Daily Archives: 19/10/2012

A Bill aimed at supporting infrastructure development and job creation by reducing red tape has been placed before the Commons. The Growth and Infrastructure Bill will reduce regulations around superfast broadband installation and will speed up the planning system for … Continue reading →

Critical new research into the types of skills, knowledge and training that employers need for working on traditional (pre-1919) buildings in England and Scotland is being led by CITB-ConstructionSkills, and urgently needs input from key parts of the industry. CITB-ConstructionSkills … Continue reading →

The All Party Parliamentary Committee (APPC) for Excellence in the Built Environment has issued a ‘Call for Evidence for an ‘Inquiry into Sustainable Construction and the Green Deal’, with a closing date for evidence of 30 November 2012. The APPC … Continue reading →

A developer who demolished a Victorian villa in a Conservation Area (CA) and replaced it with a modern replica, to save VAT, has had his penalty for violating planning laws more than halved. Piers Rance removed so many of the … Continue reading →

The Planning Inspectorate (PINS) has reintroduced ex-gratia payments for people who have suffered injustice due to an acknowledged error by the Inspectorate. The organisation had closed its ex-gratia payment scheme and the reintroduction was prompted by a report from the … Continue reading →

English Heritage 2012 research report into local authority heritage assets and their management, Local authority heritage assets: Current issues and opportunities, commissioned with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, has been published. The report reviews the issues facing local authorities … Continue reading →

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) has commissioned the first ever large-scale survey of the UK’s cultural organisations including museums, galleries, theatres, music venues, heritage sites and others, and seeks input to its data gathering. Conducted by the Centre … Continue reading →

Refurbishment projects – particularly public-sector building and small-scale fit out projects – are being sought to help with the development of the new BREEAM Non-Domestic Refurbishment scheme, and they will join a pilot programme that currently involves 14 buildings of … Continue reading →

The BRE Trust, in collaboration with the Worshipful Company of Constructors, is inviting applicants for the International Research Award for Young Constructors. It is seeking exceptional individuals from the construction sector to undertake an innovative, topical study relating to construction, … Continue reading →

The Arts & Business Report for 2010/11, published in full last week, shows a rise of 4% over the last year in private sector investment in arts and culture organisations to a total of £686.6million – almost reaching the peak … Continue reading →

The Victorian Society has named its Top Ten Most Endangered Victorian Buildings. A rare early Victorian railway station in Derbyshire, Ipswich’s abandoned former City Hall and an unusual spillway of natural stone in the West Yorkshire hills are just some … Continue reading →

English Heritage have launched a comprehensive one-stop guide to heritage protection law, policy and guidance – A Guide to Heritage Protection in England – aimed at helping policy-makers, owners and developers understand the challenges of heritage conservation. It covers everything … Continue reading →

A good practice guidance on sustainable design and construction has been compiled in a project led by BRE and supported by the TCPA and others. The guidance document has been produced as an aid for local planning authorities in England, … Continue reading →

The Cambridgeshire district council renowned in heritage circles for its attack on ‘heritage bunny-huggers’ has disbanded its entire planning committee. It has also set aside decisions made in relation to two proposed supermarket developments following concern over judicial reviews. The … Continue reading →