Monthly Archives: June 2010

Heritage teams across Wales charged with protecting and restoring the nation’s historic buildings are being left unstaffed amid cost-cutting. The Institute of Historic Building Conservation raised fears that local authorities were losing the ability to advise property owners on maintaining … Continue reading →

Steve Quartermain, the chief planner at Communities and Local Government, has written to all chief planning officers and the Planning Inspectorate drawing attention to the Government’s moves to resist garden grabbing. Read the letter to chief planning officers at: LINK

Bulldozers have moved in to demolish 329-council owned flats on a housing estate ranked as Wales’ ugliest eyesore. The properties in Penarth Heights – known as Billybanks – will be replaced by a modern housing development by Crest Nicholson. The … Continue reading →

The London Borough of Enfield Assistant Director in the Place Shaping & Enterprise Department, Stephen Tapper, has become the new President of the Planning Officers Society. Stephen was elected at the Society’s Annual General Meeting held in Southport on Friday … Continue reading →

The Prince’s Regeneration Trust has launched a free online toolkit to help local authorities and other public bodies dispose of heritage assets sustainably and cost effectively. This toolkit provides local authorities with guidance for each key step undertaken when managing … Continue reading →

The Museums, Libraries and Archives Council (MLA) has launched new case studies, guidance and tools to support museums, libraries and archives in planning how they deliver their services and in measuring their contribution to social outcomes, and which includes a … Continue reading →

Ward’s Corner, the indoor market and buildings above Seven Sisters station that Haringey council has spent years trying to scrub away in favour of a retail and residential unit, has been saved, as opposition to the scheme, headed by the … Continue reading →

Three buildings which the Victorian Society campaigned to save will no longer be demolished under revised plans put forward by Spurs football club welcomed by the society. The Victorian Society has welcomed Spurs’ revised plans for its major new stadium … Continue reading →

The National Trust was recognised for its commitment to renewable energy earlier this month, scooping the ‘Pioneer’ award at the Renewable Energy Association’s British Renewable Energy Awards 2010. Beating off stiff competition from a shortlist of four high profile contenders, … Continue reading →

England’s Planning minister Bob Neill has called on the planning profession to lead the move to ‘put power back into the hands of local people’ Speaking at the National Planning Forum on 25 June, Neill stressed the Government’s intention that … Continue reading →

The Government has used its emergency Budget Statement to stress its backing for England’s Local Development Orders (LDOs) as the most appropriate way of ensuring a simplified planning consents process in areas where there is potential or need for business … Continue reading →

A bid to list two of the remaining buildings at the now closed Trawsfynydd nuclear power station in North Wales has failed as Wales’ heritage minister Alun Ffred Jones has refused the request to protect the power plant, now being … Continue reading →

The Spending Challenge is a large-scale public engagement asking for ideas on how the government can save money and deliver more for less. At this stage only frontline public sector workers are being asked for ideas – to be submitted … Continue reading →

The Urban Design Group (UDG) has elected Amanda Reynolds as its chair, the first woman to hold the role in its 32-year history. An architect and urban designer with her own London-based practice AR Urbanism, UDG said her election marks … Continue reading →

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is calling for applications from architects to join the new RIBA Conservation Register, ahead of its official launch in autumn 2010. The new Register forms an important part of the RIBA’s work to … Continue reading →

Heritage Alliance Chaiman Loyd Grossman has released a statement on the Budget as follows: ‘Of course we understand the need to bring the public finances back under control and were- like everyone else- fully prepared for a tough budget.  The … Continue reading →

HCA is consulting on the creation of a functional map for the place-making sector, with closing date 31 August. The Better skills for better places partnership of more than 20 organisations committed to improving the skills of people in the … Continue reading →

The closing date for the IHBC’s Annual Gus Astley Student Award 2010 is 31 July, with work eligible that was submitted on a taught course between August 2008 and July 2010, and covered any topic relating to places or their … Continue reading →

IHBC Director Seán O’Reilly has congratulated the diverse professionals that contributed to the substantial body of conservation-related projects in the shortlist for the 2010 Prime Minister’s Better Public Building Award. Seán O’Reilly said: “Key conservation themes for IHBC’s members – … Continue reading →

John Shaw has been appointed as the new director of ASHTAV (The Association of Historic Towns and Villages of the UK). A long serving director of Area East of South Somerset DC, John brings to ASHTAV considerable experience of local … Continue reading →

The government has pulled the plug on Denton Corker Marshall’s £27.5 million Stonehenge Visitor’s Centre and a £45 million grant for the BFI Film Center. The projects are among 12, together worth £2 billion, that have been slashed as part … Continue reading →

The National Heritage Training Group (NHTG) has been awarded the largest single amount of funding (£932,000) of the 54 successful projects in the new £17million Heritage Lottery Fund Skills for the Future programme. This funding will provide work-based training and … Continue reading →

The Heritage Skills Initiative at North of England Civic Trust are pleased to announce that its joint ‘Skills for the future’ Heritage Lottery Fun bid with Tyne and Wear Archives and Museums has been successful, funding placements for the next … Continue reading →

The City of London has been accused of ruining the interiors of flats at Chamberlin Powell & Bonn’s renowned 1950s Golden Lane Estate by carrying out modernisation work without listed building consent. Residents have complained of a ‘grave oversight’ by … Continue reading →

Professional planners have warned that the Government’s decision to axe this year’s allocation of the Housing and Planning Delivery (HPD) grant will hamper the economic recovery. The HPD grant was linked to the housing targets set out in the Regional … Continue reading →