1. Ian Rice – Architectural Heritage Fund – notes
Restoring ‘problem’ buildings and innovative solutions
Glossary
AHF - Architectural Heritage Fund
BPT - Building Preservation Trust
EH - English Heritage
HLF - Heritage Lottery Fund
BARR - Buildings at risk register
FFHB - Funds for Historic Buildings (www.ffhb.org.uk)
GOWI - Get on with it…
Themes
Problem buildings
Redundant buildings beyond a market solution
Role of Building Preservation Trusts (‘BPTs’)
Innovative solutions
Finance – development and project funding
Assembling a funding package
Difficult times – or a period of opportunity?
The AHF
Aim: To bring redundant buildings back into viable re-use
• Buildings at risk
• Little or no market value: ‘conservation deficit’ (i.e. the difference
between the commercial value of the building and the cost of
restoration)
• Small grants for project development
• Low-interest loans for working capital or acquisition
• Advice & support, advocacy & education
Definition of a Building Preservation Trust (‘BPT’)
• An independent charity
• Charitable objects: must include preservation of a building or buildings of
historic, architectural or constructional interest
• Powers: to buy, sell, charge property and borrow money
• Optional: Company limited by guarantee
• Trustees/ members/ supporters/ paid staff
• ‘A developer of last resort’
• Most trusts in UK run by volunteers
Value of BPTs in sourcing finance
• Charitable (see funders’ eligibility requirements)
• Specialised
• Low overheads
• Not set up to make a profit
• Can overcome ‘conservation deficit’ (i.e. the difference between the
commercial value of the building and the cost of restoration)

2. ‘Problem’ buildings
Restoring a building at risk
Unlikely to be straightforward
Beyond the reach of the market
Too large/ small/ redundant/ poor condition/ bad location
But many successful projects achieved, often by unusual means
Case studies:
Heritage of London
Trust Operations (HoLT-OP)
• Locomotive Waterpoint
• Grade II listed
• Project cost £898K (2005)
• AHF development funding: £12,600; loan £150,000
• Leased to British Waterways as reception/ exhibition area & viewing platform
Benington Community Heritage Trust
All Saints Church, Benington, Lincs
Renewable Heritage Trust
Howsham Mill
Cadw Sir Gaerfryddin Cyf
Whitford Lighthouse, Gower Peninsula

3. Whitford Lighthouse, Gower Peninsula
• Grade II* listed
• Offered to trust for £1
• AHF funding £9,515
• Options appraisal study found that project is viable
• Proposed project cost: £566,730
• 30 project funders identified
• Projected use: holiday accommodation
•
End use options
Tie in with funders’ requirements:
• Appropriate
• Attractive
• Fundable from multiple sources
• Identify potential end users
• Potential partnerships
• Community support
Funding solutions
Existing funders under pressure

4. Funding package may be difficult to assemble
Innovative solutions may be required
Development funding can help ‘buy in’ expertise
Some funders may be under-subscribed
Need to match project with funder’s aims or expectations
AHF Funding
Options Appraisal Grants
• Allows non-specialists to buy in professional expertise
• Demonstrates viability of the preferred scheme
• up to £10,000 available
Project Development Grants
• Project organiser (up to £15,000)
• Professional fees (business planning, RIBA Stage J) (£7,500)
• Admin expenses (£1,000)
• Post- options appraisal support (£5,000)
• Mentoring (up to 10 days)
Low-interest loans for working capital
Other ‘usual suspects’ funding
• English Heritage/ Historic Scotland/ Cadw/ NI Environment Agency
• Heritage Lottery Fund (inc. THI schemes)
• European Regional Development Fund
• Local Authority (inc. Section 106)
• Local Enterprise Partnership (replacing Regional Development Agency)
• Independent charities (e.g. Garfield Weston Foundation, Manifold Trust)
• Landfill Tax Credit scheme
• AHF low-interest loan (for working capital or acquisition)
• Other lenders – Charity Bank, Unity Trust Bank, Ecology Building Society
• ‘Funds for Historic Buildings’ website: www.ffhb.org.uk
Heritage Lottery Fund
• Established over 16 years ago
• £1 billion available for heritage projects over the next five years
(2010-11: £205M; 2011-12: £255M; 2012-13 anticipated £300M)
• Application procedures simplified 2008
• Will now offer up to 90% match funding
• Funding for many BPT projects
• Townscape Heritage Initiative areas
(extra £11M available 2011-12)
• Increased takeup despite recession
Alternative sources of funding:
Training opportunities
Job creation (finished project)
Sponsorship
Philanthropy
Sale proceeds
Mortgage against letting or other income
Offset against other income generation
Local or project-specific donors/ sponsors

5. Tie-in with local or central government objectives
Case study:
Richmondshire Building Preservation Trust
Richmond Station
Grade II* listed
AHF development funding £25,125
AHF loan £700,000
Project cost: £2,75M (2008)
Community/ commercial uses: cinema, brewery, honey & ice cream manufacture,
restaurant, meeting spaces & conference facilities
www.richmondstation.com
Poltimore House Trust
• Grade II* listed
• AHF development funding £27,500
• EH grant offer £500,000
• University of Exeter graduate placement scheme
New initiatives
‘Cold spots’
• Funded by J. Paul Getty Charitable Trust & Pilgrim Trust
• 3-year pilot programme
• To stimulate activity in under-represented areas
• East Midlands
• South Wales
• Industrial Buildings (EH Heritage at Risk campaign, 2011)
• Explore new partnerships & clients
‘Challenge Fund’
• Funded by Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation & EH
• Each organisation will contribute £1M
• 5-year programme 2011-16
• Grade I or II* buildings, on EH BARR
• Maximum grant £200K, although most will be far less
• Available to BPTs or other independent charities
The Architectural Heritage Fund
Alhambra House
27-31 Charing Cross Road
London WC2H 0AU
Tel: 020 7925 0199
www.ahfund.org.uk www.ffhb.org.uk
ian.rice@ahfund.org.uk