The Planning & Development Act 2000 (Part IV) introduced robust new measures intended to halt and reverse years of incremental damage to, and whittling away of the features and fabric of Ireland's architectural heritage through inappropriate repairs, replacement and demolition. Instead though, damage and loss has continued furiously. 

In a national study of architectural heritage, An Taisce finds that local authorities have designated Protected Structures and Architectural Conservation Areas (ACAs) as per their obligations under the Act but may not have adequate resources to manage them.

The report, entitled ‘Architectural Heritage Protection in Ireland - 25 Years On’, documents hundreds of examples of damaging changes to protected or historic buildings throughout the country, such as loss and inappropriate replacement of historic timber sash windows, panelled doors, shopfronts and slate roofs, and demolition of reusable buildings.

Other findings of the report include:

One of the provisions of the 2000 Act was that each local authority would have its own Architectural Conservation Officer to provide essential advice on conservation, but a quarter of a century on, more than a third of  local authorities in Ireland do not have a Conservation Officer in place. Serious damage to architectural heritage occurs in their absence.

There is good professional building-conservation expertise available in the private sector in Ireland now but too often it is tied up in State, institutional or other higher-profile projects while the great mass of ordinary historic buildings are subjected to work by general building contractors or 'modernising' alterations by owners.

A huge extent of work to Protected Structures or buildings within Architectural Conservations Areas is being carried out without planning permission, much of which may go unreported or unenforced and thus gain permission by default.

Change of ownership is a vulnerable time for older buildings. Unauthorised changes or replacement of historic features often occurs prior to or, more commonly, just after a property is sold.

Having previously served easily for periods such as a century or two centuries, features like windows and doors to old buildings are now treated as a "fast fashion" item that can be discarded and replaced every couple of years.

A limited availability and/or lack of competition in the area of skilled window repair may be contributing to the high proliferation of replacement, rather than repair, of historic windows.

Economic prosperity since 2000 meant that there was more money around for conservation projects, but also meant that the pace of poor quality work to older buildings increased.

The popular and predominant renovation style for older buildings in Ireland uses non-traditional materials and methods and tends to erase their character and sense of age.

Ireland has maintained and nurtured many aspects of its cultural heritage - literature, painting, sport (GAA/hurling), Irish language, traditional music - but our authentic local architectural heritage is disappearing before our eyes.

Many older buildings in Irish towns are being refurbished under the Vacant Property Refurbishment Grant which, in principle, is welcome as it reduces and reverses vacancy and dereliction, however the historic architectural character of buildings refurbished under the grant is in many cases being significantly eroded.

The need to improve energy performance in older buildings has placed renewed pressure on Ireland's imperilled surviving stock of historic sash windows in the 2020s, however older buildings should not be subjected to modern BER ratings as they perform differently to modern buildings. 

The report calls for renewed effort effort to save existing historic windows/joinery to older buildings and prevent its removal, active promotion of use of an inner, insulating window (secondary glazing) so as to improve energy performance in older buildings without replacing single-glazed historic windows, and prioritisation of the filling of all vacant local authority Architectural Conservation Officer positions.

The report can be viewed at: https://www.flickr.com/photos/203155587@N07/albums/