BA, TSM and JTD all have reasonable points to make about EH. I think they have a difficult balance to try and maintain between achieving their own aims (preservation) whilst encouraging regeneration and investment for projects. Faced with the choice, the average private investor is likely to fight EH or walk away unless the suggestion is cost neutral or actually adds value.
Because they only seem to monitor and advise on listed buildings, it is often quite easy for owners to simply let the buildings fall derelict rather than fork out for expensive restorations that don't actually deliver something that is usable.
For example, there are lots of former RAF officers' messes around the UK that have been renovated and turned into conference centres, hotels etc (Duxford and Hemswell for example) whereas others are simply left to rot until they have to be demolished (and land sold-off for housing developments!) as in the case of Horsham St Faiths. What I don't understand is how some organisations achieve their aims without bending-over backwards to comply with EH, whereas the RAF (and I guess the other Services as well) seems to be absolutely hamstrung by them. In the case of Scampton, though, I believe it is not just the costs of complying with EH that were/are the issue, but in some areas an outright embargo on certain aspects of the project. This, on top of the fact that some parts of the Station are not in particularly good nick (though I think some of the phrases here are a little over-stated).
Anyway, enough of my Bolleaux Rambling! A couple of recent piccies for you:
1. The Airmens' Mess/Cinema/Briefing Room Entrance (now the entrance to the CRC) - anyone out there remember it?
2. The sign from outside the Dambusters Briefing Room (now outside the CRC Ops Room) - sobering. This now has a small model of an appropriately configured Lancaster above the text but beneath the 617 Sqn crest.
STH