Monthly Archives: April 2026

Historic Houses report highlights ongoing challenges for ‘A Fragile Inheritance…’

image for illustration: Wilton House by David Spender, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons Historic Houses has published a new report on ‘A Fragile Inheritance: the state of the UK’s historic houses’, revealing the state of the UK’s historic homes.

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Buildings Must Adapt Faster to Climate Change, says Saint-Gobain – Arup Report

Buildings must be designed, built and retrofitted differently, with integrated and performance-based systems, to withstand a changing climate, according to a new report from Saint-Gobain and Arup.

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New Towns programme needs a compelling national vision, says new Lords’ report

The Built Environment Committee has published its report, ‘New Towns: Creating Communities’, following the second module of its inquiry into new towns.

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Submission for the National Railway Heritage Awards (NRHA)2026 now open, till 30/04

Submission for the National Railway Heritage Awards (NRHA) 2026 ‘To recognise, acknowledge and reward, for the public benefit, the very best in restoration, conservation and re-use of our historic railway infrastructure’ is open until 30 April.

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: Unprecedented coalition sues for Federal Review of President Trump’s Kennedy Center Plans

image for illustration: Trump Kennedy Center Sign, by Dclemens1971, CC-BY-4.0 via Wikimedia Commons A coalition of eight leading cultural heritage and architectural organizations jointly represented by three law firms filed suit in federal district court in Washington DC seeking to … Continue reading

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IHBC’s new format ‘CPD Circular’ : Colour coded for quicker access to CPD -from Branches (EM on Master Planning), partnerships to networks & more – including members-only Virtual Council, 08/04

IHBC’s newest CPD Circular, listing accessible and cost-effective ‘Continuing Professional Development’ (CPD) opportunities on our networks, has been simplified, with tighter ties to our Events Calendar, colour coding of provider categories.

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Final details on IHBC’s members-only Virtual Council now out… on ‘Conservation Officers & Services’: Book now for 8 April, 4.30pm

IHBC members are invited to our next online Council on 8 April, on conservation in local government, to open our response to the 3rd Commitment in our Parliamentary Briefing, with a ‘scattergun’ of topics, from Conservation Officer Groups (COGs) and … Continue reading

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IHBC’s Research for Practice Digest No.7 now out: ‘Connecting conservation research and professional practice’

The seventh IHBC Research for Practice Digest has been issued to networks and subscribers, and features Prof Dana Arnold FSA, Chair of the Programme Board for the UK’s Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) and a distinguished architectural … Continue reading

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IHBC’s ‘Practice’ CPD Signpost: CIAT via DB – Beyond the render… embedding AI tools into architectural education…

image for illustration Artificial Intelligence (AI) is changing the way technologists and architects design, visualise, and share ideas, and for graduates architectural education must adapt quickly to ensure the next generation is confident in using these technologies.

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IHBC’s ‘Professional’ CPD Signpost: HE on ‘New measures to protect Historic Shipwrecks from heritage crime’

image for illustration: Joanna Theobald Historic England has marked a significant step forward to protect England’s most important shipwrecks, together with our wider underwater cultural heritage, from the threat of heritage crime.

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IHBC HESPR’s ‘News from the Sector’: DB on winners in IHBC’s Gus Astley Student Award

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 on winners in IHBC’s 2025 Gus Astley Student … Continue reading

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Rare Scottish chain-bar suspension bridge secures £1/4Mn support for heritage restoration

image for illustration: Callum Black / Old bridge at Kalemouth, Commons Wiki Plans for Borders historic bridge, Kalemouth Suspension Bridge, to receive a major restoration have secured support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, reports the Scottish Borders Council.

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Defra on England’s first Land Use Framework ‘plans to reshape how we protect and manage our land’

The Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs reports on England’s first Land Use Framework, setting out a plan for ‘managing the country’s finite land to ensure the nation’s long-term resilience’.

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RIBA on Single Construction Regulator: ‘..new system must raise the standard’ so needs ‘a competence?led approach’

The response to the government’s Single Construction Regulator Prospectus consultation by the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) has called for widespread reform of the built environment regulatory system, warning that the current framework is fragmented and lacks clear oversight … Continue reading

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SPAB: Emerging Building Craftsperson of the Year Award… to 21 August

The Society for the Preservation of Ancient buildings (SPAB) has launched a new partnership in the Heritage Crafts Emerging Building Craftsperson Award 2026, to close on 21 August 2026.

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: What impact does a heritage designation have on (Canadian) home insurance?

image for illustration: Cambridge, Canada by Alli Caulfield from Germany, CC BY 2.0 , via Wikimedia Commons City officials and the Insurance Bureau of Canada say a heritage designation alone shouldn’t automatically drive up premiums, reports Canada’s Cambridge Today.

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Latest on IHBC’s members-only Virtual Council now out… on ‘Conservation Officers & Services’: Book now for 8 April, 4.30pm

IHBC members are invited to our next online Council on 8 April, on conservation in local government, to open our response to the 3rd Commitment in our Parliamentary Briefing, with a ‘scattergun’ of topics, from Conservation Officer Groups (COGs) and … Continue reading

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IHBC’s Residential Full School Booking closes, with some non-residential open, and Day & Virtual School places

The IHBC has closed its booking for Full School residential places at its 2026 Annual School – #IHBCNewcastle2026 – while some Full School (non-residential) and Day School places are still available, as with our Virtual School.

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IHBC is planning for growth, so grow with us by volunteering, with our Committees, Boards and Branches, or Panels, Groups and more as suits – just let us know!

The IHBC has recently secured permission to seek a Charter while delivery of our 5 Parliamentary Commitments is under way and Branch Consultants are in place, and much more too, so we’re now calling for volunteers to help, and grow … Continue reading

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IHBC opens Corporate Plan 2026-30 (‘CP30’) development with CP25 consultation, noting Charter, Parliamentary 5 Commitments, volunteer investment & more – to 28/02 & after

IHBC’s members and prospective members are asked to feed back on the summary review of our Corporate Plan for 2020-25  – ‘CP25’ – presented at our September Council, to help inform plans for our Corporate Plan for 2026-30 (CP30), with … Continue reading

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IHBC’s ‘Professional’ CPD Signpost: TCPA on ‘From slums to homes – the story of the Campaign for Healthy Homes…’

image for illustration …windowless… Damp… Mouldy… Noisy… Cramped… Inaccessible… Unaffordable… Isolated… Insecure… … is ‘home’ for too many: as the Town and Country Planning Association (TCPA) updates on The Campaign for Healthy Homes and the housing crisis in England.

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IHBC Director’s pick from HESPR’s £234K costed works: City seeks services for new neighbourhood in heritage context, to 22/04

The IHBC’s heritage business register HESPR – our Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition quality assurance service – sends members exclusive ‘News and Tender Alerts’, with the Director’s tender taster for NewsBlog readers this week a city partnership for a new … Continue reading

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Norwich Debenhams flat bid approved by councillors

image for illustration: Norwich by Fiona Newton A meeting to decide the fate of a landmark building in the city centre descended into farce as a vote to block the scheme was overturned, reports the Eastern Daily Press.

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Welsh Government: ‘Assessing workforce requirements for home retrofitting in Wales’, to ‘meet a Net Zero pathway’

A report for the Welsh Government on ‘Assessing workforce requirements for home retrofitting in Wales’ shows a shortfall in qualified workers and how this will need to grow over the next 10 years to meet a Net Zero pathway.

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Planning reforms have ‘numerous safeguards’, Government insists in response to Select Committee report

The Government has rejected several cross-party recommendations to mitigate and reduce housebuilding’s impact on nature and the environment, in its response to the Environmental Audit Committee report on ‘Environmental Sustainability and Housing Growth.

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