Ulster Architectural Heritage (UAH) is the lead built heritage charity and independent voice for the subject in Ulster. Since 1993 UAH have been working in partnership with the Department for Communities: Historic Environment Division (HED) to deliver the Heritage at Risk Project known as HARNI.
The primary aims of the HARNI project are to record architecturally and historically important buildings that appear to be at risk, and act as a catalyst for conservation and re-use of built heritage at risk.As of April 2025 there are now 1148 buildings on the at risk register, of which 929 are listed buildings.
There are some 9128 listed buildings in NI. That means 10% of Northern Ireland's listed buildings are at risk!UAH have compiled a Top 10 list that highlights Northern Ireland's most at risk listed and historic structures following a call out for nominations. These structures are at real risk of being lost forever if no action is taken to reverse their decline.
UAH calls for the following:
Increased funding to save and realise heritage potential - 2025 marks 10 years since the dramatic cut to funding for private owners of listed buildings from £4.4m to £300,000, at the same time the heritage at risk register has doubled in size. The maximum amount an owner can receive is £8,000 (£15,000 for thatch structures). Funding alone will not solve the problem but it gives owners an incentive to do something.UAH are also concerned at the inaction of Councils and Government Departments on heritage matters. There has not been a Conservation Area designated since 2004 and those areas with such status fail to derive any protection that it affords.
The use of Urgent Works Notices (UWN) and Compulsory Purchase Orders (last used in 2007) These are rarely used and without using this tool at their disposal risk leaving the issue to grow, leaving a ruined structure for someone else to fix at great and unnecessary cost.Vacancy is a huge issue with buildings on the at risk register. As much as 70% of the buildings on the register are vacant. With a housing crisis on our doorstep surely it is time to see the potential in many of these vacant structures. A suitably funded project to deal with rural structures could address rural deprivation and keep rural services while allowing these important structures to thrive. Single year budgets are causing uncertainty and resulting in organisations unable to forward plan.
This has a knock on effect as the Historic Environment Division is unaware of its budget delaying the publication of the limited funding they have for not just repair works but also for other grants to communities across NI to realise the value of the historic environment. VAT - There needs to an urgent reversal to deal with the unfair VAT cost on historic building owners to keep their buildings in repair (20%). New builds are rated 0%! UAH and other heritage organisations have been arguing for this reversal for decades.
In alphabetical order, the ten buildings deemed most at risk are:
- Armagh Gaol, Armagh
- Assembly Rooms, Belfast
- Austin's Department Store, Derry
- Cairndhu House, Larne
- Crumlin Road Courthouse, Belfast
- Herdman's Mill, Sion Mills
- Hilden Mill, Lisburn
- Lisnaskea Workhouse, Lisnaskea
- Staffordstown Road, Church of The Sacred Heart
- Wilmont House, Belfast