Monthly Archives: October 2013

Northern Ireland environment minister Mart Durkan has withdrawn the administration’s Planning Bill. This unexpected move was announced by the minister in a statement to the North Ireland Assembly on 22 October. Durkan explained that he was scrapping the proposed legislation … Continue reading →

Building Preservation Trust (BPT) the Vivat Trust has won two of the major awards in the English Heritage 2013 Angel Awards for its work on Hadlow Tower, with other winners including a pub, the Ivy House Public House, Southwark; a … Continue reading →

Local planning authorities (LPAs) and developers will no longer have to wait for 21 days for advice from Natural England on wildlife species covered by European law. This improvement follows a wide-ranging review by the wildlife advisor on how standing … Continue reading →

CyArk, a digital services provider, is looking for proposals for sites, especially less well known ‘at risk’ sites, to be selected to be part of the first 500 sites to be digitally documented, with nominations open to anyone, and the … Continue reading →

Hackney Council has become the first local authority in the country to successfully defend an appeal over a decision to list a pub – The Chesham Arms – as an asset of community value (ACV). The former pub in east … Continue reading →

Various research and other fellowships from the Leverhulme trusts are currently open to experienced researchers, particularly those who are or have been prevented by routine duties from completing a programme of original research. There are no restrictions on academic discipline, … Continue reading →

Following the decision of the URBACT II Monitoring Committee on 4 September 2013, an URBACT Call for proposals is now open for the creation of up to 4 Pilot Networks for the transfer of good practice in the field of … Continue reading →

Ruth Stanier has been promoted to the position of director for planning at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG), replacing Shona Dunn, who has left the department. Search Planning Portal: LINK 

The Department of the Environment of Northern Ireland (DOENI) has published guidance on the new duty of community planning which local authorities will be responsible for from April 2015. DOENI writes: ‘The Department of the Environment today published guidance on … Continue reading →

The number of listed buildings, scheduled monuments and conservation areas considered to be ‘at risk’ in England has fallen over the past 12 months, according to new figures says English Heritage (EH).  English Heritage said its 2013 Heritage at Risk … Continue reading →

There are 67 choices from 41 countries on the 2014 World Monuments Watch – a kind of what’s what of at-risk heritage that takes in terraces near Bethlehem, the city of Venice and thousands of traditional gas lamps in Berlin … Continue reading →

Planners have been urged to recognise that urban brownfield sites are important for wildlife. A new report commissioned by Scottish Natural Heritage and written by Buglife, the Invertebrate Conservation Trust, stressed these areas are quickly re-colonised by insects, flowers and … Continue reading →

The Welsh Government has published a leaflet which provides information on installing external solid wall insulation, in accordance with new permitted development rights.  Under the new rights, householders can now install external solid wall insulation without the need to apply … Continue reading →

The Scottish Government has extended a grant scheme for householders by offering £1m to local authorities and housing associations to retrofit existing homes.  The Green Homes Cashback scheme, managed by the Energy Saving Trust, was launched last November to give … Continue reading →

The recent AGM of the Institute for Archaeologists (IfA) has agreed the petition to seek a Royal Charter.  The IfA reports on its AGM as follows: … Business then moved to the resolution requesting members to instruct Council to submit … Continue reading →

Historic Scotland (HS) has responded to submissions by the IHBC and others on the joint consultation on the Scottish Government’s Historic Environment Strategy for Scotland and The Merger of Historic Scotland (HS) and the Royal Commission on the Ancient and … Continue reading →

An Art Deco theatre in Stockton and a scheme to unite a 12th-century church with a 17th-century coaching inn are among the first recipients of the Heritage Lottery Fund’s Heritage Enterprise grant scheme, recently announced.  The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) … Continue reading →

New intelligence on the archaeology sector’s employment has been launched as part of a project carried out with financial support from English Heritage, Historic Scotland, Cadw, Northern Ireland Environment Agency and the Lifelong Learning Programme of the European Commission. English … Continue reading →

The Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) has released its latest biennial report on heritage ‘Heritage Assets Biennial Report: April 2011 – March 2013’, which includes details on how the Agency will use heritage assets to support jobs and communities.  The HCA writes: The HCA, in company … Continue reading →

A new exhibition centre celebrating the global influence of Letchworth Garden City, the world’s first, is to open in the Hertfordshire town on October 12, with the centre featuring displays explaining how the town grew from Ebenezer Howard’s vision for … Continue reading →