Historic England has launched a new report aiming to tackle the housing shortage by providing small and medium-sized developers with clear guidance on repurposing historic buildings for residential use.
The Heritage Works for Housing guide was written by Deloitte and explains the benefits and challenges of transforming historic buildings into residential use.
It also includes step-by-step guidance at all stages of the process.
Historic England said repurposing empty historic buildings could provide up to 670,000 new homes in the country, while also contributing to net-zero goals.
It claims it can also be a profitable option because properties can be worth up to 10% more by their proximity to a listed building.
Duncan Wilson, Historic England’s chief executive, said: “This report demonstrates how historic buildings can be part of the solution to the housing crisis.
“It is a timely and useful guide for developers who want to adapt historic buildings for new housing, showing that historic buildings can offer attractive and sustainable living spaces that meet the needs and aspirations of modern homebuyers, while retaining their heritage significance and special character.”
This is absolutely the right way to go.