REGARDING the article concerning our heritage 'crumbling away,' (LET, May 19), the catalogue of decay and neglect described by English Heritage is somewhat misleading.

In fact, some of these buildings are deliberately forced into disrepair by the very bodies paid to protect them. To an outsider, this may seem somewhat illogical. As a listed building owner, it proves confusing and frustrating.

In Burnley, it has become almost impossible to carry out any form of repairs to a listed building - bureaucracy being the constant obstacle, usually followed by totally illogical repair methods. This eventually leads to complete submission by the owner and, consequently, repairs do not get done.

As the owner of a listed building now on the 'buildings at risk' register, I have constantly offered to repair my building on a 'like for like' basis, using traditional building methods and have constantly been refused permission. It is my firm belief that both English Heritage and planning officers have conspired to force the deterioration now presently visible.

I have been glibly told by members of the planning department that "an architectural ruin is better than a ruined piece of architecture," but cannot understand this attitude, unless the point of their exercise (being in the charity business) is to obtain bigger handouts for their elected bodies. A classic example of a Grade II listed building in real danger is St James' spire in Burnley - not from the ravages of time but from the planning department. This building has no structural faults, but we are led to believe that architects do not have the ability to incorporate this fine spire into a modern project. This certainly questions the ability of present day architects.

However, being a professional body, they will no doubt not wish to comment upon their lack of design prowess. The same planners, architects and conservationists, who have no qualms at all about demolishing this spire, and have in the past demolished other important buildings which get in the way of large financial investments, prevent owners of listed buildings from carrying out even the most basic repairs to preserve their future.

Perhaps now that the sad plight of our heritage has been brought to the public's attention, should the councils not redirect grant aid away from the canal and town centres, as has happened in Burnley, where hundreds of thousands of pounds has been spent on refurbishing already thriving businesses, while ancient obsolete buildings, no longer fit for their original purposes, suffer further enforced degradation due to bureaucratic meddlings, and become 'architectural ruins' purely at someone's whim!

M HARTLEY, Cliviger (address received).

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.