GreenDeal, Red Alert R
ather toolate, thehistoric buildings world haswokenuptogovernment plans to improvetheenergy performanceofmillions of older buildings–possibly forgood, possibly for ill. SoworriedistheSPABabout the
Green Deal, tobeintroduced fromAutumn2012, that we wroteto theTimes and also to the Energy Secretary,ChrisHuhne. We simplydon’tbelieve that the implicationsfor older buildingshave been sufficientlyconsidered.
Norwerewealone.The letter to theTimes had thesupportof a verywiderange of influentialorganisations and individuals, fromthe National Trust to the Church ofEngland.We await adefinitive responsefrom the Department forEnergy and ClimateChange. Under theGreen Deal about 14million householders are expected
to qualifyforanenergy-saving overhaul by 2020. They will be able to requesta freesurvey from an approvedassessor, who will recommend works. Theywill then beable toapply foraloan for the works, the cost ofwhichismeant tobe recoverable from energy bill savings. Asweexplained inour letters, we strongly support measures to
make the nation’sbuildingsmore energyefficient. That is not the issue. But we fear theGreenDeal maybestoringup expensive and damaging longer term problemsif inappropriate formsof insulation and other measuresare adoptedwithouta proper understanding that older buildingsbehave ina differentwayfrommodern constructions. Above all they workbybreathing. Seal themup and there can be real problems overwhat happensto all the moisture we generate as part ofmodern
living.As theSPAB’son-going research has already begun toshow(see p. ), wereally know far too little about how historic buildings materials perform and not just in a laboratory. Muchmore researchis needed,andurgently. But no one seemswilling to pay formorethan a token amount. The GreenDealwillnot specifythe works, andit is likely a wide
rangeof measures, from draught-proofing to solar panels, will qualify. Not surprisingly,manufacturers and suppliers of differentenergy savingsystemsseea bonanzaahead.Ourworry is that some of these systems – forexample, some productsthat insulate walls internally and possiblyalso externally –maynotbesuitable for older buildings but will bewidely adopted because of commercial pressure. The smaller-scaleproducers of traditionalandmore environmentally friendly materialswillbeindanger of beingsqueezed out. Ofcourse, work tolisted buildingswill need consent,sowe
are unlikely to see theoutsidewallsof our grade I churches or houses disfiguredbyimpervious andinflexibleinsulationsystems. But eventhough listed buildingconsent isrequired for work that affectsthecharacter of the inside of listedbuildings, you can bet that fewownerswill realise this, andmany beleaguered local authoritieswill be unable to monitorwhat isgoingon. Most at riskare themillionsof traditionally constructed butunlisted buildingsdatingfrom before1919. Theargument will be that the
PhilipVenningSecretary Matthew SlocombeDeputy Secretary responsible for listed building applications JoyMannMembership Secretary Rachel BowerEducation Secretary, organiser of Scholarship programme DouglasKentTechnical Secretary, responsible for technical enquiries, technical events ElaineByrneEastern Caseworker LucyStewartNorthern Caseworker
2 Cornerstone, Vol 32, No 3 2011 philip venning
efficiencygainsoutweighover-precious concerns about how the buildingsarealtered. Somuch work doneto oldbuildings isputting
right well-intentionedbut mistaken actions of the past. The decayof timber-frames beneath hard cement renders isa classicexample.But disastrous mistakes cantake manyyearsto showthemselves, and politicians have little interest in what mightor mightnot be amajor issue in 10 or20years’ time. TheSPAB continues toplay a leadingrole in
bring together thoseinvolvedin manysmall- scale research projects,as well
asitsown.Members can be
proud that,again, their Societyis in theforefront of anational issue. Oneof the most pressing needsisto produce morereliablebasic
data about howcertain
buildingmaterialsperform.Muchof what is usedasa standardwithin thebuilding industryisderived from Germanexamples.Wealso needto have a muchclearer ideaof what happens tomoisturewhendifferent forms of insulation systemare
installed.Proper long-termmonitoring isvital if we areto understand what works andwhat storesupproblems. But thejuggernaut is movingandtime is noton our side.
ASweapproachthe135thanniversary of thefounding of theSPAB, in2012, it’sworthemphasising howcentral theSocietywasto William Morris. Far frombeingsome minor adjunct tohisfrantically activelife,as is sometimesportrayed, hiscommitment totheSPAB was extraordinary. We needtoproclaim it muchmoreloudly. Members andothers maybesurprised bythewords ofAymer Vallance, whose “Life andWork ofWilliam Morris”wasauthorised by Morris himself, shortlybeforehisdeathin 1896. “HadMr Morris been asked whichone inpreferenceto any other
ofhisundertakings he consideredhisgreatest andbest,” writes Vallance, “he wouldhavehad no hesitation innaming the Societyfor theProtectionof AncientBuildings, whichowestohim morethan anyone else its originand itssuccess… “Andit is hardly possible tolaytoomuchstresson this
departmentof Mr Morris’swork,or tooverrate theimportancehe himself attached to it. Indeed it isnot too muchtosay, that to appreciatethemotives thatguidedhis course inthis regard, isto possess the key tohismethodand conduct ingeneral throughout his
life.No cause wasnearer tohisheart than this;andthisit is which everyonedesiringto interpretarightWilliam Morris’s life’s workmust placefirst [myunderlining] in anymemorial of him.” This assertion is clearlyborneoutby thehuge numberof SPAB
committeemeetings he attended between 1877and 1896,not to mentionpublicspeaking onbehalfof the Society, letter writing,and activitiesinsupportof the cause. While the Society continuesto draw inspirationfromWilliam
Morris,Philip Webbandthe other early SPAB pioneers, oursights are firmly set onthepresent, andhow their ideas are asrelevant today and inthefuture, asinthe past.
Louise SimsonPropertiesList Shahina BegumITManager JonathanGarlickTechnicalOfficer MarianneSuhrEducationPromotions JudithLeighWalesOfficer Janet PooleWalesOfficer (secular buildings) Kate GriffinPressOfficer Emily WatnickFinanceManager
Governmentcashfor insulationmay leadtoa wave of damaging, unsuitable workon old buildings
Cornerstone Volume 32 Number 3 Autumn 2011
The Society for the Protection of AncientBuildings 37 Spital Square LondonE1 6DY Telephone 020 7377 1644 Fax 020 7247 5926 Email
info@spab.org.uk Webwww.spab.org.uk ISSN 0969-4250
A charitable company limited by guarantee registeredin EnglandandWales. Company number 5743962 Charity number 1113753 Scottish charity number SCO39244
Magazine EditorRobin Stummer
Email
editorial@florincorp.com Telephone 020 7729 1696 Produced and designed by Robin Stummer Letters
letters@spab.org.uk Production correspondence Cornerstone, The First Floor, 75 Leonard Street, London EC2A 4QS
Editorial board Ian Angus, GillianDarley,Kate Griffin, RogerHunt,Matthew Slocombe, PhilipVenning,Clementine Cecil, PaulHarris, DouglasKent
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Skye DillonAssistantEducationOfficer JoanneNeedhamNorthernOfficer Sara Crofts, Kate Minnis Faith in MaintenanceProject Catherine CullisChurchesOfficer Philippa SoodeenFellowshipProgrammes PippaEvansMembershipAsst/RegionalGroups Anna Foreshew Administrator/Receptionist JoannaMoore NewMedia Co-Ordinator Catherine Bull Technical Adviser
SPABSTAFF
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