Edinburgh World Heritage building maintenance grant, Scottish Capital Property Restoration, Buildings Renewal

Edinburgh World Heritage Building Maintenance Grant News

5 May 2022

Residents and artists breathe new life into Edinburgh’s historic closes

Edinburgh, Scotland, 5th May 2022 – Edinburgh World Heritage, the charity that works to protect the Edinburgh World Heritage Site, has launched a new grant to support building maintenance in the city.

The grant, which is now open for applications, will cover 50% of eligible building maintenance work up to a total value of £3,000. Grant funding will range from £150-£1,500.

Edinburgh World Heritage launches new building maintenance grant

Maintenance is defined as routine, small-scale repairs to buildings that prevent serious damage and expense over time. The following work may be eligible for grant funding –

• Roof repairs, addressing lost, damaged or slipped roof slates
• Gutter clearances
• Removing inappropriate vegetation growth from buildings and rainwater systems

Building maintenance has important environmental and economic impacts. Buildings account for a fifth of the UK’s carbon footprint and heating alone accounts for 10%.

Regular building maintenance helps to ensure that buildings are wind and watertight. Water ingress alone can quickly lead to expensive damage, and a damp wall can lose between 30-40% more heat than a dry one, potentially piling hundreds, or thousands, of pounds on to annual heating bills.

With experts stressing the dangers of climate change, energy prices soaring, and Edinburgh striving for Net Zero by 2030, building maintenance is a useful tool to reduce a building’s carbon footprint, and save money.

The funding period for Edinburgh World Heritage’s building maintenance grants will run from 1st April 2022 to 31st March 2023, and grant decisions will be made on a quarterly basis.

Christina Sinclair, Director of Edinburgh World Heritage, stated:

“Edinburgh World Heritage’s new building maintenance grant is a game-changer when it comes to protecting buildings in the World Heritage Site.

“Everyone who owns property in the World Heritage Site is a custodian of Edinburgh’s built history, so it is vital that they are given support to maintain these historic buildings.

“By empowering property owners to make building maintenance repairs we can create a more resilient World Heritage Site, and keep our buildings in good condition for future generations.”

Ed. Note-
Details on how to apply for a building maintenance grant, as well as guidance notes and application forms, can be found on the EWH website here.

The UK carbon footprint figures are from here.

Edinburgh World Heritage building maintenance grant images / information from EWH 050522