IHBC’s 2025 AGM concludes, featuring Griff Rhys Jones on #IHBCShrewsbury2025, new trustees (and old), a ‘stop-press’ update on our Charter-linked Memorandum and much more…

The IHBC’s 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) saw new (and old) trustees appointed; confirmation of the IHBC’s Charter Memorandum submission on May 13@14:15, and other business, all bookended by Griff Rhys Jones on our 2025 Annual School, #IHBCShrewsbury2025, and Tim Greensmith on ‘Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings…’.

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IHBC congratulates Conservation Wiki partner Designing Buildings as it reaches 20,000 articles

image DB: 2000 Bing AI

Designing Buildings (DB) – host and partner to the IHBC’s Conservation Wiki – has reached a major milestone, with 20,000 articles published.

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HE’s Chief Executive Duncan Wilson offers online welcome & Q&A at IHBC’s 2025 Day School, 13/06: #IHBCShrewsbury2025 – Schools… ‘one of the pre-eminent regular events in… heritage

The IHBC is delighted to announce that Duncan Wilson CBE, Chief Executive at Historic England, will offer an online welcome and take questions at the IHBC’s Shrewsbury Day School on 13 June – #IHBCShrewsbury2025 – opening a unique day of insights, learning, discussion and investigation into how context and conservation combine.

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IHBC’s ‘Members with benefits’: West Dean’s 10% discount on specialist Conservation courses for IHBC members (all categories)

The IHBC is has agreed a 10% discount for all members on West Dean’s celebrated and specialist Conservation courses (see terms, conditions and code below).

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IHBC REMINDER– DEADLINE EXTENDED for our Heritage Staff Wellbeing at Work Survey: Open to 22 May

The IHBC is delighted to thank all for your strong response to our Heritage Staff Wellbeing at Work survey, helping us understand the current state of wellbeing among those working and volunteering in the heritage sector, and to ensure we capture a full and representative picture, we’re extending the deadline to Wednesday 22 May, 11.59pm.

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IHBC ‘Philosophy’ signpost from Designing Buildings: AI is killing the goose that laid the golden egg

image DB: entitled ‘Image created by chatgpt in response to the prompt: “create an image representing the threat of AI to publishers of copyrighted content”.’

Designing Buildings (DB) – host and partner to the IHBC’s Conservation Wiki – has published a feature by DB lead Gregor Harvie who argues that, since the emergence of the internet, we have lived in a magical golden time of free knowledge for everyone, but with AI, that time could soon be over.

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IHBC’s ‘Director’s pick’ from HESPR’s weekly works: Church body seeks architect for works and bids, to 23/05

The IHBC’s heritage business register HESPR – our Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition quality assurance service – emails members regular ‘News and Tender Alerts’, and the IHBC Director’s pick this week is a call by a church body for an architect for remedial works and essential repairs, including bids, to 23/05.

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: IHBC’s The Cockburn Association’s 150th Annual General Meeting

The Cockburn Association has issued invites to the Association’s 150th AGM, and celebrate the official start of our 150th anniversary!

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Department for Communities: Condition of NI’s Listed buildings declines by almost 25% in twenty years

image for illustration: IHBC

The Department for Communities has published research on the condition of listed buildings, following ministerial commitment, using a ‘statistically reliable sample’ to underpin the conclusion that their ‘Condition is… getting worse and this appears to be speeding up.’

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Government on PBIS: Reforms to get Britain building will boost economy by billions

New analysis shows economy could be boosted by up to £7.5 billion over the next decade thanks to the pro-growth Planning and Infrastructure Bill (PBIS).

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The Wildlife Trusts: Government amendment to Planning Bill threatens nature and infrastructure delivery… removing statutory consultees from NSIPs pre-app process

image for illustration: Peter Badcock

A Government amendment to the Planning and Infrastructure Bill removes all statutory consultees from the Nationally Significant Infrastructure Projects (NSIPs) pre-application process, which The Wildlife Trusts describe as ‘bad news for nature recovery, communities and for infrastructure delivery.’

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HSDS User Needs Survey (Year 1) open to 31 May

If you create or use Heritage Science data as an employee, volunteer or student your feedback (before 31 May) can help shape a new Heritage Science Data Service (HSDS) with capacity to advance understanding, preservation, and management of UK heritage, reports The National Heritage Science Forum (NHSF).

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: Arran announced as 10th UNESCO Global Geopark in UK

image for illustration: Fiona Newton

Arran, located off the southwest coast of Scotland, has been formally announced as the UK’s 10th UNESCO Global Geopark, as the ratification took place at the conclusion of the 221st session of the UNESCO Executive Board in Paris on 17 April.

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IHBC welcomes Hirst Conservation to HESPR – IHBC’s register of quality-assured conservation and heritage practices

Hirst Conservation is the latest company to be accepted on to the IHBC conservation and heritage services ‘HESPR’ listing, of heritage businesses to benefit from IHBC’s quality assurance.

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IHBC’s President keynote on ‘Historic & Heritage Places and Assets’, an essential heritage perspective, ‘… a huge focus at UKREiiF 2025’, Leeds, 20 May

IHBC’s President Rebecca Thompson, Director of Property for St Paul’s Cathedral, will speak on ‘Historic and Heritage Places and Assets’ on 20 May at the Leeds UKREiiF 2025’, a forum dedicated to unlocking investment and driving regeneration and development across the UK.

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IHBC’s Annual School 2025 pre-conference (and free!) webinars: Accessible & engaging learning for all (and special CPD for Conservation Professionals), with Dr Andy Wigley on ‘Shrewsbury’s Built Heritage..’, 15/5

Following on from the launch of the 2025 Annual School and the linked pre-conference CPD in Redruth on 13 March, the IHBC is delighted to announce a series of online lunchtime webinars across a variety of topics that relate to the school theme of ‘Heritage in Context’, all open to everyone and free to attend, and all supporting #IHBCShrewsbury2025.

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IHBC REMINDER– DEADLINE EXTENDED for our Heritage Staff Wellbeing at Work Survey: Open to 22 May

The IHBC is delighted to thank all for your strong response to our Heritage Staff Wellbeing at Work survey, helping us understand the current state of wellbeing among those working and volunteering in the heritage sector, and to ensure we capture a full and representative picture, we’re extending the deadline to Wednesday 22 May, 11.59pm.

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IHBC’s Management signpost: ‘An independent review of Defra’s regulatory landscape…’

Government UK has issued a new report, ‘An independent review of Defra’s regulatory landscape…’.

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IHBC HESPR’s ‘News from the Sector’: Defra, via LinkedIn, seeks 30 new Board Members for England’s NPAs etc, to 19/05

IHBC’s heritage business register HESPR – our Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition quality assurance scheme for heritage services – emails members weekly ‘News and Tender Alerts’, and this week features Defra social media call for 30 new Board Members for England’s National Park Authorities (NPAs) & National Landscape Conservation Boards.

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the (Irish) doorstep’: Thatch Repair Grant Scheme Opens in Donegal (with a little on ‘Fire Risk’)

Donegal County Council’s award-winning Thatch Repair Grant Scheme has opened for applications.

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Government: Experimental AI could help councils meet housing targets by digitising records to make planning data accessible

Government UK reports that a new AI tool aims to modernise council planning by replacing outdated paper systems with high-quality digital data, enabling faster, smarter decisions to support the government’s goal of building 1.5 million homes.

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Local heritage to be protected with £20Mn funding

image for illustration: Joanna Theobald

Government UK has launched £20Mn of support funds to boost people’s access to local heritage, to increase opportunities for all.

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Wales Consultation: A New Approach to Volunteering in Wales: Closing 30/05

The Welsh Government has issued a consultation survey seeking views from charities on volunteering, to 30 May.

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UK Government: Record £13.9Bn of R&D funding unveiled to boost innovation, jobs and growth

A record £13.9 billion funding outlined to support transformational R&D in areas like life sciences, green energy, engineering and beyond has been reported by Government UK.

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Defra seeks 30 Board Members of National Park Authorities and National Landscape Conservation Boards: to 19/05

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs (Defra) is looking for 30 Board Members of National Park Authorities and National Landscape Conservation Boards: to 19/05.

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