Historic England has published its Heritage Risk Register for 2022 and 1 Isle of Wight landmark is on the list.
Published annually, this year’s iteration has seen The Guildhall on High Street, Newport – a Grade II listed building – added to the list after concerns were voiced about its roof and stonework.
The Guildhall in Newport was built in 1814-16 to a design by the architect John Nash to house the borough’s civic and judicial functions and a market. A clock tower was added in 1887-8 to mark Queen Victoria’s Golden Jubilee.
Since 1996 the building has been in use as the Museum of Island History with associated offices and storage. It was added to the Heritage at Risk Register in 2022 due to the poor condition of the roofs, render, stonework and drains.
The Guildhall is owned by the Isle of Wight Council which is working with partners and through the High Street Heritage Action Zone (HSHAZ) to develop plans for its refurbishment and options for its future use. Isle of Wight Council undertook £20,000 of emergency roof repairs last year and are monitoring the condition of building closely.
Historic England awarded close to £1million in repair grants to 18 historic places and sites, including conservation areas, in the South East on the Heritage at Risk Register over the past year. In addition, £0.31 million was spent on 2 places in the South East, with support from the Culture Recovery Fund.
11 sites in the South East have been added to the Register because of concerns about their condition. They are at risk of being lost forever as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development.
Emily Gee, Regional Director, Historic England said:
“It is central to Historic England’s mission that we pass on to future generations the rich legacy of historic buildings and places that we have inherited from previous generations. Our Heritage at Risk programme is a key contributor to this ambition. With the help of local communities and partners, imaginative thinking and business planning, we can continue to regenerate historic places across the South East.”
I cannot understand the poor upkeep of a Council building, why? There must be a property maintenance department within the council.
because the council probably spent the money on vanity projects, as well as ensuring that they trouser as much cash in their salaries, from the gravy trough, which has left pennies to keep the buildings in good order
Spent it on all on the floating bridge
I doubt the Council has any maintenance workers, if it’s not on a ‘contracted out’ job list it would only have been subject to emergency actions.