Monthly Archives: March 2011

A Parliamentary Committee report has slammed government’s understanding of the importance conservation services in delivering local benefits, highlighting the impact of recent reductions on local conservation, and asking government to call on councils to retain specialist heritage professionals capable of … Continue reading →

SAVE Britain’s Heritage has secured a landmark judgment against the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government which will introduce new controls over demolitions of buildings and structures under UK planning law.   The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), … Continue reading →

Changes to gift aid, inheritance tax and mileage rates have been welcomed by sector leaders after a Budget announcement hailed as the ‘best Budget for charities in years’. Caron Bradshaw, chief executive of the Charity Finance Directors’ Group, was impressed … Continue reading →

The Good Homes Alliance (GHA) has successfully responded on relevant parts of a new report from Energy Saving Trust (EST) highlighting housetypes, including pre-1919 structures, that EST sees as ‘carbon villains’. Neil May of the Good Homes Alliance warns against … Continue reading →

The RTPI has launched a consultation on proposals to introduce a new Affiliate Membership class to complement the range of membership categories currently available, closing on 8 April.   Provisionally titled Affiliate membership the new class will: Provide a membership … Continue reading →

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has launched its Conservation Register, which will enable those looking to commission work on heritage buildings to easily find architects with specific skills and experience in historic building conservation, repair and maintenance.   … Continue reading →

Heritage group the Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust has purchased several listed buildings at the Sheerness Dockyard in Kent. The Spitalfields Historic Buildings Trust has completed the heroic rescue of one of the most important and endangered historic sites in the … Continue reading →

Home owners are in danger of harming historic buildings to make them more ‘green’ because of flaws in the Energy Performance Certificates (EPCs) that are now compulsory whenever a home is rented out or sold, says the Society for the … Continue reading →

BRE is carrying out a survey of occupants and building professionals as part of its research on the impact of building interiors on the well-being of occupants.   People are invited to take part in this project by completing a … Continue reading →

Waterways charity consultation Plans to create one of Britain’s biggest charities to secure the future of more than 4,000 kilometres of canals and rivers in England and Wales have been set out  for consultation, with responses due by 30 June 2011. … Continue reading →

Key partners, including IHBC, are supporting a joint Local Government Association (LGA) & English Heritage initiative to provide project-based support, study and advice, including promotion of successful new organisational strategies, to local authorities currently undergoing change, with a closing date … Continue reading →

The government has published its budget which is based on two strategies, of growth (summarised in its BIS department paper, Plan for Growth), and of fairness (apparently with no corresponding paper); responses are varied, as Heritage Alliance, the link body … Continue reading →

Environmental Protection UK (EPUK) is questioning whether the Government is committed to a planning system that is in the public interest, including  being socially and environmentally sustainable, saying that: ‘Far from being costly ‘red tape’, good planning implemented at a local … Continue reading →

Historic Scotland has launched a public consultation on four draft Statutory Instruments which have been prepared under certain delegated powers in the Historic Environment (Amendment) (Scotland) Act 2011. The full consultation pack is available for download from the web link … Continue reading →

A new journal on cultural heritage management and sustainable development is providing free on-line access until 30 April as a ‘taster’.   The publishers report: The Journal of Cultural Heritage Management and Sustainable Development (JCHMSD) stimulates and encourages research devoted to … Continue reading →

Civic Voice’s  Planning Panel of volunteers supporting and advising its staff on the development of its views is now chaired by Dave Chetwyn, former Head of Planning Aid England, IHBC past Chair, and currently Urban Vision North Staffordshire chair and a … Continue reading →

Sir Basil Spence (1907-1976) was commemorated  on 23 March 2011 with an English Heritage blue plaque at his former home and office at 1 Canonbury Place, Islington, N1.   A successful and eclectic modern architect, with a prodigious capacity for work, … Continue reading →

Astrium GEO-Information Services has introduced new marine and coastal geospatial data that is now downloadable from its Geostore website (www.geostore.com).   The new data is claimed to be particularly useful for environmental protection activities and coastal projects like wind farm … Continue reading →

The National Housing Federation (NHF) has welcomed the publication of a Select Committee report into the Government’s ‘botched’ reforms of the planning system. The all party Commons Communities and Local Government Committee has published its report after its Inquiry and has … Continue reading →

There is a proposal to revise BS7913:1998 (Guide to the principles of the conservation of historic buildings), and the British Standards Institute is looking at the business case for doing so, with comments invited by a closing date of 31 … Continue reading →

North of England Civic Trust (NECT) is promoting a radical and pro-active fundraising strategy for its heritage skills programme, Heritage Skills Initiative (HSI), by arranging a bungee jump linked (but not tied) to a black tie dinner, arranged by Andie … Continue reading →

ConstructionSkills is seeking comments regarding the development of the new draft understanding unit ‘Understanding Repair and Maintenance of Traditional (Pre-1919) Buildings’, intended as a first introduction to conservation for craftspeople, with responses tojacqui.chivers@cskills.org by 31 March.   CSkills says: A new … Continue reading →

Health & Safety Executive (HSE) have been visiting building sites – especially small refurbishment sites – across the UK.   The inspections are part of an intensive initiative aimed at reducing death and injury on construction sites. The HSE will … Continue reading →

The Voysey Society has been founded to celebrate the oeuvre of architect and designer Charles Francis Annesley Voysey (1857-1941), one of the leading figures in both the Arts and Crafts movement and its immediate successors.   It is the Society’s … Continue reading →

Design for London alarmed as advisers’ concerns on rebuild are ignored.   Design for London (DfL) has slammed a decision by Tower Hamlets Council to disband the design steering group overseeing the £500 million redevelopment of Robin Hood Gardens in … Continue reading →