OUR heritage of Victorian terraced housing is being lost through unnecessary demolition and botched restoration, according to The Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).

Trevor Hines, RICS South East regional director, said: "The misconception that it is cheaper to build a new house rather than refurbish an old one, ignores the often huge differences in the quality of the structures, as many Victorian houses tend to be built to a higher specification than modern ones.

"Some clearance and replacement is inevitable, especially in areas where housing markets have collapsed, although this is uncommon in our region. But refurbishment is often cheaper and a more sustainable option than demolition."

The RICS believes sympathetic restoration is essential for the preservation of Britain’s cultural and historic legacy, but is concerned at the increasing shortfall of specialist skills within the property and construction industries to do this, even for the ubiquitous Victorian terraced house.

Britain’s Victorian terraced houses form a substantial, but neglected, part of the UK’s housing stock and still provide an efficient means of achieving good quality, high density housing.

Victorian homes are facing an additional threat from botched refurbishment, which frequently destroys original features and rids houses and neighbourhoods of their unique character.

A concrete covered garden, badly replaced front door or inappropriately-styled plastic windows can reduce a house’s saleability and the market value of other properties in the immediate area.