Dr. Cathy Daly:

The matter of inappropriate retrofitting works and maladaptation came out of our work on the adaptation plan for built heritage. The stakeholders were concerned that it was happening. As part of the adaptation plan, we provided case studies on the different impacts, but we were unable to find case studies on maladaptation, because it tends not to be published. There are case studies in the UK. We have seen houses basically become uninhabitable and it is very expensive to put right. These buildings tend to be breathable and if non-breathable insulation is installed, it creates many problems for the buildings and the people who occupy them. It can be serious and it is expensive, so it is important to get it right. We were talking about vacancy in town centres earlier. Some of this is a matter of maintenance on these buildings, because a wet building is a cold building, so upgrading rainwater goods and having good maintenance is key to this issue. There are many simple non-interventive things that people can do to make their homes warmer and more comfortable.

A stepwise approach also can be taken.