Edinburgh tenement owners warned over climate change impact

Property owners are being warned about the impact of climate change on traditional buildings in the capital in a new guide.

Building Maintenance in a Changing Climate says "every £1 'saved' by not carrying out preventative maintenance could cost £20 in repairs in 5 years".

The guide has been prepared by Edinburgh World Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland (HES).

It advises on how to protect the buildings against damage.

It also lets people know how to identify damage and how to carry out repairs to keep properties wind and watertight.

The new guidance reports that Edinburgh will face unprecedented weather events, with homes being disproportionately affected by changing rainfall patterns and an increase in extreme weather events.

It also 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.

Adam Wilkinson, director of Edinburgh World Heritage, said: "Although efforts to prevent climate change are necessary and urgent, there is no question that we must now confront the already substantial and unavoidable impact of climate change on our historic homes.

"The resilience of the historic buildings in our World Heritage Site is dependent on our ability to act now to maintain them. Systematic and proactive measures taken today to prevent decay and damage is one of the most important things we can do to prevent damage and loss in the future."

Mairi Davies, Climate Change Manager at HES, said: "Edinburgh's climate is changing at an unprecedented rate, making it more urgent than ever that we deal with the impact on the historic environment. We are moving towards warmer, wetter winters and an increase in the frequency and intensity of extremes.

"This guide provides a practical toolkit which will empower owners of historic buildings across the capital to adapt their properties and enhance resilience to the effects of climate change, protecting these irreplaceable heritage assets for the future."