Monthly Archives: April 2025

IHBC looks back… at Context 182 – Gus Astley Student Awards, viewed from across the pond – … and ahead, to presentations at #IHBCShrewsbury2025, and 2025 Awards, now open to 31/08

The previous issue of IHBC’s members’ journal, Context – No. 182 – included a special update from our guest Student Awards judge for 2024, John Fidler, responding to the submissions, a sound reminder both of submissions for 2025 and the … Continue reading

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IHBC’s Annual School 2025 pre-conference (and free!) webinars: Accessible & engaging learning for all (and special CPD for Conservation Professionals), with Carole Ryan on ‘… changing face of Context in rural areas…’, 01/05

Following on from the launch of the 2025 Annual School and the linked pre-conference CPD in Redruth on 13 March, the IHBC is delighted to announce a series of online lunchtime webinars across a variety of topics that relate to … Continue reading

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April is ‘Stress Awareness Month’: So help IHBC help you with our ‘Heritage Staff Wellbeing at Work Survey’ – Have your say… before 1 May

The IHBC knows that the wellbeing of those working and volunteering in the heritage sector is vital to its sustainability and success, so to better understand the current state of staff wellbeing, the Institute has launched a new ‘Heritage Staff … Continue reading

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IHBC’s ‘Members with benefits’: West Dean’s 10% discount on specialist Conservation courses for IHBC members (all categories)

The IHBC is has agreed a 10% discount for all members on West Dean’s celebrated and specialist Conservation courses (see terms, conditions and code below).

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HE’s Chief Executive Duncan Wilson offers online welcome & Q&A at IHBC’s 2025 Day School, 13/06: #IHBCShrewsbury2025 – Schools… ‘one of the pre-eminent regular events in… heritage’

The IHBC is delighted to announce that Duncan Wilson CBE, Chief Executive at Historic England, will offer an online welcome and take questions at the IHBC’s Shrewsbury Day School on 13 June – #IHBCShrewsbury2025 – opening a unique day of … Continue reading

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IHBC ‘Practice’ Signpost: New Report – ‘Challenges to Thatch Supply Threaten Vital Rural Industry

image for illustration The majority of growers and producers of cereal straw for England’s traditional thatching industry are currently relying on old, inefficient and unreliable machinery, according to a new Historic England report. A new report published by Historic England … Continue reading

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IHBC HESPR’s ‘News from the Sector’: DB’s next double-up, Planning Bill collation & Stress Awareness Month, with IHBC’s ‘Wellbeing at Work’ Survey

IHBC’s heritage business register HESPR – our Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition quality assurance scheme for heritage services – emails members weekly ‘News and Tender Alerts’, and this week features Designing Buildings’ updateon ‘The Planning and Infrastructure Bill’ and IHBC’s … Continue reading

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the (thatching) doorstep’: Woman ‘lost everything’ in Fortingall thatched cottage fire

A 74-year-old woman’s thatched cottage in Aberfeldy was destroyed in the blaze, reports STV news.

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Built Environment Committee of House of Lord: Enquiries summary

The Built environment Committee of the House of Lords is currently conducting three enquiries in relation to the built environment which include: ‘New towns: Practical Delivery’; ‘The Grey Belt’; and ‘High Streets in Towns and Small Cities’.

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THA: Planning and Infrastructure Bill Briefing

The Heritage Alliance (THA) has published its Briefing on Planning and Infrastructure Bill.

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Construction Leadership Forum report sets direction for a National Existing Buildings Database

The Construction Leadership Forum (CLF) has published a new report assessing the quality, usefulness, and validity of data currently held by building owners across Scotland.

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Environment Agency storm overflow spill data for 2024

image for illustration: Open Government Licence v3.0 Spill count and duration remains unacceptably high across England, with data analysis and stricter rules to reduce pollution going forward.

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: Discover some of the oldest structures in Canada, with NTC’s Passport Places

image for illustration: Sinclair Inn (know as Farmers Hotel – 1930) Annapolis Heritage Society, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons Some of the oldest structures in Canada are part of the National Trust Canada (NTC) Passport Places program, a Trust membership … Continue reading

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IHBC issues 2025 AGM notice – online from 5.30pm for 6.00pm, 13/05, exclusive to all member categories – with Alastair Godfrey, on ‘… Shrewsbury Flaxmill Maltings’, prefacing #IHBCShrewsbury2025

The IHBC has sent all members the 2025 AGM’s formal notice – for 13 May, with online proceedings from 5.30pm for a 6.00pm start – and includes our pre-AGM talk, this year with Alastair Godfrey on ‘The history and restoration … Continue reading

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IHBC leads in our ‘Legislation and Policy’ Signpost to DB: ‘The Planning and Infrastructure Bill’, and reactions to it…

Designing Buildings (DB) – host and partner to the IHBC’s Conservation Wiki – has summarised the Planning and Infrastructure bill and reactions to it – including concerns expressed by IHBC.

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April is ‘Stress Awareness Month’: So help IHBC help you with our ‘Heritage Staff Wellbeing at Work Survey’ – Have your say… before 1 May

The IHBC knows that the wellbeing of those working and volunteering in the heritage sector is vital to its sustainability and success, so to better understand the current state of staff wellbeing, the Institute has launched a new ‘Heritage Staff … Continue reading

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IHBC’s ‘Members with benefits’: West Dean’s 10% discount on specialist Conservation courses for IHBC members (all categories)

The IHBC is has agreed a 10% discount for all members on West Dean’s celebrated and specialist Conservation courses (see terms, conditions and code below).

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IHBC’s ‘Finance & Economics’ spotlight: HE on ‘The Wellbeing Impact of Cultural Heritage on England’s Economy’

image for illustration: Joanna Theobald Research funded by the Culture Heritage Capital (CHC) programme and conducted by Historic England (HE) has revealed a noteworthy connection between our cultural heritage and personal wellbeing.

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IHBC’s ‘Director’s pick’ from HESPR’s £1.3M+ of weekly works: Council seeks team to ‘restore and enhance’, in a GII context, to 09/05 and £500K.

The IHBC’s heritage business register HESPR – our Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition quality assurance service – emails members regular ‘News and Tender Alerts’, and the IHBC Director’s pick this week is a call from a Council for a team … Continue reading

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the (thatching) doorstep’: Thatched cottages in Devon’s Drewsteignton in flames

image for illustration A huge fire tore through three thatched cottages in Drewsteignton in Devon reports DevonLive.

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Value of Heritage-led Regeneration for England’s High Streets revealed in new independent research for HE

image for illustration: Open Government Licence v3.0 Historic England (HE) has published an independent evaluation of the High Streets Heritage Action Zone programme, England’s first heritage-led regeneration programme to go beyond restoration, redefining how high streets are revitalised.

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Protrade on ‘State of Construction Apprenticeships in 2025’: 1.4% fall in new apprentices last year; after 5% the year before

image for illustration: Open Government Licence v3.0 The Protrade annual report on the ‘State of Construction Apprenticeships in 2025’ highlights a significant construction skills gap in the UK as, analysing its latest research has revealed a 1.4% decline in new … Continue reading

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PAS: Modernising Planning Committees National Survey 2025 – `… training… negative’

image for illustration: Open Government Licence v3.0 The Planning Advisory Service (PAS) has issued the results of the Modernising Planning Committee survey carried out between October and December 2024.

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University of Strathclyde launches ‘Toolkit’ to support retrofit of historic tenements

image for illustration: Edinburgh Tenements – Kim Traynor, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons A new resource to support property factors to retrofit tenement buildings in Scotland has been launched by the University of Strathclyde.

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: Heritage updates from across the Commonwealth and beyond

The Commonwealth Heritage Forum shares updates from across the globe and the Commonwealth, this round featuring four articles with news from Afghanistan, St Helena, London’s East End and Kolkata.

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