Save our Victorian terraces

Recent reports show that government plans for regeneration could threaten the future of the Victorian terraced house and signal the return of the huge clearance programmes last seen in the 1960s. Property professionals claim that retention and improvement of Victorian terraced housing is a more cost-effective means of meeting the continuing housing needs. It’s my view that everyone involved needs all the information before deciding the best course of action.

The debate on the future of the Victorian terraced house isn’t just about whether they should be retained or demolished; it’s also about whether we properly understand and look after them in the right way.

Julia Kendal’s TV battle with builder Tim Foley last month on Tonight with Trevor MacDonald, over whether to retain the original windows and front door of a terraced house on Merseyside, involved some real emotion, but very little fact. However, at least they were actually having the debate and not doing what most do in that situation: automatically choose replacement.

Was replacement the better option or would it have been better to repair? Whichever side of the fence you are on, it must surely be about getting your facts right first. Are PVCu windows the most cost-effective for the lifetime of a building? What about the effect on the value of a house? Is the PVCu window more appealing, or is the retention of period features the better option? Will the contribution to the overall streetscape be relevant to the value of the house, and how is this affected?

The message here is to find out before making decisions, because once original fittings have gone, they are gone forever. This is not an argument in favour of automatic restoration – I’m not advocating gas lights, tin baths, and coal fires – just well-informed decisions.

But it is the bigger picture that has hit the headlines in recent weeks, with the threat that tens of thousands of terraced houses could be bulldozed. Figures currently being presented show that this is the least cost-effective means of housing provision.

Realistically, we cannot expect every Victorian terraced house to provide modern living standards. Kirstie Allsopp and Sarah Beeny may turn their noses up at the downstairs bathroom, for example, but in many parts of the country this is accepted as the norm. Although it may not be ideal, it is accepted by the marketplace and is reflected in property values.

Those in favour of demolition may say that houses that cannot accommodate an optimum layout should be demolished and replaced with new ones, but these modern buildings would have a higher value, which might put them out of reach of those on modest incomes – adding to, rather than easing, the pressure on affordable housing.

Most of us have probably lived in a Victorian terraced house at some time in our lives, and many of us have also been involved in their repair and adaptation. Unfortunately, this does not necessarily mean that we understand them.

More in the property profession need to do their homework and give them the appropriate treatment. Most Victorian terraced houses are built in lime mortar, so why do we repoint the joints of masonry in cement mortar? Again, it is that automatic choice. Let’s start really thinking about the Victorian terraced house.

In 2005 Cardiff celebrates 100 years as a city and what better way of doing this than celebrating its Victorian built heritage, including the houses in which the ordinary person lived? The Burges Events series is focused on understanding, appreciating and caring for our Victorian built heritage. The highlights are the conference on the Victorian terraced house, taking place on 13 September, and an exhibition in October.

We need to take an informed approach to the treatment of our built environment. We have a uniquely valuable Victorian property heritage in Cardiff and across the UK, and we should all learn how to treat and celebrate it.