In January, I was delighted to sign a Memorandum of Understanding on Built Vernacular Heritage with my Northern Ireland counterpart Deirdre Hargey, MLA, Minister for Communities.
For 2022, the Memorandum of Understanding envisages cooperation on the publication of two documents. The first is a short booklet for owners, potential owners and the general public, to explain what the built vernacular heritage is and to provide basic user-friendly advice on caring for it. The second publication is a technical guidance document for practitioners and owners on the conservation of vernacular buildings.
Cooperation is also envisaged in the area of recording historic thatched roofs, promotion of vernacular-friendly repair and maintenance, and general liaison on matters of mutual benefit and relevance for our common built vernacular heritage.