English Heritage says that announced cuts in budget will be disastrous to the preservation of important buildings. “For the first time the report attempts to assess the state of Grade II-listed buildings – the town halls, corner shops, small country houses and terraces which are the historic environment most familiar to people – and finds a dismal situation. An estimated 17,000 Grade II buildings are regarded as at risk, and although many are in some form of public ownership, thousands are boarded up and many are in danger of collapse.”