There are many challenges when operating or managing listed places, writes Historic England (HE) and when thinking about accessibility, it is important to think about a wide range of disabilities and impairments.-
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- IHBC takes key step forward in Parliamentary ‘5 Commitments’ delivery, joining National Federation of Builders’ National Heritage Skills Forum 10/11/2026
- IHBC Marsh Awards OPEN: Nominate your ‘Successful learner’ (in Heritage Skills) or ‘Retired member’ (Community Contributions), to close 15 December 2026 10/11/2026
- Save the Date for #IHBCBristolBath2027 – Accessible, Certified CPD on ‘Climate Change & Significance’, June 10-12 2027: IHBC’s Annual School, with online options, free pre-conference webinars & more… 10/11/2026
- Bursaries now open for IHBC Annual School 2027: Accessible, certified CPD on Climate Change & Significance 10/11/2026
- IHBC’s ‘Research’ CPD signpost: Deregulated housing conversions linked to poor health and wellbeing, from UCL 10/11/2026
- IHBC HESPR’s ‘News from the Sector’: The Guardian on Clifton Suspension Bridge… ‘A big responsibility’ 10/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Back on track as Leas Lift carriages return home 10/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: New Visitor Levy fund to help futureproof Edinburgh’s cultural and heritage buildings 10/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: National Railway Museum celebrates start of construction on… the Porterbrook gallery 10/11/2026
- Nominate a building for the 20th edition of the Victorian Society’s Top Ten Endangered Buildings list, before 4 January 10/11/2026
- National Trust: ‘Landmark act of generosity secures home of London’s oldest restaurant for the future’ 10/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: ‘Preserving Legacies Climate Heritage Cohort Program’, open to 8 January, ‘…work with a place that is culturally significant to your community’ 10/11/2026
- IHBC offers advice and support in roll out of ‘Historic Environment Policy for Northern Ireland’ 06/11/2026
- IHBC’s November CPD Circular: Your user-friendly ‘What’s on’ guide to heritage learning, networking and experiences, from Branches to ‘CPD Providers’ & beyond… 06/11/2026
- IHBC Marsh Awards OPEN: Nominate your ‘Successful learner’ (in Heritage Skills) or ‘Retired member’ (Community Contributions), to close 15 December 2026 06/11/2026
- Bursaries now open for IHBC Annual School 2027: Accessible, certified CPD on Climate Change & Significance 06/11/2026
- IHBC’s ‘Research’ CPD signpost: RICHeS Access Fund 2nd call opens, to £20K & 15/12, to access ‘cutting-edge equipment, collections & expertise’, for charities, social enterprises, commercial companies etc. 06/11/2026
- IHBC Director’s top pick from HESPR’s £68M+ works: BID seeks multidisciplinary team to study local retail areas, to 20/11 and £40K 06/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the (builders) doorstep’: Budget measures welcomed, but much more work left to do – industry warns 06/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Castle Eden bridge demolition plans withdrawn by Stockton Borough Council 06/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Westminster honours engineer who helped inspire the world of James Bond 06/11/2026
- Blackpool, Milton Keynes, Sheffield and Wrexham shortlisted for UK City of Culture 2029 06/11/2026
- Local History Hub launches new School & Heritage Consultancy pilot 06/11/2026
- AHF awards new grants through the Heritage Revival Fund 06/11/2026
- IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: First Joint Transnational Call of the ‘Resilient Cultural Heritage Partnership’ to 11 January 2027 06/11/2026
10 accessible historic places to visit as HE looks at listed places that creatively improved their accessibility
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IHBC signpost to the past: Scotland faces a ‘monumental task’, Patrick Harvie tells Scotland’s Green Home Festival launch
Scotland faces a ‘monumental but essential task’ if it is to overhaul its aged housing stock and find practical solutions to reduce emissions and address the climate emergency, said Minister Patrick Harvie as he opened the first-ever Green Home Festival as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
image: for illustration
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Warm welcomes from AJ on IHBC-supported parliamentary APPG call to ‘Cut VAT…. to historic buildings’, and more….
The Architect’s Journal (AJ) has featured the new report from the IHBC-supported cross-party Parliamentary group on Conservation, Places and People which calls for reduced VAT for historic buildings to encourage appropriate retrofit.
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IHBC’s Vice Chair congratulates Simpson and Brown team on joint SAHGB-IHBC Heritage Research Award success
The IHBC has warmly congratulated Laure Emery, Nicholas Uglow, Christian Clarkson and James Legard of the Simpson & Brown Heritage Consultancy Team on winning the second joint SAHGB-IHBC Heritage Research Award for their research into the history and development of Edinburgh’s Old Royal High School.
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REMINDER: CPP APPG Inquiry update: MPs back targeted LB VAT cuts & presumption against demolition
Targeted cuts in the VAT rate on listed building (LB) refurbishments and a presumption against demolition of existing properties are amongst the recommendations in the first report of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) heritage group on Conservation, Places and People (CPP), supported by the IHBC as APPG Secretariat.
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IHBC signpost to CSCS Cards: An update on ‘raising standards and safety in construction’
As IHBC accreditation is recognised for CSCS cards, the Construction Industry Council offers a background and update on how the service is offered through an alliance of 38 different organisations representing not just traditional construction but many specialist occupations too.
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IHBC signpost update from Lords Committee: Government must support behaviour change to meet climate targets
A report published by the Lords Environment and Climate Change Committee into behaviour change for climate and environmental goals warns that the Government’s current approach to enabling behaviour change is seriously inadequate.
image: Open Government Licence v3.0 Continue reading
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IHBC’s HESPR ‘Special Interest News’: Dezeen’s top 10 UK architecture projects of 2022
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’s news features Dezeen‘s top 10 UK architecture projects for 2022.
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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Stevenage’s Forster Country’s ‘Secret plans’
‘Secret plans’ to build a car park and toilet block as part of a housing development in countryside of historical and cultural significance could be the ‘final nail in the coffin for local heritage,’ reports The Comet.
image for illustration: St Nicholas Church by By AnemoneProjectors – Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0
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Levelling up housing design quality: ‘Can you help identify stories of success…?’
The Place Alliance has joined with Civic Voice and the Urban Design Group to explore how to deliver high standards of design in new housing in economically disadvantaged areas or where poor design has been the norm, and seeks help in a new survey.
image: for illustration – Open Government Licence v3.0
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UK Finance calls for ‘Strategic Reset’ on Net Zero Homes
UK Finance has released its report ‘Net Zero Homes: Time for a reset’ which proposes radical action to achieve a Net Zero housing stock in the UK.
image: for illustration only
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Reminder: Share your views on HEF Stakeholder Survey with extended deadline to 19/12
England’s Historic Environment Forum (HEF) is undertaking a short stakeholder survey to gauge views from about the HEF’s role, relationships and independence, with a new closing date of 19 December.
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IHBC’s December CPD Circular out: Easy access to resources, awards and more, so sign up free for your personal copy
The IHBC’s newest CPD Circular is now out, listing low-cost training and upskilling resources – and much more – and guiding busy heritage specialists to the best value in Continuing Professional Development (CPD).
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IHBC Signpost: Design of the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) 2023-2026, closed 23/12
The UK Government are seeking views on proposals for the Energy Company Obligation Plus (ECO+) scheme to deliver energy efficiency measures in homes across Great Britain from 2023-2026, and closes 23 December.
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IHBC’s HESPR ‘Special Interest News’: Members’ sneak preview of the CPP APPG Inquiry Report press release
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’s news feature offered HESPR members a sneak preview of the draft press release on IHBC-supported UK-wide heritage All-Party Parliamentary Group’s (APPG) first report, on ‘The Value of Heritage’, recently launched in Westminster.
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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the (factory) doorstep’: Appeal to help save Merseyside landmark Pilkington glass factory
An iconic building that was a key part of the industry that helped build one Merseyside town is now ‘at risk’, reports The Echo.
image: for illustration – By The World of Glass, St Helens, Entrance by Alexander P Kapp, CC BY-SA 2.0
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Revised Draft National Planning Framework (NPF4) for Scotland… to ‘help combat climate change’
A revised Draft National Planning Framework for Scotland – the ‘National Planning Framework A Spatial plan for Scotland to 2045’ – has been published by Scottish Government and is designed to help combat climate change.
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The National Lottery: ‘From neighbours to neighbourhood: learning on how to boost pride in place’
A new report from The National Lottery Community Fund gives a clearer understanding of what pride in place is, how to harness and gauge it, and what factors, activities and amenities increase it.
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Lichfields on 20-Minute Neighbourhoods for Scotland: ‘… a loose concept open to interpretation…’
With the Scottish Government committed to ‘places where people can have their needs met locally within a 20 minute walk from their homes’, Lichfields has published 20-Minute Neighbourhoods for Scotland indicating that this is a loose concept open to interpretation.
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New Leadership for CIC’s Diversity and Inclusion Committee
The Construction Industry Council (CIC) welcomes the appointment of a new leadership team for its Diversity and Inclusion Committee. At a Council meeting of CIC members on 2 November 2022 Bola Abisogun OBE was elected as Chair and Rebecca Lovelace was elected as Deputy Chair.
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RIBA announces new Chief Executive Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE
Dr Valerie Vaughan-Dick MBE has been announced as the new Chief Executive of the Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA).
image: Linkedin Profile
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2023 Housing Design Awards now open for entries
The 2023 Housing Design Awards(HDA), established to explain what residents think about innovative design and whether it can be replicated, are now open for entries.
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CPP APPG Inquiry update: MPs back targeted LB VAT cuts & presumption against demolition
Targeted cuts in the VAT rate on listed building (LB) refurbishments and a presumption against demolition of existing properties are amongst the recommendations in the first report of the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) heritage group on Conservation, Places and People (CPP), supported by the IHBC as APPG Secretariat.
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IHBC’s ‘Members with benefits’: FREE CPD at London’s LPOC Listed Property Show, Olympia, 2-3 Feb 2023
The IHBC is delighted to offer free entry for our members to the Listed Property Owners Club’s (LPOC) annual London Listed Property Show, on 2-3 February in London’s Olympia (pre-booking essential).
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IHBC signpost to Wales’ Historic Environment Bill: Counsel General fields Committee queries
On 14 November, Mick Antoniw MS, Counsel General and Minister for the Constitution, made a second appearance before Committee to give evidence on the Historic Environment (Wales) Bill.
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