.00pm UTC (GMT +0000) Mon 5th Nov 2007

Liz Leffman has welcomed the Government's decision to increase funding for English Heritage, but believes it could be too little too late for much of the country's crumbling heritage.

Liz, prospective Liberal Democrat MP for Meon Valley, called for action back in August following English Heritage's publication of the 2007 Buildings at Risk Register.

That report concluded that 13th century-built King John House in Warnford and a large number of buildings in Portsmouth, Gosport and Fareham, which form an important part of the area's naval heritage, are facing damage beyond repair.

Responding to English Heritage's latest report, Heritage Counts 2007 - their sixth annual survey of the state of England's historic environment - which was released last week, Liz said:

"The Government needed to act and has done so, yet the funding settlement is still below inflation and one in 30 of England's Grade I and II* listed buildings remain at risk.

"With the Heritage Counts 2007 report showing that these 'at risk' buildings now require significant public subsidy in order to be saved, you have to ask the question of why the Government let things get into this dire state in the first place.

"I have said before and reiterate the point again, the Government can still improve the situation by lowering the VAT charged on renovation or building.

"It is unfair that when a building is renovated or, for that matter, converted or extended, VAT has to be paid at the full rate on the building materials."

The Lib Dems propose to make it cheaper for people who own older, historic buildings to carry out repairs and renovation, paying for this by charging the same lower rate of VAT on materials used in building new houses built on greenfield sites.