It includes maintenance and may according to circumstance include preservation , restoration , reconstruction and adaptation and will be commonly a combination of more than one of these. Maintenance means the continuous protective care of the fabric, contents and setting of a place , and is to be distinguished from repair. Repair involves restoration or reconstruction and it should be treated accordingly. Preservation means maintaining the fabric of a place in its existing state and retarding deterioration. This is not to be confused with either recreation or conjectural reconstruction which are outside the scope of this Charter.
Adaptation means modifying a place to suit proposed compatible uses.
Compatible use means a use which involves no change to the culturally significant fabric, changes which are substantially reversible, or changes which require a minimal impact. Conservation Principles Article 2. The aim of conservation is to retain or recover the cultural significance of a place and must include provision for its security, its maintenance and its future. Conservation is based on a respect for the existing fabric and should involve the least possible physical intervention. It should not distort the evidence provided by the fabric .