Monthly Archives: November 2013

‘Heritage Counts’, the annual survey of the state of England’s historic environment produced by English Heritage (EH) on behalf of the Historic Environment Forum, has been launched, and for 2013 it takes as its theme ‘Skills’.  EH writes: This year … Continue reading →

Liverpool City Council has approved plans for the £150m redevelopment of a former Liverpool brewery into a major tourist venue, Proposals for the Cains Brewery site include the refurbishment of the Grade ll listed brewery, a hotel, cinema, 775 new … Continue reading →

The Vernacular Architecture Group (VAG) Winter Conference will follow the theme of ‘Attention to detail’ and take place in the University of Leicester on 4-5 January 2014, while the VAG is offering 2 residential bursaries (which exclude travel costs), one … Continue reading →

Communities across Scotland are set to benefit from the latest round of Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) funding announced by Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, during her keynote speech at the Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) … Continue reading →

Regional cities in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are outshining the UK’s largest cities when ranked by both economic success and the factors which the general public value, according to an assessment by management consultancy PwC in conjunction with … Continue reading →

Camden Council has resolved to grant planning permission to developer Consolidated Developments for a major, mixed-use redevelopment on a one-acre site opposite the Centre Point building in London’s West End. Under the plans, a number of buildings will be demolished … Continue reading →

A new report gives detailed insights into the use of digital technology within the arts and culture sector. The survey which was commissioned by the partners of the Digital R&D Fund for the Arts – Arts Council England, Nesta, and … Continue reading →

A report commissioned from Arup by a partnership of the Welsh national park authorities, Natural Resources Wales and Welsh local government has concluded that the Brecon Beacons, Snowdonia and Pembrokeshire Coast National Parks were worth over half a billion pounds … Continue reading →

Hull has been crowned UK City of Culture 2017, hailed by judges as a location ‘coming out of the shadows’. Beating competition from short-listed cities Dundee, Leicester and Swansea Bay, Hull is expected to reap the benefits of increased investment … Continue reading →

A new publication by the Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) has been launched to highlight the outputs of the Research for Community Heritage initiative, involving 21 universities and Research Organisations, and across all regions of the UK. The work … Continue reading →

Aylesbury Vale District Council (AVDC) secured funding from English Heritage to carry out an improvement project in Church Street, works that will further enhance the unique character and appearance of the Aylesbury conservation area. AVDC writes: The council has taken … Continue reading →

Cockroaches equipped with the latest software could provide vital information for first responders on the layout of previously unmapped areas, according to a paper entitled ‘Topological Mapping of Unknown Environments using an Unlocalized Robotic Swarm’ presented at the International Conference … Continue reading →

Four new sites have been released by the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) to support the custom-build housing sector. The sites will provide around 70 plots for new homes and will add to the 130 plots which are already being … Continue reading →

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is seeking nominations for new members to be appointed to its Peer Review College (PRC), to include interests in local authorities and voluntary, private and heritage sector bodies, and has advertised a call … Continue reading →

Northern Ireland Environment Minister, Mark H Durkan, has dropped for now proposals to legislate for national parks in the Province. The announcement was made in the National Assembly. Speaking during question time, the minister said: ‘I’m not scrapping the National … Continue reading →

The £250,000 competition for the Wolfson Prize for 2014, to deliver a new garden city, has been launched in a bid to address the housing crisis with a deadline for submissions of 3 March 2014. The prize was launched last … Continue reading →

Architect Adrian Russell, of Bakewell, has been found guilty of professional misconduct by the Architects Registration Board (ARB), which regulates architects, after a dispute with the Peak District National Park Authority that led to a formal complaint from the authority’s … Continue reading →

Karen Buck, the Labour MP for Westminster North, has introduced a Parliamentary Bill designed to give planning authorities greater control over new basements and extensions to basements. She told the Commons: ‘The fact is that only a change in the … Continue reading →

Culture Secretary Maria Miller has announced that the Liverpool Cenotaph, built to commemorate those who lost their lives in the First World War, is to be listed at Grade I making it one of only three Grade I war memorials in … Continue reading →

Nine of the UK’s most beautiful and distinctive natural landscapes have received grants totalling more than £20m from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) to help their conservation. The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has announced grants totalling £21m to conserve nine … Continue reading →

Bradford Council has bought a derelict Odeon cinema for £1 and will be exploring ‘commercially viable’ ways of saving the building. The council has been handed the building, which has been empty since 2000, by the Homes and Communities Agency. … Continue reading →

The Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC) is seeking to fill four vacancies on its governing Council in September 2014, with a deadline for receipt of applications of 16 December 2013. The AHRC writes: Three vacancies are for academics at professorial … Continue reading →