Resources
Historic Homes Retrofit Project
A new Medway initiative designed to support owners of heritage properties in making their homes more energy efficient and resilient to climate change.
The Historic Homes Retrofit Project is made possible with The National Lottery Heritage Fund as part of the Medway Heritage Place programme. Thanks to National Lottery players, we have been able to offer these resources to the residents of Medway.
Improving Energy Efficiency in Historic Homes
This guide provides Medway’s historic homeowners with the resources needed to make their properties energy-efficient and resilient to climate change. The goal is to minimize environmental impact while protecting the unique historic character of your home.
Key Considerations:
- The Whole-House Approach: It is vital to look at your home as a complete system rather than a set of individual parts. This ensures retrofit measures are effective and that the historic fabric of the building does not deteriorate.
- Prioritize Low-Cost Wins: Homeowners are encouraged to look at low-cost, low-intervention behaviours before considering expensive or invasive alterations.
- Regulatory Flexibility: It should be noted that Historic buildings are not always required to comply fully with Part L of the Building Regulations if doing so would harm the building’s special architectural or historic character.
- Standards Update: Please also note that the BSI PAS 2083 retrofit standard for historic buildings has been deleted.
1. Getting Started: The Whole-House or Fabric-First Approach
These resources provide a foundation for understanding how older buildings perform and how to plan improvements.
2. Technical Guidance & Specific Repairs
Once you have a plan, these links provide “deep dives” into specific interventions like insulation, windows, and renewable energy.
- Fabric Interventions & Renewables: High-level guidance on insulating walls and floors, as well as installing solar PV panels and heat pumps.
- Windows: Best practice advice for historic windows to debunk myths regarding thermal efficiency.
- SPAB Research & Help: Access to the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) technical helpline, research on thermal efficiency, and advice notes.
- STBA Knowledge Hub: A centre for responsible retrofit information.
- Cambridge City Retrofit Guide: A highly useful external report on retrofitting homes.
3. Local Guidance & Medway Resources
Specific information regarding Medway Council’s initiatives and helpful guides from neighbouring regions.
- Medway Climate Change Action Plan: A valuable source of local information and strategy.
- Medway Council Conservation Area Appraisal & Management Plans – Useful information on specific areas of Medway and guidance on managing the repair and development of historic buildings in each area.
- Medway Council Conservation Areas and Listed Buildings Web Page
Conservation areas | Conservation areas and listed buildings | Medway Council
- Climate Change Lectures: Previous lectures on retrofitting held in partnership with the University of Greenwich (UoG) and Kent County Council (KCC).
Intra Community Trust Projects
The Intra Community Trust produces an ongoing range of projects that span the arts, heritage and public realm sectors.
Find out more below.
