Letter: No money to save heritage at risk

Sir: English Heritage is to be applauded for its initiative in recording Buildings at Risk (photograph, 18 April) and the majority of local authorities have now completed Buildings at Risk surveys. The scale of disrepair and neglect revealed by these is truly appalling. What is ironic is that English Heritage is now virtually withdrawing from all further Buildings at Risk grants, leaving local authorities throughout the land with an admirable collection of printouts but with no resources to tackle the problem. Surely this was not the point of the exercise.

If English heritage cannot provide these essential grants, can we hope that the rules for lottery funding will be changed to allow resources to be directed to this most threatened part of our heritage?

Kathryn Baird

Publicity Officer

Association of Conservation Officers

Brighton,

East Sussex