The Times “We squander heritage in wasteful demolitions”
Libby Purves today talking about the soon to be rubble, M&S Orchard House, Marble Arch:
”Unease at our demolition of 50,000 buildings a year is growing. Architects and the British Property Federation have urged the government to change the VAT rules, because you pay 20 percent tax on refurbishing but nothing at all on a new-build. It’s an incentive to knock down and build, often cheaply.”
A change to the VAT rules can’t come soon enough. I read yesterday, yet another really old part of Birmingham city centre is under threat of demolition, including one of the oldest cinemas in the country, so that developers can build a block of flats. It’s a disgrace what’s happening to our heritage, which is just too easy to demolish at the moment.
Martine Guy ● 48d4 Comments