Heritage at Risk
The Heritage at Risk Register records the protected sites whose condition gives the Heritage Office of the Velocity Interoperability Network cause for concern. A site is added when an inspection finds that neglect, decay, damage or an unsuitable use is likely to lead to the loss of the interest for which it was designated. A site is removed when the agreed action has been carried out and a further inspection finds it in fair condition or better.
The first Heritage at Risk Register was published on 6 September 2026 from the inspections the Office carried out during the transition period. Of the eighteen entries on the Register of Protected Sites, five are recorded as at risk. Three of them are scheduled monuments, which is a high proportion of the six on the Register and reflects the difficulty of maintaining large industrial structures and earthworks that no longer have a working use.
- 5
- Protected sites recorded as at risk on 6 September 2026
- 2
- Sites at Priority A, where there is an immediate risk of loss
- 3
- Scheduled monuments among the five, out of six on the Register
- 30 Sep
- Date in 2026 by which the first agreed action, the temporary propping of Riverside Crane No. 3, falls due
Condition and priority. Condition is recorded on a four-point scale: good, fair, poor and very bad. Priority reflects both the condition of the site and the speed at which it is deteriorating, and determines how quickly action must be taken and how often the Office reviews the site.
- Priority A
- Immediate risk of loss or of rapid deterioration. The Office agrees emergency measures with the responsible organisation, to be carried out within three months, and reviews the site at least every four months.
- Priority B
- Significant deterioration that will lead to loss of fabric or interest if it is not arrested. Action is agreed to be carried out within six months and the site is reviewed twice a year.
- Priority C
- Slow decay, or a problem for which no immediate solution is available. The site is managed under an agreement with the responsible organisation and reviewed once a year.
The Register. For each site the Office has agreed with the responsible member organisation the action to be taken and the date by which the site will next be reviewed. The action recorded is the first step, not the whole remedy: the condition survey of the Northgate Ramparts, for example, will determine what repair is needed, and the repair will then be agreed and recorded in turn.
| Site | Designation | Condition | Principal risk | Priority | Agreed action and review |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northgate Ramparts | Scheduled monument | Poor | Erosion of the outer bank and unmanaged vegetation on the ditch | A | Vegetation clearance and a condition survey by 31 October 2026; review January 2027 |
| Riverside Crane No. 3 | Scheduled monument | Very bad | Corrosion of the jib and structural steel; risk of collapse | A | Exclusion zone in place; temporary propping by 30 September 2026; review January 2027 |
| Old Telegraph Office | Listed building, Grade II | Poor | Vacant since 2024; water ingress through the roof | B | Temporary roof covering by 31 October 2026; a new use to be found; review March 2027 |
| Ferry Steps | Listed building, Grade II | Poor | Tidal scour undermining the lower flight | B | Engineering assessment by 30 November 2026; review March 2027 |
| Westbrook Mill Race and Weir | Scheduled monument | Fair | Silting of the race and root damage to the weir | C | Management agreement with the site operator; review June 2027 |
Riverside Crane No. 3 is the only site in very bad condition. An exclusion zone has been marked around it and the quayside beneath it closed until temporary propping is in place. The Old Telegraph Office is the only site at risk through vacancy; its interest is in its interior, which is dry for the present but will not remain so, and the Office will support any proposal for a use that keeps the interior intact.
Works to a site on the Heritage at Risk Register remain subject to consent, but the Office gives applications for agreed repairs priority and decides them as quickly as the consultation allows. Urgent works to make a site safe may proceed without prior consent provided the Office is notified within five working days.
The Register is reviewed at each of the dates above and republished in full each quarter, with the next full publication in January 2027. Anyone who is concerned about the condition of a protected site, whether or not it is on this Register, may write to contact@heritage.gov.vin. Figures on the condition of the Register as a whole are published on the Statistics page.