Monthly Archives: July 2012

Liverpool City Council has signed an agreement with the Homes & Communities Agency and social landlord Arena Housing Group to retain and refurbish 370 properties – all terraced property in Anfield – originally set for demolition under the former Housing … Continue reading →

Community groups wanting to bid to run local services or buy their local shop, library or pub will benefit from more than £30 million of new specialist support, Communities Minister Andrew Stunell has announced. CLG writes Under the £19 million … Continue reading →

The Newsletter of the Conservation Accreditation Register for Engineers – CARE – features the IHBC alongside RIBA, AABC and CARE as the primary conservation accreditation schemes for built environment professionals. In the current Newsletter CARE editor Jon Avent covers the … Continue reading →

The UK’s most inclusive conservation award for students, the Institute of Historic Building Conservation’s (IHBC’s) Gus Astley Annual Student Award, is open to submissions until 31 July 2012. To be eligible work must have been submitted as part of a … Continue reading →

Joint action by enforcement officers from the London boroughs of Brent and Harrow has resulted in a landlord being fined more than £310,000 for creating 28 flats in four houses in breach of planning regulations. Sarkari was prosecuted under the … Continue reading →

The Government’s proposals to increase planning fees by 15 per cent have been welcomed by the Royal Town Planning Institute President Colin Haylock. Haylock, also an IHBC member, said: ‘The proposal to increase fees is welcome, but councils need to … Continue reading →

The Heritage Alliance and the Institute of Fundraising are working together to find the best ways to provide support, information and training for the heritage sector in fundraising and to help out please spare two minutes to fill in a … Continue reading →

A recent study on Building Preservation Trust (BPT) activities in South West England has been published and both the full report and the Executive Summary documents can be downloaded from the UK Association of Preservation Trusts (UKAPT) website. See this … Continue reading →

The number of staff employed by the Department for Communities and Local Government and its agencies has fallen by nearly a third over the past year, the department’s annual report has revealed. Search Planning Resource: LINK

Government agencies that local authorities must consult when considering planning applications will become more liable for costs at appeal under proposed government guidance out for consultation until 11 September. DCLG writes: This consultation proposes to amend guidance in ‘Circular 03/09: … Continue reading →

An alliance of sector skills councils has produced a qualifications map to enable potential assessors and installers to begin gearing up for the £15bn Green Deal scheme. ConstructionSkills writes: The Green Deal Competency Framework (GDCF) provides a mapped overview of … Continue reading →

The European Commission’s next-generation online life cycle assessment (LCA) online guide for buildings and building materials – Operational Guidance for Life Cycle Assessment Studies of the Energy Efficient Buildings Initiative – is now under consultation and open for comment until … Continue reading →

New research by the London School of Economics and English Heritage proves the value of conservation areas. Houses in conservation areas sell at a premium and show a greater appreciation in value than those in other areas. This is even … Continue reading →

The Construction Industry Council has appointed Jack Pringle as its new Chairman, and also appointed Stan Hornagold, Director of Marstan Group, as a new Vice-Chairman, joining Ann Heywood, the Principal of the College of Estate Management, and Ann Skippers, a … Continue reading →

18 heritage organisations have secured a total of £27.5m of the £55m Catalyst Endowment Fund, a joint initiative between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), Arts Council England (ACE) and the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Designed to bring … Continue reading →

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), has welcomed the new strategic framework launched by the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), including especially the announcement that it is to become the first major UK funding body to require all large projects … Continue reading →

The National Trust (NT) is holding the third of its ‘Specification Writing’ workshops on Thursday 27 September and is offering up to 10 places for IHBC members at a subsidised rate of £50 for the day. The draft programme, subject … Continue reading →

The zero rate of VAT on approved alterations to listed buildings will now be removed from 1 October this year following an amendment to the Finance Bill 2012 that was approved by MPs on 3 July. The Federation of Master … Continue reading →

The Government has launched proposals to make planning applications more straightforward. A consultation document setting out the scope to make the information requirements for planning applications clearer, simpler and more proportionate has been published by the Department for Communities and … Continue reading →

The options appraisal on how best to secure the functions of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) was published on 4 July, as the Scottish government seeks a detailed business case for a merger … Continue reading →

The owner of a historic medieval cruck-framed house who admitted carrying out unauthorised work to it without listed building consent has been given a conditional discharge. Frederick Nigel Darlington, 62, of Honkley Hall, Stringer’s Lane in Rossett had denied four … Continue reading →

On 2 July 2012 a new charity, the Canal & River Trust has taken over responsibility for England and Wales’ waterways from British Waterways, with the latter now ceasing to exist. Canal and River Trust, which has IHBC representative and … Continue reading →

Apply before 23 July to be part of an exciting event taking place in London in October: Heritage Dragons 2012. Heritage Alliance writes: Are you the driving force behind a heritage-led regeneration project? Are you developing a sustainable end-use for … Continue reading →

A conservation society in west London has been designated as a neighbourhood forum under new powers contained in the Localism Act. Search Planning Resource: LINK

There is still one week to submit your entry for this years’ Regeneration & Renewal Awards, with the entry deadline now Thursday 12 July. With 14 categories to celebrate every aspect of the regeneration sector – from housing design to … Continue reading →