So many developers and practitioners – including some local authorities – view built heritage as a constraint on regeneration or development. The belief is that it holds back change and cannot ‘pay its way’. We consider most heritage – whether built or natural, in the forms of streets, parks – to be a real or potential asset, which needs investment and time to mature and release long term value for its community. Heritage is more than just bricks and mortar. It often encapsulates the spirit of a place, the layers of meaning and identity wrought by successive generations of human habitation. It is also embodied energy and disposing of it in a thoughtless manner for short term gain is ultimately a negative approach.
