This document discusses efforts to preserve military heritage sites in England that are at risk of decay. It notes that around 135 modern era military sites are on the Heritage at Risk Register, but this does not fully capture the number of buildings and sites threatened. Historic England provides grants and expertise to help rescue heritage sites, and works with local authorities who can issue enforcement notices to encourage repairs. Reuse of former military sites like Weedon Depot is supported through policies that balance preservation with new uses like employment, retail, and housing.

1. Ben Robinson
Team Leader,
Partnerships
Historic England
(Midlands)
Ben.Robinson@HistoricEngland.org.
uk
Saving Military Heritage at Risk

2. Heritage at Risk
English Heritage's national
Buildings at Risk Register first
published in 1998.
The HAR programme
launched in 2008. Grade I and
II* buildings, structural
scheduled monuments,
registered battlefields, wreck
sites.
Register subsequently
embraced all scheduled
monuments, registered parks
and gardens, conservation
areas, places of worship.

3. The HAR Register

4. “Twenty years ago, we published our first ever
Register of Buildings at Risk across England.
It featured 1,930 buildings and structural
scheduled monuments that were neglected,
broken and unloved.”
20 Years of Heritage at Risk
Former Derby Railway Works
Photos: Ian Harris, Maber Architects

5. “Two decades on, we're delighted to
announce that over two thirds of buildings
and structures on the 1998 Register are
now safe. Historic places have been rescued
in urban and rural areas right across England”
20 Years of Heritage at Risk
Photos: Ian Harris, Maber Architects
Former Derby Railway Works

6. Historic England Repair
Grants for Heritage at Risk
 Grade I, II* listed buildings
 Grade II in a Conservation Area
 Scheduled Ancient Monuments
 Unlisted and Grade II buildings in
Grade I or II* Registered Park and
Garden
 Urgent work, required within 2 years
 No alternative funding
 Urgent Works Notices, Repairs
Notice, CPO, etc.
 Section 17 Management Agreements
 Capacity Building Grants
 Partnership Schemes in Conservation
Areas
 Heritage Action Zones and High
Streets HAZ

7. Technical expertise and advice
 HAR Architect/Surveyors
 HAR Project Officers
 Landscape Architects
 Inspectors and Planners, development
advice
 Business Team
 Investigators (research)
 Civil and Structural Engineering Team
 Building Conservation and Geospatial
Survey Team
 Head of Legal Services/HAR Legal
Adviser
 Listing services
 Senior management, liaison and dialogue

9. Local Authority Enforcement
 Section 215 Notice
 Urgent Works Notice
 Repairs Notice
 Compulsory
Purchase/
Acquisition
Encouraging change for the better usually requires
public support, but also requires leadership and often
the application of a bit of pressure…

10. Around 135 modern era military sites on the HAR Register
Prevention is better than cure…….
But this does not reflect the true scale of threat as the Register can not include hundreds of
grade II buildings, nor non-designated military heritage assets and landscapes.
Copyright Ben Robinson

11. Royal Museums Greenwich

25. West Northamptonshire Joint Core Strategy
Local Plan (2014) Policy BN6 - Weedon Depot.
Policy BN6 - Weedon Depot
The re-use of the Former Ordnance Depot at
Weedon will be supported in order to achieve
the restoration of this important cultural and
heritage site.
A mix of uses will be the most appropriate solution for the site. the
following uses will be considered:
a) museum (class d1);
b) employment (class b1);
c) retail (class a1);
d) restaurant/ café/ drinking establishment (class a3, a4 and a5);
e) other leisure, tourism, and recreation uses;
f) residential;
For all forms of development proposed in respect of the site the
following factors will need to be addressed in assessing the impact of a
proposal:
1) the need to preserve and enhance the cultural and heritage value of
the site and its setting by ensuring that the re-use of existing buildings
and any new building is undertaken in accordance with an agreed
conservation plan.
2) an impact assessment to demonstrate that the nature and scale of
leisure, retail and/ or employment development is appropriate for the
location and would not adversely affect the vitality and viability of
existing town centres or the ability to secure investment and
revitalisation in them.
3) a transport assessment to ensure that sufficient capacity exists on
the strategic and local highway networks and that full opportunities
are taken to access the site by non-car modes.
Development proposals should be accompanied by a masterplan
prepared in consultation with the district planning authority, local
community and other interested parties including the highway
authorities for the nearby roads.

36. Ben Robinson
Team Leader,
Partnerships
Historic England
(Midlands)
Ben.Robinson@HistoricEngland.org.
uk
Saving Military Heritage at Risk