Architects stand to benefit from a new £60 million fund to help bring discarded London properties back into use.Thecash injection was promised on Tuesday by mayor Boris Johnson, to helpease the housing crisis affecting the capital. It will target long-termdilapidated and – for the first time – listed properties as a priorityfor renovation.The announcement came at the launch of EnglishHeritage’s Heritage at Risk Register, a “domesday book” of threatenedbuildings and landmarks across the UK. According to theregister, one in 12 of some 70,000 protected sites - including listedbuildings, monuments and gardens – are at high risk from neglect ordecay. It says half of the 572 in London are suitable for re-use. EnglishHeritage chief executive Simon Thurley called on other public bodies tofollow the GLA’s lead by releasing cash for buildings at risk.“Thisis a huge opportunity for architects,” he said. “The solution to getbuildings off the register is to find ingenious ways to bring them backinto use. Architects are fundamental to that. They have the skill toturn a police station into luxury flats.”He added: “I hope we can persuade other public bodies to come on board too.” The GLA funds are being released from the mayor’s £331 million Targeted Funding Stream for Housing. Johnson said it was an “absurdity” that so many properties in London remained empty. “Empty properties cannot be left to rot and blight local neighbourhoods,” he said.“Buildingslike these must be made to live again, to serve as much needed housingand to give character and dignity to our streets. I am not prepared, asmayor, to stand by and see history, in the form of buildings likethese, hit the skip.”The register replaces English Heritage’sannual Buildings at Risk survey and includes monuments, landscapes andshipwreck sites around Britain.
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