Journal of Architectural Conservation
Volume 17, Issue 2, July 2011
Current Initiatives to Address Heritage Crime in the UK
Bob Kindred
Paper Summary
Policy makers have generally assumed that the preservation of architectural heritage is underpinned by a day-to-day management consensus driven by virtuous intentions that are positive and enthusiastic at best, and benign at worst. Until quite recently, little attention or concern was paid to the need for penalties as a deterrent to deliberate defacement and illegal demolition. Sanctions to address mutilation or loss of historic buildings were left largely to local authorities and were under-used. A current initiative involving a number of additional key agencies intends to provide a much better co-ordinated national and local response to the problem. Although this initiative also encompasses archaeology, this paper focuses on the aspects related to architectural heritage crime.
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Old Bell Inn, Stoke Street, Ipswich
One of the oldest buildings in Ipswich, dating from c.1540, was Grade II listed in 1951. The local brewery owner was fined £3,000 for cutting this unauthorized hole through the mediaeval spandrel panel to install beer-chilling equipment. The installer was only cautioned because contractually, the brewery was required to obtain any necessary consents. The attendant local publicity accorded with the Secretary of State’s policy to encourage proceeding as a deterrent in other instances.
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Bob Kindred MBE BA IHBC MRTPI
Bob Kindred has been involved in local government heritage management for nearly 30 years and is a member of the Council of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation. He established in 1996 and still maintains the national database of listed building prosecutions for IHBC and was an external advisor to the DCLG in 2006 on the preparation of its Best Practice Guidance on Listed Building Prosecutions. He is the Standing Special Advisor on Heritage to the House of Commons Culture Media and Sport Select Committee and has written extensively on heritage policy.
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