How is the condition of the properties and structures assessed and categorised?
A visual condition survey is undertaken on site for each property and structure. The survey is solely the opinion of Plymouth City Council, and due to limited access to the interior and sometimes the rear of properties, the survey does not constitute a structural appraisal. For this, independent advice should always be sought. Classification of the condition survey follows methodology produced by English Heritage. Their risk scale has been used, which places the buildings into four categories. Condition and occupancy are combined to define the different categories of risk on a scale from 1 to 4. Risk scale These categories are: 1 Extreme risk (loss) – when decay is so far advanced that ‘repair’ would necessitate so much reconstruction that the result would effectively be a new building. 2 Grave risk (crisis) – when decay reaches the point when the cost of repair would be as much as the value of the building after repair, making subsidy essential to any rescue package. 3 Risk – when the
