We’ve long believed that Britain’s historic buildings can play a much bigger role in addressing the UK’s housing shortage, so it’s encouraging to see that message reflected in the Culture, Media and Sport Committee’s latest report, Protecting Built Heritage.

The report estimates that up to 670,000 homes could be created by bringing vacant and underused heritage buildings back into use. It’s a significant opportunity – one that aligns closely with the recommendations we made in our own report, Unlocking Heritage for Housing (Click here to read), where we called for a reuse first approach to development and greater support for restoring our historic buildings.

Turning Recognition into Action

Acknowledging the potential of heritage buildings is an important step, but now is the time to turn recognition into action.

Firstly, procurement should prioritise experience and expertise. Restoring heritage assets requires specialist knowledge, long term investment and a proven track record.

Secondly, VAT reform remains essential. While listed building repairs continue to attract 20% VAT, many new build developments benefit from zero rated VAT. It’s a disparity that can discourage the reuse of existing buildings at a time when we should be making the most of them.

We’ve learnt many lessons over the last 45 years, but one stands out above the rest: historic buildings don’t wait.

A slipped roof tile, a leaking gutter or a broken window might not seem like much, but left unattended they can quickly become much bigger problems. Over time, original features begin to deteriorate, repair costs increase and the opportunity to preserve a building’s character becomes that little bit harder.

It’s something we’ve seen throughout our work restoring heritage buildings across the UK, and it’s why we believe acting early makes all the difference.

More Than Restoring Buildings

Every building we work on has its own story. From former hospitals and schools to grand country houses, each one has played an important role in its community.

Our job isn’t to erase that history – it’s to protect it.

We carefully restore the features that make each building unique while creating homes that are designed for modern living. It’s a balance we’ve been refining for more than four decades, and one we never take for granted.