Buildings at risk

Nottinghamshire has over 4,500 listed buildings, structures and monuments. The great majority are in good condition. However, there are a number of buildings that have fallen into disuse, dereliction and disrepair. These are referred to as 'Buildings at Risk' (BaR).

About the register

The register includes buildings that have been identified in the County Council’s condition survey as being ‘at risk’ by using a set of national criteria devised by English Heritage (the government’s advisory body on heritage in England).

The aim of this register is to raise awareness of the problems relating to historic buildings at risk to the wider public. It also aims to prompt the owner or members of the public to take action to get these buildings repaired and secure their long-term future.

In some cases the fate of a building could simply be turned around by changing ownership. Where appropriate, the register might help to find new owners able to repair a building at risk. For this purpose we have only included buildings in the register that are habitable, potentially habitable, or which could have some other beneficial use.

The register will help local authorities, English Heritage and Building Preservation Trusts to set priorities for planning and financing building work. It is also the intention to use the register to persuade funders to make money available at the county and local level.

Why do historic buildings become 'at risk'?

There are some typical causes why buildings can become neglected and disused, and often more than one factor is involved: 

Redundancy

The building may no longer be suited to the function for which it was originally designed or is currently used for. Once a building is vacant and left unsecured, it can become subject to vandalism and arson attack.

Ownership

The owner lacks the means to keep the building in good repair. Some owners choose not to keep their building in a good state of repair, others refuse to sell it at a price that reflects its actual condition.

Location

The building lies within the curtilage (ie surrounding land) of a larger building and/or access problems prevent a change of ownership.

A building might also be seriously blighted by insensitive road schemes or its surroundings. For example, if it lies within an abandoned industrial area or an economically deprived area.

Economic

There is a disparity between the cost of repair and the end value of a building once repaired. The early 19th century Mill Cottages and outbuildings in Worksop have long been vacant and neglected and are now in a perilous state.

The re-use of these buildings has partly been blighted by the location of a large roundabout right next to the site.