Monthly Archives: September 2012

Booking closes at midday on Monday 15th October for the IHBC’s Northwest (NW) Branch 2012 Conference, Heritage and the High Street, which will take place in Liverpool on Wednesday 17 October. This year’s conference looks at how successful heritage regeneration … Continue reading →

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) was delighted to welcome Tony Pidgely, Chair of the Berkeley Group, to its 2012 Council reception at Charterhouse, as well as to speak at the institute’s practitioners’ forum on ‘localism’, in Godalming, on … Continue reading →

The new issue of the journal of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), Context, has been issues, themed on the IHBC’s recent Annual School on ‘Significance’, while also presenting two important case studies on the operation of the new … Continue reading →

The Ulster Architectural Heritage Society (UAHS) has been granted the right to a judicial review of Northern Ireland’s environment minister Alex Attwood’s decision to approve the demolition of the Athletic Stores building in central Belfast. UAHS writes: The High Court … Continue reading →

According to a YouGov poll commissioned by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA), 54% of respondents believe that the government’s plan to remove the need for planning permission for house and building extensions would mean the quality of the … Continue reading →

New communities minister Don Foster has emphasised the importance of planners and creating mixed communities at the Liberal Democrat party conference in Brighton. The RTPI ran an invitation-only breakfast and a public fringe at the LibDem Conference in Brighton on … Continue reading →

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has warned that the public will ‘take on’ councils who choose to block the coalition’s plan to allow homeowners to build larger extensions without the need for planning permission by seeking damages against them. Search Planning … Continue reading →

A row over the coalition’s plan to allow larger extensions to be built without planning consent has deepened after a Tory borough criticised the communities secretary’s suggestion that residents may seek damages against councils that block the plan. Search Planning … Continue reading →

Planning lawyer Martin Goodall’s planning law blog explored the issues around the CLG minister’s call to sue planning authorities. Martin Goodall writes: I missed Pickles’ performance on BBC’s Sunday Politics Show yesterday, but I nearly fell off my chair laughing … Continue reading →

Energy secretary confirms Green Deal retrofitting work has been put back by four months. Building.co.uk News: LINK

The Design Council has appointed John Mathers as its Chief Executive. John joins the Design Council from his role as Chief Executive of the Holmes & Marchant Group, one of the world’s iconic design brands. John has over 30 years’ … Continue reading →

A giant three-dimensional map of Scotland built by Polish nationals in the grounds of a Borders hotel has been awarded B-listed status by the Scottish Government’s heritage adviser, Historic Scotland. The Great Polish Map of Scotland was built in the … Continue reading →

Seven cities across England will receive a share of £12m today to help them kick-start the Green Deal in their regions. The cities – Birmingham, Bristol, Leeds, Manchester, Newcastle, Nottingham and Sheffield – have put forward ambitious proposals to lower … Continue reading →

Natural England has adopted a new approach to the way our most precious landscapes, geology and wildlife will be protected in the future. Natural England writes: We have published a new Designations Strategy which takes forward the recommendations of the … Continue reading →

Booking Closes at 5pm on Sunday 30th September for the IHBC’s London Branch’s 2012 conference on interiors: ‘The Inside Story: dealing with Historic Interiors’, which will take place on 2 October, at the Royal College of Physicians, with prize-winning architect … Continue reading →

Department for Communities and Local Government (CLG) chief planner Steve Quartermain has written to England’s Chief Planning Officers stating that from 1 December 2012 it will be a requirement for local planning authorities (LPAs) to ‘include a statement on every … Continue reading →

SAVE Britain’s Heritage has won two major high court rulings in their decade-long campaign to end housing destruction in the north of England, both of which will potentially save thousands of homes from the bulldozer and bring in a new … Continue reading →

The UK Association of Building Preservation Trusts is able to offer 10 bursaries of up to £250 each towards the conference delegate fees, travel and accommodation costs of members of APT wishing to attend the 2012 Conference at Great Yarmouth, … Continue reading →

A flagship Tory council is opposing the coalition’s plan to allow householders to build larger extensions without the need for planning permission, warning that the measure would be ‘permanently damaging to our built environment’, while the Liberal Democrat-run London Borough … Continue reading →

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has awarded £760,000 to a partnership between English Heritage (EH), the National Trust (NT), Cadw, ConstructionSkills (CSkills) and the National Heritage Training Group (NHTG) to deliver an £800,000 Displaced Apprenticeship scheme throughout England and Wales … Continue reading →

Civic Voice has just launched a new research project Protect our Place funded by English Heritage whose overall aim is to understand better the range and types of community action across England that protect and promote the historic environment. Civic … Continue reading →

An independent report setting out how the planning system in Wales could be improved has been published by the Welsh Government. Key recommendations include: · the need for leadership and, where necessary, intervention by Government (this includes Welsh ministers taking … Continue reading →

Scottish Government’s proposed spending plans for 2013-14 almost doubles that set out in the 2011 Spending Review, including an extra £1m for Historic Scotland. The Scottish Government writes: Commenting on the Scottish Government’s proposed spending plans for 2013-14, Cabinet Secretary … Continue reading →

England’s Communities Minister Don Foster today legally authorised new powers for communities to help prevent the rapid sell off of treasured community assets and buildings so they can be protected. The Community Right to Bid, created in the historic Localism … Continue reading →

Scotland’s planning minister Derek Mackay has asked officials to carry out a review of Scotland’s key planning policy document and publish a revised version by the end of next year. Search Planning Resource: LINK