Monthly Archives: February 2015

Opponents of a controversial Oxford University student housing scheme have lost a vote to get the height of some of the blocks reduced. The Oxford Times writes: DEFIANT campaigners are vowing to continue opposing the Castle Mill student flats after … Continue reading →

A redevelopment project in Lichfield has won global recognition as The Malt House built in 1891 and previously part of Wolverhampton and Dudley Breweries  has been converted into apartments and has triumphed in the Residential Retrofit Design category at the … Continue reading →

The Lake District National Park (LDNP) recently advertised a number of properties for sale, including Stickle Tarn, as part of an ongoing sales and acquisitions review. The LDNP writes that this is: … to make sure our properties are managed … Continue reading →

Most UK-based employers and students believe architecture graduates are not prepared for the realities of working in practice, according to an industry survey. Research undertaken by RIBA Appointments – the recruitment arm of the Royal Institute of British Architects – has found that 80 per … Continue reading →

Value added tax on refurbishments should be cut to discourage inappropriate council estate demolitions, the London Assembly has said in a report on estate regeneration schemes, Knock It Down or Do It Up? The report said estates were being demolished … Continue reading →

The James Hutton Institute have been commissioned to study the potential of 3D technology in helping people understand and interpret development proposals, and are seeking help in completing the research in the form of a short questionnaire. The James Hutton … Continue reading →

Parliamentary copyright images are reproduced with the permission of Parliament IHBC members who have been following the ‘green deal’ debates will be interested to know that the issue of the installation and finance of cavity wall insulation was recently debated … Continue reading →

IHBC members working with finding funding for heritage may be able to help Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) and its partners, who are currently seeking information and case studies on projects that have used business sponsorship to help make a … Continue reading →

Mia Scott of Highland Building Preservation Trust (BPT) has recently completed a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) looking at how the BPT movement can adapt to changes in funding regimes and maintain an entrepreneurial outlook to help projects work on … Continue reading →

The world’s largest museum and research complex may be establishing a new overseas centre in London, in news revealed by the Smithsonian recently. The Smithsonian writes: The Smithsonian announced today that it is exploring the possibility of opening an exhibition … Continue reading →

Cross party support has been secured for the construction of a Holocaust National Memorial and world-class Learning Centre, with £50 million of government funding and an education programme, to marking the 70th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. The Prime … Continue reading →

A newly established addition to social media profiles is ‘Heritage Hour’ which aims to get people discussing heritage issues for an hour a week, centred around different topics using the hashtag #heritagehour.  Many chat ‘hours’ exist on Twitter for lots … Continue reading →

This week the DCLG has launched a new consultation on proposed measures to make it easier to build on brownfield land – with a closing date 11 March – and released news of how to bid for funding for works … Continue reading →

The Scottish Government (SG) has increased the People and Communities Fund by a further £5.6 million funding, which will allow more groups in areas of socio-economic deprivation to access funding for training, employment and community needs, including helping people to … Continue reading →

The statutory powers that transfer new planning functions to district councils in Northern Ireland (NI) – and with these, local conservation officers and planning services – were passed on 28 January. DoENI writes: Commencement No 2 Order under the Planning … Continue reading →

With less than 100 days to go until the general election, The Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) has launched an online general election resource to provide information about manifesto policies affecting planning, the timeline for the general election and links … Continue reading →

The trade publications Construction News, Architects’ Journal and New Civil Engineer are working together with Stonewall to launch a new survey which aims to assess and capture attitudes to sexuality within the construction sector. The survey is anonymous, and the … Continue reading →

A new joint project by English Heritage, Civic Voice, the Imperial War Museums and War Memorials Trust has been launched this week, aimed at helping people find out more about the care and conservation of war memorials and giving access … Continue reading →

The Welsh Government are seeking views on local government reforms, and launched a consultation this week on the ‘Reforming Local Government’ White Paper, with the deadline for responses of 28 April.  The Welsh Government writes During a visit to the … Continue reading →

The CLG Commons Select Committee has called for changes to community powers, with more time for local people to acquire potential assets of community value, greater clarity over the ‘right to reclaim land’ powers and the integration of ‘right to … Continue reading →

The new ‘self build’ plots issued under Homes and Communities Agency (HCA) custom build regulations have been approved by planning, providing new affordable housing in Cornwall. The HCA writes: People can soon design their dream home at one of England’s … Continue reading →

The Heritage Alliance (THA) is holding an event to discuss the changes to Historic England and ways in which more people can become involved in caring for heritage, to be held on 11 March in London, but please note that … Continue reading →

The results of a Scottish household survey on attendance and participation in cultural activities reveal a positive attitude towards the importance of historic buildings and cultural assets  The Scottish Government writes: A new survey shows nine in ten Scots agree … Continue reading →