Historic buildings could provide up to 670,000 homes in England
Historic England has found that up to 670,000 homes could be created by repurposing existing historic buildings around the country.
The public body, which is tasked with protecting the historic environment of England, has provided small and medium-sized developers with clear guidance on repurposing historic buildings for residential use in its report Heritage Works for Housing.
The report, drafted by Deloitte, offers comprehensive, expert insight into the benefits and challenges of transforming historic buildings into residential use, as well as providing practical step-by-step guidance at all stages of the process.
Historic England has found that up to 670,000 homes could be created by repurposing existing historic buildings around the country.
The public body, which is tasked with protecting the historic environment of England, has provided small and medium-sized developers with clear guidance on repurposing historic buildings for residential use in its report Heritage Works for Housing.
The report, drafted by Deloitte, offers comprehensive, expert insight into the benefits and challenges of transforming historic buildings into residential use, as well as providing practical step-by-step guidance at all stages of the process.
The report includes advice on feasibility testing, stakeholder engagement, heritage appraisal, design development, building consent and ongoing maintenance.
It argues that redeveloping historic buildings can help address the housing shortage in England, while also contributing to reaching net zero, through the reuse of the thousands of existing empty and underused buildings.
Historic England’s report says it is a profitable option too, with properties worth up to 10% more just through their proximity to a listed building.
Duncan Wilson, chief executive at Historic England, said: “This report demonstrates how historic buildings can be part of the solution to the housing crisis. It is a timely and useful guide for developers that want to adapt historic buildings for new housing, showing that historic buildings can offer attractive and sustainable living spaces that meet the needs and aspirations of modern homebuyers, while retaining their heritage significance and special character.
“It was great to have the support of Deloitte, which drew on its in-depth experience of delivering housing in historic buildings when drafting the report.”
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