Aimée L Felton 2012

34 many maintenance managers within non-heritage focused organisations manage a significant amount of built cultural heritage, they are often without the necessary detailed knowledge and understanding of the buildings in their care. From the literature and various analysed empirical data, it can only be assumed that a financial incentive would encourage commercial organisations to improve the priority and role of maintenance within said organisations. Whilst this may ensure a more permanent position within the annual budget and secure funding, it can also be presumed that increased responsibility and knowledge would develop within various maintenance teams. Maintenance activity should focus on supporting the delivery of core organisational goals, whilst the condition survey should be assimilated and developed into a prioritised maintenance programme (Dann,N andWorthing, D. 2005:p97). The literature available suggests that condition surveys should be the stepping stone between owning a historic building and the assemblage of a thorough maintenance programme - establishing a measure to assess the condition and needs of either the whole estate or individual buildings. Most organisations in Worthing’s (2002:p28) primary research stated assessment of current condition as the primary purpose of any condition surveys commissioned. However it becomes apparent, that many of these documents are generic to the whole property portfolio, without separate guidance for the treatment of the historic buildings available for the maintenance team.Whilst this may help to ease the significant resource burden of condition surveys to non-heritage focused organisations, it directly contests the argument previously mentioned of the maximum retention of culturally significant THREE Three•Seven The purpose of condition surveys Chapter Three - Literature Review Aimee Felton