Monthly Archives: September 2010

CIBSE (Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers) has launched a call for entries to its 2011 awards, entry deadline 8 October. The awards reward excellence in the development and management of low carbon buildings, and take into consideration a variety … Continue reading →

BEFS’ first Annual Congress, with the IHBC as sponsor, has been hailed a great success, commencing with a keynote speech by Ruth Parsons, Historic Scotland’s Chief Executive, and concluding with an address by Fiona Hyslop, Minister for Culture and External … Continue reading →

National preservation charity SAVE Britain’s Heritage has joined forces with the Merseyside Civic Society (MCS) to apply for the listing of 9 Madryn Street, Liverpool, the birthplace and childhood home of the Beatles drummer Ringo Starr, together with five other … Continue reading →

The British Urban Regeneration Association (Bura), which last month revealed it is in voluntary liquidation, is to be relaunched as a new body, UK Regeneration (UKR). UKR will initially be free to join and will operate primarily as an internet-based … Continue reading →

Rab Bennetts and Professor Sarah Wigglesworth have been appointed CABE commissioners, while the reappointment of Joyce Bridges will ensure CABE keep its strong links with English Heritage. In welcoming the announcement by DCMS Minister John Penrose MP, CABE’s chair Paul … Continue reading →

Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) – of which the IHBC is a member – is seeking examples of where things have gone well, and wrong, in historic environment management, as part of an initiative to gather on its website examples … Continue reading →

The Planning Officers Society (POS) considers the government’s ‘Right to Build’ risky, proposing instead a ‘Right to plan’. The statement says as follows: ‘The Planning Officers Society welcomed in principle the Government’s new proposals that enable communities themselves to address … Continue reading →

CLG ministers have announced 56 bids to form Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) designed to revive England’s beleaguered localities, but few could be approved in the first wave and questions remain over their scope and clout. Ministers and Whitehall officials will … Continue reading →

The Big Lottery Fund has announced an £11.25m investment in social impact bonds. The multi-million pound investment marks the first time the grantmaker has ventured into the burgeoning field of social investment, a field in which the coalition government has … Continue reading →

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) announced the shortlists for five special awards which honour the UK’s best new school buildings, conservation projects, public spaces and smaller projects; the shortlist for the RIBA Client of the Year has also … Continue reading →

The Cabinet Secretary, Sir Gus O’Donnell, has announced the appointment of Sir Bob Kerslake, currently Chief Executive of the Homes and Communities Agency, as Permanent Secretary at the Department for Communities and Local Government, and he will take up the … Continue reading →

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) has re-launched its Heritage Pubs website – a portal focusing on the country’s most important pub interiors.  The website now has more content, many more photos and improved navigation. CAMRA’s National and Regional Inventories … Continue reading →

The first Centre for Traditional Building event, run as part of the partnership between Glasgow Metropolitan College and Historic Scotland, and previously profiled in the Historic Scotland Focus magazine, will take place on 16 September. The event, which is free, … Continue reading →

A £9m regeneration programme – including HLF project funding – to transform Bridgend town centre has been given the go-ahead following a European Union funding boost announced by the Welsh Assembly Government. More than £7.7m from the Convergence European Regional … Continue reading →

The Government has been urged to adopt a system of “community-controlled” planning with housing schemes allowed unless 50 per cent of those directly affected by the proposals object by a ballot. Under these proposals from think tank Policy Exchange, developers … Continue reading →

Councils keen to reduce the costs of validating planning applications should consider encouraging applicants to use planning agents who submit the highest quality applications, according to a report from the Planning Advisory Service (PAS). That suggestion, alongside proposals for some … Continue reading →

The London Borough of Greenwich has decided to oppose revised plans to redevelop Greenwich’s historic market as members remain concerned over the impact that the new scheme would have on the skyline, with its structures visible from surrounding streets and … Continue reading →

Commemorative plaques can be found on buildings of all styles and dates, and are one of the most effective – and visible – means of celebrating history and the historic environment, so English Heritage has issued new guidance on them. … Continue reading →

Woolworths stores are being targeted by a new charity created to act as an intermediary between landlords with empty premises and charities seeking properties. 3Space aims to take advantage of the number of empty properties resulting from the current economic … Continue reading →