‘We need more skills to preserve our heritage’

Entrepreneur Duncan Craft is converting two historic Liverpool city region buildings into a climbing gym and says there is a huge shortage of skills needed to preserve old buildings. Andrew Brown reports

An entrepreneur who is transforming two of Southport’s most historic buildings into a new climbing gym and cafe says there is a huge shortage of skilled craftspeople.

Duncan Craft, owner of Craft & Sons, is working to convert the former Albany Buildings on Lord Street. The business has recently bought the adjacent building to expand the offering.

A national shortage of craftspeople able to properly restore heritage buildings has meant that progress has been slower than initially envisaged, with the new facility on track to open next year.

“Southport has enormous potential. But it urgently needs to address its shortage of craftspeople,” said Duncan. “That is a problem that the North of England as a whole suffers from.

“We have a small team restoring the Albany Buildings. It means we are limited with how quickly we are able to work. Most of the craftspeople who we know are all busy working in the South of England, earning £500 and more per day.

“We just cannot justify that outlay for the project we are working on. Our costs have spiralled. There is a huge shortage of trained heritage craftspeople.

“I have spent lots of time in France. Over there, if you need a skilled craftsman, if you need a lime plasterer for example, you just call them up, they have an abundance of them. We need a pool of talent like that in the UK.

“It creates a big opportunity for Southport, which would be the perfect place to open a conservation institute where people can learn all the skills they need while working on some local heritage buildings.

“It needs to happen. The Lord Street Conservation Area has been on the English Heritage ‘At Risk’ Register for many years. That’s upsetting to see.

“It’s not going to come off that Register any time soon unless all these beautiful buildings in the Lord Street area can be restored to a good standard. The state of disrepair that many of these buildings have been allowed to fall into is disappointing.”

Duncan added he and his team had found damp “everywhere”. This is partially caused by too much plasterboard and gypsum being used and he says too many heritage features have covered up and roofs are leaking, with water pouring down the walls.

“These are heritage assets which should have been looked after and maintained,” he insisted. “The local council should empower her conservation officers to ensure that any building work is sympathetic to the integrity and fabric of the buildings.

Duncan has spoken to Dr Eric Lybeck, who is operating The Engine Room at Wayfarers Arcade on Lord Street. He said Dy Lybeck is very keen on the idea of a conservation institute in Southport.

“There are so many historic buildings in Southport which are in urgent need of repair,” explained Duncan. “Restoration is painstaking work, but the opportunity is here in Southport.

“I have never seen a town with so many heritage buildings. It could be a real destination if all of these assets can be brought back up to standard. Southport is ideally placed to become home to a conservation institute.”

This article first appeared in Stand Up For Southport

The post ‘We need more skills to preserve our heritage’ appeared first on Liverpool Business News.