Listed buildings in Northern Ireland decline by 25% in two decades

The condition of Northern Ireland’s listed buildings has significantly deteriorated over the past two decades, with the proportion rated as being in very good, good, or average condition dropping from 85.7% in 2004/05 to 61.3% in 2023/24 – a decline of approximately 24.4%.

This decline was highlighted in a recent survey conducted by the Department for Communities, which assessed a representative sample of 1,504 out of the region's approximately 9,000 listed structures.

Key findings

• A 15.6% decrease in buildings rated as very good/good or average since the 2014/15 survey.
• An increase in vacant listed buildings from 22.3% in 2014/15 to 33.3% in 2023/24.
• Buildings graded A and B+ are generally in better condition than those graded B1, B2, and B.
• Church-owned buildings are more likely to be in good condition (39.1%) compared to private (21.7%) and public buildings (23.1%).

Communities Minister Gordon Lyons described the findings as "very worrying", emphasising the cultural, economic, and social importance of preserving these historic structures. He has tasked his department with addressing these issues through the forthcoming Heritage, Culture and Creativity Programme, which aims to develop policies for arts, museums, public libraries, and the historic environment.

Despite some funding efforts, such as the Historic Environment Fund Repair Stream –which invested approximately £1.48 million in 124 repair schemes between 2016 and 2022 – the overall trend indicates a need for more robust preservation strategies.

For more detailed information, you can view the full report here.