# / . 4 % 8 4 - ! 9 %$$)% "//4( !.$ $!6)$ 0)#+,%3 -EASURING CHANGE IN CONSERVATION AREAS #ARRYING OUT A BASIC HEALTH CHECK OF A CONSERVATION AREA MAY BE RELATIVELY EASY BUT MODERN MANAGEMENT RELIES ON STATISTICAL METHODS TO JUSTIFY RESOURCES AND ACTIONS 7E ALL HAVE OUR FAVOURITE HORRORS PRODUCED BY THE ACCUMULATION OF CHANGE IN CONSERVATION AREAS BUT NO ONE SEEMS TO HAVE MEASURED THIS EFFECT IN ANY SYSTEMATIC WAY 4HE EVIDENCE IS GENERALLY ANECDOTAL 4HE %NGLISH (ISTORIC 4OWNS &ORUM RAISED THE ISSUE MORE FORMALLY IN ITS REPORT 4OWNSCAPE IN 4ROUBLE AS DID %NGLISH (ERITAGE IN ITS &RAMING /PINIONS CAMPAIGN (OWEVER WHILE BOTH MADE EXTENSIVE USE OF PHOTOGRAPHIC EVIDENCE TO DEMONSTRATE THE ADVERSE EFFECTS OF CHANGE THERE WAS LITTLE STATISTICAL INFORMATION ON THE NATURE AND EXTENT OF THE PROBLEMS )N THE 3TATE OF THE (ISTORIC %NVIRONMENT 2EPORT NOTED THAT @7HILST THE PROPORTION OF CONSERVATION AREAS COVERED BY CONSERVATION AREA APPRAISALS IS USEFUL IN DEMONSTRATING COMMITMENT ON THE PART OF THE LOCAL AUTHORITY TO UNDERSTAND AND MANAGE CHARACTER IT DOES NOT MEASURE WHAT ACTUALLY HAPPENS IN THE AREA 4HIS PROMPTED %NGLISH (ERITAGE TO COMMISSION RESEARCH INTO THE POTENTIAL FOR MEASURING CHANGE 4HE AIM WAS TO BUILD ON ITS PILOT PROJECT IN WEST ,ONDON BY SURVEYING BUILDINGS AND DEVELOPING A METHODOLOGY OUT OF THE STATISTICAL ANALYSIS OF THE FINDINGS $EVELOPING A METHODOLOGY RAISED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS 7HAT ARE THE CAUSES OF CHANGE 7HAT IS EROSION !RE THERE DIFFERENT KINDS OF CHANGE ,ITTLE IS KNOWN ABOUT THE DRIVERS OF CHANGE AND IT WOULD TAKE SERIOUS SOCIAL RESEARCH TO UNDERSTAND THEM FULLY BUT THEY INCLUDE /WNERSHIP )NFORMATION FROM BANKS BUILDING SOCIETIES AND $)9 STORES TELL US THAT DWELLINGS CHANGE HANDS ON AVERAGE EVERY YEARS 7HILE LONG TERM OWNERSHIP MAY BE MORE BENIGN THE &RAMING /PINIONS CAMPAIGN ESTIMATED IN THAT AN AVERAGE OF a IS SPENT ON PROPERTIES WHEN OWNERSHIP CHANGES 4HE PRIORITY FOR THIS SPENDING WAS RANKED AS KITCHENS AND BATHROOMS FOLLOWED BY WINDOWS AND DOORS THEN CONSERVATORIES AND PATIOS DRIVES AND DECKING 4ECHNOLOGY 7HILE TECHNICAL DEVELOPMENTS HAVE MADE GLAZING BARS AND CHIMNEYS LARGELY REDUNDANT THERE IS NOW A PROBLEM WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF NON STANDARD ELEMENTS SUCH AS SPECIAL CASTINGS OR LEADWORK DETAILS &ASHION AND MARKETING4HE ARTIFICIAL GENERATION OF @NEED HAS OFTEN LED TO @OLD BEING EQUATED WITH @WORN OUT IN THE PURSUIT OF THE @NEW -ANY CHANGES THOUGH ARE PURELY FASHION DRIVEN REGARDLESS OF MATERIAL CONDITION 3OCIAL ASPIRATION 3EEKING HIGHER STATUS FOR PROPERTY IS NOT NEW -ATERIALS WERE OFTEN UPGRADED VISUALLY SO THAT STUCCO WAS USED TO LOOK LIKE ASHLAR CAST IRON WAS PAINTED TO LOOK LIKE BRONZE .OW ASTONISHINGLY PLASTIC WINDOW FRAMES CAN BE GRAINED TO LOOK LIKE ROSEWOOD !FFLUENCE POVERTY /FTEN THE PROBLEMS FACED BY HISTORIC BUILDINGS ARE DUE TO TOO MUCH MONEY AS WELL AS TOO LITTLE )N THE SURVEY THERE WERE VERY FEW PROPERTIES BEING MODESTLY MAINTAINED IN THE NARROW MARGIN BETWEEN CHANGES DUE TO MISGUIDED @IMPROVEMENT AND CHANGES BROUGHT ABOUT BY DECAY 'OVERNMENT POLICY AND REGULATION #HANGE HAS CLEARLY BEEN AFFECTED BY GOVERNMENT REQUIREMENTS FROM THE (ANGER (ILL 'ARDENS
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