Monthly Archives: May 2012

The IHBC, with partners, is highlighting yet another likely disaster for the UK’s built heritage as attempts by the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) to reduce energy consumption in buildings will push potentially damaging external insulation in traditional … Continue reading →

You can easily add your name to the anti-VAT raid e-petition NOW, in advance of the closure of the consultation on 18 May, by clicking on http://epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/32056.  With 100,000 signatures the matter could be debated in the House of Commons!  … Continue reading →

Following presentations to Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) members by Andrew Fleming, Director of Policy at Historic Scotland (HS), on the current position and forward plan for the review of Historic Environment (HE) legislation and policy identified in the HS … Continue reading →

Queen Elizabeth Scholarship Trust (QEST) is offering Conservation and Craft Awards of up to £15,000 with the next deadline Thursday, 24 May 2012. QEST states: QEST is particularly concerned with the conservation of the many traditional British crafts that are … Continue reading →

English Heritage (EH) has produced explanatory guidance on its interpretation of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) – including the relevance of the ‘Practice Guide’ to the now-withdrawn PPS 5 – all supported by an online presentation by Mike Harlow … Continue reading →

The Planning Officers Society has published an advice note for local planning authorities on how to respond to the enactment of the Localism Act and publication of the finalised National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF). The advice note focuses on five … Continue reading →

The Vulcan Hotel, one of Cardiff’s best preserved Victorian pubs, is to be dismantled and moved to St Fagans National History Museum. Search Planning Portal: LINK

Heritage watchdog Historic Scotland has refused an application from Perth and Kinross Council seeking its permission to demolish Perth City Hall. Historic Scotland states: Historic Scotland, on behalf of Scottish Ministers received an application from Perth and Kinross Council seeking … Continue reading →

Suffolk Coastal District Council has approved plans for nine homes as enabling development to pay for the restoration of Sudbourne Park in the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB). The National Policy Planning Framework (NPPF) says … Continue reading →

Amenity groups and community organisations from the area around King’s Cross in central London have started negotiations with Camden and Islington Councils to establish a Neighbourhood Forum and draw up a neighbourhood plan straddling the boundary between the two planning … Continue reading →

A new quick guide to neighbourhood planning co-produced by Locality, Urban Vision Enterprise and Building Communities is now available. For the guide see: LINK See other Locality publications at: LINK

The House of Lords Science and Technology Committee has today called upon the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to provide adequate leadership for heritage science. In its report Science and Heritage: a follow-up the Committee cites research that … Continue reading →

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the professional body for built and historic environment conservation specialists, has co-signed a letter to the Chancellor urging him not to press ahead with the VAT raid on approved alterations to listed buildings … Continue reading →

Built Environment Forum Scotland, the link body for built and historic environment interests in Scotland, of which the IHBC is a member, has successfully promoted in the Scottish Parliament a motion against the VAT raid by the HMRC on approved … Continue reading →

The government is recognising the scale of the impact of the proposed VAT raid on heritage buildings, as it seeks ways to backtrack the tax take from listed places of worship (LPOW). Following discussions between the Treasury and the Church … Continue reading →

Civic Voice is asking civic society members to join a sector wide campaign to ask the Government to reverse its proposed decision to remove ‘VAT relief on alterations to listed buildings’. Civic Voice states: You can support this campaign by … Continue reading →

Huw Lewis AM, Minister for Housing, Regeneration and Heritage in Wales, has issued a statement saying that he has ‘established a working group to create a process whereby the core functions of the Royal Commission could be merged with other … Continue reading →

A historic hospital is to be demolished after the Scottish Government upheld a planning appeal against Glasgow City Council. The report states: Scottish Enterprise applied to the council to flatten the 11 listed buildings which form the Ruchill Hospital site … Continue reading →

The proposal by the Institute of Economic Affairs (IEA) to scrap the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) and in the process reputedly save £1.6bn (which IEA says would go ‘some way’ towards abolishing inheritance tax), has been receiving … Continue reading →

The Institute of Conservation, ICON, has launched its education strategy for 2012-16, endorsed by the IHBC an other key heritage bodies, entitled ‘National Conservation Education and Skills Strategy 2012–2016’. ICON states: Icon is launching a National Strategy, setting the direction … Continue reading →

Architecture Centre Network – the national advocacy, support and development organisation for 20+ architecture and built environment centres in the UK – has announced that it will close as an organisation at the end of June 2012. Architecture Centre Network … Continue reading →

Guidance for councils to check how well their local plans comply with the government’s National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) has been published by local government adviser the Planning Advisory Service (PAS). PAS reports: We have produced a checklist to help … Continue reading →

The Culture Action Europe team for the ‘We are more’ campaign, which aims to highlight to policymakers the value of European cultural activities ?has provided an update on progress. The ‘We are more’ campaign states: We have just published our … Continue reading →

The BRE Trust, the largest UK charity dedicated specifically to built environment research and education, has announced a new research programme related to ‘Future Cities’, and is so keen to get views that respondents will be included in a draw … Continue reading →