Selection Criteria for Inclusion in the Heritage at Risk Register

Risk assessment types

Heritage assets included on the Register are assessed according to the nature of the site. This can be through on-site checks or desk-based assessments. They are assessed under seven risk assessment types:

• Buildings and structures (grade I and II* listed buildings nationally, grade II listed buildings in London, and structural scheduled monuments)
• Places of worship (grade I, II* and II listed buildings)
• Archaeology (scheduled monuments - earthworks and buried archaeology)
• Parks and gardens (registered parks and gardens)
• Battlefields (registered battlefields)
• Wreck sites (protected wreck sites)
• Conservation areas (conservation areas as designated by their local planning authority)

Buildings and structures

Buildings or structures (not in use as a public place of worship) considered for inclusion on the Register must be listed grade I or II*, (or grade II in London) or be a structural scheduled monument with upstanding remains. Buildings or structures are assessed for inclusion on the basis of condition and, where applicable, occupancy (or use) reflecting the fact that a building which is occupied is generally less vulnerable than one that is not.

Occupancy (or use) is assessed as 'vacant', 'part occupied', 'occupied', 'not applicable', or occasionally, 'unknown'. Many structures fall into the 'not applicable' category as they can be ruins, walls, gates, headstones or boundary stones.

Condition is assessed as 'very bad', 'poor', 'fair' or 'good'. The condition of buildings or structures on the Register typically ranges from 'very bad' to 'poor', 'fair' and (occasionally) 'good' reflecting the fact that some buildings or structures capable of use are vulnerable to becoming at risk because they are empty, under-used or face redundancy without a new use to secure their future.

Assessing vulnerability in the case of buildings in fair condition necessarily involves judgement and discretion. A few buildings remain on the Register in good condition while solutions are being implemented as a reminder of the need for monitoring, and to ensure that repair and re-use are seen through to completion.

Buildings or structures are removed from the Register when they are fully repaired/consolidated, and their future secured through either occupation and use, or through the adoption of appropriate management.

Places of worship

Places of worship considered for inclusion on the Register must be listed grade I, II* or II and be used as a public place of worship at least six times a year.

The method used to assess whether a place of worship is at risk is essentially the same as that used to assess other historic buildings or structures (as outlined above), with one important difference: the criterion as to whether a building is occupied is not used as by their nature, places of worship are in use.

Places of worship are assessed on the basis of condition only. If the place of worship is in 'very bad' or 'poor' condition it is added to the Register.

It is often the case that only part of a church building, e.g. the tower or one of the aisles, is in very bad or poor condition, and it then becomes a matter of professional judgement whether this puts the whole building at risk. Usually if a major or a very significant element of a church is considered to be at risk then the judgement is made that the whole building is at risk and it is included in the Register.

Once on the Register, places of worship can move through the condition categories (e.g. from very bad to poor, to fair, even to good) as repairs are implemented and the condition improves, until they are fully repaired and can be removed from the Register. This means that there are some places of worship in good condition on the Register but with outstanding issues still to be resolved at the time when they were assessed.

Archaeology

To be considered for inclusion on the Register, archaeological sites must be designated as scheduled monuments on the National Heritage List for England. Scheduled monuments are not graded. They cover human activity from the prehistoric era, such as burial mounds, to 20th-century military and industrial remains.

Heritage at risk archaeology assessments cover earthworks and buried archaeology.

Although protected by law, scheduled monuments are still at risk from a wide range of processes and pressures outside of the planning system including damage from cultivation, forestry and wholly natural processes such as scrub growth, animal burrowing and erosion.

The archaeological sites on the Register have been identified as being at risk because of their condition and vulnerability, the trend in their condition, and their likely future vulnerability. A site's condition is expressed in terms of the scale and severity of adverse effects on it, ranging from those with 'extensive significant problems' to others that have only 'minor localised problems'.

Archaeological entries are removed from the Register once sufficient progress has been made to address identified issues, demonstrating a significant reduction in the level of risk.

Parks and gardens

Registered parks and gardens of all grades are eligible for inclusion on the At Risk Register. They include private gardens, public parks and cemeteries, rural parkland and other green spaces.

The assessment of parks and gardens includes an appraisal of their condition and vulnerability, the trend in their condition, and their likely future vulnerability. Steps being taken by owners to address problems are also taken into consideration.

Parks and gardens assessed as being at risk are typically affected by development and neglect. They have frequently been altered by development or are faced with major change.

The original function of these landscapes has often changed; and divided ownership often results in the loss of the cohesive conservation of the historic designs.

Park and garden entries are removed from the Register once plans are put in place to address issues and positive progress is being made.

Battlefields

To be considered for inclusion on the Register, battlefields must be included on the National Heritage List for England.

Battlefields deemed to be at risk of loss of historic significance are included in the Register.

Each battlefield is assessed against four key criteria:

• Landscape readability – is it possible to understand the context of the battle?
• Landscape features – are hedgerows, walls and trees which had a significant impact on the battle still in place?
• Archaeological integrity – is the archaeology of the battle being disturbed?
• Ambiance – are activities such as development having a negative impact on the setting of the site?

Current condition, future vulnerability and trend are all taken into account.

The identified risks and threats often come from development pressure - for example, because they lie on urban fringes or are subject to development pressures within the site; arable cultivation, and unregulated metal-detecting. One major impact or a combination of several factors can be enough to raise the risk at a particular site.

Battlefields are removed from the Register when either actual damaging activities are reversed or managed, or threats recede due to effective management planning.

Wreck sites

To be considered for inclusion on the Register, wrecks must be designated as protected wreck sites on the National Heritage List for England.

Wreck sites are assessed based on their condition and vulnerability, the trend in their condition, and their likely future vulnerability.

Wrecks are considered to be at risk if there is a significant likelihood of loss or further loss of historical, archaeological or artistic significance from it within the foreseeable future.

Wrecks are vulnerable to both environmental and human impacts. Risks that contribute to the inclusion on the Register range from unauthorised access to erosion and fishing damage.

The monitoring process ensures that the significance of the site is identified and maintained. In spite of the inherent difficulties in caring for this type of site, careful management must be maintained.

Wrecks are removed from the Register once an appropriate management and monitoring regime is operational.

Conservation Areas

Conservation areas are designated by their respective local planning authorities.

Once a year Historic England asks every local authority in England to consider the state of its conservation areas and fill in (and update as appropriate) risk assessment questionnaires for those that cause concern or are believed to no longer be at risk.

Conservation areas that are either deteriorating, or are in a very bad or poor condition and are not expected to change significantly in the next three years, are defined as being at risk.

Categories for condition, vulnerability and trend are included for each conservation area on the Heritage at Risk Register.

The approach taken to assess conservation areas at risk has been refined since the first survey in 2008/2009. Conservation areas identified as at risk in 2009, but not reassessed since using the revised methodology, are included on the Register but with limited information.

Conservation areas are removed from the Register once plans have been put in place to address the issues that led to the conservation area being at risk, and once positive progress is being made.