More than 2,000 listed buildings across London – including Wellington Arch, the Albert Memorial and the Camden Roundhouse – have been saved from ruin and neglect over the past 20 years, English Heritage said yesterday.

English Heritage said that in a survey in January 1991, almost 1,000 buildings listed as grade I, grade II* or grade II were identified as vacant, underused or in a state of disrepair, after years of neglect in the capital.

More than 90 per cent of those on the initial list have now been saved, while in total more than 2,000 buildings have been repaired, restored and given a new lease of life, the Saving London report revealed.

But English Heritage said heritage was once again under pressure from the economic climate, and warned against neglecting old local buildings and other monuments which the organisation said were “core” to society.In 1991, the collapse of the property market saw many buildings abandoned and end up on the register, and English Heritage fears this could happen again.

The heritage body said that many London local authorities had been reluctant to use statutory powers to secure repairs, in the belief there would be too much red tape or it would cost too much – a misconception which still exists today.

Philip Davies, of English Heritage, remarked the organisation was aware that local authorities were now under huge pressure to slash spending, but urged them to think before cutting conservation officer posts and funding. “Heritage provides not only a sense of place and continuity, but it also acts as a focus for social cohesion and offers a sense of identity as well as a catalyst for regeneration and good new design. Heritage is core, not a luxury,” he said.

London Mayor Boris Johnson said: “London’s enduring success in the future will depend not only on its drive for excellence and innovation, but on its ability to cherish and honour the past.”