Daily Archives: 09/12/2013

The National Heritage Training Group (NHTG) has welcomed the launch of an update on its existing suite of skills research reports published as part of England’s Heritage Counts initiative and covering both England and Scotland. Entitled ‘Skills Needs Analysis 2013 … Continue reading →

The Welsh Government has issued its draft Planning Bill for consultation which will close on 26 February 2014. The draft Bill and supporting consultation paper, ‘Positive Planning: proposals to reform of the planning system in Wales’, outline a series of … Continue reading →

Three-quarters of new retail space approved since the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) came into effect is set to be located out of town, according to a review, commissioned by the Association of Convenience Stores (ACS), which concluded that the … Continue reading →

The Conference on Training in Architectural Conservation (COTAC) is delighted to announce the launch of the new Understanding Conservation website at http://www.understandingconservation.org/ COTAC writes: The website offers a comprehensive course on building conservation, designed to be accessible to practitioners and students, … Continue reading →

Plans have been approved for the restoration of a peat extraction site in Cumbria in order for it to be designated as a Special Area of Conservation (SAC). News & Star article: LINK Search Planning Resource: LINK

The RIBA has announced that its International Awards are changing, with the development of a new International Prize, as a successor to the RIBA Lubetkin Prize, and that there will be no RIBA International Awards or Lubetkin Prize awarded in … Continue reading →

A team comprising consultants Deloitte, Aecom and architect HOK has won a key role on the £720m-plus Palace of Westminster refurbishment scheme. Building Co UK News: LINK

A reintroduction of homesteading – where empty homes are sold at a discount to people who then renovate them – could help bring some of England’s 710,000 empty homes back into use, new research finds, as a homesteading revival could … Continue reading →

The Government has confirmed it is looking at creating a single public services ombudsman for England. This move could eventually mean the amalgamation of the services provided by the Local Government Ombudsman (LGO), the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman and … Continue reading →

The Green industry has reacted angrily as cuts slow the programme to retrofit poorer homes.  The government is set to slow the pace of the Energy Companies Obligation (ECO) programme that provides retrofit measures to the homes of poorer households. … Continue reading →

Culture Secretary Maria Miller announced a further £5 million funding to create a new charity arm of English Heritage to manage England’s precious historic sites. The DCMS writes: The new charitable status will give English Heritage freedom to raise funds, … Continue reading →

A group of London boroughs today begin a legal challenge over the government’s decision to relax planning rules to allow offices to be used as residential properties. Islington, Camden, Richmond upon Thames and Lambeth LBCs are bringing a joint action … Continue reading →

The Department for Transport (DfT) has just published the Government’s draft national policy statement (NPS) for national road and rail networks. The document will now be out for consultation until 24 February 2014. At the same time the DfT has … Continue reading →

The Landscape Institute (LI) and Ecobuild, with support from the Mayor of London and London Borough of Newham, have launched ‘The Royal Docks Ideas Competition’ to find innovative design proposals that would transform the Royal Docks into a multi-functional ‘liveable’ … Continue reading →