Monthly Archives: July 2012

Context, the membership journal of The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the professional body for the UK’s building conservation specialists, has posted its issue on ‘Defence heritage’ online. Online publication of the Institute’s membership journal takes place six months … Continue reading →

The Linkedin group for The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), open to members and non-members of the IHBC, has nearly 2000 signed up. The IHBC’s Linkedin group, with IHBC past chair Dave Chetwyn as its administrator, is the primary … Continue reading →

The Department for Culture Media and Sport is seeking views on options for changing the system of listed building consents. Government’s response to the Penfold Review of Non-Planning Consent (“Implementation of the Penfold Review”, BIS, November 2011) included a commitment … Continue reading →

The RIBA has highlighted ‘heritage and education themes’ at the heart of its shortlist for the prestigious 2012 Stirling Prize, which celebrates the best of new British architecture. RIBA says: The shortlist features six exceptional and completely different buildings from … Continue reading →

The Department for the environment, food and rural affairs (Defra) has issued a consultation on sustainable development indicators, with responses due by 15 October 2012. Defra writes: A new set of Sustainable Development Indicators are proposed for consultation, which are … Continue reading →

The GeoInformation Group, publishers of mapping and geospatial information products, has announced the first release of its land use reference database for the United Kingdom. This National Land Use Map identifies the location and the extent of 26 different land … Continue reading →

The new director of the Victorian Society will be its caseworker Chris Costelloe who will take up his post in September. Chris Costelloe writes: ‘I’m delighted to be able to say that Professor Hilary Grainger has asked me to be … Continue reading →

Rural communities in Scotland can now apply for support to help buy their land, Environment Minister Stewart Stevenson has announced. The new £6m Scottish Land Fund, which will empower communities by helping them acquire land, opened for applications on July … Continue reading →

‘Planning’ is calling for entries for ‘The Guide to Planning Consultants 2012-13’, scheduled for publication in September 2012. Search Planning Resource: LINK 

English Heritage (EH) has issued a questionnaire intended to generate advice specific to individual scheduled sites. English Heritage writes: English Heritage estimates that there are some 1,600 Scheduled Monuments at risk from cultivation on farms across England. To tackle this … Continue reading →

The Science and Technology Committee has announced a new Committee inquiry into Marine Science with evidence due by noon on Wednesday 19 September 2012. The committee writes: On 9 October 2007, the Science and Technology Committee published the report, Investigating … Continue reading →

The Commons has given the first reading to a Bill drawn up by Cambridge MP Dr Julian Huppert which aims to help England’s local communities protect their shops and pubs. The Lib-Dem MP told the Commons that his measure – … Continue reading →

The Government is asking anyone involved in making investments and running large projects on the coast to feed in their experiences, good and bad, of dealing with local and national regulators as part of the Focus on Enforcement campaign. BIS … Continue reading →

CITB-ConstructionSkills’ heritage brick Specialist Apprenticeship Programme (SAP) has seen its first cohort finish as five successful apprentices were tutored by world-renowned brickwork consultant Dr Gerard Lynch and collected their well-earned certificates at a recent ceremony in Milton Keynes. CITB-ConstructionSkills writes: … Continue reading →

The new issue of Context, the journal of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the UK’s professional body for building and historic environment conservation specialists, is now out, and looks at the heritage of sport, featuring topics as diverse … Continue reading →

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the UK’s professional body for building and historic environment conservation specialists, has launched a survey for users – and prospective  users – of Context, its membership journal. Fiona Newton, IHBC projects officer and … Continue reading →

The Institute of Civil Engineers (ICE) is offering reduced rates for its IHBC CPD-recognised event on ‘retrofit’ in the business sector in September. ‘Retro?t Solutions for Non-Domestic Buildings’, which looks at sustainable renovation in Britain’s business sector, will take place … Continue reading →

English Heritage’s (EH) Annual Report for 2011-12 is now out, and notes EH’s concern over the staffing levels in local authorities, based on figures provided in partnership by IHBC and the Association of Local Authority Archaeological Officers (ALGAO), while highlighting … Continue reading →

Councils in Wales will no longer be required to refer planning applications they wish to approve but which significantly depart from their development plans to ministers, the Welsh government has said. The new direction says that local authorities will be required to … Continue reading →

The Government has published its definition of environmental taxes. HM Treasury reports: The definition is designed to encourage effective policy making, and also measurement of progress against the Coalition Agreement pledge to increase the proportion of revenue that comes from … Continue reading →

Planning authorities have been warned by leading planning barristers that they face the prospect of carrying out more strategic environmental assessments (SEAs). This is the result of a legal challenge by neighbourhood groups in Brussels who won a case at … Continue reading →

The Government must deliver on a promise to make it easier for development projects to secure match funding through the Regional Growth Fund (RGF), says the Communities and Local Government Committee in a report of its recent inquiry into the … Continue reading →

Design CABE has launched a network of 250 Built Environment Experts (BEEs) who will support our work delivering high-quality designed places throughout England.  Design CABE writes: Hanif Kara (part of the design team for the UK Pavilion at the 2010 … Continue reading →

The future of the world’s last surviving grand music hall, an atmospheric grade II* building, tucked down an alley behind Cable Street, has won round one Heritage Lottery funding for major work by Tim Ronalds Architects. The practice has been … Continue reading →

Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) president Colin Haylock has called for action on local plan making as the body announced a series of initiatives to identify barriers to councils getting their local plans adopted. The institute plans to showcase best … Continue reading →