Aimée L Felton 2012

53 maintain the work completed with HLF funds. The British system is a rigid doctrine towards the management of the historic environment with even new legislation showing an inability to improve flexibility to allow for more innovative sensible solutions for the use of historic buildings. Maintenance and the work it involves often consist of obvious and simple tasks, mitigating risk to fabric and deterioration before disaster occurs. Conservation professionals urge the uptake of statutory duty of care, yet non- heritage focused organisations already perform maintenance without this legal duty, with the value of the property within the property assets as incentives. Therefore it can be assumed that statutory duty of care would not change the current perceptions and success of historic building maintenance. For non-heritage organisations, listed buildings within their stewardship are required to have a working purpose performing an active and economic use, frequently without compromising aesthetic appearance and to some extent significance. The problem with maintenance is the failure of owners to understand that the work determines the value of the property (Dann, N and Cantell, T. 2007. As cited in Forsyth, M (ed). 2007: p189). High financial outlay not associated with income is the foremost barrier preventing regular maintenance; therefore financial assistance would be the most powerful tool in encouraging maintenance rather than legislative amendments. FIVE Chapter Five- Statutory and Policy Five•Five Tensions within the system Aimee Felton