£60 Million Available to Rescue England’s Historic Buildings

Historic England has confirmed that up to £60 million remains available through the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund over the next four years, to 2030. The fund is designed to support the repair and conservation of historic buildings and sites at risk across England.

For anyone working in building conservation, surveying, architecture, planning or heritage-led regeneration, this is a significant announcement. It is not simply another grant scheme. It is a clear signal that repairing, conserving and reusing historic buildings remains a national priority.

What is the Heritage at Risk Capital Fund?

The Heritage at Risk Capital Fund is delivered by Historic England and funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport. It supports capital works to historic buildings and sites that are considered to be at risk.

Eligible projects may include the conservation, repair and conversion of:

• Listed buildings of all grades

• Historic buildings in conservation areas

• Registered parks and gardens

• Scheduled monuments

The fund follows an initial year in which £15 million was awarded to 37 projects across England. Examples include a medieval harbour in Penzance and a former coal mine in Northumberland.

Why does this matter?

Historic buildings are often at risk because of long-term underinvestment, lack of maintenance, vacancy, structural defects, water ingress or the challenge of finding a sustainable future use.

Without intervention, these buildings can deteriorate rapidly. Once historic fabric is lost, it is often impossible to replace like-for-like. Conservation funding therefore plays a vital role in protecting not only individual buildings, but also the skills, materials and local identity connected to them.

This latest funding also reinforces the growing emphasis on reuse rather than demolition. Bringing existing buildings back into use can support town centre regeneration, reduce waste, protect embodied carbon and create meaningful community assets.

A strong focus on community benefit

Priority will be given to projects in areas of England with high levels of deprivation and need for investment, as well as those that deliver clear community benefit.

This is important. The fund is not just about preserving buildings as monuments. It is about helping historic places become useful, accessible and sustainable again.

For community groups, local authorities, building owners and professionals, this means successful projects will need to show more than technical need. They will also need to demonstrate a credible future for the building and a wider public benefit.

What does this mean for building professionals?

For surveyors, architects, conservation officers, engineers, contractors and heritage consultants, the fund could create new opportunities across the sector.

Projects of this type often require:

• Condition surveys and defect diagnosis

• Heritage impact assessment

• Conservation management planning

• Specification of traditional materials

• Structural investigation

• Moisture and decay analysis

• Repair strategies

• Cost planning and phasing

• Listed building consent support

• Long-term maintenance planning

These are specialist skills. They require an understanding of traditional construction, building pathology, historic materials and the principles of minimum intervention and appropriate repair.

The skills gap in building conservation

The announcement also highlights a wider issue: funding alone will not save historic buildings.

To deliver high-quality conservation work, the sector needs people who understand how older buildings behave. Traditional buildings are not the same as modern buildings. They manage moisture differently, they rely on breathable materials, and inappropriate repairs can often cause more damage than the original defect.

Cement-based mortars, impermeable coatings, poorly specified insulation, unsuitable damp treatments and over-aggressive cleaning can all harm historic fabric.

This is why conservation training is so important. Professionals involved in these projects need the confidence to assess buildings properly, specify compatible repairs and make informed decisions that balance heritage significance, use, cost and sustainability.

A wider funding picture

The Heritage at Risk Capital Fund sits alongside other current heritage funding initiatives, including the Heritage Revival Fund and the Places of Worship Renewal Fund.

Together, these programmes show renewed support for historic buildings, places of worship and community-led heritage regeneration. They also point towards a practical future for conservation: one focused on repair, reuse, access and long-term resilience.

What should organisations do now?

Although the current round of Expressions of Interest has closed, Historic England has said that the next round will open later in the year and will be advertised on its website.

Organisations with historic buildings at risk should use this time to prepare. That may include reviewing the building’s condition, gathering evidence of need, identifying community benefits, exploring future uses and speaking to suitably experienced conservation professionals.

The stronger the preparation, the stronger the funding case is likely to be.

Final thoughts

The £60 million Heritage at Risk Capital Fund is welcome news for the conservation sector. But it is also a reminder that historic buildings need more than funding. They need informed care, appropriate repair and skilled professionals who understand their value and complexity.

For those working in the built environment, this is an opportunity to strengthen conservation knowledge and play a direct role in protecting England’s historic places for future generations.

BEST Training will continue to support professionals looking to develop practical knowledge in building conservation, traditional construction and the repair of older buildings.