Petition Protect listed buildings and our heritage

It is such a shame that so many grand mansion houses which are part of our heritage should be allowed to decay and be left open to the elements and also to thieves arsonists and vandals. Buildings such as this should be preserved for their archetictural merit and for future generations to appreciate. In the UK, not enough is being done by the Listed Buildings Departments of local authorities to protect historic buildings from being abandoned. They usually eventually end up being bulldozed either legally or illegally, with planning permission later being granted to lining the pockets of greedy money based developers. Housing legislation should be put in place to ensure that owners of listed buildings should secure them and keep them well maintained. Failure to do so should result in a fine, or at the last resort, compulsory purchase.