39 Council and leased to Somerset Building Preservation Trust in March 2024 with a view to repairing the building and finding a long-term sustainable use. HSHAZ funding allowed for asbestos to be removed from the building so that further survey work could take place, it enabled drone and laser-scan surveys to be carried out, and it provided for essential repairs to the shopfront roof and rainwater goods. All of this will hopefully contribute to removing this significant building, and its neighbours, from the Heritage at Risk (HAR) register. COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT Almost the entire community engagement strand of the Chard HSHAZ was carried out by Chard Museum. The funding allowed them to refresh and relaunch their walking trails, and to carry out various small projects under the banner of ‘Hidden High Street Histories’. This included heritage information posters for 30 buildings, businesses, sites and events in Chard; The Streets of Chard booklet; and an exhibition of lenticular art (images with an illusion of depth). In February 2024, myself and Historic England’s Missing Pieces Project Officer Gareth Powell, hosted a workshop in Chard Guildhall to introduce the community to the National Heritage List for England and the Missing Pieces Project. This was an idea we had from the start of being involved with the HSHAZ but was only fully realised at the end. The aim of the workshop was to get the community to share their pictures and stories of listed buildings in the town, both at the time of the workshop and in the future. I also gave a short presentation about the history and process of listing, dispelling many myths. The event was attended by 37 people and it was very well received. However, the aim to get a new Missing Piece added to the 61 List entries in Chard town centre was a bit ambitious. Six people signed up for an account on the day, with eight contributions made including nine images. We hope that the community will continue to engage with the List and be inspired to continue contributing through the Missing Pieces Project. Samantha Barnes is a Listing Adviser at Historic England and was the HE lead for the Chard HSHAZ project. 58 Fore Street, a once elegant Georgian building , was unable to benefit directly from the HSSAZ funding as it was locked in probate, but it should benefit from the secondary effects of the improvements to the town.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy MzI0Mzk=