A Building at Risk (BaR) is a building that has been identified as a listed building at risk through neglect and decay. Buildings at Risk are identified throughout each of the Administrations in the UK but the management and scope of the registers varies. Buildings at Risk range from those that are virtually on the point of collapse to those that are abandoned or those that are in need of urgent repair to preserve a specific part of the structure of special interest.

A Building at Risk in Scotland is usually a listed building, or an unlisted building within a conservation area, that meets one or several of the following criteria:

• vacant with no identified new use
• suffering from neglect and/or poor maintenance
• suffering from structural problems
• fire damaged
• unsecured  open to the elements

However, this list is not exhaustive, and other criteria may sometimes be considered when assessing a building for inclusion in the Register.

Buildings that can be used either for their original purpose, or for another use consistent with maintaining their special interest, and which is likely to generate sufficient value in the market to secure the maintenance of the building in the long-term.

These are charities whose main aim is to preserve and regenerate heritage assets. These Trusts usually have their roots in a local community covering a town, neighbourhood or village. The Trusts strive to preserve the local character of a place and ensure the enjoyment of heritage assets for future generations. Some Trusts focus on specific types of buildings and architectural styles across the nation. The main distinction between BPT's is between those that are established to save one or more specific buildings and those that that are set up as revolving funds to acquire and restore a building and then sell it on and use the proceeds to buy more heritage buildings and repeat the process.

The extent to which the cost of repair and, where appropriate, conversion to the optimum viable use compatible with maintaining the special interest of the fabric, interior and setting of the heritage asset will exceed its value after repair and conversion.

To sell either the owner's freehold interest in the land/asset or to grant a leasehold interest to the purchaser with the Council retaining its freehold interest in the land/asset.

This includes listed buildings, which benefit from legal protection (including to the interior, any historic fixtures and fittings, as well as objects or structures within their curtilage, unless constructed after July 1948). It also includes unlisted buildings, where these make a positive contribution to the character or appearance of designated conservation areas, and locally listed buildings where policies for their protection have been formally adopted by the local planning authority. Local listing takes place in England and Wales, but not in Scotland.

The pooling of the assets and liabilities of two or more organisations for the purpose of accomplishing a specific goal and on the basis of sharing profits/losses.

The method through which a heritage asset is disposed of by a local authority at up to £2 million less than its open market value, in order to enable the building to be brought back into beneficial use, improving the economic, social or environmental wellbeing of its area.

These are buildings which are selected by Government as being of special architectural or historic interest according to agreed merit criteria and as such are subject to statutory protection. Structures that are listed can vary from cathedrals to houses, boundary walls and even milestones (in essence any man-made object). Generally these buildings will have remained relatively unaltered and either demonstrate good examples of architectural styles of a certain period or are significant in the history of the nation, or can demonstrate a specific technology.

This register is maintained by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA), and lists all publicly owned assets (including heritage assets) which have come forward for disposal by government departments and agencies. Local authorities are encouraged to use the register to make strategic housing land availability assessments, utilising the potential of such assets to accommodate their strategic requirements.

The World Commission on Environment and Development (also known as the Brundtland Commission) defines sustainable development as that which meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs. Sustainability is a process. The key principles of sustainability in relation to the historic environment are taken to be those listed by English Heritage in Sustaining the Historic Environment: New Perspectives on the Future (1997). These include: developing a stronger understanding of the historic environment; achieving greater public involvement; keeping our activities to levels that do not permanently damage the historic environment; and ensuring that decisions about the historic environment are made on the basis of the best possible information.

A transaction at an undervalue is any transaction entered into with another that involves a gift or transfer for no consideration.

These are buildings which do not have statutory protection as defined above. Even though they are unlisted they should be assessed on the basis of their own individual merits and contributions to the landscape.

Many heritage assets however, although unlisted, may play an important part in the local vernacular style of an area or may be significant to the local townscape and as a result may form part of a Conservation Area or World Heritage Site, and are subject to separate statutory protection.