A new scheme that will help property owners lower maintenance bills while preserving the nation's rich historical housing stock is being piloted in Stirling prior to a possible national roll-out

A new scheme that will help property owners lower maintenance bills while preserving the nation's rich historical housing stock is being piloted in Stirling prior to a possible national roll-out

Run by Stirling City Heritage Trust on behalf of Historic Scotland, the ­Traditional Buildings Health Check Scheme encourages owners of pre-1919 homes to pay an annual fee of £45 to obtain a detailed condition report on the building plus a "bespoke maintenance guide" and access to expert information on preserving the building.

Subscription to the scheme, which is based on examples from the Netherlands and Flanders, entitles members to regular and affordable building fabric inspections - during which small routine maintenance tasks may also be completed - plus a variety of annual member events.

A spokesman for Stirling City Heritage Trust said: "Most people appreciate that our historic buildings are finite, non-renewable resources of social, economic and cultural value. However, not so many are aware of the regular, easy maintenance requirements to ensure their building is safe, wind and watertight, and energy efficient.

"There is growing concern, not just among those charged with the protection of our built heritage, but also in the construction and housing sectors, about increasing disrepair in traditional buildings. The pilot scheme aims to encourage a healthy appreciation of the real value of the phrase 'a stitch in time saves nine'.

The launch of the scheme follows reports that 75% of Scotland's traditional dwellings (about 445,000 properties) have elements such as roofs and external walls in a state of disrepair. Of this number, about 53% are in need of urgent repair.

The not-for-profit scheme offers an independent building inspection service, and a "plain English" report ­outlining the maintenance and repair issues to be discussed with the inspector, plus the opportunity for "behind the scenes" tours of major conservation sites such as Stirling Castle.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop has called the scheme "a great example of the Scottish Government's commitment to supporting, maintaining and improving our historic environment".

Colin Tennant from Historic Scotland said "We want to encourage the people of Stirling to take a new approach to the maintenance of their traditional ­buildings with the mantra 'prevention is better than cure.'

"In addition to public safety, which is a key concern with older properties, buildings that are in poor repair are less energy efficient.

"Together with CITB [the Construction Industry Training Board], we are running training events for local professionals and contractors so that building owners have access to a wider local pool of expertise. We hope property owners will undertake more timely repairs with the confidence that appropriate ­materials and methods will be used."

Sonya Linskaill, manager of Stirling City Heritage Trust, said: "This scheme will help owners to identify problems with their buildings quickly to avoid problems worsening and leading to further damage and expensive repair bills. Our traditional building experts will advise how best to tackle issues before the integrity of the building is compromised."

So far, the soft launch of the scheme has attracted about 200 expressions of interest, and it will be marketed via a series of initiatives in the new year.