The best way to avoid many of the difficulties associated with the disposal of heritage assets, and to prevent many local authorities from having to dispose of heritage assets they own in the first place, is through better ongoing maintenance. Inadequate maintenance will make disposal more difficult and more costly. In other words, prevention is far better than cure. However, the Audit Commission, amongst others, has noted that property maintenance is frequently the first casualty of short-term revenue budget pressures that local authorities face, even where this runs counter to prudent asset management.

Postponing maintenance is a false economy and poor asset management. Better maintenance of heritage assets would save local authorities money in the long run and would enable funding from grant-aiding bodies such as English Heritage and the Heritage Lottery Fund to really add value. Where buildings are vacant pending disposal, it is essential that they are regularly inspected and that maintenance regimes are strictly observed to ensure that buildings are kept weatherproof and well ventilated.

A shift from cure to prevention in heritage asset conservation can be encouraged by:

• Undertaking periodic condition surveys to inform a prioritised and costed programme of maintenance and repair (visual inspections annually, with full detailed inspections at least every five years);
• Compiling and updating a building logbook or conservation manual;
• Selecting the right people to carry out the work; and
• Encouraging short term lets to temporary tenants to occupy heritage assets awaiting disposal for use as workshop space, community facilities or even residential accommodation. These tenants act as security guards and should have additional clauses in their agreements to report maintenance and security issues to the local authority.

The 'quinquennial' ('five-yearly') inspection and report is the basis of maintenance planning for the most important heritage assets as recommended in the British Standard Guide, BS 7913:1998 The Principles of the Conservation of Heritage Assets. Government heritage assets are inspected on a fouryearly (quadrennial) cycle. Periodic professional inspections are often required by grant-giving bodies such as the Heritage Lottery Fund, English Heritage, Cadw and Historic Scotland. Quinquennial reports can guard against maintenance being dealt with on a purely reactive basis and insufficiently costed and enable local authorities to set aside funds for maintenance with contingencies for unexpected emergencies.

Quinquennial inspection is a systematic risk management tool which can result in savings for the local authority (e.g. in insurance premiums). The main aim is to inform the owner of the building about its current and future maintenance needs, in a way that enables them to be prioritised and planned for in advance. In addition to describing the general condition of the building, the inspection should identify ongoing and potential defects in the different parts of the building and provide prioritised recommendations for addressing them, taking into account such aspects as accessibility. Illustrated with photographs or videos, and suggesting 'good housekeeping' and precautionary works, like improvements in ventilation to promote drying out, it may include recommendations for monitoring defects such as cracking, as well as specialised investigations of possible or suspected defects.

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Case Study: Portrush Town Hall, Northern Ireland

This case study discusses the importance of investing in regular maintenance of heritage assets and outlines the cost advantages of bringing such assets back into use rather than demolishing them and , dispelling the myth that the reuse of heritage assets is more costly than demolition and subsequent new build.

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Case Study: Westbury Farm

This case study highlights the cost savings that can be made by letting out an asset for temporary purposes until such time as when the asset can be disposed of and a new use identified. Such practices can lower security costs and maintain the condition of the asset preventing it from falling into disrepair because tenants can report any maintenance issues to the owners as soon as they arise.