Monthly Archives: January 2011

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) has just launched a test (Beta) version of a web resource for IHBC members and other built and historic environment conservation specialists, particularly those in local government in England, to help them specify the importance … Continue reading →

The Welsh Assembly Government is looking for suitable professionals to sit on the board of the Design Commission for Wales. The organisation’s mission is to champion high standards of design and architecture in the public and private sector in Wales. The administration … Continue reading →

Martin Goodall provides a summary of the case concerning alleged confusion over the address of a listed building. The case is reported on the IHBC’s NewsBlog at: LINK See: LINK

Channel 4’s Restoration Man programme is again seeking properties that are shortly to be granted planning permission or have been granted permission in the last three months or so for renovation, where the owners maybe interested in participating in the programme. They … Continue reading →

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings will be studying the energy efficiency of a small group of historic and traditional buildings throughout 2011 and 2012, and is seeking to identify a solid wall sandstone house that’s going to be refurbished … Continue reading →

As the Localism Bill, the legislation which underpins the Coalition’s planning reforms, will be scrutinised by a committee of MPs starting on 1 February, with their work to be completed by10 March, the Government’s new emphasis on neighbourhood planning and localism … Continue reading →

Thanks to an innovative TV project with Channel 4, a Roman villa urbana – a high status Roman town house – has been erected at Wroxeter in Shropshire, on the site of the fourth largest city in Roman Britain. A six … Continue reading →

This guide describes the main measures of the Localism Bill. It does so under four headings: new freedoms and flexibilities for local government new rights and powers for communities and individuals reform to make the planning system more democratic and … Continue reading →

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the key professional body for built and historic environment conservation specialists, has announced the winners of its Annual Gus Astley Student Award for 2010, the major award of its type for the sector. … Continue reading →

New guidance for local authorities and public sector bodies looking to transfer the ownership and management of historic buildings, monuments or landscapes to community-based organisations is now available on the English Heritage website. English Heritage News: LINK

A local councillor has branded heritage groups fighting to save a row of houses in Birmingham as ‘middle class idiots’, as he claimed the homes needed to be pulled down because they had become a magnet for antisocial behaviour. Bodies … Continue reading →

Scotland’s new Historic Environment Bill has received the support of Parliament, following substantial scrutiny that has been informed by timely research supplied by The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) highlighting threats to local government conservation capacity. The Historic Environment … Continue reading →

Nominations for the 2012 World Monuments Watch close on March 15. Information about the 2012 World Monuments Watch can be found at www.wmf.org/watch Potential nominees are welcome to contact WMF in London or New York if they want to discuss the … Continue reading →

Beatbullying chief executive Emma-Jane Cross is setting up a cross-sector working party to devise a code of conduct that will govern how charities should treat each other when embarking on formal or informal collaborations. The venture has support from the … Continue reading →

The WMF Britain homepage carries a new film on the story and restoration of Stowe House, featuring the generous participation of Kevin McCloud, Dr David Starkey, artist Alexander Creswell, and many plasterers, gilders and masons. www.wmf.org.uk Stowe/Projects: LINK

The European Forum for Architectural Policies (EFAP) is warning of a real risk that architecture will be downgraded to a mere ‘design issue’ as progress is made in preparation of the new EU Urban Agenda. EFAP says that it ’strongly … Continue reading →

On 19 January Eric Pickles spoke to the Economist’s Liveable Cities Conference in London on his vision for cities, exploring among other things ‘one of the biggest blockades to growth over recent decades has been the planning system.  Well, we call … Continue reading →

IHBC member Colin Hatrick was among those to be congratulated for being awarded Honours in the New Year’s list, as he received an MBE for services to heritage in Northern Ireland. The Planning Portal notes: Katrine Sporle, chief executive of … Continue reading →

Birmingham City Council is set to establish a private company to deliver its regeneration services in the city. A meeting of the council’s cabinet will consider a report outlining proposals for the spin-off firm. Initially, the holding company will deliver … Continue reading →

Fury over the scrapping of the RIBA Trust looks set to force Portland Place to hold a special general meeting for the first time in more than a decade. Following the unceremonious abolition of the trust at the end of … Continue reading →

CLG has issued a prospectus inviting applications, by 21 February 2011, from eligible organisations for grant funding under the Department’s Supporting Communities and Neighbourhoods in Planning scheme. The document describes the grant programme, including the purpose, selection and eligibility criteria. It … Continue reading →

Ruth Parsons, Chief Executive of Historic Scotland (HS), announced in November, at the joint IHBC, APT, GCHT ‘Investing in the Past’ conference in Glasgow that The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is to run a new Buildings At Risk (BAR) Initiative … Continue reading →

Civic Voice, the national charity for the civic movement in England this week polled the public on which policy is most important for inclusion in the new National Planning Policy Framework, currently under production by the Government The poll, carried … Continue reading →

A couple has been fined for failing to maintain a Grade II listed building in Redbourn. St Albans District Council had issued a notice under the Town and Country Planning Act 1990 ordering Susan and Michael Gentil to remedy the … Continue reading →

Communities minister Andrew Stunell has committed the Government to a programme of work to improve the system of building regulation in England. In a Parliamentary statement Stunell reaffirmed that that Building Regulations relating to the conservation of fuel and power … Continue reading →