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- Career conscious & in conservation? IHBC’s ‘Jobs etc.’ services spans disciplines, levels & sectors, linked by interdisciplinary conservation practice standards delivering public benefit 25/11/2025
- IHBC’s 2025 Parliamentary Briefing launches research-led ‘5 Commitments to Help Heritage Skills in Conservation’… From Crafts in Crisis to Rubbish in Retrofit 25/11/2025
- IHBC’s ‘Evaluation’ Signpost from Sheehan Quirke via Open Culture: ‘How did the world get so ugly?’ 25/11/2025
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the (duplicate) doorstep’: Plans for first Iron Age broch ‘in 2000 years’ approved for Highlands 25/11/2025
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the (Lottery) doorstep’: Historic Birnbeck pier saved as surprise funding announced from NLHF 25/11/2025
- ‘Natural England’s Strategy: Recovering Nature for Growth, Health and Security’ – with ‘nature as essential to sustaining growth and a healthy society’ 25/11/2025
- HE & ACE issue first parts of suite of guidance, templates and factsheets etc. 25/11/2025
- Government’s Pride in Place: Strategy update 25/11/2025
- Winners of the Georgian Group Architectural Awards announced! 25/11/2025
- Joining the dots: A single EDI portal for the sector 25/11/2025
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: Worker dies after partial collapse of medieval tower in Rome 25/11/2025
- IHBC’s 2025 Parliamentary Briefing launches research-led ‘5 Commitments to Help Heritage Skills in Conservation’… From Crafts in Crisis to Rubbish in Retrofit 21/11/2025
- IHBC welcomes new joint CEOs at Historic England to post 21/11/2025
- IHBC’s ‘Research’ Signpost from the NT: Public First report on ‘Local history, local heritage and local pride, in Coventry and across the UK’ 21/11/2025
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Plans to turn three local villages into town to ‘help protect green belt’ backed by residents 21/11/2025
- Parliamentary Committee: Nature not a ‘blocker’ to housing; needed for ‘resilient towns & neighbourhoods’, and calls for housebuilding target changes and reduced VAT (for retrofitting) 21/11/2025
- Housebuilding around train stations will be given default ‘yes’, including in Green Belt, as: ‘Builders Speechless’ 21/11/2025
- RTPI’s State of the Profession 2025 reports across UK: One in five planners expected to leave the profession within three years, with no clear plan to replace them 21/11/2025
- TCPA Blog: Review of Homes England’s Healthy Homes Standard: Our homes are not islands 21/11/2025
- Public Practice: Recruitment & Skills Report 2025 21/11/2025
- NCT’s National Churches Survey – giving every church a voice 21/11/2025
- New APPG for National Parks and National Landscapes launched 21/11/2025
- Heritage Alliance awarded National Lottery Heritage Fund grant for Resilience Project 21/11/2025
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: WMF welcomes Belfast City Council’s decision to purchase Assembly Rooms 21/11/2025
- IHBC’s new Context, No185, ‘lifts the lid on roofing’, from craft to carbon, with essential, accessible CPD for Conservation Professionals & colleagues 18/11/2025
Category Archives: Sector NewsBlog
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.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged climate change, conservation, environment, heritage, national parks, nature, rural, volunteers
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HE’s Research Magazine: ‘… a major study of the heritage of England’s suburbs’
image for illustration: Joanna Theobald Issue 28 of the Historic England (HE) Research Magazine covers a major study of the heritage of England’s suburbs and much more.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, conservation, environment, heritage
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Charities challenge Ministers: fix the Planning Bill… ‘fail to deliver… for nature… and… demolish environmental law’
image for illustration: Peter Badcock In a joint letter, over 30 charity leaders issued a warning to Government calling for urgent repairs to the new planning reforms as ‘The reforms fail to deliver the Government’s promise of a ‘win-win’ for … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, conservation, environment, expertise, government, heritage, nature, planning, skills
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Local heritage to be protected with £20 million of funding
image for illustration: Joanna Theobald Government UK reports that new funding, delivered by the Architectural Heritage Fund, will ‘boost people’s access to local heritage, delivering government’s Plan for Change to increase opportunities for all’.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, community, conservation, environment, expertise, funding, government, heritage, skills
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HES issues new three year operational plan ‘Heritage For All’
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has published a new three year operational plan ‘Heritage For All’,stating it wants Scotland’s historic environment to be for everyone, and ‘deliver heritage for all’.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, community, conservation, environment, expertise, government, heritage, nature, planning, Scotland, skills
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First new-style degrees set for accreditation in major milestone for ARB’s education reforms: ‘an innovative integrated format’
The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has agreed to approve three new Master’s level qualifications by the University of Leeds, two of which ‘take an innovative integrated format’.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged accreditation, architects, education, expertise, qualifications, skills, training
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Wales consults on new building control regime for higher-risk buildings and wider changes to building regulations, to 25/05
Welsh Government Consultation want your views on proposed changes to the building control regime and building regulations in Wales, closing 25 May.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, environment, expertise, government, planning, regulations
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Design Council Homes Taskforce: ‘Advising… government on the… challenge of… 1.5Mn homes… in… binding climate commitments’
A new Design Council report – ‘Advising the government on the design challenge of creating 1.5 million homes within the UK’s legally-binding climate commitments’-says better housing design could save hundreds of millions of tonnes of carbon while delivering government house … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged advice, building, climate change, community, design, environment, expertise, government, nature, neighbourhoods, planning, skills
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AHF and HES: £2Mn partnership funding for the sustainable community re-use of Scotland’s historic buildings
image for illustration: Fiona Newton The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is delighted to announce the extension of its long-standing strategic partnership with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) as, thanks to the HES Partnership Fund, the AHF will continue and enhance delivery … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, community, conservation, environment, expertise, funding, government, heritage, planning, renovation, skills
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IHBC UPDATE – 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 … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
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Government unleashes next generation of construction workers to build 1.5m homes
image for illustration: Open Government Licence v3.0 New training will help deliver 1.5 million homes which will transform communities and drive growth through the Plan for Change.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, environment, expertise, government, housing, planning, skills, training
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Tony Juniper CBE reappointed to continue protecting nature and boosting growth as Natural England Chair
image for illustration: Open Government Licence v3.0 Tony Juniper CBE reappointed to continue protecting nature and boosting growth as Natural England Chair. His reappointment comes as Environment Secretary, Steve Reed, is rewiring and reforming Defra and its arm’s-length bodies to … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged climate change, conservation, environment, expertise, government, nature, planning
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HE: Grant to Secure the Future of Colchester’s Iconic Jumbo Water Tower
image for illustration: Jumbo Water Tower, Colchester By Ritchie Hicks – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, Historic England (HE) has awarded a grant of £550,000 for the repair and restoration of the Jumbo Municipal Water Tower in Colchester, continuing its … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, conservation, expertise, funding, heritage, landmark, restoration, skills
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Higher Education Student Statistics: UK, 2023/24 – Notes
The Statistical Bulletin has been produced by Jisc in collaboration with statisticians from the Department for Education, the Office for Students, the Welsh Government, the Scottish Government and the Department for the Economy Northern Ireland and been released according to … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged education, government, learning, qualifications, statistics, students
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UK Government heritage partnership – Cadw, Historic England and HES – publish retrofit training handbook for Level 3 Award
Cadw, Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) have been working together to improve the standard of retrofit training delivery in response to known skills and knowledge gaps in the current retrofit workforce and have published a new handbook to … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, conservation, environment, expertise, government, heritage, nature, planning, retrofit, skills, UK
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Scotland’s guidance on ‘Effective community engagement in local development planning’
The Scottish Government has issued new guidance to assist with engagement activities in the preparation of local development plans, and is part of measures introduced by the Planning (Scotland) Act 2019 to ‘put community voices at the heart of the … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, community, development, environment, expertise, government, housing, planning, skills
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UK Parliamentary guidance on VAT and Churches
Construction work to repair buildings, including historic churches, is charged VAT at the 20% standard rate. The Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme provides grants to mitigate the VAT costs for these repairs.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged church, conservation, grants, heritage, maintenance, renovation, repairs, taxes, VAT, worship
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HTVF invites new trustee applications, to 6 May
The Historic Towns and Villages Forum (HTVF) is seeking new trustees to help the Board make the most of a transformative stage in its history.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, charity, climate change, conservation, environment, expertise, government, heritage, nature, planning, rural, skills, urban, voluntary
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Built Environment Committee of House of Lord: Enquiries summary
The Built environment Committee of the House of Lords is currently conducting three enquiries in relation to the built environment which include: ‘New towns: Practical Delivery’; ‘The Grey Belt’; and ‘High Streets in Towns and Small Cities’.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, environment, expertise, government, grey belt, high streets, housing, planning, towns, urban
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THA: Planning and Infrastructure Bill Briefing
The Heritage Alliance (THA) has published its Briefing on Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, conservation, environment, expertise, government, heritage, planning, skills
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Construction Leadership Forum report sets direction for a National Existing Buildings Database
The Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) has published a new report assessing the quality, usefulness, and validity of data currently held by building owners across Scotland.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, climate change, environment, expertise, government, net zero, planning, retrofit, skills
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Environment Agency storm overflow spill data for 2024
image for illustration: Open Government Licence v3.0 Spill count and duration remains unacceptably high across England, with data analysis and stricter rules to reduce pollution going forward.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged climate change, conservation, environment, expertise, government, infrastructure, nature, planning
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IHBC issues 2025 AGM notice – online from 5.30pm for 6.00pm, 13/05, exclusive to all member categories – with Alastair Godfrey, on ‘… Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings’, prefacing #IHBCShrewsbury2025
The IHBC has sent all members the 2025 AGM’s formal notice – for 13 May, with online proceedings from 5.30pm for a 6.00pm start – and includes our pre-AGM talk, this year with Alastair Godfrey on ‘The history and restoration … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged conservation, cpd, events, expertise, heritage, learning, skills
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Value of Heritage-led Regeneration for England’s High Streets revealed in new independent research for HE
image for illustration: Open Government Licence v3.0 Historic England (HE) has published an independent evaluation of the High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme, England’s first heritage-led regeneration programme to go beyond restoration, redefining how high streets are revitalised.
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged building, conservation, environment, expertise, government, heritage, planning, regeneration, streets, townscape, urban
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Protrade on ‘State of Construction Apprenticeships in 2025’: 1.4% fall in new apprentices last year; after 5% the year before
image for illustration: Open Government Licence v3.0 The Protrade annual report on the ‘State of Construction Apprenticeships in 2025’ highlights a significant construction skills gap in the UK as, analysing its latest research has revealed a 1.4% decline in new … Continue reading
Posted in Sector NewsBlog
Tagged apprenticeships, building, expertise, government, skills, workforce
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