IHBC NewsBlogs

Historic Environment Scotland have released a call for action to take part in a five year community engagement project ‘Scotland’s Urban Past’.

Historic Environment Scotland
Town and city dwellers are being asked to get hands on with history by taking part in a nationwide initiative to record the littlest local landmarks in Scotland’s urban areas.

The initiative comes from Scotland’s Urban Past (SUP), a five-year community-engagement project from Historic Environment Scotland that puts local communities in charge of recording the history on their doorsteps, and is part of the celebrations for the Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design 2016.

Volunteers can become ‘Urban Detectives’ by submitting photographs and location coordinates of tiny buildings in Scotland’s towns and cities to the SUP website. Users are also invited to take measurements and sketches, all of which will become part of Canmore, Scotland’s online record of architecture, archaeology and industry.

This national record is a digital time machine, holding images and information about more than 320,000 sites in Scotland. Now, SUP is asking local Urban Detectives to contribute their own images and information about Scottish places – starting with the smallest buildings in the nation’s towns and cities.

Chiara Ronchini, SUP Project Manager, said: ‘People throughout Scotland will be bringing our national collection to life by telling the big stories of our tiniest buildings.  Our dedicated digital team have made it easy to contribute information to Canmore on mobiles and tablets, as well as PCs and Macs, so you can even add a snapshot of local landmarks such as police boxes, beach hurts and signal boxes on your way to work.’

‘Every contribution will be accessible to the wider public, helping to build a detailed and accessible history of our urban heritage by the people who live within it. It’s a great opportunity to help document your town or city, past and present, for generations to come.’

SUP provides free training, support and resources to people of all ages to help them discover and share the fascinating stories of Scotland’s towns and cities.

SUP is supported by the National Lottery with a grant of £1.65m from the Heritage Lottery Fund

Free workshops for Urban Detectives will be taking place throughout Scotland. For more information, visit www.scotlandsurbanpast.org.uk.

View the press release

Sir Laurie Magnus (Chairman of Historic England, Dr Loyd Grossman CBE (Chairman of the Heritage Alliance) and Sir Terry Farrell, CBE (Architect) have issued an open letter calling for a clear strategy on tall buildings for London, and Historic England have revealed information on a poll which shows that almost half of Londoners want a say on skyline buildings.

Historic England writes:

• Heritage champions call for clear strategy on tall buildings from next mayor
• New poll reveals that almost half of Londoners (48%) think the 430 proposed new towers for London would have a negative impact on the city’s skyline, while 34% think they would have a positive impact
• More than half of Londoners (58%) don’t know how to have a say over planning proposals in their local area
• 60% say they would like a say over tall buildings if they are proposed for a historically significant  area in London
• Historic England calls for broader consultation on the skyline

A new YouGov poll has revealed that nearly half of Londoners (48%) think the 430 tall buildings planned for the capital will have a negative impact on the skyline, compared to the 34% who think they will have a positive impact, but more than half do not know how to make their voice heard.

The figures were released as Loyd Grossman, Chairman of the Heritage Alliance, Sir Laurie Magnus, Chairman of Historic England and renowned architect Sir Terry Farrell wrote an open letter calling for a clearer strategy on tall buildings for London.

When asked which planning applications they would like to be consulted on, 60% believed people across the city should have a say if a tall building is proposed in a historically important place. But currently it is usually only those in immediate surrounding areas who are consulted on proposals for buildings that may be so tall they affect views and settings for miles around.

Today Historic England has said that limits around who is consulted on tall building proposals, defined as 20 storeys or more, need to be reviewed and a pan-London approach to skyline issues is needed. Every planning application is open to comment but over half of respondents (58%) said they do not know how to go about it.

Historic England is calling for wider public involvement in the way London develops, in the run-up to the next London Plan, so Londoners are better informed about the changes gathering pace in the city. The call comes following the recent announcement that there are now over 430 tall buildings planned for the capital.

In their open letter, the three signatories said that proposed developments are often marketed to the public using idealised imagery. They also said they support the London Assembly’s recent call for better masterplanning and a fully-developed, accessible 3D model of the city that enables people to better understand the way London’s precious skyline is developing.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said:
‘Londoners know how special their city is, and they know that the future of our capital hangs in the balance. Tall buildings can make an excellent contribution to city life if they are well-placed and well-designed. But in the wrong places, they can do serious harm. It matters when tall buildings overshadow our crescents and squares, our playgrounds and palaces, canals and cathedrals.  Today, Londoners have shown that they want to have more of a say over how London’s future skyline is developed. The millions of people who live and work in the city want to be better informed and more involved in the changes that are gathering pace.’

View the press release

Open letter on tall buildings

Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners (NLP) has issued a new study into local plan progress,  ‘Early Adopters and the Late Majority – A Review of Local Plan Progress and Housing Requirements’, as the report identifies 21 Local Planning Authorities which are potentially most at risk of government intervention as a result of lack of plan progress. 

Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners (NLP) writes:
Four years on from the introduction of the National Planning Policy Framework (NPPF) Government is embarking upon further reshaping of the planning system, with one of the key objectives to streamline and quicken the pace of Local Plan production. The Housing and Planning Bill and the recommendations of the Government appointed Local Plans Expert Group (LPEG) both propose measures to address the slow progress in achieving nationwide coverage of up-to-date Local Plans.

Our research shows the NPPF is bringing about a ‘significant boost’ in planned housing supply across England. Excluding London, up-to-date Local Plans are planning for 19% more housing than the equivalent household projections. It is this success Government is aiming to replicate through faster, more focussed, plan making which works with the grain of the existing architecture of the planning system.

View the press release and download the full report

A £9.7 million refurbishment of the unusual and iconic Grade II* Listed Byker Wall development has now been completed, with 628 properties being worked on. 

Byker Community Trust writes:
The Iconic Grade II* Listed Byker Wall, which is owned and managed by the Byker Community Trust (BCT) Housing Association, has just undergone a £9.7 million refurbishment.

Refurbishment work to 628 flats and maisonettes including link blocks has been successfully delivered between the BCT, housing and regeneration specialist, Keepmoat and security systems provider OpenView, working in partnership with Newcastle City Council, Your Homes Newcastle and Historic England.

The internationally renowned 1.3-mile-long structure has received a full external fabric overhaul including the installation of a new roof and photovoltaics, new windows and doors, improvements to communal stairwells and entrances, a new digital aerial system, upgraded door entry and CCTV and a complete repaint in line with the original Ralph Erskine colour scheme.

The scale of the refurbishment, which has taken two years to complete, has seen the installation of 132 PV panels, the removal of 300 tonnes of asbestos and the installation of fibre optic cabling for telephone and broadband services to 628 homes enabling all residents to access faster internet and telephony services. 

Jill Haley, Chief Executive of the BCT, said: ‘When the Estate transferred from Newcastle City Council to the BCT in July 2012, we made a number of specific promises to tenants relating to investment in the Estate which included refurbishing the Byker Wall.  The Wall forms the centre piece of the Byker Estate and these improvements will make a significant difference to residents and their homes making them more energy efficient whilst improving the visual appeal of the whole Estate.  I am delighted how well our partners have worked in collaboration with us to successfully deliver this scheme, which has resulted in high levels of customer satisfaction on what has been a very complex project.  The completion of these works is another key milestone in our journey to make Byker a great place to live and work and we look forward to continuing to delivering our vision and services for our tenants in future.’

Lee Francis, Area Director for Keepmoat in the North East, said: ‘This has been a remarkable project to be involved in from day one.  The solid partnership we have with Byker Community Trust and Newcastle City Council has been instrumental in the successful delivery of this scheme.’ 

The refurbishment work has already caught the attention of judges by being shortlisted in a number of regional awards.  The Byker Wall project has been shortlisted in the Residential, Building Conservation and Infrastructure categories of the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) awards and the Excellence in Contractor Engagement category of the Tenant Participation Advisory Service (TPAS) Northern awards.

The BCT owns over 1,800 homes on the Byker Estate and has already committed over £22.5 million on the Estate with further improvements expected to be delivered in the next five years.

View the press release

Tourist areas at Windsor Castle and the Palace of Holyroodhouse are to undergo a £37m revamp, the Royal Collection has announced, with a new cafe to be built in the medieval undercroft at Windsor Castle in Berkshire as part of a £27m project with the remainder going towards the redevelopment of outside space at Holyroodhouse in Edinburgh.

BBC news

Guardian article

A new resource for measuring the social value created through construction has been launched as Building Social Value (BSV), developed by the Considerate Constructors Scheme, will provide the means for a third party to evaluate the social value produced by construction sites.

The scheme entails monitors from the Scheme visiting building sites and recording the social value created using the Social Value Monitoring Checklist, from which they will then write up a BSV report based on their findings.

The initiative arises from the terms of the Social Value Act 2013 which requires industry actors to focus on how they create social value.

read more….

A new survey has been launched by University College London and Historic England, aiming to find out more about theft of heritage in buildings which are open to the public, including places of worship.

NHTG writes:
A survey on the theft of cultural property from inside listed or scheduled buildings open to the public has just been launched. This is a joint research being undertaken by the Department of Security and Crime Science University College London in partnership with Historic England. The aim is to explore the extent, patterns and perceptions of theft of cultural property from inside listed or scheduled buildings that are freely open to the public. This includes places of worship so please take the time to answer the questions about your local listed church especially if it is one you help care for.

Heritage crime is defined as ‘any offence which harms the value of England’s heritage assets and their settings to this and future generations’ (English Heritage, 2011). It can refer to a wide range of criminal offences including the unauthorised alteration of listed buildings, illegal metal detecting, theft of historic stone and metal, and criminal damage. The harms associated with heritage crimes can be far-reaching and irreparable. In recent years heritage crime has attracted greater public and political attention, likely owing to several high profile offences. This is encouraging. However, due to a lack of reliable data there is still much we don’t know about the prevalence and patterns of heritage crime, as well as effective measures to reduce heritage crime and the harms it generates.

View the news release

Answer the survey

The Hudson’s Heritage Awards are now open for entries, and offer an opportunity for historic building attractions and venues to showcase their innovation over ten categories, with a closing date of 30 September.

The categories are as follows:

• Best Family Day Out
• Best Eating Out
• Best Shopping
• Best Accommodation
• Best Loos
• Best New Discovery
• Best Innovation
• Best Wedding Venue
• Best Exhibition of Event
• Best Hidden Gem

View more information on the awards and how to enter

IHBC Awards etc

The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) has been carrying out work to its 349th property in care, a Grade II* listed church in Rutland and a Grade I listed property in Leicestershire. 

The Churches Conservation Trust (CCT) writes:
Two medieval churches in the East Midlands join The Churches

Conservation Trust today, becoming the 348th and 349th churches in our care.

A special event tomorrow (15th April) at St Mary’s Church at Freeby in Leicestershire will welcome the church to the Trust and celebrate the completion of conservation work on the Grade I listed church, which has been carried out by The Churches Conservation Trust in partnership with Historic England at a cost of more than £450,000. The event will also mark Grade II* listed St Botolph’s at Wardley in Rutland coming into our care, and feature information about this charming church.

St Mary’s dates from the early 14th century, with a 15th century clerestory and tower. A new north aisle roof was installed in 1841, and the church was restored in 1893-4. The church is also home to a maternity roost for Natterer’s bats and conservation works have had to take these precious creatures into consideration.  In the 1980s the church was considered for closure, and it was closed in 2001, on safety grounds due to structural movement and cracking. Following completion of conservation works, the church will now be available for community events and visits.

Fifteen miles away to the south, St Botolph’s at Wardley is known for its south doorway – dating from c. 1175 – and its early 13th century nave and 14th century tower. Conservation works will take place at St Botolph’s over the next few months.

View the press release

The new Housing and Planning Bill proposes a radical move to permitting development through ‘Permission in Principle’ (PiP) on identified brownfield  sites or others identified in the development plan.

Concerns over the lack of design control this will bring have been raised by many including the Place Alliance which warns “It raises the big question, how will design and place quality be guaranteed through this new system? It is only by delivering high quality new homes and places that the vital support of communities will be guaranteed for the new housing the nation clearly needs.”

The Bill itself  makes provision for a new process of ‘Technical details consent’ to be determined in accordance with PiP. The technical details along with the Permission in Principle will form the planning permission. It is proposed that design would be one of the matters for consideration at the technical details stage.

To guide and capitalise on this the Place Alliance is advocating the production of a simple ‘Coordinating code’ for each allocated site.  It says “Design codes are tools that establish the key urban design parameters for a site with a particular focus on making the place, but without the requirement for a detailed masterplan. Their use is encouraged in para. 59 of the NPPF. Coordinating codes would be slimmed down simple codes that, on a single sheet, establish the critical principles for making the place.”

Describing how Codes might be structured and what might be included in the Codes Place Alliance writes:
Stemming from debates at Big Meet 4 (last October), supporters of Place Alliance have had considerable concerns over what the proposed new provisions would mean for the important role of the planning system in place-making. Place Alliance has therefore:

• Jointly hosed, with Urban Design London, a seminar on the issues which attracted around 100 delegates to debate Permission in Principle
• Raised issues through its evidence to the House of Lords Select Committee on the Built Environment that were subsequently included in its recommendations
• Engaged in direct discussions with DCLG over these concerns.
• Prepared proposed amendments to the Housing and Planning Bill that were subsequently tabled by Baroness Whitaker and Lord Best in the House of Lords.

Given that Permission in Principle will soon be on the statute books, and despite continuing reservations by many, Place Alliance has sought to pragmatically investigate how the new provisions might be used positively to achieve both the Government’s aim of greater certainly in the planning process, whilst still enabling the proper consideration of design and other qualitative concerns through the planning system.

The proposed solution is the use of ‘coordinating codes’ alongside the grant of Permission in Principle. This is explained alongside a worked example prepared jointly with Studio REAL in the attached document. We soon hope to be in a position to trial and refine the method.

Responding in Parliament to proposed amendments to the Permission in Principle clauses of the Housing and Planning Bill, the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government announced that such codes could be used alongside and referred to in Permission in Principle. Given the significance of such designation and the minimal amount of time and resources required to prepare coordinating codes, we argue that their preparation should be mandatory for all sites given Permission in Principle.

We would urge all supporters argue likewise.

Post your responses by Friday 15th April. (Survey now closed 16/04/2016)

Place Alliance is a movement for place quality and brings together organisations, including IHBC, and individuals who share the belief that the quality of our built environment has a profound influence on people’s lives.

With the forthcoming National Assembly for Wales, Scottish Parliament and Northern Ireland Assembly elections, as well as city Mayoral elections, many ‘calls for action’ have been issued relating to heritage, the built environment and conservation, so IHBC NewsBlogs service has compiled a selection of these manifestos for information, and please let us know if you are aware of others so we can add these to the NewsBlog.

Wales

• RTPI ‘asks’ for the National Assembly for Wales
• RTPI compilation of party manifestos
• Wales ‘Building 4 The Future’ RICS
• CPRW standing up for rural Wales

London Mayoral Elections

• RTPI London Mayoral Election Series events
• RTPI London priorities for the new mayor
• RTPI London Mayoral party candidates debates
• RICS Vision for London
• Centre for Cities blog on mayoral elections

Bristol Mayoral Elections

• Bristol 24/7 videos and summary of candidates

Northern Ireland

• RTPI Northern Ireland ‘Planning Asks’
• Northern Ireland Built Environment Debate
• RICS ‘Building 4 Growth’

Scotland

• National Trust for Scotland-  A better Scotland, for all of Scotland
• SURF’s 2016 Manifesto for Community Regeneration
• ‘Culture Counts’ political asks
• RTPI Planning in the Next Parliament
• RICS Manifesto for 2016 (including links to all parties manifestos)

email NewsBlog@ihbc.org.uk

The next All Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Civic Societies is to be held on 19 April, with the theme concentrating on World War 1 (WW1) commemoration and the role that communities can play in protecting heritage.

View the news release

Register for the event

The National Audit Office (NAO) has completed an investigation into the Green Deal, concluding that it did not achieve value for money. 

The National Audit Office writes:
The National Audit Office yesterday concluded that the Department of Energy and Climate Change’s (DECC) Green Deal has not achieved value for money. The scheme, which cost taxpayers £240 million including grants to stimulate demand, has not generated additional energy savings. This is because DECC’s design and implementation did not persuade householders that energy efficiency measures are worth paying for.

The NAO report Green Deal and Energy Company Obligation also found that DECC’s design of its Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme to support the Green Deal added to energy suppliers’ costs of meeting their obligations. This reduced the value for money of ECO, but the Department’s information is not detailed enough to conclude by how much. Suppliers have met their obligations for saving carbon dioxide (CO2) and reducing bills.

The report finds that while the Department achieved its target to improve 1 million homes with the schemes, this is not a direct indicator of progress against the objective of reducing carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This is because different types of energy-efficiency measures save different amounts of CO2.  The schemes have saved substantially less CO2 than previous supplier obligations, mainly because of the Department’s initial focus on ‘harder-to-treat’ homes, as its analysis showed that previous schemes had absorbed demand for cheaper measures. The Department expects the measures installed through ECO up to 31 December 2015 to generate 24 megatonnes of carbon dioxide (MtCO2) savings over their lifetime, only around 30% of what the predecessor schemes achieved over similar timescales.

Demand for Green Deal finance has fallen well below the government’s expectations, with households only funding 1% of the measures installed through the schemes with a Green Deal loan. The schemes have not improved as many solid-walled homes, a key type of ‘harder-to-treat’ homes, as the Department initially planned. As part of changes to ECO in 2014, the Department enabled suppliers to achieve their obligations with cheaper measures, moving away from its focus on harder-to-treat properties. ECO has generated £6.2 billion of notional lifetime bill savings to 31 December 2015 in homes most likely to be occupied by fuel poor people. Beyond this, the Department cannot measure the impact of the schemes on fuel poverty.

There are significant gaps in the Department’s information on costs, which means it is unable to measure progress towards two of its objectives: to increase the efficiency with which suppliers improve the energy efficiency of ‘harder-to-treat’ houses, and to stimulate private investment. The lack of consistency in the government’s approach during the schemes could increase the long-term costs of improving household energy efficiency.

In the NAO’s accompanying investigation into DECC’s loans to the Green Deal Finance Company, also published today, it found that the Department expects that it will not recover its £25 million stakeholder loan to the finance company, plus £6 million of interest that has accrued on it. The Department based its stakeholder loan on forecasts of significant consumer demand for Green Deal loans. But demand for Green Deal finance was lower than the Department forecast from the outset, meaning the finance company could not cover its operating costs. The Department agreed a second loan worth up to £34 million in October 2014, of which the finance company has drawn down £23.5 million. The Department still expects to recover this loan in full as it will be repaid before other investors in the finance company.

Amyas Morse, Head of the National Audit Office, said: ‘Improving household energy efficiency is central to government achieving its aims of providing taxpayers with secure, affordable and sustainable energy. The Department of Energy and Climate Change’s ambitious aim to encourage households to pay for measures looked good on paper, as it would have reduced the financial burden of improvements on all energy consumers. But in practice, its Green Deal design not only failed to deliver any meaningful benefit, it increased suppliers’ costs – and therefore energy bills – in meeting their obligations through the ECO scheme. The Department now needs to be more realistic about consumers’ and suppliers’ motivations when designing schemes in future to ensure it achieves its aims.’

View the press release

View the report

IHBC NewsBlogs on Green Deal

Arts Council England has released a call to action for local authorities to work with them to protect the role of culture in communities. 

The New Local Government Network writes:
Sir Peter Bazalgette urged local authorities to work with the Arts Council to back local arts and culture in a speech today at the New Local Government Network Hub in London.

Addressing local authorities and members from local councils from across the country, the Arts Council ‘s Chair said: ‘We know you are under pressure. Let’s work together to develop new, creative and innovative solutions to sustain the vital cultural life of our communities. We’re in, if you’re in’.

He also remarked on the positive settlement for national arts funding in the Autumn Statement and the launch of the government’s White Paper for culture – the first of its kind for more than 50 years, which ‘reaffirms the importance of local authority funding in the national arts ecology.’

During the event he stated that ‘local authority budgets are under unprecedented pressure. In some areas significant cuts are being made to museums, libraries and the arts. We know that local authorities will be asked to find even more substantial savings in the years to come. It’s the biggest challenge arts and culture face at the moment’.

Also unveiled at the event was a new report by NLGN and the Arts Council, Funding Arts and Culture in an Age of Austerity. While local authorities are still the biggest funders of arts and culture in England, the report sets out the scale of the funding decline:

• Local authority investment in arts/culture has declined by £236 million, 17% since 2010.
• While English local government still spent £1.2 billion on arts and culture in 2014/15, the cuts remain significant and are likely to continue.
• London boroughs saw the largest cuts in arts and culture spending; 19 per cent between 2010 and 2015.

In setting the scene, Bazalgette noted that many local authorities are already finding new ways to sustain arts and culture. Examples included partnerships with Higher Education institutions such as in Durham where the university is hosting an exhibition from the former Durham Light Museum’s collection. In other instances, local authorities are seeking new funding streams. Kent County Council has recently developed an innovative approach to procurement, whereby potential applicants for multi-million pound waste contracts are encouraged to consider how they can support arts and culture to deliver social value, opening up income streams for artists, and helping them find new ways to contribute to local life.

He reiterated that ‘while the Arts Council cannot replace all the funding lost from local authorities’, the organisation is already working in partnership with over 240 local authorities to help support them in sustaining arts and culture in their area in sharing ideas and best practice.

The Arts Council will also ‘continue to deploy funds in dynamic and imaginitive ways’, with examples including programmes such as Creative People and Places which invests in places with low levels of arts engagement such as Blackpool, South Tyneside and Nottinghamshire and the Creative Local growth Fund which brings together Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) and other strategic bodies to support small and medium-sized enterprises in the creative and cultural sectors to grow and become more resilient.

He said that the Arts Council ‘will continue its drive to create a better balance of spending between London and the rest of England. Historically, 60% of Lottery funding was distributed outside London, and 40% within the capital. In 2015 this had shifted to 70% outside London and 30% inside. And in the next two years, we’re promising to push this to 75% and 25%. We are committed to continuing this trend with our Grant in Aid funding where currently 60% is invested outside the capital.’

Sir Peter Bazalgette added: ’When you add up the annual, national and local government spend on arts, museums and libraries, it comes to £3 billion. This is, of course, a substantial investment. But, as we’ve seen, the bit that’s really looking challenged is the contrbution of local authorities.  While the Arts Council cannot change the economics of local government or bridge the funding gaps, we can, as a national development agency, use our own relationships to broker new partnerships. We can focus specific funding on particular areas of need; we can invest in the best ideas. We can get the message out there that there are ways forward that can make a difference.’

Simon Parker, Director of New Local Government Network said: ’There is no industry better placed than the arts and culture to help councils think creatively. While there are no magic bullets that can replace funding cuts, we have seen councils and arts and culture organisations investing time and energy in finding ways to keep this vital sector going at a local level. We will continue to look at how we can support them in thinking about creative ways to do so.

View the press release

View the report

Beamish Museum’s plans to build a 1950s Town, Georgian coaching inn and a replica of a Weardale Farm have been approved by Durham County Council’s Planning Committee as the £17million expansion hopes to draw in an extra 100,000 visitors to the region and see the museum offer overnight stays.

Beamish Museum writes:
Richard Evans, Beamish Museum Director, said: ‘We’re really delighted with the news that our exciting development plans for Beamish over the next four years now have planning approval – it is a real milestone in the 45 year history of the region’s living museum.  The decision by Durham County Council was unanimous and it is great to see the important economic and social value of Beamish being recognised and supported so clearly.  This is the single largest project ever undertaken at Beamish. It will enable us to create a range of new exhibits for visitors to enjoy across the museum site, offering people new ways to experience the history of the North East.  We will continue to focus on what makes Beamish the special place that it is – using our collections to tell the story of everyday life in our region through time. By 2020 we hope to welcome some 750,000 people every year – including nearly 400,000 tourists from outside the region, which will have a huge impact on the economy in many communities.’

‘We will also create around 95 new jobs and 50 apprentices at the museum – meaning we should be employing around 500 people by the end of this decade.’

‘These are certainly exciting times for Beamish – we aim to start construction work at the end of this year – and we hope people will enjoy seeing all the new additions as they are being built.’

Beamish is working with communities across the North East on this amazing project and has received initial support for a £10.75million Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) grant.

The 1950s Town plans include a cinema, houses, a cafe and aged miners’ homes which will provide a centre for people living with dementia, their families and carers.

Beamish news

The Herald has reported on an update regarding the category A listed building in Glasgow allegedly demolished without approval. 

View the Herald Article ‘Historic A-listed home in Glasgow’s west end was ‘taken down by hand’, new report reveals’

A new DCLG programme for housing and businesses is designed to bring forwards up to 10,000 homes and areas of town centre regeneration. 

DCLG writes:
A massive programme of development of railway stations and surrounding land will deliver thousands of new homes and jobs and significantly boost local growth.

• Up to 10,000 homes to be built around rail stations
• Three local authorities come forward with ambitious proposals for first sites
• Regeneration of sites will revitalise town centres

A massive programme of development of railway stations and surrounding land will deliver thousands of new homes and jobs and significantly boost local growth, the Communities Secretary announced yesterday (10 April 2016).

A new agreement between Network Rail and the Homes and Communities Agency will see them working with local councils to trailblaze development opportunities across England’s railway stations for housing and businesses.  The ambitious initiative could deliver up to 10,000 new properties on sites around stations in the coming years. Government wants to hear from at least 20 local authorities to take the scheme forward.

York, Taunton and Swindon councils have come forward with proposals to spearhead the new initiative and have identified railway sites that could be pooled to deliver housing and other locally-led regeneration.

Drawing on the example set by the transformation of Birmingham New Street, Manchester Victoria and London Kings Cross, government will bring together high-calibre technical expertise and local knowledge to increase development opportunities that exist throughout the entire rail estate.

Communities Secretary Greg Clark said:  We’re determined to fire up communities and back local business so they build much needed housing and create thousands of jobs. Rail stations are a hub of communities, connectivity and commerce and should be making the most of their unique potential to attract investment and opportunities.  With record numbers of people travelling by train, it makes sense to bring people closer to stations and develop sites that have space for thousands of new homes and offices.  This new initiative will bring about a step change in development and ensure we go further and faster in putting these rail sites to good use.

Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin said:  We are delivering the biggest programme of rail improvements since the Victorian age and have seen the transformation of stations such as Birmingham New Street, Manchester Victoria and London Kings Cross.  As a one nation government we are determined to ensure further opportunities are grasped to put stations at the heart of wider community regeneration. This will help deliver thousands of new homes and jobs and deliver a substantial return to the taxpayer.  I’m pleased to see that exciting visions for regeneration at Swindon, Taunton and York are being developed, with the potential for hundreds of additional homes and new businesses. I look forward to seeing how Network Rail and the Homes and Communities Agency’s excellent work on these projects develop.

Local areas are best placed to understand and identify the opportunities that exist within their communities. The Homes and Communities Agency and Network Rail will now work with councils on the opportunities they see and any plans already in place to explore how government can support them to deliver locally-led regeneration and development schemes quickly.  The government has ensured housing and home ownership is a key part of its long-term economic plan and is making available significant investment for new housing including £3 billion for developers to bring forward schemes and £1.2 billion Starter Homes Fund.

The first places to come forward with ambitious proposals to regenerate around stations are:

• York, North Yorkshire- Proposals suggest that land at York Central station can support up to 2,500 homes. Housing would be key to creating a sustainable new community and would include Starter Homes and community facilities. Around 100,000m2 of office and commercial space for private sector firms could also support more than 6,600 jobs in industries such as professional services. Housing and office regeneration around the station could add £1.16billion to the local economy.
• Taunton, Somerset- Regeneration at Taunton station could provide a significant increase in commercial spaces and homes in an underused site on the edge of the town centre. Remodelling of the station layout and car park, supported by the Local Growth Fund would complement this development. This would create a vibrant gateway to the town and strong links to the town centre. This would provide a significant boost to the local economy of one of the South West’s key urban centres, and provide significant residential and commercial growth.
• Swindon, Wiltshire- The area around Swindon station could provide opportunities to boost housing in the town by creating homes and commercial opportunities taking advantage of the benefits brought by the Great Western Electrification Programme. Swindon has ambitious plans for the regeneration of its town centre and also the revitalisation of leisure opportunities to the north of the station. The redevelopment of land around the station would help to maximise and enhance these opportunities.

View the press release

IHBC newsblogs on funding

IHBC newsblogs on railway architecture

The 2016 amendments of Part L building regulations for England have been released, including information on works affecting buildings of historic interest.

DCLG writes:
This current edition covers the energy efficiency requirements of the building regulations as set out in Part L of Schedule 1 to the Building Regulations and in a number of specific building regulations. Technical guidance is contained in 4 Part L Approved Documents and 2 building services compliance guides.

View the documents

View all approved documents

One of the south coast’s most famous landmarks, Brighton Pier, is being sold for £18m, the BBC writes, as Eclectic Bar Group, chaired by former Pizza Express entrepreneur Luke Johnson, is set to buy the Grade II* listed structure by entering into a conditional agreement to buy Brighton Marine Palace and Pier Company.

BBC news

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) have noted that almost 1500 public houses have now been registered as an asset of community value (ACV). 

The Campaign for Real Ale (CAMRA) writes:
A year to the day since new powers were introduced to protect pubs, the number registered as Assets of Community Value (ACV) is soaring, according to the latest figures from CAMRA, the Campaign for Real Ale. Almost 1,500 are now registered and 300 have been added so far this year.  With 27 pubs closing every week, community groups have been coming together to save their beloved pubs by nominating them as ACVs.

Last year the Government announced new protections for pubs listed as ACVs – ensuring that owners apply for planning permission should they want to change the use of the building. Since this announcement, nearly 1,500 community groups across England have come together to list their local and protect them from redevelopment.

Prior to the scheme, nominated pubs were vulnerable to closing their doors forever with no planning protection in place. There were only 600 pubs nominated across the country in April 2015.

CAMRA’s Chief Executive Tim Page said: ‘It is fantastic to see so many community groups empowered to take action to save their beloved pub. It clear there is strong support for pubs across the country and many passionate campaigners willing to come together to save their local.  However, with 27 pubs closing every week there is still more work to be done. Many pubs are still under threat of demolition or being converted to another use by large developers. Registering a pub as an ACV is the first step to saving it from this fate. We would like to see more community groups come together to save their local and for the Government extend planning permission to all pubs, regardless of ACV status.’

CAMRA branches and community groups would like to see 3,000 of Britain’s best pubs listed as ACVs by the end of this year, which will help stem the number of pub closures.

Community Pubs Minister Marcus Jones added: ‘The Great British pub is a national treasure. We brought in community rights to allow people to list the local landmarks most important to their communities – allowing them a fair chance to bid for them should they be put up for sale. To date nearly 1,500 pubs have been listed across the country, safeguarding these much loved establishments for generations to come.’

View the press release and links to cases discussed

There are five categories of Historic England Heritage Angel awards to enter this year, and entries are open until 3 July. 

Historic England writes:
There are five award categories to apply for in 2016:

• Best community action project
• Best contribution to a heritage project by young people
• Best research project
• Best rescue of a heritage site
• Outstanding contribution to heritage

You can apply yourself, or you can nominate another person or group for an award. Just follow the steps below:

1. Check the eligibilityof the person or group you’re applying for
2. Read the award criteria, so you know what our judges are looking for
3. Check you’re happy to sign up to theterms and conditions
4. Complete and email your application form to us by midnight Sunday 3 July

Good luck!

Historic England will be in touch in August to let you know if you’ve been shortlisted. We’ll discuss what happens next with shortlisted applicants and share details of the awards ceremony.

If you’ve been nominated for an award, we’ll contact you by mid-August with details of the application to check that you are happy to be included in the competition. We’ll also ask you to agree to the terms and conditions of the competition.

Find out more about the awards and how to enter

IHBC Awards etc