Northumberland County Council has been accused of allowing parts of Hexham’s conservation area to fall into disrepair.

The historic heart of the town was last week placed on Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register and now Hexham Civic Society has called out the council for not maintaining some of its buildings.

A total of £2.4m from the High Street Heritage Action Zone programme has been secured to repair the declining state of historic buildings and find new uses for empty sites. But, while welcoming the funding, chairman of Hexham Civic Society, Paul Wharrier, said the county council, along with Hexham Town Council, “could do well to consider how they could improve and repair buildings within their remit and ownership”.

In a letter to county councillors and the town council, Mr Wharrier said structures in the conservation area had been allowed to fall into disrepair. He gave examples of the Shambles, where he said a pillar had been broken for more than a year, and St Wilfrid’s Gate – a Grade-I listed building – where weeds were growing out of the masonry.

Committee member Tim Tatman explained: “All of this growth will go in to the mortar and eat away at the mortar. Essentially the council or anyone who owns it is allowing nature to continue what the Danes didn’t quite finish 1,000 years ago.”

The society also raised issues about listed buildings on Battle Hill, where it claimed the council had not enforced planning breaches.

A spokeswoman for Northumberland County Council said it was actively considering issues in relation to the properties on Battle Hill.

She added: “We do carry out checks and maintenance on the historic Shambles and St Wilfrid’s Gateway structures, and will take any available opportunity to ensure their protection and longevity.”

Bob Hull, mayor of Hexham, said: “As a town council, we are well aware of all the issues raised by the civic society that need to be addressed in the town. Over the years, we have repeatedly encouraged landlords to act. Now, with the High Streets Heritage Action Zone project, we and the county council hope that it may soon be possible to encourage action at last.”

l Courant Opinion - page 22