IHBC NewsBlogs

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) has released new analysis to explore the data contained in the Atlas of Tourism in further detail.

ONS writes:
The purpose of this analysis is to assess the possibility of grouping areas (county and unitary authority level) that have similar tourism characteristics to determine if it is feasible to construct a spatial classification based on these characteristics. The ultimate aim is to test a methodology (using data from the Atlas of Tourism) which aims to provide a useful tool for policy makers in identifying areas that share similar characteristics in terms of tourism.

The key findings are:

• Analysis on variables in the Atlas of Tourism produced 5 distinct groupings of counties and unitary authorities based upon similarities in their tourism characteristics.
• Two groups, comprising of 31 geographical areas, have been classified as areas where tourism visits for holiday purposes are important, referred to as ‘holiday hotspots’.

Key characteristics of ‘holiday hotspots’ are: higher proportions of jobs in accommodation for visitors, higher percentages of main jobs in tourism and tourism enterprises and higher percentages of inbound trips for a holiday purpose

See the new analysis

See the Atlas of Tourism

The urban landscape has been a hotbed of innovation around smart cities and the Internet of Things, and there has been no shortage of new technologies emerging in this field over the last few years, while one such example has been the Open Planning project, which is a collaboration between the University of Liverpool, Liverpool City Council, Liverpool Vision, Lancaster University and the SMEs Stardotstar and Red Ninja.

The project was recently chosen as a best practice project by the All-Party Parliamentary Design and Innovation Group.

It is designed to allow users to have instant access to all of the latest planning issues and updates in any area of their choosing.  What’s more, the app is open to both commercial and domestic users.

Professor Koeck said: ‘It’s most likely that the app would be issued by the local authority, in our case Liverpool City Council, and downloaded from an app store. As you walk through the city you would get notifications about any planning applications ongoing in that area.

‘You would then be provided with clear information and a link to the local authority’s planning portal, where all the information about the planning application is already held.

‘At the moment, you are relying on an on-street notification – something attached to a lamp-post for example – and the chances are that a lot of people are missing out on this information.

‘The advantage of this new approach is that you can pin point an area, say a radius around your home, and if a planning application comes up, whether commercial or domestic, you would be notified and be able to comment.

The app is capable of providing its information in a range of media, including audio and video.  There has already been a prototype developed with Liverpool City Council, and the next stage is to pilot the scheme amongst a larger audience 

Find out more from The Creative Exchange website

A new publication has been launched by the Visitor Safety in the Countryside Group (VSCG) on responsible management of visitor sites, including inputs from Cadw, Historic England, Historic Environment Scotland, The Historic Houses Association and other built and natural heritage agencies. 

The Visitor Safety in the Countryside Group writes:

• How do we balance the benefits and risks experienced by visitors to heritage properties?
• What techniques can we use to minimise the risks without damaging historic landscapes and buildings?
• How do we meet our responsibilities without taking away people’s sense of freedom and adventure?
• To what extent should we encourage access to properties that have outstanding heritage asset value?

Members of the Visitor Safety in the Countryside Group (VSCG) have long experience of managing a wide range of heritage properties receiving millions of visitors each year.  The VSCG has just published a brand new publication Managing Visitor Safety in the Historic Built Environment ~ principles & practice.  It is a companion volume to Managing Visitor Safety in the Countryside, now in its third edition, with sales over 4,000. 

The new publication will help anyone who invites or allows members of the public to:

• castles, cathedrals and churches
• stately homes, landscape gardens and estates
• bridges and aqueducts
• parks, follies and earthworks
• industrial heritage sites
• visitor centres in historic places

The opening section of the book lays out the guiding principles that give managers the confidence to make decisions when balancing risk with benefits. It then shows you how to set about it in practice, with chapters on planning & organising and risk assessment. There are supporting chapters covering:

• the role of information & education in risk control
• incident reporting & investigation
• emergency planning & procedures
• the law & visitor safety.

The brand new publication Managing Visitor Safety in the Historic Built Environment is endorsed by the Health and Safety Executive.  ‘HSE supports the VSCG’s commitment to promoting a sensible and proportionate approach to managing visitor safety in the historic built environment.  This guidance provides a valuable framework for managing risks to visitors which is sensitive to the historic value of the properties and landscape and does not unduly restrict public access.’ 

Copies can be purchased from York Publishing Services, price £15 (plus postage and packing). Discounts at 10% apply to purchases of 20 or over, and 20% for 50 or over. ISBN 978 0 9569844 1 8

View the press release and more information on how to purchase the publication

Applications to the £25 million package for roof and gutter repairs to listed places of worship is now open, with a deadline of 26 February. 

The Church of England writes:
The second round of the Listed Places of Worship Roof Repair Fund opens to applications today. Applications will be accepted for 12 weeks, with a deadline of Friday, 26 February 2016. The Chancellor made the welcome announcement in his Autumn Statement last week that the full £25 million pledged for the Fund in the 2015 Budget in March will remain in place. It is anticipated that awards will be allocated in early summer 2016.

Applications for grants between £10,000 and £100,000 will be accepted from listed places of worship across the UK, where roof and rainwater goods repairs are deemed to be urgent. Works must have been identified by a professional architect or surveyor as necessary within two years. Both unsuccessful applicants under the initial scheme and new applicants will be able to apply, provided that they meet the current criteria.

The Fund is being administered by a dedicated team appointed by the National Heritage Memorial Fund. Contact details for the team and the full guidance documents are available on the website: www.lpowroof.org.uk. ChurchCare will also be providing support and guidance centrally to dioceses and to parishes interested in applying.

The Rt Hon Canon Sir Tony Baldry, Chair of the Church Buildings Council, said, ‘I encourage all parishes that are eligible to submit an application. The process of applying has been kept simple and, for those that are successful, the benefits of making the church building watertight are immeasurable. This is not only about securing our historic buildings against damage, but about allowing worship to continue and about enabling parishes to think about the potential for extending use of their buildings to the wider community. The anecdotes we have heard from successful applicants in the first round clearly show how the grants have energised and revitalised parishes.’

Earlier this year, nearly 400 Church of England parishes were offered grants in the first round of awards from the Roof Repair Fund. These grants came out of total funding package of £30 million, distributed between 502 listed places of worship.

View the press release and more information on how to apply

CofE news

IHBC NewsBlogs on funding

It is not every day that a new access bridge is proposed for an iconic scheduled ancient monument on a dramatic coastline – especially when the heritage sector as a whole faces such financial pressures – but English Heritage (EH) has revealed the six shortlisted designs from 137 entries worldwide concerning a new bridge to Tintagel Castle on the north Cornwall coast.

English Heritage writes:
Concept designs from the six teams competing to design a new footbridge at Tintagel Castle were today (Thursday 3 December 2015) unveiled by English Heritage. The designs will go on display in Tintagel village from tomorrow and English Heritage is asking the public for their thoughts on the different approaches.

Tintagel Castle on the north Cornwall coast is one of the most spectacular historic sites in Britain and inextricably linked to the legend of King Arthur. Today the remains of the 13th century settlement can be seen on both the mainland and jagged headland projecting into the sea, but Tintagel’s divided landscapes were once united by a narrow strip of land.

English Heritage plans to build a new footbridge at Tintagel Castle, a bridge that will follow the path of the original crossing between the mainland and headland. The bridge will help visitors to better understand the site’s history and will also improve access to the island, reducing the visitor bottlenecks sometimes experienced during the busiest summer months, and help to protect and conserve the landscape. The final bridge will be rooted in the unique sense of place at Tintagel and sensitively balanced with the landscape and exceptional surroundings.

Earlier this year, English Heritage launched a competition – organised by Malcolm Reading Consultants – to find the best architectural and engineering team to design the new footbridge. In total 137 applications were received from 27 different countries. Six teams were shortlisted and now for the first time, it is possible to get a sense of the different approaches each finalist would take. The designs presented are concept designs by the six finalists – they are not the final designs.

English Heritage wants to get the public’s views and their comments will be fed through to the expert panel of judges who will decide on the winner in the New Year.

Kate Mavor, English Heritage’s Chief Executive, said: ‘We are looking for the most talented team of architects and engineers to design something special for Tintagel Castle. These concept designs help us to visualise each team’s approach and how the bridge would complement Tintagel’s exceptional landscape and rich heritage.  We want to keep the public updated at every stage of this very exciting project which is why we’ve organised this display. Seeing the concept designs is a particularly fascinating stage and we’re looking forward to hearing people’s comments.’

Graham Morrison, chair of the jury, said: ‘Here are six very different and clear ideas, all beautifully presented; we are delighted with the response to the brief. Any of these teams is capable of making a worthy addition to the setting. The jury is very much looking forward to the detailed assessment process and, ultimately, selecting a winner.’

Malcolm Reading, architect and competition organiser, said: ‘Designing a bridge for such a challenging environment is a daunting test but these proposals haven’t compromised – they show a love of materials and engineering panache. The structure needs to say it all in a glance but it must also prove satisfying to use, economically-sound, practical to build, and have a healthy life-span.’

The final bridge will be subject to a number of consents and regulatory approvals, including planning permission and Scheduled Ancient Monument Consent. It is planned for completion in 2019.

The concept designs by the six competition finalists will be on display in the Tourist Information Centre in Tintagel village from 4 December until 11 December, 11am to 6pm. The public are invited to comment either at the exhibition or by email to tintagel.bridge@english-heritage.org.uk

The following six architectural and engineering teams are shortlisted for the competition:

• Dietmar Feichtinger Architectes with Terrell (France)
• Marks Barfield Architects with Flint and Neill (UK)
• Ney & Partners with William Matthews Associates (Belgium)
• Niall McLaughlin Architects with Price and Myers (UK)
• RFR and Jean-François Blassel Architecte, with Engineers HRW, and WSP (France)
• WilkinsonEyre with Atelier One (UK)

The competition jury includes: Graham Morrison (chair), founding Partner, Allies and Morrison; the Reverend Peter Beacham OBE, former English Heritage Protection Director and author; Ben Bolgar, Senior Design Director, The Prince’s Foundation; Sir Barrington Cunliffe CBE, Emeritus Professor of European Archaeology, University of Oxford; Anna Eavis, Curatorial Director, English Heritage; Philip Marsden, award-winning author of Rising Ground (2014) and The Levelling Sea (2011); Roger Ridsdill Smith, Senior Partner and Structural Engineer, Foster+Partners; Tracey Wahdan, Historic Properties Director, English Heritage and Kim Wilkie, Landscape Architect.  Malcolm Reading will advise the jury.

For more information and to view the concept designs, visit the competition website

View the press release

Do you have innovative ideas on how development economics could work in planning?  This years RTPI essay prize relates to innovation economics in planning, and offers a £1000 cash prize for the winner with a closing date for entries is 19 February. 

The RTPI writes:
The RTPI Essay Prize is the Institute’s competition for original and insightful writing that helps to develop new thinking in planning and related issues, and so advance our understanding of the art and science of town and country planning in the public interest. The Prize reflects the Institute’s status as a learned society, in addition to its role as a membership organisation, Chartered Institute and charity. 

This year’s subject is: ‘Developing an innovation economics for planning’.  Entrants are asked to explore the possibilities of an ‘innovation economics for planning’ – that is, a stronger economic understanding of how, as a state-led activity, planning can help to stimulate and coordinate investments that contribute to entrepreneurship and innovation, and the subsequent value this can create for society.

The closing date for entries is 19th February 2016.  The winning entry will receive £1,000. Commended entries will receive £500 each.  Entries should be no longer than 5,000 words.  We particularly encourage entries from postgraduate students and early career researchers.

Find other awards and opportunities at IHBC Awards Etc

More information on the essay competition and prize

3.4 million people from across Great Britain discovered the joys of Heritage Open Days this year, with 2 million visitors sampling the four-day festival for the first time as evaluation of the 2015 events show satisfaction was up on last year’s rates, with an overwhelming 97% of visitors and 93% of volunteers enjoying their experiences, while 85% of visitors reported feeling happier as a result. 

Heritage Open Days writes:
For the first time, Heritage Open Days was also able to put a figure on the impact a visit can have on individuals’ wellbeing. 85% visitors saw their wellbeing enhanced as the festival either helped them to relax (78%), keep active and healthy (71%) or made them feel better about themselves (64%).

In a similar vein, the 2015 festival demonstrated that participation in Heritage Open Days can change people’s perceptions and behaviours. Following their visit, eight out of ten people felt inspired to explore their local area, while an even larger percentage experienced a greater connection with their historic environment (83%) or an increased pride in their area (85%). With half of all visitors attending heritage sites rarely or not at all before their Heritage Open Days encounter, local cultural venues and organisations can take heart from the fact that 85% felt encouraged to visit other attractions in the future.\

For the first time, Heritage Open Days assessed the festival’s economic impact. In total, Heritage Open Days is estimated to be worth a minimum of £15 million to local economies.  With admission to every single one of the 4,855 events in the festival free of charge, an estimated £9 million was spent on food, shopping, travel or accommodation as part of people’s trip to the local area, supplemented by a further £7 million of secondary spend on refreshments, souvenirs or books at individual events.

Katja Condy, Heritage Open Days Manager, said: ‘Participating in Heritage Open Days makes a real difference to both individuals visiting and communities hosting an event. This is largely due to the wonderful work of the 48,000 local organiser and volunteers who make this grassroots festival happen. Volunteers spent over half a million hours on opening up places to the public, sharing their expertise with passion and panache and making Heritage Open Days a truly transformative experience.’

See ‘at a glance info’

Heritage Open Days news

The Heritage Update on the Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) is now available.

Heritage Update writes:
The Chancellor invited all Departments to model savings between 25 and 40%. Given the £27bn windfall, the cuts announced on 25 November were less drastic than predicted. However headlines for the heritage sector include:

• DCMS will receive a 5% cut to its funding, which will fall internally.
• Historic England will receive a 10% cut over the next four years.
• The operational freedoms announced for national museums in 2013 will be made permanent and extended to other bodies including Historic England and the Churches Conservation Trust.
• Funding for national museums will remain at the current level until 2019-20 and free admission maintained.
• Arts Council England will receive a small cash increase of £10m a year for the next four years.
• The government will work with museums to explore the case for a new tax relief to support exhibitions
• Stable tourism budgets to 2020 (flat cash), plus a £40 million Discover England fund and increased investment in GREAT campaign
• VisitEngland & VisitBritain will be ‘brought closer together’ as organisations with merger talks.
• There will be deep cuts at the Department for Communities and Local Government which will make 29% savings over four years.  Its overall budget will decrease by £6.1bn over the period, from £11.5bn in 2015-16 to £5.4bn in 2019-20.
• There will be slight declines in budget for Wales (1.1%), Scotland and Northern Ireland (both 1.3%) 

The Heritage Alliance writes:
The Treasury’s acknowledgement that the UK is ‘brilliant at culture’ is very welcome together with the Chancellor’s illustration of the power of grants to lever in investment. This supports his previous sentence that a cut in the budget of such a small Department like DCMS is a false economy.

DCMS points out that the cut of 20% is in the administration budget while the overall cut to the DCMS resource budget is 5%, a good result in the context of the Spending Review.

Although arts, museums and sport are singled out for additional support, there was, however, little mention of heritage although the new £40 million Discover England Fund to boost tourism across England is a very positive investment together with the £1m for Hull’s UK City of Culture 2017 and to prepare for the next UK City of Culture.

Other welcome points were that Historic England and the Churches Conservation Trust will be given the same operational and financial freedoms as national museums to help these bodies to move towards greater financial self reliance and sustainability. The Government confirms its support to the new English Heritage charity. In DEFRA’s budget, the protection of funding for Areas of Outstanding National Beauty and National Parks is also good news.

Other measures in the Spending Review impinge on the condition of our heritage assets, notably the pressure on Local Authorities to reduce their property portfolios. The Spending Review will allow Local Authorities to retain 100% of receipts from sales to be used for improving local services. If this results in the rapid sale of town halls, libraries and other civic buildings, the Heritage Alliance will be working to ensure that disposal policies take account of the community value of these assets to avoid these buildings, many of them historic landmark buildings on the high street, being simply sold to the highest bidder and ending up empty or on the Heritage at Risk register. If the receipts were ploughed back into under-resourced historic environment services the overall principle would be more acceptable. Similar conditions should apply when central government departments release £4.5 billion worth of surplus land and property assets.

We were surprised that no further measures were made to boost philanthropic giving heritage but further information may lie in the promise of ‘tax reliefs for museums’. 

The Heritage Alliance website

The recent increase in proposals for tall landmark buildings has led to Historic England (HE) releasing new and updated guidance on the planning and design of tall buildings, as tall buildings continue to rise 

The guidance is issued as a London Standard article reports on plans for a 72-storey ‘Paddington Shard’ skyscraper above the train station, which produced an ‘unusually strongly worded response to the plans’ from Historic England, seen by the Standard.  There Nigel Barker, planning and conservation director for London at Historic England, said he had ‘very serious concerns’ about the impact on views, historic buildings and parks and that ‘A building of this scale in this location threatens harm, some of it substantial, to many designated heritage assets across a wide geographical area including listed buildings of all grades, registered historic parks and conservation areas.’ 

Of the new guidance, Historic England writes:
Historic England has published advice to guide the planning and design of tall buildings. The Government body (previously known as English Heritage) says that tall buildings should make a positive contribution to city life. But, in today’s advice it warns that tall buildings, by virtue of their size and widespread visibility, can seriously harm places. It goes on to say that England has seen many examples of tall buildings that have had a lasting, adverse impact on the historic environment. The guidance comes amid a surge in new applications for tall buildings, which need Historic England’s advice at the planning application stage.

Duncan Wilson, Chief Executive of Historic England, said: ‘There are many tall buildings being proposed at the moment, particularly in London, that could have a profound effect on the character of the place where people, work and live. The aim of the planning system is to deliver economic success whilst reinforcing local distinctiveness. We can do this if we all take real care to ensure that tall buildings are not just beautifully designed, but also in the right place. London’s historic environment is one of our greatest assets – culturally, socially and economically. It lies at the heart of London’s identity and distinctiveness, and its very success. It is at risk of being badly and irrevocably damaged.  We have updated our advice on planning for tall buildings so it reflects our recent experience and restates the commitment in national planning policy to protect the historic environment.’

The advice is a new edition (last published in 2007) reflecting the National Planning Policy Framework which recognises the importance of protecting the historic environment and the need for high-quality design, as well as a need for sustainable development.  Tall buildings can define the image and identity of towns and cities. They can represent the best of modern architecture and some have been listed as the best examples of their period. However, tall buildings can also harm the qualities that people value about a place by being poorly designed and by being in the wrong location.

Historic England recommends that the following steps are taken when planning for tall buildings:

• Assess appropriate locations for tall buildings in the local plan- Local plans provide an overall vision for a place and through consultation with the local community they identify which areas, if any, are appropriate for the development of tall buildings. These plans should also be drawn up with advice from relevant bodies such as Historic England so they maintain the protection of the historic environment and the qualities that make the area special. Local plans should identify appropriate locations for tall buildings after consultation with the local community and they should reflect national planning policy. In London, local authorities need to also take into account the policies in the London Plan and protected views.
• Use the local plan to take a managed approach to development- Tall buildings should reflect a positive, managed approach to development, rather than being the result of speculative applications for development. The advantages of including tall buildings policies in local plans include identifying the role and areas appropriate for tall buildings as part of an overall vision for a place and protecting the historic places that make an area special.
• Identify the elements that create local character- A successful urban design framework identifies the roles and characters of different areas, including their historic interest such as scale and height, landmark buildings and their settings, including important local views and panoramas.
• Discuss proposals before making a planning application- Before making a planning application it is good practice to discuss proposals with the local planning authority and other relevant parties such as Historic England in order to identify where the proposed building will be seen from, and which protected historic places might be affected.
• Consider the cumulative effect of other concurrent tall building proposals- Where a proposal is part of a cluster it should have a positive relationship within the cluster. We recommend the use of modelling and visuals to fully assess the impact of the proposed building on the surrounding area.
• Set high standards of design- Because of their scale, mass and likely longevity, tall buildings need to show exemplary design qualities. Good design takes the opportunity to improve the character and quality of an area and responds to local character and history.
• Give consideration to the building’s public space and facilities- It’s important to consider internal and external public space as part of a well-designed public realm. Consideration of the effect on the local environment is also important, such as overshadowing, light pollution and the micro-climate around the base of such buildings. Well-designed tall buildings provide an inclusive environment, taking opportunities to improve the accessibility and legibility of the wider townscape.

View the London Evening Standard Article ‘Heritage groups say ‘Paddington Shard’ plans will harm the area’

View Independent article ‘London’s new skyscrapers ‘inflict serious harm’ on capital’s historic landscape, heritage watchdog warns’

View the HE press release and download the guidance

The Conservation Plan for the City Walls in Derry Londonderry has been launched at the UNESCO conference, with a Prosperity Agreement with Londonderry Inner City Trust signed to promote best practice in business growth within the historic city, while the Environment Minister asks for more as he says: ‘We do not exploit our heritage nearly enough. Scotland for example, creates three times the income and twice the number of jobs we do from it.’

DoENI writes:
Environment Minister Mark H Durkan today opened a UNESCO Conference in Derry to exploit the economic potential of the historic city.  At the conference ‘Back To The Future-a new direction’, he signed a Prosperity Agreement with Londonderry Inner City Trust. The agreement seeks to turn environmental issues into business growth opportunities by encouraging best practice. It also seeks to encourage the development of wider partnership opportunities to manage the heritage of the inner city.

The Minister also launched the Second Edition of the Conservation Plan for the City Walls. This sets out agreed policies to manage the development of the Monument in partnership with key stakeholders, and thereby ensure that its potential to contribute to the character, economy, and well-being of the City is maximised.

The Minister is seeking to highlight how Derry can be a template for other Councils. Community planning provides Councils with a unique opportunity to manage and develop their heritage to international standards.

Mark H Durkan said: ‘We do not exploit our heritage nearly enough. Scotland for example, creates three times the income and twice the number of jobs we do from it. That is why I have organised this conference in Derry today, inviting a major speaker from UNESCO who can help us maximise our potential.  The key message from UNESCO is that partnerships and holistic working are the best way to unlock historic potential. We have the capability in Northern Ireland to use community planning to do this and stand out from the crowd. We can become recognised internationally as a place with heritage well worth seeing and where creative things are happening.  The initiatives I am launching today seek to encourage this potential in our City. The Prosperity Agreement with the Inner City Trust is an exciting development, seeking to raise standards and encourage holistic management. The Conservation Plan reinforces the good work already done since 2007 to ensure a holistic management approach for the largest monument in state care in Northern Ireland. Both of these initiatives lay important groundwork for the development of partnership working for the historic environment of this City.  I can announce the relocation of staff from the Historic Environment Division Belfast as part of this initiative – further proof that I mean business here. They will be based in one of our historic buildings at Ebrington.

In welcoming the announcements, Helen Quigley from the Londonderry Inner City Trust said: ‘Taken together, these announcements by Minister Durkan are a boost for the City, they will help cement a good practice approach to how we manage our historic environment and work together to realise its full potential. I am particularly excited by the opportunities which our prosperity agreement with the Department will open up.’

Speaking at the conference UNESCO’s Karim Hendili said: ‘UNESCO’s approach to managing historic urban landscapes is holistic; it integrates the goals of urban heritage conservation and those of social and economic development. Our Historic Urban Landscape method sees urban heritage as a social, cultural and economic asset for the development of cities. I commend it to all those involved in heritage management in Northern Ireland.’

View the press release

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) has announced the appointment of ex- British Property Federation CEO Liz Peace CBE as its new Chair. 

Liz is a well-known figure in the property industry, having served as Chief Executive of the British Property Federation for thirteen years until her retirement at the end of 2014.

Liz said: ‘I am honoured and delighted to have been elected the new Chair of the Architectural Heritage Fund, a highly regarded charity that has achieved so much by helping people make the best use of their locally cherished heritage. The way in which the AHF recycles its funds is particularly important as we all strive to achieve greater impact with fewer resources.’

Liz has taken on a variety of roles recently (including the CIL review noted elsewhere in this bulletin) and is also chairing the shadow board for the Curzon Urban Regeneration Company in Birmingham. 

AHF news

Details of a master plan for the ambitious redevelopment of York’s largest brownfield site have been unveiled this week as York Central, a 72-hectare site in the heart of the city, could be transformed to provide some 2,500 new homes and enable the expansion and enhancement of the National Railway Museum (NRM), improvements to the railway station and the creation of a network of public squares, green spaces and routes linking to surrounding neighbourhoods. 

City of York Council writes:
The vast potential of York’s largest brownfield site has been unveiled today by City of York Council, Network Rail and the National Railway Museum (NRM), who have announced plans to consult with residents and businesses on what has been labelled as the King’s Cross of the North.

Over the past 12-months, the council has been working in collaboration with Network Rail, the NRM and the Homes and Communities Agency towards a high level masterplan of York Central – a 72 hectare site located in the heart of the city.

The city’s new vision could provide up to 120,000 sq m of high-quality office space, creating up to 7,000 new jobs, a new residential community for up to 2,500 new homes, with opportunities to expand and enhance the National Railway Museum, make improvements to the railway station and create a network of vibrant public squares, green spaces and routes linking to surrounding neighbourhoods.

The improvements to the railway station could include the creation of a new entrance to the west of the station, facing the development site, as well as the transformation of the existing city-facing eastern entrance, to create a more welcoming arrival, and improvements to the way that buses, cars, taxis, cyclists and pedestrians use the space, potentially including the removal of Queen Street Bridge.

To properly connect York Central to the city centre and neighbouring communities, it is planned to create a new foot/cycle network, including a new bridge over the East Coast Mainline from within York Central. With an additional new vehicular access bridge from Holgate Road also in place, options are also being considered for the potential to divert or close Leeman Road where it passes the NRM, to allow the Museum to expand and modernise.

York Council press release

A blog article from solicitor and planning lawyer Martin H Goodall LARTPI offers thoughts concerning shared services, concentrating on the case of Tunbridge Wells Borough Council where substantial costs are arising as they ‘extricate themselves from a partnership they had entered into in 2014 with two neighbouring authorities to set up a joint planning service.

The blog discusses planning performance issues and the potential impact of the recent Mid Kent Audit.

View the blog ‘Cost-cutting proves costly’

View a press report on Kent Online ‘Tunbridge Wells quits joint planning service – at a cost’

Access Mid Kent Planning Support Service in Maidstone

Access Swale Borough Council Planning Support Service

Access Tunbridge Wells planning service

Read the IHBC report on Shared Services by Fiona Newton

The influential UK contemporary arts prize has been won for the first time by an architecture and design collective, Assemble, winners of the Turner Prize 2015 for regeneration and community work on the Granby Four Streets, Toxteth, Liverpool.

TATE writes:
The Turner Prize 2015 has been awarded to Assemble, it was announced at Tramway, Glasgow, in partnership with Tate, this evening. The £25,000 prize was presented by artist, musician and songwriter, Kim Gordon during a live broadcast on Channel 4.

The jury applauded the strength of all the nominated artists’ work.

The jury has awarded the prize to Assemble who work in tandem with communities to realise a ground up approach to regeneration, city planning and development in opposition to corporate gentrification.

They draw on long traditions of artistic and collective initiatives that experiment in art, design and architecture. In doing so they offer alternative models to how societies can work. The long term collaboration between Granby Four Streets and assemble shows the importance of artistic practice being able to drive and shape urgent issues in the post-industrial era.

This year’s exhibition is being held at Tramway, Glasgow until 17 January 2016. It is the first time the Turner Prize has been held in Scotland.

The members of the Turner Prize 2015 jury are:

• Alistair Hudson, Director, Middlesbrough Institute of Modern Art
• Kyla McDonald, Artistic Director, Glasgow Sculpture Studios
• Joanna Mytkowska, Director, Museum Sztuki Nowoczesnej
• Jan Verwoert, critic and curator
• The Jury is chaired by Alex Farquharson, Director, Tate Britain

The Turner Prize 2015 is supported by partners including EventScotland, Glasgow City Marketing Bureau, Creative Scotland, and Glasgow Life. 

Turner Prize is awarded by Tate to contemporary artists. It is presented annually to a British artist under fifty years old who has exhibited outstanding work in the previous year. It takes its name from the British painter J .M.W. Turner. The prize was first awarded in 1984.

A shortlist of nominees is released prior to the announcement of the winner, who is awarded £25000; the other artists shortlisted each receive £5000. In addition to presenting the prize, an exhibition is held presenting the work of all the nominees. The purpose of the prize, and its accompanying exhibition, is to promote and encourage public discussion of contemporary British art.  From 2011 onwards, the prize and its accompanying exhibition has been held in an art-space outside of London every other year. This year, it is being held in Glasgow. The four shortlisted artists for 2015 Turner Prize are: Assemble, Bonnie Camplin, Janice Kerbel and Nicole Wermers.

Tramway is a leading international art-space which commissions, produces and presents contemporary arts projects and has been at the heart of the changes that have seen Glasgow re-born as one of Europe’s leading centres for contemporary visual arts. Based in the south of the city and a former tram depot, Tramway has a high quality, agenda setting, experimental and dynamic programme; it is one of the most sought after and prestigious spaces in Scotland for artists to present new work. Tramway enjoys a very strong reputation for working closely with and being artist led in its approach.

Tramway’s innovative approach to engagement and recent projects co-producing work with diverse, local audiences has increased participation, providing inclusive programmes which demystify contemporary art. The Turner Prize 2015 engagement and education programme will deliver a series of activities and events to inspire, challenge and support new and existing audiences to deepen their understanding of contemporary visual art.  Glasgow has fostered great strength and confidence in its artistic community, not least through the Glasgow School of Art and investment in world-class facilities where work can be produced and shown. The thriving creative community involves not just the visual arts but has a strong crossover with music and dance too.

More….

Tate press release

The Mavisbank Trust has successfully nominated Mavisbank House in Midlothian as one of the 14 monuments and sites shortlisted for ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ programme 2016, run by Europa Nostra and the European Investment Bank Institute (EIBI); it is the only site on the shortlist from the UK.

Europa Nostra writes:
Europa Nostra, the leading European heritage organisation, and the European Investment Bank Institute (EIBI) announce today the 14 monuments and sites shortlisted for ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ programme 2016 by an international panel of experts in various fields. These endangered landmarks from 14 European countries are:

• Archaeological site of Ererouyk and village of Ani Pemza, Armenia;
• Palace of Justice in Brussels, Belgium;
• Patarei Sea Fortress in Tallinn, Estonia;
• Helsinki-Malmi Airport, Finland;
• Colbert Swing Bridge in Dieppe, France;
• Castle in Divitz, Germany;
• Kampos of Chios, Greece;
• Venice Lagoon, Italy;
• Castle Rijswijk, the Netherlands;
• Y-block in Oslo, Norway;
• Valflores Palace and Estate, near Lisbon, Portugal;
• Convent of St. Anthony of Padua, Extremadura, Spain;
• Ancient city of Hasankeyf and its surroundings, Turkey;
• and Mavisbank House, near Edinburgh, the United Kingdom.

Some of these sites are in danger due to neglect or inadequate planning / development, others due to lack of resources or expertise. The final list of 7 most endangered heritage sites in Europe will be unveiled at a public event in Venice on 16 March 2016.

The 14 shortlisted monuments and sites were selected taking into account their outstanding heritage and cultural value as well as the grave danger that they are facing. The commitment of various public and private stakeholders and the engagement of the local communities to rescuing those sites were also considered essential. Another important criterion was the potential of these sites to serve as a resource and a driver of sustainable development for the wider region in which they are located.

Nominations for ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ programme 2016 were submitted by civil society or public bodies which form part of Europa Nostra’s vast network of member and associate organisations from all over Europe. Fourteen sites were shortlisted by a panel of experts in history, archaeology, architecture, conservation, project analysis and finance. The final list of 7 most endangered heritage sites in Europe will be selected by the Board of Europa Nostra.

‘The 7 Most Endangered’ programme was launched in January 2013 by Europa Nostra with the European Investment Bank Institute as founding partner and the Council of Europe Development Bank as associated partner. It was inspired by a successful similar project run by the US National Trust for Historic Preservation. ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ is not a funding programme. Its aim is to serve as a catalyst for action and to promote ‘the power of example’. ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ has the support of the Creative Europe programme of the European Union, as part of Europa Nostra’s 3-year Network Project ‘Mainstreaming Heritage’.

‘Europa Nostra welcomes the growing recognition by EU Institutions, including the European Investment Bank, that Cultural Heritage indeed counts for Europe: it is a driver for sustainable development and a cohesive force for our multicultural societies. Our advocacy programme ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ has a great significance, but its goals can only be achieved with widespread support from EU Institutions and with joint action by different public and private partners. We therefore count on them to assist Europa Nostra and our members to rescue and give a new life to our shared heritage,’ stated Denis de Kergorlay, Executive President of Europa Nostra.

‘Experts from the EIB Institute will visit and analyse the selected 7 most endangered heritage sites in Europe and will contribute to the formulation of realistic action plans. The case in favour of those sites will thus become more visible and more credible. Experience over the last few years shows moreover that the local and national ownership and involvement is particularly crucial when it comes to mobilising support to save the selected endangered sites,’ added Guy Clausse, Dean of the European Investment Bank Institute.

Mavisbank House, UK:
Designed by the Scottish architect William Adam and Sir John Clerk of Penicuik, owner of the house, Mavisbank (1726) is one of the most significant works of architecture of early 18th century Scotland. It is essentially a Palladian villa adapted to northern European conditions, with a centre block and two pavilions creating an extraordinarily picturesque composition. Despite its historical and architectural significance, the house is in an advanced state of disrepair. It is hoped that the nomination for ‘The 7 Most Endangered’ 2016, submitted by the Mavisbank Trust, will raise awareness of the building’s plight to an unprecedented level, helping to draw further support for its restoration within Scotland and potentially from much further afield.

View the record for Mavisbank

View more information about all the nominated sites and the full press release

The Civic Voice Design Awards 2016 which celebrate community buildings and spaces have been launched, with a deadline for applications of 14 February.

Civic Voice writes:
Civic Voice, national charity for the civic movement, will launch the Civic Voice Design Awards 2016 on Tuesday 8th December 2015 at last year’s winning scheme, Gloucester Services Northbound.

The Civic Voice Design Awards are the people’s choice for architecture and the built environment. It is the only design awards scheme in England which allows communities to celebrate the buildings, places and spaces they love for their high quality design and positive impact on the local community.   Following on from the success of the 2015 awards, Civic Voice once again, invite nominations from civic societies and other community groups nationwide to the 2016 awards. The deadline for applications for this year’s awards is 14th February 2016 with the winners being announced at an event in Parliament.  The launch event, which will celebrate last year’s winning design, will be attended by president of Civic Voice, Griff Rhys Jones; the CEO of the Westmorland Family, Sarah Dunning and Tim Mars of Stroud Civic Society will discuss why they nominated Gloucester Services for the award and others.

Griff Rhys Jones, president of Civic Voice, said of the awards ‘The Civic Voice Design Awards are a wonderful opportunity for local communities up and down the country to nominate local buildings and designers for recognition. I am thrilled to be able to play host to this second annual event and hope it continues for many years.’

Civic Voice Executive Director, Ian Harvey said ‘Civic Voice Design Awards recognise places that are loved by local people and that make a positive contribution to their area. After seeing such a great response from local communities for last year’s awards, we want even more communities to come forward and tell us about developments in their community that they are proud of. We are delighted that our President, Griff Rhys Jones can join us for the day and look forward to the unveiling of the Gloucester Services Northbound Plaque – as nominated last year by Stroud Civic Society.’

View more information on how to nominate

Watch Griff Rhys Jones’ review of the Design Awards

Find other awards and opportunities at IHBC Awards etc

View the press release

BEFS is asking for help in connection with a new website proposed for tenement and flat owners in Scotland (Under One Roof)- answering the quick questionnaire can make a real difference to shaping easy to read advice. 

The Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) writes:
Under One Roof – the website for all tenement and flat owners and their advisers – is on its way.  They need help in deciding on drawing and technical information priorities. You can help decide priorities for Under One Roof by taking part in their quick online survey – no writing is required – just tick the boxes.

Answer the survey

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) has found that one third of small construction businesses will not take on an apprentice due to fears over tackling the required paperwork. 

The Federation of Master Builders (FMB) writes:
A third of small construction firms are being put off from taking on apprentices because of the bureaucracy involved, according to a new research report ‘Defusing the skills time bomb’ published by the Federation of Master Builders (FMB).

Brian Berry, Chief Executive of the FMB, said: ‘The construction industry is in the midst of a skills crisis which can only be solved if more employers take on apprentices. The Government wants to deliver three million apprentices over the next five years and this new report sheds some light on how this can be achieved. Our research shows that 94% of small construction firms want to train apprentices but a third are being turned off by a number of serious ‘fear factors’. These include the cost of employing and training an apprentice and major concerns regarding the complexity of the process.’

Berry continued: ‘There is strong evidence to show that small construction firms need better information and that if they were more aware of the support that’s available, a great number would train apprentices. Just under 80% of non-recruiters are not aware of one of the most important apprenticeship grants available to them and just over 75% say knowledge of financial support would make them more likely to take on apprentices.’

Berry concluded: ‘Given that two-thirds of all construction apprentices are trained by SMEs it is critical that the Government does everything in its power to remove any barriers that might be stopping these companies from training. Looking ahead, the Government’s new apprenticeship voucher could be a disaster for small firms unless it is properly road tested and made as simple and easy-to-use as possible. We’re also calling on the Government to protect our industry training board which is at risk from the new Apprenticeship Levy. The Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) needs reform admittedly but without it the very smallest firms would be left with less financial and practical support for apprenticeship training – remove this lifeline and you risk worsening the skills crisis.’

View the press release

Download the full report

IHBC NewsBlogs on construction

Plans to revamp the centre of Slough and build new flats have been approved after years of debate. The scheme involves partial demolition, extension and refurbishment of both The Queensmere and The Observatory shopping centres in Slough’s High Street along with the construction of five new residential towers providing 675 flats.

Four of the residential blocks will be located on top of the shopping centres while the fifth will be a stand-alone tower.

View the application information – Application number P/06684/015

Read more on The Planning Portal

The French Government has failed in a judicial review challenge to the validity of two certificates of lawfulness issued by the Royal Borough of Kensington & Chelsea for works to the basement of a property next door to its embassy in London.

The neighbours, Foxtons estate agency founder Jon Hunt and his wife, plan to house their collection of vintage cars in the mega-basement at 10 Kensington Palace Gardens. The Hunts lease the property from the Crown Estate.

Mr Justice Holgate in the Planning Court concluded that the first five grounds for judicial review were ‘unarguable’ and failed, and the application to quash the certificates should be dismissed.  He upheld the sixth ground – that Kensington & Chelsea had failed to enter a s. 192 certificate on its planning register – but the French Government accepted that this ground could not found an application to quash that certificate. Mr Justice Holgate granted a declaration. 

Local Government Lawyer website article 1 and article 2

Belfast City Council (CC) has sought a meeting with ministers to discuss their concerns over the delay of transfer of regeneration powers to local councils.

Belfast City Council writes
Belfast City Council is to seek an urgent meeting with the Social Development Minister following today’s decision to indefinitely delay the transfer of regeneration powers to local government.

It is the second time there has been a delay – the original transfer was delayed from 1 April 2015 to 1 April 2016 – and the council is concerned that this time it is indefinite, with no clarity as to whether the powers will ever be handed over to local authorities.

The chairman of the council’s Strategic Policy and Resources Committee Declan Boyle said: ‘We understand there has been some unresolved policy issues in relation to matters at Stormont and that a restructuring of central government departments is now underway.

‘We will be seeking an urgent meeting with the Minister to ensure that this is not shelved indefinitely, that this decision is urgently reviewed and that a decision to transfer these powers on an agreed date is confirmed. We wish to express our disappointment and frustration and seek assurances from the Minister in relation to our major investment, development and regeneration plans for Belfast.

‘This will impact on our ability to further develop and reinvigorate local neighbourhoods, support investment in the city centre, which will grow our economy, create jobs and prosperity and improve quality of life for our citizens.

‘There is a clear trend everywhere else across these islands to devolve more powers and responsibilities to local government, particularly city regions. Now, having spent huge amounts of money and time on LGR developing proposals, a decision has been taken which is at odds with what the Government set out to achieve in terms of enabling councils to take local decisions to address local need.’

Read more….

The winners of the Great British High Street of the Year awards have been announced, as Bishopthorpe Road (known as Bishy Road) in York took the prize as ‘winner of winners’, having been selected as the winner of the ‘Local centre’ category, and with many other areas of the UK also receiving recognition.

DCLG writes:
Bishopthorpe Road in York has beaten off hundreds of high streets across the country to be crowned Britain’s best in a prestigious award.

A record number of 230 high streets entered and nearly 200,000 votes were cast across the 7 categories. This year the public got the chance to vote for the first time, alongside a visit by an expert judge from the Future High Streets Forum.

The hard work of traders in Bishy Road, in improving their high street to make it a great place to live, shop and work has now earned them the ultimate accolade – Winner of Winners in the Great British High Street Awards 2015.  They can now look forward to a share of prize pot worth £80,000 – alongside expert coaching from Google’s training taskforce for 100 shops, bars and restaurants.

At a prize ceremony in Admiralty House, London, High Streets Minister Marcus Jones said:  The excitement this competition has generated with a huge level of interest from the public vote is proof that the high streets are the life and soul of towns, villages and cities across the country.

Over the last year investment in property is up 30%, town centre vacancy rates have fallen to under 10% and retail sales have increased for the longest period on record – long may it continue.  Bishy Road fully deserves their title of Britain’s best high street and I congratulate them on their good work. We’ll be sharing Bishy’s top tips with other high streets across the country to make sure others learn from their success.

Bishy Road was a finalist from last year’s competition but has gone on to do even bigger and better things. It has started work on an ambitious new community app, toured around the country to help other local areas looking to learn from their success and hosted a range of new events and food festivals.

There were 7 categories in the 2015 Great British High Street Awards.

• City Location winner – St Giles Street, Northampton
• Town Centre winner – Rotherham
• Market Town winner – Helmsley
• Coastal Community winner – Amble
• Local Centre winner – Bishy Road, York
• Village winner – West Kilbride
• London winner – Pitshanger Lane, Ealing

Bishy Road was named winner of winners.  In addition because of the high-quality of this year’s new entries the judges decided to create a special new prize of Best Newcomer – which was awarded to Faulkner Street, Hoole.

The Great British High Street Awards 2015 is run by the Department for Communities and Local Government and sponsored by Boots, Costa, Post Office, Marks and Spencer, Tesco and the British Council of Shopping Centres.  Now in its second year and is one of a number of initiatives to help champion high streets as the cornerstones of the community.

These include a billion pound package of investment ranging from targeted business rate discounts, sensible planning changes and action that reins in over-zealous parking practices.

This year’s competition saw a record 230 applicants and for the first time the public had the chance to vote directly for their best-loved high street online with almost 200,000 votes cast.  Winners were decided by a combination of an assessment by an expert judge from the Future High Streets Forum and the public vote. Each had a 50% say on who won the competition.

Simon Roberts, Executive Vice President of Walgreens Boots Alliance and President of Boots UK, and Future High Streets Forum Co-Chairman comments:  This has been a year of many great success stories for high streets. The competition has once again highlighted how healthy high streets continue to be at the leading edge of driving change.  It’s fantastic to see so many businesses demonstrating a culture where colleagues have the confidence to get involved, combined with the committed partnerships between local businesses, community organisations and local government.

The awards give us the chance to learn from the very best and continue to make our high streets even greater places to live, shop and work.

View the press release

Visit the virtual Bishy Road