IHBC NewsBlogs

The work on a contemporary visual arts space incorporating significant restoration works and the development of a restaurant space within the historic Calton Hill observatory in Edinburgh has begun.

Creative Scotland writes:

Today sees the foundations being laid for Edinburgh’s new world-class contemporary visual arts space on Calton Hill.  By the end of 2017, under the direction of Kate Gray of the Collective and the City Observatory and in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, one of Edinburgh’s most iconic locations, will become a landmark destination for visitors and a space where national and international artists can exhibit their work and be inspired.  The £4m restoration project will include conservation of the Observatory’s original 19th century William Henry Playfair designs, its original telescopes and astronomical instruments and its grounds; the creation of a subterranean gallery, and the building of a new restaurant with enviable views across the city.

The Collective, which was founded in 1984 is internationally praised for its work with emergent artists and many world-class artists including Martin Boyce, Jeremy Deller, Claire Barclay, Moyna Flannigan and Callum Innes.

When the Collective moved to their present site on Calton Hill in 2013 they became custodians of the City Observatory complex, which was in a state of serious disrepair and on the Buildings at Risk Register. But thanks to the support of various trusts, foundations and private donors – including the Heritage Lottery Fund, the City of Edinburgh Council, Creative Scotland and Edinburgh World Heritage – their vision to create a world-class destination for visitors to the City and a major international centre for contemporary art will soon become a reality.

The Collective’s new contemporary art space is scheduled for completion and to be fully accessible to the public for the first time in history by the end of 2017. 

Kate Gray, Director of the Collective said:  ‘We are thrilled to be at this point in the project and are now able to see our vision becoming a reality. This innovative project is the culmination of five years of work and would not be possible without the huge amount of support from artists, individuals and funders we have received. We are very excited to see our plans progress over the next year and we look forward to welcoming people to a new kind of City Observatory when we open the site freely to the public for the first time in its history.’

Councillor Richard Lewis, Culture Convenor for the City of Edinburgh Council, said:  ‘The redevelopment of the Old Observatory on Calton Hill could be one of the most significant cultural and heritage projects to take place in Edinburgh. Known as the birthplace of astronomy and timekeeping, and situated with breathtaking views in the heart of the Athens of the North, the Observatory will be reinstated to the original William Playfair designs. This is a major step forward and the Council is proud to be working with Collective to realise this ambitious project. Soon, Calton Hill will once again be home to a creative hub of history, art and science for residents and visitors to enjoy.’

Iain Munro, Deputy Chief Executive at Creative Scotland said:  ‘Collective occupies a distinct and important position within the visual arts infrastructure in Scotland and consistently strives to bring interesting, intelligent and relevant work by UK and international artists to audiences here. The transformation of the City Observatory site marks an important milestone for the Collective and presents the gallery, the artists that it works with and the public with a rich and inspiring context for its work.  The Collective in its newly developed home will provide a stimulating environment that will enable people to experience contemporary art, science and heritage in a new and original way – and we are very excited by the future creative possibilities that this development will bring.  At a time when the challenges facing the contemporary visual art sector in Scotland have been highlighted through our recently published review of the sector, we look forward to helping support Collective to deliver its ambitious, compelling and confident vision.’

View the press release

For further information on the project visit collectivegallery.net/observatory

Amendments made to the Neighbourhood Planning Bill will allow county councils ‘by invitation’ to prepare development plan documents where a district council was failing to do so.

Planning Portal writes:

County councils have given a guarded welcome to the government’s amendments to the Neighbourhood Planning Bill. The changes would revise local plan making to allow for joint and strategic planning across broader areas as well as default powers ‘by invitation’ to counties to prepare development plan documents where a district council was failing to prepare, revise or adopt such a document.

A spokesman for the County Councils Network (CCN) said: ‘We believe that these amendments set out options which retain a plan-led approach, and seek to keep decisions as close to people as possible, rather than relying on central control or ad hoc development.

‘Despite the best efforts of local government partners, housing in county areas remains the least affordable outside of London and productivity in counties lags behind cities.

‘CCN will be working closely with the Department for Communities and Local Government and district partners to continue developing an approach which brings the public sector together to deliver timely, appropriate and affordable housing for our residents.’

The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is aware that counties may not currently have the capacity to take over new local planning responsibilities. The question of resources will be discussed as the legislation gathers pace.

read more….

English Heritage is calling for the help of members of the public in addressing the loss of historic varieties of daffodils and bluebells, vital to our gardening heritage.

English Heritage writes:

English Heritage is launching a campaign to help save the native and historic varieties of daffodils and bluebells, both of which are at risk from aggressive hybrids and non-traditional varieties.  All this week, English Heritage gardeners will plant a record 25,000 native and heritage bulbs across the historic gardens in its care, including at Osborne – Queen Victoria’s home – on the Isle of Wight, Wrest Park in Bedfordshire, and Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens in Northumberland.

The charity is also calling on the public to join its campaign by collecting a free native daffodil or bluebell bulb from a selection of English Heritage sites to bring home and plant in their own garden.

John Watkins, Head of Gardens and Landscapes at English Heritage, said: ‘Native daffodils and bluebells as well as the historic cultivated varieties are a vital part of our horticultural and cultural heritage, inspiring gardeners and poets alike.  Our native species and historic cultivars are increasingly under threat from cross pollination with non-native species and hybrids that flower at the same time.

‘Our major spring bulb planting campaign – across some of the most important historic gardens in England – will help arrest that national decline and ensure that the daffodil celebrated by Wordsworth over 200 years ago can still be enjoyed by visitors today and in the future.’

The English Heritage gardens team and our garden volunteers will be planting 25,000 native and historically cultivated daffodils and bluebells – the largest number in the charity’s history – at the following sites in its care:

• Audley End House and Gardens in Essex
• Belsay Hall, Castle and Gardens in Northumberland
• Brodsworth Hall and Gardens in South Yorkshire
• The Home of Charles Darwin, Down House in Kent
• Eltham Palace and Gardens in London
• Kenilworth Castle and Elizabethan Garden in Warwickshire
• Kenwood in London
• Osborne on the Isle of Wight
• Walmer Castle and Gardens in Kent
• Witley Court and Gardens in Worcestershire
• Wrest Park in Bedfordshire

Visitors to these sites will be able to collect a free bulb, courtesy of De Jager, to bring home and plant in their own garden.

View the press release and find out more about how you can help

Think tank Res Publica has launched an advocacy document , Great Estates: Putting communities at the heart of regeneration, that sets out how communities can be put at the heart of the Government’s forthcoming Estate Regeneration Strategy, and offers recommendations that include a call to ‘explore partial VAT relief for refurbishment costs to support community-led regeneration’.

Res Publica writes:

… what else needs to be done to ensure prosperity and opportunity is spread to all parts of the country. Crucially, it warns that there is a North-South divide in the current approach to funding regeneration that risks leaving behind hundreds of communities outside London and the South East.

In February this year, the then Prime Minister David Cameron announced plans to regenerate “sink” estates to tackle deprivation and build new homes. Alongside this, funding of £140 million was announced to support regeneration on 100 estates, with most of the costs of regeneration coming from the private sector. The Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) is due to publish Lord Heseltine’s Estate Regeneration Strategy ahead of the Autumn Statement on 23rd November. This paper highlights where this strategy could fall short unless the Government changes its approach.

In a study of 122 estates around the country, we find that on many deprived estates housing demand is not sufficient to attract private investment, and that building new homes is not the answer to local needs in those places. Where new housing is needed, we find that communities must be empowered to shape the form of that development and benefit from it

Key recommendations include:

• The Department for Communities and Local Government should produce best practice guidance as part of the Estate Regeneration Strategy, with a new Residents’ Charter at its core – based on transparency, participation, community representation and resident advantages.
• A What Works Centre on estate regeneration should be established to attract more social investment into estates and share best practice. This could be funded by a newly created Estates Endowment Fund drawn from part of the £140 million currently available.
• The Government should explore partial VAT relief for refurbishment costs to support community-led regeneration.

Graham Allen, Labour MP for Nottingham North and member of the Government’s Estate Regeneration Panel, said: ‘I fully support the thinking behind ResPublica’s report. We need to meet housing shortages in London and the South East, but it is also vital that we look at what can have a meaningful impact on the lives of residents on estates around the country.  It is vital that we recognise the different needs of communities on estates around the country, and look at new ways to meet those needs. ResPublica’s innovative ideas set out the way forward for estates, and I urge the Government to pay full heed to them.’ 

James Cartlidge, Conservative MP and Chair of the All-Party Parliamentary Group on Housing and Planning, said: ‘Transforming our estates can deliver new homes where they are needed and boost the life chances of those who live on them. But it is also important that residents get a say over any redevelopment, and that we look at new ways to attract investment in estates around the country so that everyone can benefit.  ResPublica’s timely report on estate regeneration is very welcome, as this is an issue that should be at the heart of a One Nation agenda for our country.’ 

ResPublica report author Edward Douglas said: ‘What our research has found is that there is a significant North-South divide in what the Government’s current policy on regeneration of estates can deliver. That’s because it is very focused on ‘bricks and mortar’ – using new homes to fund wider regeneration of places. But in many parts of the country, this model does not work, and what is needed is an approach that directly improves employment, education and health. Without looking again at the way regeneration is funded and delivered, we risk leaving estates across the country – from Walsall to Blackpool, Carlisle to Bradford – further behind.  We also found that regeneration can, when communities are put at the heart of the process, deliver real benefits to local places and impact on people’s lives – and can at the same time deliver new homes in places that desperately need them. The new Government has a great opportunity to look again at this to ensure opportunity and prosperity are spread to all parts of the country.’

read more….

Report by administrators Begbies Traynor reveals extent of debts owed by William Anelay, the stonemasonry business recently

The York-based specialist heritage building company owed an estimated £12.6m to unsecured creditors when it ceased trading earlier this year, according to a document produced by its joint administrators.  William Anelay Ltd, which had been trading since 1747, went into administration in September with the loss of 120 jobs.

Four companies with links to William Anelay Ltd have since been sold to the Szerelmey Group.

View the full story at The York Press

For more background see the RICS website

View the original announcement of Begbies Traynor being appointed as joint administrators of William Anelay

The British Property Federation and the Planning Officers Society have issued a joint response to the government consultation ‘Improving the use of planning conditions’, calling for ‘a clear route of appeal in the NPPF and PPG, with associated costs being attributed to the losing party’.

The British Property Federation writes:

The property industry and planning officers have joined forces to urge government to enshrine best practice for planning conditions in national planning guidance, including a clear route for appealing conditions.

In their joint response to the government’s consultation on improving the use of planning conditions, the British Property Federation (BPF) and the Planning Officers Society (POS) have recommended that the proportionate and appropriate use of planning conditions is best achieved by setting out a clear route of appeal in the NPPF and PPG, with associated costs being attributed to the losing party.

They have warned that current proposals to prohibit certain conditions outright does not allow enough flexibility to account for local circumstances, and could in fact delay the planning process further by pushing contentious decisions into the time-consuming negotiation of section 106 requirements.

Melanie Leech, Chief Executive of the British Property Federation, said: ‘Streamlining the use of planning conditions could herald a welcome acceleration for development, and we support government efforts to ensure that their abuse doesn’t pose an unnecessary barrier to delivering the new homes and real estate that are essential to people’s everyday lives.

However, clear and appropriate conditions are an essential part of achieving good place making, and developers and planning officers are in agreement that a more flexible approach, with best practice guidance and a clear appeals route, would better serve this objective. With local authority resources already stretched, now is not the time to risk making a time-consuming process even more onerous.’

Mike Kiely, Chair of the Planning Officers Society, said ‘The value and benefits of using concisely worded and proportionate conditions to achieve good place-making should be articulated and communicated more widely too.’

Government is proposing to limit the use of conditions via primary legislation, by setting out a list of prohibited conditions in the Neighbourhood Planning Bill, which is currently going through Parliament. 

read more….

View the joint response to the government’s consultation on improving the use of planning conditions response

The Department of Education (DfE) has approved a Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) plan to support employers to develop the construction industry’s new Apprenticeship Standards, which will replace existing Frameworks.

The CITB writes:

Development of the Standards will continue to be employer-led to ensure apprentices’ training is in line with the industry’s skills needs. The plan aims to have all construction Apprenticeship Standards agreed and in place by July 2017.

DfE is supportive of the sector working together on this proposal and of CITB’s role in facilitating the development. The sector taking a strategic approach to Apprenticeship Standards development will prevent proposals being duplicated or being too narrowly defined.

DfE has emphasised that employer groups are still free to submit proposals to develop Standards outside of this process, if required.

Steve Radley, Policy Director at CITB, says: ‘This is fantastic news. We now have a chance to get the industry’s Apprenticeship Standards in place by next summer, so employers and providers will be able to access the higher funding rates offered by Government sooner than expected and apprentices can begin on more robust training programmes delivered through Standards in 2017.

‘While CITB will be coordinating the development of the industry’s Apprenticeship Standards, it’s crucial that employers of all sizes get involved to help shape the way the industry will train the future workforce.’

CITB has already been approached by many employers who are keen to get involved and develop the training content of the new Apprenticeship Standards. CITB has undertaken a review of existing frameworks and identified those that have little or no existing employer support.

The aim is now to bring employers together to identify the skills the industry needs. CITB will provide significant resource and experience in supporting employers to develop robust Apprenticeship Standards.

read more….

For background on CITB’s concerns over apprenticeship funding changes see the NewsBlog

Photographer Anton Rodriguez has documented the interiors of 22 homes at the iconic Grade-II-listed Barbican Estate in London.

Denzeen writes:

In his new book, titled Residents: Inside the Iconic Barbican Estate, London-based Rodriguez aims to highlight the stylish living spaces created by many residents of the brutalist complex, which is home to over 4,000 people.

The photographs capture an assortment of impressive spaces, from a vibrantly chaotic flat filled with artworks, books and plants, to a carefully styled home with an extensive collection of mid-century furnishings and ornate objects.

read more….

On 14 November, the Communities and Local Government Committee will hear from planning experts, councillors and local authority officials on the future of public parks.

UK Parliament writes:

The session is part of the Committee’s ongoing inquiry into public parks, focusing on why parks matter, the challenges facing them, and what can be done to ensure their future.

Representatives from the Gardens Trust, Landscape Institute, Town and Country Planning Association and Royal Town Planning Institute will be asked about planning protections for parks as well as about different models for park management and funding. They will also discuss what role the national government should play in supporting parks.

Councillors from Birmingham and Kent with responsibility for environment policy will join greenspace managers from Camden and Stockport councils at the session to discuss the role of local authorities in managing public parks and how these open spaces can be protected for the future.

View a live video feed of the session and details of the inquiry into public parks.

For background on the public’s views about protecting parks see the NewsBlogs

The construction industry is facing a slowdown in growth in the aftermath of the EU referendum vote, according to the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB).

The CITB writes:

The latest Construction Skills Network report reveals that construction’s expected output over the next five years now averages 2% per annum – down from 2.5% in the forecast from January this year.

The remainder of 2016 and 2017 however, will see a period of limited growth and potentially a small contraction of -0.2%.

The sector’s employment growth rate has also been revised down. The annual UK-wide recruitment requirement has fallen by a third, from 232,000 to 157,000.

Over the next five years, the industry will now need 25,350 new workers every year in England, 3,540 in Wales, 1,810 in Scotland and 650 in Northern Ireland.

While the average output is 2%, there is a varied picture across the UK. Wales’ average growth rate remains well above average at 5.7% and in England, the South West (2.8%) and North West (2.2%) present the strongest regional outlook.

Scotland (-0.6%), the North East of England (-0.1%) and the East Midlands (-0.2%) are all predicted to contract.

The biggest shift in the forecast is for the Greater London region where growth has fallen two percentage points from 3.5% in January’s forecast to 1.5%.

Read more….

View the latest Construction Skills Network report

The Scottish Government has released the latest compilation of environmental reporting, including information on the number of designated heritage assets from 1991- 2016, and derelict urban land from 2009 – 2015

The report states:

• The area of designated protected areas and number and area of scheduled monuments has shown an upward trend over the long term
• The total area of derelict and urban vacant land increased by 10%, from 11,530 hectares in 2009 to 12,674 hectares in 2015; mainly due to the addition of 2,217 hectares of former surface coal mines that became derelict in East Ayrshire in 2014. The most recent survey (2015) showed a net decrease of 458 hectares from 2014
• The number of Scheduled Monuments (SMs) has increased by 74% between 1991 and 2016 and the area they account for has increased by 129% over the same period. In 2016, there were 8,167 designated SMs in Scotland, covering an area of 18,285 hectares (ha). There are also 7 historic Marine Protected Areas, covering 87 ha, that have been designated to protect marine historic assets such as historic shipwrecks

View the full statistics

The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has confirmed the 12 members of the English Churches and Cathedrals Sustainability Review.

DCMS writes:

The English Churches and Cathedrals Sustainability Review was set up by the Government to examine how to get churches and cathedrals on a more sustainable footing, preserving this heritage for future generations.

Since the announcement of the Review in March 2016, the 12 members of the expert panel who will conduct the review have been confirmed.

The Panel members are:

• Chairman: Bernard Taylor, Chairman of the Royal Commission for the Great Exhibition of 1851
• Sir Tony Baldry, Chair of the Church Buildings Council
• Dame Helen Ghosh, Director General of the National Trust
• Loyd Grossman, Chair of Heritage Alliance
• Rt Revd Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester, Lead Bishop on Church Buildings
• Sir Simon Jenkins, Trustee Churches Conservation Trust
• Sir Peter Luff, Chair of Heritage Lottery Fund
• Sir Laurie Magnus, Chairman of Historic England
• Neil Mendoza, Landmark Trust & DCMS NED
• The Very Revd Catherine Ogle, Dean of Birmingham, Dean elect of Winchester
• Jennie Page, Vice Chair of the Church Buildings Council
• Alice Perkins, former Chair of the Post Office

Churches Task Force Chairman Bernard Taylor said On behalf of the Review Panel I look forward to working alongside all of the communities interested in and associated with our historic church buildings to develop for the widest group possible innovative ways to ensure the upkeep of these important buildings so that they remain useful and relevant.

Churches Conservation Trust Trustee Simon Jenkins said I certainly feel the future of English churches is the biggest challenge facing conservation today. They are the outstanding historic buildings in almost every community. Their future, whether in religious or secular use, should be everyone’s concern.

Rt Revd Dr John Inge, Bishop of Worcester said The Church of England offers a Christian presence in every community and its national network of churches delivers huge amounts of service to the people of England. We are keen to increase the use of our churches by the communities in which they stand and hope the work of this group will produce this result.

The Expert Panel has at its first meeting considered evidence and identified key challenges.

As part of the initial evidence gathering three workshops have been held in churches in Stoke, Durham and Herefordshire in order to hear from people in local communities about how these buildings are currently being used and what steps could be taken further to open them up to wider community use.

The Review Panel has also taken evidence from a range of experts to inform the next phase of the Review.

View the press release

Developer Signature Living has released film of the damaged interior of Cardiff Coal Exchange, a controversial case where the developer was given permission by Cardiff council to begin preparatory work at the site ahead of full planning permission – which would reveal the plans in full for the first time – in August.

For more background see Walesonline and view the video

Heritage Lottery Funding (HLF) has helped create the National Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art in Newmarket, built in the remains of Charles II’s 17th-century sporting palace and stables, which are considered to be the oldest racing stables in the world

The Heritage Lottery Fund writes:

Her Majesty The Queen has officially opened the National Centre for Horseracing and Sporting Art in Newmarket, made possible by support from National Lottery players.

Her Majesty was introduced to a few of the equine stars in the Rothschild Yard before she was shown the museum, including the Robert’s Veterinary Gallery and the Pivotal Racehorse Simulator Gallery, as well as a gallery showing for the first time the recently excavated skeleton of Pot-8-Os, an important 18th-century stallion. This was followed by the unveiling of the official opening plaque and a tour of the Fred Packard Museum and Galleries of British Sporting Art in Palace House.

Built in the remains of Charles II’s 17th-century sporting palace and stables, the new National Heritage Centre will allow visitors to explore the rich history of Newmarket and horseracing.

The site includes the remains of the original Palace, a recently restored Mews block and its stables. The Kings Yard, restored in the 18th and 19th centuries, may be the oldest racing stables in the world.

The project provides a museum, art gallery, and study centre celebrating the development of the thoroughbred horse and sporting art in Britain.  It will showcase the outstanding collections of the National Horseracing Museum and British Sporting Art Trust using state of the art interpretation. A working stable yard and paddock will engage wider audiences through the work of the Retraining of Racehorses Trust.

However, just as importantly, the centre will be a major cultural destination and a significant contribution to the town, supporting the development and regeneration of Newmarket and providing opportunities for people to gain employment and learn new skills.

Ros Kerslake, Chief Executive of HLF, said: ‘HLF is delighted to have played a role in the opening of this wonderful new cultural destination, which will support the development and regeneration of Newmarket, and make a huge contribution to the local economy. We are delighted that, thanks to National Lottery players, we’ve been able to fund this fantastic project, helping visitors engage with the global history of horseracing and underlining the significance of the sport’s heritage story.’

Newmarket has been the spiritual home of English horseracing since the 17th century, and the Jockey Club was founded here in 1750. The stables were used almost continuously for the training of racehorses from the days of Charles II to 1985. Seventeen Classic winners were trained from the Stables between 1837 and 1926. Much of the current fabric, including the Trainer’s House, date to 1857-60 when the stables and house were bought by Rothschild.

Her Majesty The Queen is Patron of the National Horseracing Museum and opened the original Museum on Newmarket High Street on 30 April 1983.

View the press release

For more information about the history of the site visit the Palace House Newmarket website.

A document presenting an overview of enforcement powers and responsibilities in Northern Ireland (NI) has been published by the Department for Infrastructure.

The Department for Infrastructure writes:

The Department for Infrastructure has today issued an advice document entitled the ‘Overview of Planning Enforcement Responsibilities’.

It provides an overview of planning enforcement responsibilities in Northern Ireland and seeks to inform users of the planning system that, following the transfer of most planning functions to district councils on 1 April 2015, a council has the primary responsibility for planning enforcement in its given administrative area.

Download the document at Planning Portal

The Churches Conservation Trust has published the 2015/16 report into regeneration impacts, including details of the models used for creating successful projects.

The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) writes:

Today we publish the Regeneration Taskforce’s ‘Impact Report’ for 2015/16. This year was another one of great achievement for the regeneration work of the Trust – which included the re-launch of St Nicholas Chapel in King’s Lynn – and we have made a great deal of progress in starting to measure the impact our projects are having.

This report looks at both our own regeneration projects and those projects where we are advisors or consultants, along with a snapshot of our accumulated impact since the work of the Regeneration Taskforce began.

The report provides the strategic context for the Trust’s regeneration work and for the first time we have included our ‘logic model’ and ‘theory of change’. These help to frame the steps we take to creating successful projects and outline the range of impacts we are trying to achieve, not only for buildings but people and communities too.

View the press release

Download the report

Civic Voice have announced new appointments for vice presidents and board chair, as Baroness Andrews, Sir Terry Farrell, Laura Sandys and former Chair, Freddie Gick have all been appointed vice-presidents of the charity.

Civic Voice writes:

Civic Voice – the national charity for the civic movement – announced on Saturday 21st October at its AGM in Chester – that Baroness Andrews, Sir Terry Farrell, Laura Sandys and former Chair, Freddie Gick have all been appointed vice-presidents of the charity.

All four appointments have been made to recognise the outstanding contribution to the civic movement by each of them.

• Baroness Andrews, former chair of English Heritage, is Civic Voice’s representative in the House of Lords and has recently spoken on behalf of the civic movement when the Housing and Planning Bill was debated in the House of Lords.
• Sir Terry Farrell is founder of the UK’s leading architectural firm, Farrells. In January 2013, Sir Terry was asked by Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, Communications and the Creative Industries to undertake a national review of architecture and the built environment. Sir Terry explained the outcomes of the Review at this year’s Civic Voice Sandys’ Lecture and highlighted the need for a strong civic movement to promote quality development. Sir Terry will support the Civic Voice Design Awards.
• Laura Sandys was formerly the chair of the All Party Parliamentary Group for Civic Societies and was key in helping set up Civic Voice. Laura is the daughter of Lord Duncan Sandys, who established the Civic Trust in 1957. Each year the Sandys Lecture is held in his name and, fittingly, Laura speaks at each occasion. Laura Sandys will support the civic movement celebrations for 50 years of conservation areas.
• Freddie Gick is the former chair of Civic Voice after taking office in 2013. Freddie will support the civic movement for the next few year with a focus on fundraising and building support for the civic movement

Civic Voice President, Griff Rhys Jones, expressed his delight at each of the appointments. He said ‘The appointment of Baroness Andrews, Sir Terry Farrell, Laura Sandys and Freddie Gick in the role of vice-president demonstrates how far Civic Voice has come since we set up six years ago. I have been President for several years and have enjoyed my time visiting civic societies across the country. Each of these new vice-presidents is a great ambassador for communities and each of them has played a huge part in Civic Voice’s story over the past six years. It is only right they have been appointed vice-president and I look forward to working closely with each of them in the forthcoming twelve months.’

Sir Terry Farrell said ‘I am absolutely delighted to be a Vice President of Civic Voice. As a long-term supporter of Civic Voice’s work, including the Civic Voice Design Awards, playing a role in the promotion of civic pride and community-valued design, is a key principle in our ‘Place is the client’ philosophy.’

Joan Humble has been appointed Chair of Civic Voice, the national organisation for the country’s 500 civic Societies with over 75,000 individual members. She takes over from out-going chair, Freddie Gick, who stepped down at the Civic Voice Annual General Meeting after three years in post.

Current chair of Blackpool Civic Trust and a former Member of Parliament, Joan Humble has been involved in the civic movement for many years.

Speaking after her appointment she said: ‘My plan over the next three years will be to significantly raise the voice of the civic movement. People are disillusioned with politics but still want to have a voice in their local area. We want to make every civic society become part of Civic Voice and to be the place where people come together to speak about their town. I encourage all active citizens of England to join their local civic society and to help increase our collective voice.’

Following her appointment at the Civic Voice AGM, Mrs Humble set down an ambitious programme of work including:

• Civic Voice will celebrate the 50 th anniversary of conservation areas as part of its Big Conservation Conversation;
• The 2017 Sandys Lecture to be delivered by former Director General of the National Trust, Fiona Reynolds;
• A programme of parliamentary meetings focusing on housing and communities;
• The appointment of four new vice-presidents including Baroness Andrews and Sir Terry Farrell

Civic Voice’s Executive Director, Ian Harvey, said: ‘I am delighted to welcome Joan as our new chair. Her passion for the civic movement together with her skills and experiences of Parliament make her a perfect fit for the challenges that face us over the next years and I look forward to working with her as the movement progresses in exciting new directions.

‘I would also like to thank Freddie Gick for the immense contribution he has made to Civic Voice over the many years he has been involved and wish him well in the future.’

View the VP press release

View the Chair press release

The Council of Europe reports that The Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe is discussing a new business model for its continued publication

The Council of Europe (CoE) writes:

The Ad Hoc Advisory Group on the Future Financing of the Compendium will meet on 4 November to discuss a new business model for the Compendium of Cultural Policies and Trends in Europe. This long-running Council of Europe-ERICarts project, apreciated widely by policy makers and cultural researchers around Europe, is currently in its 18th year of operation. The business model chosen will secure new sources of financing for the Compendium database and increase the database’s visibility on a global scale. The Council of Europe will remain a stakeholder and guarantor therefore of the Compendium’s compatibility with Council of Europe aims and values.

View more information about the Compendium

The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) is inviting entries for the John Betjeman Award 2017, with a closing date for entries of 21 February 2017.

The Award celebrates excellence in conservation and repair projects at places of worship of any faith in England and Wales (and the Isle of Man); and recognises the highest standards of craftsmanship used in carrying out those projects.

The Award is made for repair or conservation of fabric, fittings or furnishings carried out in the last 18 months at an historic church, chapel or other faith building which remains in use for worship. However, cathedrals of any denomination are not eligible. It is not essential that the building is listed as being of architectural or historic interest – its age or architectural significance is less important than the quality of the repair

Details are on the SPAB website