Monthly Archives: June 2011

The Coalition Government has released a statement on its prospective approach to introducing a presumption in favour of its interpretation of sustainable development in the forthcoming National Planning Policy Framework.   Government says: [The approach] fulfils our commitment in the Plan … Continue reading →

The government has published its proposed wording for the new presumption in favour of sustainable development. The presumption will be central to both the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) and the Government’s planning reforms for England.   At this juncture, … Continue reading →

An amendment to enshrine a definition of sustainable development within the Localism Bill would create a ‘lawyers’ paradise’, communities minister Baroness Hanham has said.   Search Planning Resource: LINK Search Planning Portal: LINK

  The Government needs to think more carefully about the powers it has to stimulate job creation in the construction industry, says the Federation of Master Builders (FMB) in response to official employment figures which revealed that the construction industry … Continue reading →

More than £800,000 is being made available for Welsh councils to improve the quality of the local environment as part of the nation’s Tidy Towns initiative. Search Planning Resource: LINK

In Cambridge regulations governing new developments, including the need for historic environment surveys, are to be swept aside from July 1 in a purge designed to get Fenland building again.   Relaxation of rules around sustainability and listed buildings still … Continue reading →

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has announced extra support for voluntary and community groups campaigning to save local assets such as historic pubs, seaside piers or market halls, under threat when their owners refuse to sell.   … Continue reading →

New annual English Heritage awards to celebrate the efforts of local people in saving their heritage, supported by Andrew Lloyd Webber, were announced on 11 June.   The English Heritage Angel Awards – “the Angels” – will be presented at … Continue reading →

Working to the theme ‘Valuing places – old and new: why? what? how ?’, Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS), the link body for Scotland’s built and historic environment non-governmental bodies, has been announced as taking place on Thursday 8th September  … Continue reading →

Ministers are considering proposals to ease planning restrictions on some farming activities as part of a wide-ranging review of agricultural regulation and red-tape.   That’s in prospect following the report from the Farming Regulation Task Force report which has made … Continue reading →

The IHBC has been approached by Haynes Publishing, which is working on a major new book – The Period House Manual – due for publication next year, with an invitation to IHBC members to participate with photos of their skills & services. … Continue reading →

The Weald and Downland is one of only six bodies to be awarded the prestigious ‘Grand Prix’ laureates by Europa Nostra, in recognition of their outstanding heritage achievements, and is one of the 27 already honoured by the organisation for … Continue reading →

A £9 million scheme aimed at rejuvenating local spaces in some of the most deprived communities in Scotland has been launched by the Big Lottery Fund.   Big Lottery Fund News: LINK

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) and English Heritage have attracted substantial philanthropic investment from the Andrew lloyd Webber Foundation to help save historic buildings   Voluntary groups who rescue historic buildings at risk are to get a major boost in … Continue reading →

HCA has launched SIGnet, a new mapping tool combining GIS spatial data from many different sources in a single place.   SIGnet – the Spatial Intelligence Geographic network – is a free resource developed by the HCA to bring together … Continue reading →

The Urban Design Group is seeking guidance from practitioners on the problems are faced in new development, and how to address them.   Robert Huxford, UDG Director, writes: Are there things that you regularly see going wrong in new development?   … Continue reading →

The National Refurbishment Centre will launch its new web portal at Housing 2011 inHarrogate on 21 June. Users of this free tool can learn from the experiences of their housing peers on refurbishment projects from across the UK. Aimed at housing stock managers … Continue reading →

The Construction Trade Federations in Wales are organising themselves to ensure that their collective voice can be heard loud and clear at the table of the decision makers, policy drivers and the strategy developers in Wales in the future. The … Continue reading →

The chief executive of the Royal Town Planning Institute has launched a bid to raise funds for Planning Aid through online donations. Search Planning Resource: LINK RTPI Article: LINK

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) has endorsed the widespread concerns over what is emerging as the draft National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF), a version produced by a small government-appointed panel representing practitioners. The re-casting of ‘sustainable development’ as … Continue reading →

The IHBC has launched a review of its governance, in line with its current Corporate Plan, and is seeking preliminary thoughts on the issues from our members and stakeholders, with comments to be sent to: ihbcgovernance@ihbc.org.uk   Jo Evans, IHBC … Continue reading →

A new report from the communities and local government select committee pulls apart the ‘localism’ project, highlighting confusion over the definition of localism and a host of potential pitfalls for departments and councils attempting to implement it.   The report … Continue reading →

Historic Scotland (HS) has highlighted recent work on its traditional building skills audit scoping exercise.   Colin Tennant of HS writes: I would like to bring to your attention the recently launched Scottish Traditional Building Skills Audit Scoping Exercise (STBSASE) … Continue reading →

New plans published by Defra set out a detailed programme of action to repair damage done to the environment in the past, and urge everyone to get involved in helping nature to flourish at all levels – from neighbourhoods to … Continue reading →

The High Court has ruled that the demolition of 118 homes by Gateshead Metropolitan Borough Council as part of a Housing Market Renewal Pathfinder scheme was unlawful. The council had acquired the flats and houses in several streets in Bensham and … Continue reading →