IHBC NewsBlogs

The Church of England (CoE) has created guidelines so 10,000 rural churches may be used to provide wireless internet access to help meet PM’s vow 

The Guardian’s Damian Carrington writes:
‘Salhouse is among 47 churches in Norfolk that provide a broadband service though WiSpire, which is owned by the Church of England

The medieval church spires of rural England are to bring superfast broadband to the remotest of dwellings, with the Church of England offering their use as communication towers.’

Find out about the WiSpire service

Read the Guardian article

The RIBA President’s Awards for Research promote and celebrate the best of research in the field of architecture and the built environment that contributes to new knowledge and understanding in architecture and the practice of architecture, with the deadline for submissions is midnight, Thursday, 30 June 2016.

The RIBA writes:
The RIBA is now welcoming entries for the 2016 RIBA President’s Awards for Research which include the new RIBA President’s Research Medal. The RIBA will be accepting research submissions from right across the built environment sector and beyond; recognising the interdisciplinary nature of architectural research.

The RIBA President’s Awards for Research are designed to promote and celebrate the best of research in the field of architecture and the built environment that contributes to new knowledge and understanding in architecture and the practice of architecture. Projects are judged by a distinguished panel of experts in four categories:
• History and Theory
• Design and Technical
• Cities and Community
• Annual Theme – Learning through Projects

Submissions are welcome from all levels and spheres of architectural and built environment research. Entries from the prevoius categories of research masters, PhD, university-located academics and practice-based researchers are encouraged, as well as collaborative research projects. To see a list of previous winners please click here. Please note the change in submission format detailed below.

The main body of the application requires the submission of:
• 300 word Abstract
• 1,000 word Research Statement
• 5,000 to 10,000 word research document

The President’s Medal for Research will be awarded to the submission judged to be the best across all categories. The medal was designed in partnership by Nicola Moss and Simon Beeson in 2015 following an open competition.

Winners in each category will receive a certificate and a citation from the RIBA President.

All submissions must be entered online.

If you have any queries about the awards, please call 020 7307 3749.

For more information please see our Call for Entries and Further Information and Guidelines

Two projects within the UK have been recognised with special mentions as part of the Europa Nostra awards; St. Giles House in Wimborne St. Giles and ‘Reconnecting with the past for a better future’ in Pwllheli, Gwynedd,

Europa Nostra writes:
The Special Mentions of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards 2016 were made public today by Europa Nostra and the European Commission. This year, the Awards Juries granted Special Mentions to 14 heritage achievements from nine European countries taking part in the EU Creative Europe programme. The Special Mentions are given to outstanding contributions to the conservation and enhancement of heritage which are particularly appreciated by the Juries but which were not included in the final selection to receive an Award.

The Awards Juries accorded Special Mentions to three achievements from Spain, the host country of the European Heritage Congress 2016: in the category Research, the publication ‘The hydraulic heritage of the province of Alicante’; and in the category Dedicated Service, Mr. Ramón Mayo Fernández and Valencia’s Cathedral bell-ringers. The Special Mention recipients from Spain will be presented with the certificates by the Juries Chairpersons during the European Heritage Awards Ceremony on the evening of 24 May at the Zarzuela Theatre in Madrid. 

• Giles House Wimborne St. Giles, UNITED KINGDOM (Category Conservation)-
  ‘The personal commitment of the owner to saving the house, bringing it back to life and protecting it from complete dereliction make for an outstanding contribution to the conservation and enhancement of heritage.’

• Wales – Reconnecting with the past for a better future, Pwllheli, Gwynedd, UNITED KINGDOM (Category Education, Training, and Awareness-Raising)-
  ‘The holistic vision for preserving and promoting the cultural heritage of the Llyn Peninsula marks this project as an important contribution to heritage enhancement in Wales.’

View the full press release

Civic Voice (CV) has welcomed a new member to the All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Civic Societies this week, and are asking members of the public to consider writing to their MP or a Peer to become a member. 

Civic Voice writes:
We are delighted to announce that Anne Marie Morris MP has become a member of the APPG for Civic Societies.  Ms Morris is Conservative MP for Newton Abbot.

If you know of an MP or Peer that has an interest in the matters the APPG for Civic Societies discusses, ask them to sign up. You can reach House of Lords representatives in the same way you can reach MPs. They are contactable via email, telephone or letter.  The APPG for Civic Societies will have more influence in Parliament with more MPs and Peers in it, so keep asking them to join so we can keep getting your voice heard on a national level!

You can see all of the MPs and Peers who are on the APPG on the Civic Voice website

Find your MP’s contact details

Find all of the Peers’ contact details

The Department of the Environment Northern Ireland (DoENI) is consulting on proposed permitted development (PD) rights for a range of regulations, inviting comment on solar photovoltaics, shops and financial services, electric vehiclecharging and communications developments, with comments closing on 30 May. 

DoENI writes:
The Department of the Environment has today issued a consultation paper on a range of proposals in relation to permitted development rights for:

• Development by Electronic Communications Code Operators;
• Non-Domestic Roof Mounted Solar Photovoltaic (PV) Panels
• Shops, Financial and Professional Services Establishments; and
• Electric Vehicle Charging Points.

The Department is continuing its review of permitted development rights in light of its approach to better regulation. This is intended to provide a considered balance between lightening the regulatory burden on businesses and individuals (and reducing any associated costs) and protecting the environment, amenity and public safety.

You are invited to send your views on this consultation document. Comments should reflect the structure of the document as far as possible with references to question numbers and paragraph numbers where relevant. Comments on the Equality Impact Assessment Screening document and Preliminary Regulatory Impact Assessment which are contained in the paper are also welcome.

View the news release and how to respond

The Historic England, Victorian Society and Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) pub design award winners have been announced, including the conservation award, the Grade II listed Dun Cow in Sunderland won two awards and works at pubs in Keswick, Ilfracombe and Brighton were also recognised.

Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) writes:
The Dun Cow in Sunderland’s city centre scooped two awards in the National Pub Design Awards 2015 announced today, which are run by the Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) in association with Historic England and the Victorian Society.

It was crowned the winner in both the Refurbishment and Conservation categories, while The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas at Keswick was the best Conversion to Pub Use. The Admiral Collingwood in Ilfracombe was the New Build winner and The Bevy at  Bevendean, Brighton was accredited with a special award for work by the local community.

Author of the Judges Report, Professor Steven Parissien, said: ‘CAMRA has been at the forefront of initiatives to protect our best pubs from demolition or inappropriate conversion. Now the latest Pub Design Award winners show that there’s lots of life left in this much-loved national treasure. These awards boast the most diverse and inspirational range of pub buildings we’ve judged in the history of the competition.’

The Dun Cow is a Grade II-listed building, built as a gin palace in 1901, which has been rejuvenated and restored to its former grandeur as part of a new cultural quarter for Sunderland. Its new owner, the Music, Arts and Culture (MAC) Trust, brought in Camerons Brewery to reopen the pub as one of its managed houses. Fine Edwardian features have been superbly conserved as part of a £300,000 restoration, and its copper-domed tower is a powerful symbol of Sunderland’s rebirth.

The sandstone exterior has been treated in an exemplary manner, while the interior – with its outstanding woodwork (including the stunningly ornate backbar), impressive plaster ceiling and wonderful stained and etched glass – has been painstakingly returned to its Edwardian magnificence.

Professor Parissien added: ‘All the winners show that good, sympathetic design makes commercial as well as aesthetic sense. They also demonstrate how fabulous pubs can be used as the engines of regeneration for communities and causes. They remind us that the British pub is so much more than somewhere to have a pint: it is the beating heart of our neighbourhood, a place that defines our identity and locality, an agent for relaxation, renewal and revitalisation.’

The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Keswick’s award for Conversion to Pub Use came about after it was one of the town’s major architectural headaches. Formerly Keswick’s Magistrates Court and Police Station, this handsome if predictably austere listed landmark was empty for many years. Now it has been saved by Wetherspoons and sensitively converted into a multi-room pub.

Another Wetherspoons pub, The Admiral Collingwood, on the seafront of Ilfracombe, took the New Build Award. Harrison Ince Architects have devised an uncompromisingly modern building where the glass dome offers urban presence, while the rest of the main elevation is understated yet sophisticated.  New artworks commissioned for the interior and a steel sculpture of a wave breaking reminds customers that they are, after all, on the town’s seafront.

Continuing the theme of urban renaissance, the Joe Goodwin award (in memory of a former chairman of CAMRA) goes to an outstanding community pub: The Bevy in Bevendean, Brighton. A 1930s pub in the middle of a Brighton council estate, it faced closure and conversion or demolition. In response, the locals got together and reinvented ‘The Bevy’, raising funds and carrying out much of the refurbishment work.

Winners list:

• Refurbishment Award: The Dun Cow, Sunderland Architects: T.J. Design, Billingham, Cleveland TS22 5LY
• CAMRA/Historic England Conservation Award: The Dun Cow, Sunderland Architects: T.J. Design, Billingham, Cleveland TS22 5LY
• Conversion to Pub Use: The Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, Keswick Architects: Harrison Ince, Manchester M15 4PY
• New Build Award: The Admiral Collingwood, Ilfracombe Architects: Harrison Ince, Manchester M15 4PY
• Joe Goodwin Award: The Bevy, Bevendean, Brighton Architect: ABIR Architects, Hove BN3 2FX

View the press release

View other opportunities at IHBC Awards etc

The 2016 UK Construction Building Awards are now open for entries, with 21 categories including refurbishment project of the year, woman of the year, contractor of the year and consultant of the year (closing date for entries is 17 June). 

The Building Awards writes:
The Building Awards has long been recognised as the most prestigious networking event in the built environment calendar.  The 22nd edition of the awards will take place on Tuesday 8 November and entries are invited across 21 categories – four of which are new for 2016.

Unparallelled for their recognition of excellence, the awards attract over 1,200 senior decision makers to the awards night – and 2016 will be no exception.

The categories for 2016 cover the breadth of the construction industry, allowing companies across all aspects of building to have their achievements held up as an example to the sector. Whether it’s the latest BIM initiative, stunning small project, or the year’s most exemplary housebuilder, there are achievements for everyone to celebrate. 

The 2016 categories are…

• Construction Consultant/Surveyor of the Year (fewer than 100 staff)
• Construction Consultant/Surveyor of the Year  (100 staff or over)
• Architectural Practice of the Yearsponsored by Comar
• Engineering Consultant of the Year
• Contractor of the Year (up to £300m) sponsored by Kawneer 
• Major Contractor of the Year (over £300m)
• Housing Project of the Year
• Product Innovation of the Year– new
• Housebuilder of the Year sponsored by AluK  
• Specialist Contractor of the Year sponsored by Lakesmere  
• Building Magazine Project of the Yearsponsored by Schueco   
• Small Project of the Year (up to £5m)
• International Project of the Yearsponsored by Gowling WLG
• Refurbishment Project of the Year– new
• Skills Initiative of the Year– new
• Sustainable Project of the Year
• BIM Initiative of the Year sponsored by Asite
• Building Magazine Woman of the Yearsponsored by AECOM  

Nominations are invited for:

• Construction Client of the Year
• Building Magazine Personality of the Year sponsored by Hays 

Look out for news on:

• CEO’s CEO of the Year– new

It’s free to register and start your entry – do it today!

View more information on the awards and how to enter

View other opportunities at IHBC Awards etc

A new report by Telereal Trillium and Savills research shows that the public sector owns 6% of all land in England and Wales. 

Telereal Trillium writes:
Newly released Land Registry data suggests that the public sector owns significantly more land than previously estimated. At least 900,000 hectares – 6 per cent of all land – in England and Wales is in public ownership according to a new report commissioned by Telereal Trillium, carried out by Savills research.

View the press release

View the full report

Network Rail Property has been given more powers under a new initiative by Network Rail which is designed to ‘maximise the value of its estate’.

Network Rail writes:
Network Rail has given its specialist transport property business, Network Rail Property, greater independence by establishing it as a property company with its own board which will approve investments in Network Rail’s estate and make decisions about the disposal of property assets.

The new structure and governance arrangement will enable Network Rail to ramp up its property activities to help generate £1.8bn to fund the Railway Upgrade Plan by disposing of various assets. It will also provide greater focus on plans to deliver land for housing, while continuing to generate income from Network Rail’s other property assets to reinvest into the railway.

The creation of a property company with its own board will mean that Network Rail can focus on its core business of running a safe, reliable and growing railway while the property board can be given a clear mandate to accelerate the release of value from the property portfolio.

This new and significantly enhanced organisation went live on 1 April 2016 and is led by David Biggs in his role as managing director of Network Rail Property. The new board will be chaired by Chris Gibb, a non-executive director of Network Rail since 2013, who has worked in the rail industry for more than 35 years.

A search has begun to identify two further non-executive directors with significant experience in the commercial and residential property market and in leading complex property disposal and acquisition transactions.

David Biggs, managing director of Network Rail Property, said: ‘A bigger and better railway requires significant investment and Network Rail is generating an extra £1.8bn to help fund the Railway Upgrade Plan, mostly through the sale of property assets where continued Network Rail ownership is not essential to running the railway. This means Network Rail can focus on its core business of running a safe, reliable and growing railway that is vital to Britain’s economic health.

‘Our new property company will have greater powers to unlock land for homes, drive economic growth in towns and cities and reinvest money into the rail network to help fund the Railway Upgrade Plan. It will mean that investment or asset disposal decisions can be made at the right level within the organisation in a timely way while ensuring appropriate oversight is in place.’

This decision follows earlier announcements that Network Rail will generate an extra £1.8bn to help fund the Railway Upgrade Plan. The majority of this money is expected to come from the sale of property assets where continued Network Rail ownership is not essential to running the railway, allowing Network Rail to focus on its core business of running a safe, reliable and growing railway.

View the press release 

IHBC NewsBlogs on historic railways and rail property matters

A £1bn housing delivery fund (The New Communities Partnership) has been launched this week by Kier Living, designed to assist the public sector in constructing new homes.

Kier writes:
A unique £1bn housing delivery fund has been launched today (03 May) by Kier Living, The Cheyne Social Property Impact Fund (managed by UK-based investment manager Cheyne Capital) & The Housing Growth Partnership (a joint venture between the HCA and Lloyds Banking Group) with ambitions to help the public sector to build 10,000 new homes across the UK.

The New Communities Partnership (‘the Partnership’), a unique public-private alliance supported by the HCA, will provide local authorities and housing associations with an innovative delivery model for building new homes on their own land, giving them the option to choose between sale and/or rental developments, and offers significant scope for affordable development.

Working with the Partnership, public sector organisations will be able to determine the appropriate mix of tenure for their site, including rental homes and homes for sale, in a model designed to meet the needs of their specific communities, without the need for grant funding. Homes available for rent will include discounted and market-rent solutions to address housing challenges faced by key workers, the disabled and the elderly, while homes to be built for sale will include discounted sale units to help first time buyers get on the housing ladder. It will also provide public sector clients with potential scope to derive a revenue income from their land, whilst developing in a socially responsible way that will offer local apprenticeships, wider employment and sustainable, economic benefits for communities.

The collective expertise of the partners spans the lifecycle of home building, offering an end-to-end development solution that includes procurement, funding, site assembly, construction, sales, management and maintenance, tailored to be as comprehensive or as focussed as each public sector client needs.

With traditional developments only having delivered an average of 11% of affordable housing over the past 3 years , the partnership will provide a differentiated model that will increase significantly the amount of affordable homes built, with scope for up to 50% of each site to offer affordable development opportunities.

The New Communities Partnership is founded on five key principles:

• Growth: to address a key economic and social issue, the acute shortage of housing across the united kingdom
• Collaboration: to partner with the public sector to build sustainable, inclusive communities where local economies and families can thrive, and which support local job creation
• Affordability: to deliver more affordable, practical homes than conventional developments can provide
• Responsibility: to reinvest a proportion of partnership profits in associated initiatives supporting youth, architecture, innovation and the environment
• Expertise: to capitalise on the market leading construction and financial skills of kier group plc, cheyne capital and the housing growth partnership

Lloyds Bank Commercial Banking will provide banking services and financing solutions to the Partnership 

View the news release

Fair pay, health and safety training, student funding, defending the BBC against cuts and recruitment and organising were among key topics debated at the TUC young workers’ conference in April, and included support for Prospect’s recent “High Five Heritage” social media campaign.

Prospect writes:
The conference, in London on 9-10 April, was attended by 90 delegates from 21 different unions. Prospect’s four delegates were Debbie Stringer (Sellafield); Elinor Harrison (EDF Energy); Abigail Rumsey (CABI); and Adam Rourke (Cavendish Nuclear).

Prospect’s motion on heritage sector funding was moved by Debbie Stringer, and called on the TUC to:

• continue to support and prioritise union campaigns in the heritage sector, such as Prospect’s recent “High Five Heritage” social media campaign
• highlight the continued low pay, short termism and underfunding in the sector
• promote the value of investing in our heritage.

Conference passed the motion, which was supported by speakers from BECTU and PCS.

Delegates voted to send a motion on fair pay for young workers to the TUC conference in September.

They also chose two campaigns for the TUC young workers’ forum to focus on in 2016-17:

• young workers’ pay and living standards
• education, skills and access to culture.

Prospect members aged 30 and under are encouraged to get involved with the union’s young professionals’ network. Please get in touch by emailing YPN@prospect.org.uk

Prospect article

Research Councils have published their Delivery Plans for the period 2016-2020, and the Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) views heritage as one of its three priority areas, stressing the importance of partnerships across the heritage and research sectors and increasing its funding for heritage tourism.  Housing is seen as a priority in the ESRC plan.

Page 5 of the AHRC report states:
New international initiatives in Heritage, following the success of the EU Joint Programming Initiative in Cultural Heritage under Horizon 2020, will secure the UK’s place at the cutting edge of this dynamic multidisciplinary field. There is clear potential to connect Heritage with the new Global Challenges Research Fund (see section 3), with regard, for example, to the protection of cultural heritage from the consequences of conflict (Palmyra provides a salutary reminder of the potential for new digital technologies to record archaeological treasures), the sustainability of heritage in the face of urbanisation and climate change, or the role of heritage in helping societies confront difficult and divided pasts.

Page 4 of the ESRC report states:
Housing – the supply, accessibility and affordability of housing influences the wider economy, the financial system and the wellbeing of citizens. The quality, tenure, price and location of homes all have implications for other outcomes including: shelter, wealth, health and education. We have identified a clear gap in the translation of research to provide robust evidence to inform housing policy and practice across the UK. The ESRC will add real value by working with a range of partners to bring this research together to generate a better and more comprehensive understanding of the complex housing market and policy environment

More information on the AHRC plan

View the Economic & Social Research Council (ESRC) plan

View all Research Council delivery plans

A challenge which was mounted by residents against a programme of works in which Sheffield Council undertook tree felling works has been lost, following a judicial review of the Streets Ahead project contract.

View the judicial review

View a summary BBC news article ‘Sheffield trees: Judicial review bid dismissed by High Court’

England’s figures on ‘Taking Part’ in sport and cultural activities have been gathered since 2005, and the current report looks at longitudinal work where the same individuals are re-interviewed annually, helping identify trends in attitudes to and participation around heritage, arts, libraries, museums and sport. 

The report indicates that just under three quarters of adults in England visited a heritage site in the last year. 

The report summary states:
Nearly nine in ten (88%) respondents reported visiting a heritage site at least once over the three interviews; There was a strong core of Consistent heritage site visitors. More than half of respondents (54%) reported visiting heritage sites at least once in the previous 12 months at all three interviews; However, there were more respondents leaving the heritage sector than coming into it. 10% of respondents were classified as New visitors, while 14% were Former visitors, leading to an overall lower level of participation in the longitudinal sample by the third interview; In addition, respondents were visiting heritage sites less frequently by interview 3 than at interview 1. Around a third of respondents were visiting heritage sites less often by interview 3 (32%, consisting of 18% visiting at a lower frequency and 14% no longer visiting at all), while a quarter were visiting more often (24%, consisting of 14% visiting at a higher frequency and 10% reporting a visit for the first time).

View the full report

View a longitudinal summary graphic

Download full statistics

The Planning Portal reports that proposals to transform an abandoned golf course in North Yorkshire into a new ’garden village’ have been unveiled as developer Flaxby Park Ltd – a company set up by businesswoman Ann Gloag, co-founder of transport giant Stagecoach and regeneration experts Chris Musgrave and Trevor Cartner – has reached agreement to purchase the site of the former Flaxby Golf Course near Harrogate.

Read more….

The RTPI has published its first guidance on professional ethics, highlighting planners’ need to ‘act fearlessly and impartially in their professional judgement’. 

RTPI writes:
Ethics is an important element of being a professional planner.  It is one of the competencies required of practitioners seeking membership of the RTPI through the Assessment of Professional Competence routes.

The RTPI Code of Professional Conduct sets out the required standards of professional conduct and practice expected of RTPI Members. Its purpose is to protect and guide practitioners, and to serve as a tool to maintain public trust in the profession. All members, irrespective of their class of membership, are required to adhere to its five Core Principles:

• Competence,honesty and integrity
• Independent professional judgment
• Due care and diligence
• Equality and respect
• Professional behaviour 

Read more….

An ICOMOS and UNESCO report examining the potential benefits of a tunnel around Stonehenge has been welcomed by Historic England, National Trust and English Heritage. 

Historic England writes:
Historic England, the National Trust and English Heritage welcome the ICOMOS/UNESCO report published today (Tuesday 3 May) which recognises the benefits a tunnel of at least 2.9km could bring to the Stonehenge World Heritage Site, if it is designed and delivered well. 

The report by the International Council on Monuments and Sites and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation is the result of an advisory mission to the World Heritage Site in October 2015. The report mirrors the views held jointly by Historic England, the National Trust and English Heritage, in acknowledging that a fully-bored tunnel of at least 2.9km could help to significantly improve the World Heritage Site and that the design and location of all aspects of the road improvement scheme need to be carefully and fully considered.

The report acknowledges that a solution needs to be found for the A303 traffic bottleneck, and commends the UK Government for its proactive and collaborative approach. The report highlights the scheme’s potential to become a best practice case for the management and design of substantial infrastructure in a World Heritage Site and states that any scheme must both protect the Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage Site and also benefit road users whether they are local, national or international.

The report highlights the recent improvements to the Stonehenge Landscape, namely the removal and grassing over of the A344 road, undertaken by English Heritage in partnership with the National Trust to reunite the Stonehenge monument with the wider landscape, as a success story and a vision of what could be achieved with the A303.

Helen Ghosh, Director-General for the National Trust says: ‘We welcome this report which recognises the unmissable opportunity the Government’s road improvement scheme presents finally to address the blight of the existing A303 and the recommendation that heritage is put at the heart of any proposed scheme. At the moment the A303 cuts through the middle of the World Heritage Site, compromising its integrity and harming the setting of many monuments.’

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England says: ‘We share the mission’s view that the design and location of all aspects of the road improvement need to be very carefully considered. But with sensitive design there is a real opportunity both to deal with the problem of the current A303 and to deliver significant public access and landscape quality benefits to the World Heritage Site. We will work closely with Highways England and other partners to ensure that the mission’s advice is fully taken on board.’

Kate Mavor, Chief Executive of English Heritage, says:

‘We are delighted that the mission recognises the benefits our recent improvements have brought to the World Heritage Site. Provided that it is designed and built in the right way, a tunnel would reunite the wider landscape around the ancient stones, helping people to better understand and enjoy them.’

In 2014 Historic England, English Heritage and the National Trust welcomed the Government’s announcement that it would be committing to a new tunnel of at least 2.9km to remove the A303 from the Stonehenge Landscape as part of its Road Investment Strategy. At present there are no detailed designs, but all three heritage and conservation organisations are committed to working closely with Highways England to ensure that only schemes which protect and enhance the World Heritage Site are progressed. 

View the press release

View the report

IHBC NewsBlogs on world heritage site issues 

A new action plan for heritage tourism has been launched in Scotland, noting the key socio-economic contributions made by heritage as well as planning for the future.

Historic Environment Scotland writes:
An action plan to deliver Scotland’s heritage tourism strategy – People Make Heritage: Heritage Tourism 2020– has been unveiled today, Wednesday 27th April.

The action plan was launched by the Heritage Tourism Group, which is made up of key industry stakeholders and partners, ahead of Scotland’s Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology in 2017. The industry plan clearly sets out the practical steps that could help increase the value of Scotland’s heritage tourism industry by 2020.Scotland’s heritage tourism sector is currently worth more than £1.34bn to the economy with a potential to grow to over £1.7bn by 2020. With more than eight million annual visits to heritage attractions across the country, marketing heritage and building the visitor experience is critical to support the industry ahead of 2017.

Heritage and Culture is one of the key ‘assets’ identified in Scotland’s national tourism strategy – Tourism Scotland 2020 – which encourages the industry to focus on the markets that offer Scotland’s tourism sector the greatest growth potential. The strategy also encourages collaboration within and across Scotland’s destinations to develop authentic, memorable experiences for visitors.

The three-year action plan has been developed by the Heritage Tourism Group, which is made up of Historic Environment Scotland, National Trust for Scotland, Historic Houses Association, Scottish Ancestral Tourism Group, VisitScotland, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA).This working group has long benefited from an ethos of sharing, collaborating and learning with key industry partners, and this new strategic approach by the partners to support one of Scotland’s most important assets is marked by the creation of a new Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) post which will sit within the Scottish Tourism Alliance.  The post has been funded through a partnership with Glasgow Caledonian University and the KTP Associate will co-ordinate the delivery of the action plan through 2017, working closely with heritage partners to coordinate relevant activities.

The action plan highlights key areas of activity, such as market intelligence and research, collaborative digital marketing, itineraries and trails, and increasing participation. The focus will be on building and strengthening the sector through collaboration and leadership within the Heritage Tourism Group as well as identifying opportunities to engage with the wider heritage tourism sector.  By 2017 it is hoped that the project will have demonstrated the benefits of collaboration in raising the profile and economic contribution of heritage tourism to the Scottish economy.

Stephen Duncan, Chair of the Heritage Tourism Group and Director of Commercial and Tourism at Historic Environment Scotland, said: ‘Scotland’s fascinating historic sites, stunning landscapes and attractions are a truly unique asset and an important element of the country’s wider tourism offering. Providing a real insight into different aspects of Scotland’s past, our rich heritage continues to captivate UK and international visitors alike, welcoming more than eight million visitors a year, demonstrating its value, significance and potential to support and drive economic growth.  The Heritage Tourism Action Plan marks an exciting milestone for the sector, and I’m extremely pleased to have led partners in the production of this collaborative plan for the industry, for 2017 and beyond. Designed to build upon the great work that is already going on across the industry, it also aims to increase opportunities to work with others in the sector to develop, foster and nurture heritage tourism in Scotland and build the foundations for the years ahead.’

View the press release

View the report

Civic Voice has announced the shortlist for the second annual Civic Voice Design Awards, with sixteen projects from across England highlighted.

Civic Voice writes:
Civic Voice, the national charity for the civic movement, has today announced the shortlist for the second annual Civic Voice Design Awards. 16 schemes from across England have been shortlisted by the expert Judging Panel for their positive impact on the local community and design quality.

The Civic Voice Design Awards give communities the opportunity to nominate and recognise new buildings, restoration and public realm projects in their local area. The Civic Voice Design Awards were introduced in 2013 following a vote by Civic Voice members to demonstrate that civic societies and other community groups will accept new development when it responds positively to the local area.

The judging panel includes: Max Farrell, Project Leader for the 2014 Farrell Review of Architecture and the Built Environment; Tracy Meller, Associate Partner at Rogers Stirk Harbour and Partners; Rob Cowan, Director of Urban Design Skills; Sophia de Sousa, Chief Executive of The Glass-House Community Led Design and; Russ Hamilton, Design Partner at Farrells.

The judges reached a unanimous decision on the shortlist for this year’s Design Awards, which includes New Build, Restoration and Public Realm projects. The judges felt that each project made a significant contribution to the quality of life in their communities.

The 2016 shortlist is:

New Buildings Category

• Alder Hey Hospital, Liverpool
• The Discovery Centre, The Royal Latin School Buckingham
• Soho Multi-level Playground
• St Valentine’s Close, Winchester
• Westbury Village Hall Rebuild

Public Realm Category

• Eyesore to Artwork, Derbyshire
• The Hollywells Park Project, Ipswich
• Millers Field Sculptural Seat, Canterbury
• Road of Rememberance War Poppies, Kent

Restoration Category

• Briddlesford Lodge Farm Hop Kilns
• Chichester Festival Theatre
• The Master’s House, Herefordshire
• The Old Grammar School, Coventry
• Scenic Railway Dreamland, Margate
• The Watts Studio Restoration, Guildford
• Yarmouth Station, Isle of Wight

Griff Rhys Jones, president of Civic Voice, said ‘How exciting that the Civic Voice Design Awards are back again this year. I have seen a lot of restoration projects and programmes over the years, but the sheer variety, commitment and range of these projects astonished me last year. The winner was a knockout. I went down to have a look at it. But the other contenders were ambitious and uplifting. I can’t wait to see what this year’s awards bring up’.

Max Farrell, partner in Farrells, shared his enthusiasm saying ‘I’m thrilled to be chairing the Civic Voice Design Awards in its second year.  It is great to hear the community stories behind the nominated projects and to see architecture and urban design having a tangible positive impact on the lives of people throughout the country’.

The awards ceremony, which will announce the winners of each category, will be held in the Attlee Suite, Portcullis House, London, SW1A on 24 May 2016 from 5.30pm. 

See images of the shortlist

A news article on the fiftieth anniversary of Milton Keynes has reported that the Director of the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions has urged Milton Keynes to use the concrete cow sculptures as a special treasured part of its heritage.

View the article