The most comprehensive system of ascribing value to architecture is the practice of listing buildings. You've probably heard the phrase listed building. This is a means of protecting buildings of special architectural or historic interest. In the Government guidelines there are three grades:
Grade I: Buildings of exceptional interest (less than 5% of the listed buildings so far are in this grade).
Grade II: Buildings of special interest, which warrant every effort being made to preserve them.
Grade II*: Particularly important examples of Grade II buildings.
The practice of listing buildings first came about immediately after the Second World War, when thousands of buildings had been destroyed. The Town and Country Planning Act was passed in 1947 to help regulate the rebuilding and protect the historic buildings that survived. It was recognised that architecture is important to national identity, something which had been under threat during the war. So buildings became a symbol of Britain's survival. The government commissioned experts to draw up lists of buildings to be protected. Until then there had been no real framework for protecting valuable buildings.
Listing is regulated by English Heritage, which has expertise in conservation. It is a rigorous system of valuation conducted by people with specialist knowledge and training, but who have a conservationist agenda.
The Lists themselves are available in local libraries. Incidentally they're a valuable source when you're researching architectural history. If you do want to consult them, the best way is to look at the Images of England website, which is run by English Heritage and has descriptions and photos of most listed buildings. The descriptions are quite clinical. You have to register for full access to the database, but it's free. The internet places these buildings in the public arena, so they're now more accessible than ever before.
Significantly, the public can intervene in conservation and planning matters. Applications to demolish or alter any listed building have to be displayed publicly. Planning proposals are printed in newspapers and displayed in planning offices. The public has a certain period of time during which they can raise objections. Now the role of the public is important, because the best protection for valuable buildings is the interest of the public. A lot of buildings have been listed because of public pressure. You can submit applications to have buildings listed to English Heritage.
But there's a slight complacency about what listed building status actually means. Most people seem to think that listing makes a building inviolate - beyond any danger - and also that a Grade I listed building is better protected than a Grade II. In fact a Grade I listed building is not better protected than a Grade II: grading is a judgement of quality, but the same level of protection applies to all.
Besides that, there's a massive loophole.
The governmental guidelines say:
Once a building is listed consent is required for its demolition or alteration that would affect its character as a building of special architectural or historic interest. It is a criminal offence to carry out such works without consent, which should be sought from the local planning authority.
So anyone wanting to demolish a listed building has to apply to the local planning authority. But in many cases it's the local authority itself that wants to demolish it. The applicant and the planning authority are the same, so they don't have to look very far to get consent.
This is a particular problem in Sunderland at the moment. The council is trying to regenerate the city centre, but it's notorious for its insensitivity towards historic buildings. Currently, there seems to be a mania for converting historic buildings into flats. For example, the former Post Office in Sunderland is an Edwardian building by Sir Henry Tanner, but it's had a metal and glass box inserted behind the stonework. The additions totally destroy the integrity of the building and disrupt the scale.
There's also a worrying trend called "façadism," which involves inserting new structures behind historic façades, often without regard for the integrity of the original building. Buildings are demolished from within, leaving only the façade, which is supported with scaffolding until the new structure is built behind. The public don't object to this because outwardly the building hasn't changed. But the interiors are completely destroyed, and interiors are just as important from architectural and historic point of view. There's a book on the subject of façadism called Disguising Development (Heather Barnett, 1994), which is a very apposite title, because that's exactly what happens.
Besides English Heritage, there are a number of campaign groups that try to stop this kind of thing from happening. For example, the Georgian Society was founded in 1937, the Victorian Society in 1958. They campaign for the better protection of buildings. But it's obvious from the names that they're devoted to 18th and 19th century architecture, which indicates that in conservation the emphasis is of course on historic architecture. So there's a major bias in the system. It's very difficult to get a post-war building listed. That has implications for modern architecture. There was no equivalent conservation society for 20th century architecture until 1979 when the Twentieth Century Society was founded.
