Monthly Archives: October 2009

Natural England has published a major report showing that investment in the natural environment is critical to long term economic prosperity and that natural services provide a highly cost effective solution to growing problems like flood and coastal defence, carbon … Continue reading →

Ben Bradshaw Secretary for State for Culture Media and Sport and Jonathan Stephens, Permanent Secretary, gave evidence on the DCMS annual report and accounts 2008-9 before the CMS Select Committee on 20 October, Heritage Link reports. Questioned on the effort … Continue reading →

Applications for CABE Space design skills scholarships close on Friday 13 November 2009. The scholarships are open to anyone whose work has an impact on the quality of our streets and highways, parks and green spaces or public squares, and who … Continue reading →

A new campaign has been launched in Parliament to persuade the Government to put climate change at the heart of the English planning system. A cross-sector coalition of organisations – including leading planners and countryside and environmental organisations – has … Continue reading →

Heritage organisation appoints new Chair The Historic Towns Forum (HTF) announced the appointment of Debbie Dance as their new Chairman at last week’s Annual General Meeting held at Chichester. This appointment marks a major move forward for the HTF.  Debbie … Continue reading →

The Lighthouse Trust is to be wound down over the next few weeks after Glasgow City Council withdrew all financial support. But the Lighthouse itself will survive as Scotland’s national centre for architecture and design. The council, which owns the … Continue reading →

Green infrastructure does not receive anything like the investment or management that goes into grey infrastructure. CABE proposes that each local authority appoint a City Gardener. CABE’s Grey to Green campaign , launched on 11 November, in the run up … Continue reading →

Grants of up to £200,000 per site are available to help local authorities, housing associations, schools, hospitals, charitable bodies and community organisations to gain the benefits of solar, wind, ground source heat pump and biomass renewable energy technologies. This funding … Continue reading →

Robust evidence that heritage can have an impact on wider social issues such as people’s sense of well-being and community cohesion was revealed today (Wednesday 21 October) by English Heritage. The new research is described in Heritage Counts 2009, the … Continue reading →

The Chief Executive of the Infrastructure Planning Commission was announced today as John Saunders. Mr Saunders was awarded an OBE in 1998 for services to British Businesses and is an experienced CEO. He will ensure that the IPC effectively carries … Continue reading →

You or someone you know may be interested in applying for either of the two categories for the annual  Marsh Award for Traditional Building Skills 2009. Nominations are currently being sought for two awards of £1,000 each, in this the … Continue reading →

Two initiatives from SPAB (The Society for the Protection of Ancient  Buildings) for young architectural professionals: Entries are invited now for the Society’s annual Philip Webb Awards Applications are invited now for places on SPAB’s prestigious, year-long Scholarship Philip Webb … Continue reading →

Research finds that simple improvements to traditional 1880s windows can bring most up to modern standards.  Research by English Heritage has shown that original sash windows can be as energy efficient as modern double-glazed windows. Findings of a study into … Continue reading →

Scotland’s legacy of post-war architecture is to be the focus of a conference in November hosted by Historic Scotland, and called Scotland: Building for the Future.  The agency is opening the debate on protecting and celebrating the variety and innovative … Continue reading →

The IHBC, the professional body for building and historic environment conservation specialists, has released its most recent draft response to CLG’s PPS 15 consultation on the historic environment.  The IHBC’s draft is available, see its home page at www.ihbc.org.uk. IHBC … Continue reading →

CABE and eight regional design review panels have joined together to create a national network of design review panels. This will provide all local planning authorities with access to independent practical design advice. The network will collectively review more than … Continue reading →

Construction sector training body ConstructionSkills reviews grants after £10m loss.  It is expected to make cuts to the training grants it pays to construction firms after it emerged that it will make a multimillion-pound loss for the second year running. … Continue reading →

A group of sustainability experts have rounded on the government’s brief for the position of chief construction adviser for not taking sustainability seriously enough.  In the letter, published in this week’s Building, the group, which includes high-profile architects, consultants and … Continue reading →

The asset transfer unit (a support service for the asset transfer agenda delivered by the Development Trusts Association in association with Community Matters and the Local Government Association and funded by CLG, is running two FREE conferences in November to … Continue reading →

Maggie’s Centre London by Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners has won the 2009 Stirling Prize. The judges described the London cancer centre as a “timeless work of architecture that not only distils the intentions of this brief but expresses in … Continue reading →

The construction materials industry is a major user of the world’s resources.  While progress has been made towards sustainability, the scope and opportunities for further improvements are significant.  This survey aims to assess client and professional policy awareness, use of … Continue reading →

Civic societies from across the country gathered at the national convention in Blackpool on 16 October to discuss the future of the civic society movement. A copy of the report – ‘Own the future’ – presented to the convention is … Continue reading →

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) today announced seven projects, under its existing Training Bursary Programme, that are set to benefit from an additional £2.85m investment.  This will deliver a wide range of skills training – including blacksmithing, botanic gardening, stone … Continue reading →

We are offering six CABE education grants of up to £1,500 to support imaginative teaching and learning about architecture and the design and use of buildings and public spaces.  Successful applicants will create opportunities to involve pupils in exemplary learning … Continue reading →