Monthly Archives: October 2016

The Trustees of the National Trust for Scotland (NTS) have agreed to progress a programme of what it has called ‘tranformational change’ with a ‘new regional properties structure’ where ‘there will be six regional groupings of built heritage properties and … Continue reading →

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) has overturned a decision by Lancashire County Council to refuse planning permission for fracking at a site in Preston New Road. Lancashire County Council writes: The Secretary of State for Communities and … Continue reading →

Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) reports that the Scottish Household Survey 2015 statistics have been released, recording that visits to historical or archaeological places are up 5 percentage points (28% to 33%) on 2012. For more detail see UK Gov

Think-tank Locales in collaboration with Bright Blue has published online a series of essays on the future of London, entitled ‘The Future of London 2050’, with contributors including former London mayor Boris Johnson, professor Tony Travers, director of LSE London … Continue reading →

The latest edition of the Department for Media Culture and Sport (DCMS) Statistical Handbook has been released, which includes data on heritage participation and culture. Some of the headline statistics relating to heritage include: 73% of adults had visited a … Continue reading →

A survey by the Remarkable Group has revealed that a large percentage of councillors believe that social media should be used in planning consultation work. Remarkable writes: In association with YouGov we polled 1,401 councillors across Great Britain asking their opinions … Continue reading →

The Grand Central and Birmingham New Street station redevelopment has won rail project of the year in the National Rail Awards 2016, while the Friends of Templecombe Station helped make the historic station win the small station of the year … Continue reading →

A new report has been released by the Welsh Government which proposes three different approaches towards permitted development for PhotoVoltaics (PV) in Wales, and the report also includes a useful overview of Permitted development (PD) rights throughout the UK. View … Continue reading →

The latest planning statistics from the Scottish Government (SG) show that local development applications have been processed more quickly in the most recent quarter, whilst major development processing has slowed.  The Scottish Government writes: Latest quarterly statistics show faster average … Continue reading →

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) holds one of the largest and most important architectural collections in the world and has launched a survey to help improve its collections-related activities and services, which it is asking IHBC members to … Continue reading →

This autumn Planning Resource will publish a report on salaries and other careers issues within the planning sector, and needs your contributions to its survey. PlanningResource writes: This survey will ask a series of questions about your employment status, working … Continue reading →

Arup has conducted research into the environmental effects of air pollution and concluded that ‘Green envelopes can also reduce peak energy consumption in traditional buildings by up to 8 per cent’, in the report ‘Cities Alive: Green Building Envelope’. Arup … Continue reading →

Proposals for local government in Wales have been revealed by the Welsh Government, which would support voluntary mergers and look at providing city-region wide land-use planning and economic development. The Welsh Government writes: Under proposals set out today, local authorities … Continue reading →

The latest edition of The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) Neighbourhood Planning Bulletin has been released, offering a useful summary of the latest developments in this area. The bulletin covers the latest legal developments in the Housing and … Continue reading →

The National Archives has released an online portal which is designed to bring stories from the Home Front to life, using an animated interactive fictional town called Great Wharton. The National Archives writes: Following a year in development, The National Archives … Continue reading →

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is inviting applications for the Part 2 Bursary Scheme, with a deadline of 7 December. The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) writes: The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is calling for … Continue reading →

The Scottish Government has announced an £8.25 million EU green infrastructure fund, which is designed to create green infrastructure on an unprecedented scale. The Scottish Government writes: A multi-million pound fund to develop green spaces in some of Scotland’s most … Continue reading →

A new English Heritage Blue Plaque working group has been launched, aiming to ensure that the representation of plaques across the city more accurately represents the diversity of the city population. English Heritage writes: A new working group tasked with … Continue reading →

Three new funds have been launched by NESTA – the ‘UK’s innovation foundation’ –  aiming to boost volunteering among older people, and heritage projects might well be able to benefit as NESTA writes that ‘examples include approaches that enable people … Continue reading →

The Urban Villages Strategic Framework programme has been launched in Northern Ireland (NI), looking to address issues in areas of economic and social change. The Northern Ireland Executive Office writes: First Minister, The Rt. Hon. Arlene Foster MLA and the … Continue reading →

Three quarters of the public believe councils should have a statutory duty to protect parks, a new survey has revealed. LocalGov writes: The polling, conducted on behalf of campaign group We Own It, also found 70% of people are against … Continue reading →

The Home Builders Federation (HBF) has criticised the manner in which government sources collect and report house building statistics, claiming they are ‘wildly inaccurate’ The Home Builders Federation (HBF) writes: The Government’s most publicised measure of house building excludes around … Continue reading →