News
23/08/2019

​Upkeep of buildings a cornerstone of Edinburgh's adaptation plan

The hard facts are as cold as the Craigleith stone on the north side of a New Town tenement. It pays to make our buildings resilient now, not later.

A new report published on 22 August by Edinburgh World Heritage, as part of our Edinburgh Adapts project has described the potential costs involved if we wait for further damage to our built environment. It alerts property owners to the impact of climate change on traditional buildings in the capital, and provides practical advice on how to protect them against damage and decay.

“every £1 ‘saved’ by not carrying out preventative maintenance could cost £20 in repairs within 5 years”.

As Scotland’s climate continues to change, homes will be being disproportionately affected by changing rainfall patterns, warmer temperatures and an increase in extreme weather events. The report cautions that damage such as blocked drains, ineffective gutters, inappropriate vegetation growth, and stone erosion can adversely affect the ability of Edinburgh’s buildings to keep out wind and water.

So whose responsibility is it to protect Edinburgh's built heritage? Well when it comes to residential properties, its all of our responsibilities. Others fall under the remit of organisations such as the Edinburgh Council, Historic Scotland, business and academic institutions.

no one person or place can adapt alone

Its for this reason that Adaptation Scotland is one of the founding members of Edinburgh Adapts. We recognise that a city-wide place-based approach to adaptation is key. We are all interdependent, so no one person or place can adapt alone. Only through working together can we ensure our villages, towns, cities are resilient and fit for purpose for future generations.

For practical information on how to protect your home or workplace, download the report on the Edinburgh World Heritage website.

If you want to keep up to date with Edinburgh Adapts, and our other work in helping Scotland be resilient to climate change, sign up for our newsletter, and follow us on Twitter and Linkedin. #EdinburghAdapts