Monthly Archives: November 2012

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the UK’s professional body for conservation specialists, has launched a new web ‘starter guide’ to lead learners from all disciplines and sectors through the IHBC’s rich and accessible online resources, while also advising … Continue reading →

IHBC has highlighted recent statistics that confirm ‘conservation critical’ heritage applications – those specifically related to the control of designated places and fabric – amount to nearly 20% of the total in England, while conservation services have lost more than … Continue reading →

The IHBC has launched a new web-based commentary on listed building prosecution cases, prepared by IHBC Committee Vice Chair Bob Kindred and based on his database listing of cases, also available on the IHBC’s web site. Bob Kindred MBE said: … Continue reading →

The Northern Ireland (NI) Government has set out a new protocol, for ‘all central government departments and agencies’, requiring a skilled officer at ‘an appropriately senior level in the conservation or property management structure’, as it commits to setting example … Continue reading →

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is looking to contract a single body or consortium to deliver a £9.7m package of neighbourhood planning support from next spring, as DCLG has indicated it may opt for two bodies to … Continue reading →

Doug Richard has set out a comprehensive vision for the future of apprenticeships in his independent report, ‘The Richard Review of Apprenticeships’ which calls on the Government to improve the quality of the programme and make them more focused on … Continue reading →

An expansion of the ‘one-stop-shop’ approach for considering nationally significant infrastructure projects to help boost growth and jobs is under consultation as part of the current legislative programme to ease planning constraints. Government writes: The Growth and Infrastructure Bill, currently … Continue reading →

A new report published today sets out practical ways for cultural organisations – particularly those outside of the capital – to improve fundraising. DCMS writes: The report, ‘Philanthropy Beyond London’, has been written by the chair of the Birmingham Opera … Continue reading →

Experienced practitioners and products are hard to find, reveals research from the Institute for Sustainability and UCL Energy Institute. BRE writes: More capacity is needed in the supply chain if it is to deliver retrofit at scale, in line with … Continue reading →

Relocating health services to town centres could ‘act as a springboard’ for wider economic regeneration of local areas, according to the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). RTPI writes: Richard Blyth, RTPI’s Head of Policy and Practice, gave evidence today (26 … Continue reading →

England’s planning minister Nick Boles has used a housing estate in Essex as an example of the ‘pig ugly’ contemporary building standards that he says make communities oppose new housing developments in their areas. Search Planning Resource: LINK

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is seeking the best examples of new British and international architecture as practices up and down the country are invited to enter projects of architectural excellence for the 2013 RIBA awards, with online … Continue reading →

Communities Minister Don Foster has announced the opening of bidding for a share of £300m funding earmarked for bringing thousands of additional empty homes back into use across England. Under the scheme 5,000 empty, and in many cases derelict, properties … Continue reading →

The planning decision on Costain and Grimshaw station revamp to stand after the judge dismissed a bid for a judicial review. Community group Bermondsey Village Action Group (BVAG) applied to the High Court for permission to launch a judicial review … Continue reading →

The Business Secretary, Vince Cable, has declared the Green Investment Bank (GIB) open for business as the Edinburgh and London-based bank will have access to £3 billion of public funding designed to kick-start private investment in green technologies as the … Continue reading →

UKAPT is one of the first successful recipients of an Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) ‘All Our Stories’ grant out of over 1,000 applications. Dr James Moir, IHBC member and UKAPT Director, has written to BPTs as follows: The £10,000 grant … Continue reading →

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the UK’s lead professional body for conservation specialists, has welcomed the announcement that a new conservation National Vocational Qualification (NVQ) Level 3 is now regulated by Ofqual and available to assessment centres though … Continue reading →

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC), the UK’s lead professional body for building conservation specialists, has welcomed the launch of a suite of initiatives at an Historic Scotland summit on skills, including a pilot to promote maintenance of traditional … Continue reading →

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) has joined with the UK Association of Preservation Trusts (UKAPT) to welcome the launch by English Heritage of its tenth ‘Heritage Counts’ with a special commendation for its renewed profile of the work … Continue reading →

A plan by Eon UK to replace a wind farm near Bronte Country in West Yorkshire with 115-metre turbines has been approved by Calderdale Council. It gave permission for the current 23 turbines on Ovenden Moor to be replaced with … Continue reading →

The Government has announced plans to review the judicial review process after the Prime Minister said it had become ‘a massive growth industry in Britain today’ and was holding up much-needed national infrastructure. The Lord Chancellor, Chris Grayling, also argued … Continue reading →

‘If you care about the future of your local neighbourhood then write now to your MP’?, Griff Rhys Jones, Civic Voice President, has said, as he leads the Civic Voice’s campaign against new permitted development rights proposals in England. Civic … Continue reading →

BRE (Building Research Establishment) and Local Authority Building Control (LABC) have signed an Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ‘drive the development of a more efficient building control acceptance service for construction products, systems and solutions under the LABCs Registered Details … Continue reading →

The 2012 RIBA Norman Foster Travelling Scholarship is now open to applications from students at RIBA accredited schools of architecture around the world, with a £6,000 grant to be awarded and a closing date of 26 March 2013. RIBA writes: … Continue reading →

The Hertfordshire Building Futures Partnership has launched a new toolkit for developers and decision makers to help drive sustainable construction innovation in the county, with a linked consultation to end on 18 January 2013. Building 4 Change writes: The interactive … Continue reading →