IHBC NewsBlogs

The Civic Trust Cymru has announced that the new Patron is to be HRH The Prince of Wales.

Civic Trust Cymru writes:
Civic Trust Cymru is delighted to announce that HRH The Prince of Wales has accepted its invitation to become the Patron of the Trust.

Civic Trust Cymru, formerly the Civic Trust for Wales (established in 1964), was launched on 1 April 2015.

Civic Trust Cymru promotes civic pride as a means to improving the quality of life for all in the places where we live and work, and encourages community action, good design, sustainable development and respect for the built environment amongst people of all ages. Civic Trust Cymru is the national body and provider of support for the civic movement, a remarkable network of informed, enthusiastic and passionate local people. Through the Wales Heritage Group, Civic Trust Cymru works with a number of heritage organisations throughout Wales.

The Chair of Civic Trust Cymru, Lyn Owen, said: ‘We are delighted that HRH The Prince of Wales has agreed to become the Patron of Civic Trust Cymru. His patronage recognises not only the work of the Trust but also that of all the dedicated and passionate local people who make up the civic societies of Wales. We are extremely grateful to HRH for his support’.

View the press release

The BBC has reported on the secret tunnels beneath Liverpool and the archaeological finds recording process for the 200 year old Williamson Tunnels.

Find out what lies under the city of Liverpool, why they might have been built, what volunteers have been finding in the tunnels and how they were created in the article.

View the BBC article (including photographs)

Friends of the Williamson Tunnels website 

IHBC North West branch

IHBC NorthWest Day Conference

The Scottish Government has published new guidance which seeks to promote the refurbishment of schools estates, including case studies of listed buildings and information on how their refurbishment contributes towards community regeneration.

Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS) writes:
Guidance to help local authorities improve their school estate by refurbishing existing buildings was launched on 2 September by the Minister for Learning.

It has been published by Architecture and Design Scotland and highlights the benefits of school refurbishments and how local authorities can achieve high quality results and innovative designs in the most cost effective way.

The new guidance complements the Scottish Government’s £1.8 billion Scotland’s Schools for the Future programme and the Inspiring Learning Spaces Fund, all of which aims to ensure Scotland becomes a world leader in education. Minister for Learning Alasdair Allan launched the guidance at Dunoon Primary School in which is due to be fully refurbished under the Schools for the Future programme.

more….

England’s School Building & Maintenance Policy

Four new academic studies have received funding from the ESRC to examine challenges faced by cities, under the Urban Transformations portfolio.

The Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) writes:
Four new studies to help us better understand cities and the complex role they play in society, have been awarded nearly £3 million from the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC).

The projects will explore issues around social innovation, creative living and urban economies internationally. They will develop understanding and bring new perspectives to the challenges and opportunities facing UK and global urban areas as they seek to achieve urban growth against a backdrop of pressures on public funding and other challenges.

Professor Jane Elliott, ESRC Chief Executive, said: ‘These high-quality projects will help to fill key gaps within the current research landscape and emphasise the major contribution social science research can make to understanding and tackling contemporary urban challenges.’

The following four projects have received funding to complement the ESRC’s Urban Transformations portfolio:

• Governing the future city: a comparative analysis of governance innovations in large scale urban developments in Shanghai, London, Johannesburg – Professor Jennifer Robinson, UCL -This project, with co-Investigators Prof Fulong Wu and Prof Phil Harrison, explores how governments can manage urban development in an inclusive way with limited resources, how communities support one another in the face of huge changes, and how developers are playing a growing role in governance.
• Jam and justice: co-producing urban governance for social innovation – Dr Beth Perry, University of Salford – This project seeks to bring public, voluntary and academic sectors together to innovate and experiment in new ways of governing cities. It aims to advance both the theory and practice of co-production in addressing challenges faced by modern cities.
• Structural transformation, adaptability and city economic evolutions – Professor Ron Martin, University of Cambridge -The project will examine the uneven economic growth paths of some 70 British cities over the past 40 years, and in some cases over a much longer period, focussing on different patterns and speeds of structural transformation and adaptation. Using 10 case study cities, it will also investigate how local forms of governance and policy interventions have influenced how cities adapt in a world of rapid economic change and increasingly devolved decision making.
• The Urban Politics and Governance of Social Innovation in Austerity – Professor Joe Painter, Durham University

By investigating the impact of contrasting experiences of austerity on urban politics and governance in European cities, the project will examine how cities in the UK, Germany and Greece have faced challenges of generating financial resources, harnessing social energy and meeting material needs. It will promote social innovation in Europe by sharing knowledge and experience between cities.

The funded projects will be promoted via the new Urban Transformations website launched by Professor Michael Keith, ESRC Urban Transformations Coordinator.

View the press release

Find out more information about the projects

New funding has been announced by the Big Lottery and HLF for parks, with an additional £30 million available under the Parks for People programme.

The Big Lottery fund writes:
Today, the Big Lottery Fund announced it will invest a further £20million in England’s public parks and cemeteries, £10million a year until 2018. Combined with HLF’s commitment of £20m per year under the Parks for People programme in England, this takes the total budget available to £30m per year for new projects.

HLF will also continue to make an additional £4m available for projects in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

This news extends the agreement between the Big Lottery Fund and HLF, which has seen a total of nearly £290m of National Lottery cash invested in reviving over 126 historic green spaces since 2006.

Parks for People provides grants of between £100,000 and £5million to restore and rejuvenate historic parks and cemeteries. Organisations can apply for funding for projects that repair heritage features, open new facilities and run volunteering and activity programmes, involving the community in the running of the park.

Peter Ainsworth, Chair of the Big Lottery Fund, said: ‘Green spaces are vital to the happiness and health of our communities, so we’re really pleased to be continuing our support for the Parks for People programme. In partnership with HLF we’ve invested almost £290m since 2006 in rejuvenating our parks to help make sure they can be enjoyed now and for years to come.’

The news comes a year after HLF pledged to continue investing in public parks after its report State of UK Public Parks 2014: Renaissance to Risk revealed that they are at serious risk of decline unless innovative new ways of funding and maintaining them are found. An update on this report is set to be published next summer.

Sir Peter Luff, Chair of HLF, said: ‘Parks are rightly among the UK’s most highly valued and well-used public spaces and inspire much local pride. There is increasing demand on National Lottery players’ money but I’m sure they will welcome the continuation of this productive partnership with the Big Lottery Fund. Our ‘Parks for People’ programme plays a major part in ensuring these precious green sanctuaries thrive. I hope even more communities across the UK will come forward to bid for a share of this funding.’

Applications for the next round of Parks for People funding are now open until the 29 February 2016 and the first grants from this new investment will be awarded in June 2016.

View the press release and more information on the Big Lottery funding

View HLF funding information

IHBC NewsBlogs on funding

Following recent news that the National Heritage Training Group (NHTG) will lose core funding from CITB, the construction sector’s training body, new opportunities for NHTG general manager Cathie Clarke mean that the Group can continue with its planned strategy of ongoing support for heritage, albeit in a reduced, part-time operation, at least for now.

Ray Robertson, NHTG Chair, writes:
One of the most significant consequences of the recent CITB decision to withdraw funding from the National Heritage Training Group and the NHTG Board’s subsequent decision to continue to operate on a part time basis, was the effect on Cathie Clarke who has made such a positive impact since taking on the role of General Manager in August 2014. Cathie’s willingness to continue on a part time basis not only enabled us to put together a rational and deliverable strategy to continue to serve the heritage sector, it also clearly demonstrated her commitment to the cause.

It is therefore not surprising that another organisation has readily appreciated her personal and professional attributes, in particular her enthusiasm, drive and determination and I and the NHTG Board are delighted at the announcement that she has been appointed the new CEO of the Single Ply Roofing Association (SPRA). Not only does this mean that her valuable skills, knowledge and experience remain within the construction sector, but the part time SPRA role neatly dovetails with enabling her to continue in her planned part time role as NHTG General Manager.

This effectively provides the best possible solution all round, providing SPRA with a dynamic successor to build on the foundations laid by James Talman, enabling NHTG to continue with its planned strategy of ongoing support for heritage and giving Cathie the level of employment that had been put at risk following the CITB changes in their funding strategy.

There are no conflicts of interest and indeed much common ground to be explored with SPRA in the operation and ongoing development of our two organisations.

We naturally wish Cathie every success in her new appointment and are delighted that it means she can continue the valuable work she has started with NHTG.

For more recent background news on the NHTG see IHBC NewsBlogs

Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the new national heritage body for Scotland, has been granted charitable status by the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).

Historic Scotland writes:
The new national heritage body for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has received charitable status from the Office of the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR).

The move marks another important milestone in the establishment of the new organisation, which will legally be known as Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and takes up full operational powers on October 1st, following the merging of Historic Scotland and The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) into a new public body.

As a new Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB) with charitable status, HES will operate with a degree of independence while still being accountable to Scottish Ministers and Parliament when it officially starts work from the 1 October. The move brings the new body closer in line with other national cultural bodies including the National Library of Scotland, the National Galleries of Scotland, The National Museum of Scotland and the Royal Botanic Gardens of Edinburgh. HES Chair, Jane Ryder has now written to the Convenor of the Scottish Parliament’s Education and Culture Committee, MSP Stewart Maxwell, informing him of the new body’s successful application to become a charity.

The functions of HES, as set out in the 2014 Historic Environment Scotland Act, support the advancement of education and the arts, heritage and culture and environmental protection or improvement, and were accepted by OSCR as the charitable purposes of the new body. The existing Historic Scotland Foundation (HSF) – set up in 2001 to accept donations, gifts and legacies for the work of Historic Scotland or any successor body – will remain a separate charity.

As the new body moves towards starting work in October, it has also recently appointed its first Chief Executive, David Middleton, who will take up his post in November, while work continues to develop the new organisation’s first Corporate Plan.

Commenting on the granting of charitable status, Jane Ryder, OBE, Chair of HES, said: ‘Becoming a charity affirms our core purpose and is a status that carries great responsibility. The Board is delighted our application to OSCR has been successful and that we now have charitable status. This is another key milestone as we approach 1 October when we take on our full statutory responsibilities. While becoming a charity enables us to contribute to the wider good of Scotland more strategically, it also provides greater opportunities to develop our new organisation overall and its varied operations in future. Such status will also hopefully provide greater opportunities for the sector and assist us in performing our role as a key player in helping to deliver Scotland’s first strategy for the Historic Environment, ‘Our Place in Time.’

View the press release

The Members of the European Parliament met this week and agreed that 2018 is to be designated as European Year of Cultural Heritage and approved new policy recommendations for funding and management of European cultural heritage, including heritage impact assessment to European legislative proposals and the urgent need to give cultural heritage its clear place in the Commission’s Investment Plan for Europe.

Europa Nostra writes:
Today is an important day for cultural heritage in Europe as the Members of the European Parliament have recognised the vital role of heritage in Europe and the opportunities it represents for our economy and our development by adopting with a large majority (613 votes in favour, 70 against and 19 abstentions) a Resolution calling for the implementation of an integrated approach towards cultural heritage for Europe. During the debate preceding the vote, the Rapporteur from Romania, Mircea Diaconu, described his report as a tool ‘to convince the political authorities of the importance of cultural heritage’.

The Chair of the Education and Cultural Committee, Silvia Costa, also mentioned the relevance of communicating the importance of heritage to the European Commission to ensure the continuity of efforts in this field. For his part, European Commissioner Tibor Navracsics clearly stated the European Commission shares the view that ‘supporting, enhancing and promoting cultural heritage through an integrated approach is of paramount importance’. Europa Nostra welcomes this renewed European commitment towards cultural heritage, following the Conclusions of the Greek and Italian Presidencies (adopted in May 2014 and November 2014) and the Communication of the European Commission published in July 2014.

‘We are particularly thankful to the European Parliament for sending such a strong message to the European Commission and the Member States that cultural heritage counts for Europe in a variety of ways. We wholeheartedly support the policy recommendations put forward in the Resolution, starting with the call to designate 2018 as the European Year of Cultural Heritage,’ stated Secretary General Sneska Quaedvlieg-Mihailovic.

To show the support of civil society for this important resolution and to continue discussing the value of heritage based on solid facts and figures, Europa Nostra and the Intergroup on European tourism development, cultural heritage, Ways of St. James and other European cultural routes are organising a debate on ‘Cultural Heritage Counts for Europe’ on Wednesday 16 September 2015 gathering the Members of the European Parliament, officials from different European Commission Directorate Generals related to heritage, stakeholders and civil society actors.

Apart from the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, the Members of the European parliament made a series of important policy recommendations. The Resolution is composed of 5 parts:

• The first on the Integrated Approach which ‘Considers it of paramount importance to use the available resources for supporting, enhancing and promoting cultural heritage on the basis of an integrated approach, while taking into account the cultural, economic, social, historical, educational, environmental and scientific components’ and in which the Members call for the designation of 2018 as the European Year of Cultural Heritage;
• In the second part on European funding for cultural heritage, the Members ask the European Commission to dedicate a single EU portal to tangible and intangible cultural heritage regrouping all relevant information; to review the EUR 5 million benchmark for cultural heritage projects submitted in the framework of small-scale infrastructure action, aligning it to UNESCO projects (i.e. EUR 10 million); to include a compulsory quality control system throughout projects’ life-cycle in the guidelines governing the next generation of structural finds for cultural heritage;
• The third part on New Governance models, asks, amongst others, for the introduction of a heritage impact assessment to European legislative proposals;
• In the fourth part on The economic and strategic potential of cultural heritage, the Members affirm the urgent need to give cultural heritage its clear place in the Commission’s Investment Plan for Europe. They also ask the European Commission to propose a set of indicators to develop heritage statistics to be used to monitor and evaluate the state of heritage in Europe and the Member States to emphasise the value of their heritage assets by promoting studies to determine the cultural and economic value of the cultural heritage so as to transform the ‘cost’ of its preservation into an ‘investment’ in its value;
• The fifth part on Opportunities and challenges calls for a strong commitment on all sides to prevent, protect, document and restore cultural heritage and for the adoption of international agreements to prevent illicit trafficking of cultural heritage.
  

View the Europa Nostra news release

The Data Team in the Historic England (HE) Listing Group have processed the 25,000th change in its fast-track correction process for small errors in List entries, or ‘Minor Amendments’ to the National Heritage List for England.

Marion Page (Data Team Leader of Historic England Listing Group) writes:
The Data Team in the Historic England Listing Group have processed the 25,000th Minor Amendment to the National Heritage List for England. This service continues to be very well received by all our customers such as local planning authorities, HERs, researchers, homeowners, commercial businesses or interested members of the public.

The Minor Amendment process was established as a fast-track correction process for small errors in the List entries for example corrections to names and addresses, the list descriptions, discrepancies to original listing text and mapping errors. Correcting these errors really improves the quality and reliability of the National Heritage List for England

View the listing records

View more information on the minor amendment process

The Department for Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) blog contains information about the planned white paper for a new cultural programme, over four themes, and urges people to contribute to the debate on how culture and heritage should be addressed in government policy, including on a dedicated #OurCulture discussion platform.

DCMS writes (on the DCMS blog):
Our White Paper, that’s due to launch in the coming months, will explore four key themes:

The first of these is the role that culture plays in creating places that people want to live, work and visit. How can our culture and heritage contribute to vibrant, healthy communities across the country, and how can we in Government support them to do that.

The second theme is about people and how they engage with culture. How do we ensure that everyone can learn about and through culture, and get the right encouragement and opportunities to experience and participate in cultural activities throughout their lives.

Our third theme will focus on building financial resilience in cultural organisations and institutions through new funding models, to enable them to survive and prosper in a tough economic and financial climate.

And finally, theme four explores working with our cultural institutions to promote Britain abroad, in our relations with other countries and international organisations, and to support trade, exports, inward investment, inbound tourism and presentation of cultural artefacts.

To support the upcoming White Paper, starting next week we’ll be launching a dedicated #OurCulture discussion platform, looking at each theme in turn over the coming months, to give you the chance to submit and discuss your ideas across each of the four topics. We’re seeking innovative proposals to drive discussion and I’m looking forward to seeing lots of lively debate that underlines our passion for the cultural sectors, and how we need to ensure they continue to adapt and thrive for future generations.

You can also join the conversation on your own social media channels, using the #OurCulture hashtag.

View the DCMS blog entry on culture 

View the culture programme discussion pages

The winners of this year’s Heritage Angel awards in England have been announced, with an award ceremony last week that celebrated 16 year old Emma Dawson, and successes in rescuing an impressive series landmark heritage buildings including:

• St Giles House and Park, Wimborne St Giles, Dorset
• St Mary’s, Norfolk
• Blackfell Hauler House, Gateshead, and
• The Newman Brothers Coffin Works, Birmingham
  

Historic England writes:
Andrew Lloyd Webber joined Historic England last night to announce the winners of this year’s Angel Awards. The awards, presented with fellow judge Bettany Hughes, were a celebration of the unsung heroes of the heritage world. The ceremony featured a special appearance from John Whittingdale MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, who was there to present the Best Rescue of a Heritage Site award.

John Whittingdale MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, said: ‘I am extremely grateful to everyone who has worked so hard to restore precious heritage sites across the country. Their efforts mean that future generations will be able to appreciate these places for years to come.’

‘The Angel Awards are a great way to shine a light on these special individuals. I feel honoured to present the ‘Best Rescue of a Heritage Site award’ to Nicholas and Dinah Ashley-Cooper – 12th Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury – for the rescue of St Giles House and Park in Dorset. Thanks to them, the public can enjoy a particularly beautiful and historic home.’

Andrew Lloyd Webber said: ‘The Angels were set up to recognise the achievements and determination of people who work tirelessly to rescue our heritage. Often, these people start a project using their own initiative, their own resources and have little outside help. The Angels is all about bringing that work, and these people, into the spotlight. Now in its fifth year, the Angels go from strength to strength and this year sees the first Scottish Heritage Angel Awards.’

Duncan Wilson, Historic England Chief Executive, said: ‘Last night was all about honouring people who rescue heritage for future generations. It was a chance to mark collective achievements, take stock of how far restorations and rescues have come, and tackle future challenges with renewed vigour.’

The awards are judged by Andrew Lloyd Webber, Historic England’s Chief Executive Duncan Wilson, historian Bettany Hughes, TV’s Restoration Man George Clarke, ceramics manufacturer Emma Bridgewater and the Dean of Westminster, the Very Reverend Dr John Hall.

The winners of the 2015 Angel Awards are:

• Best Rescue of Any Other Type of Historic Building or Place: Nicholas and Dinah Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl and Countess of Shaftesbury for the rescue of St Giles House and Park, Wimborne St Giles, Dorset- Abandoned and forgotten in the 1980, the Grade I St Giles House and Park rapidly fell into disrepair. In 2010, the new 12th Earl of Shaftesbury began thinking creatively about how to turn St Giles back into a family home. Natural England contributed more than £1 million to the restoration of the superb Georgian landscape. Building work began the following year with a team of craftsmen, specialists and consultants all pulling together to give this very special building a new lease of life. Nicholas Ashley-Cooper, 12th Earl of Shaftesbury, said: ‘This started as a small project that got larger and larger. Once we started, we saw the opportunity and had the vision to see this very special project through.’
• Best Rescue or Repair of a Historic Place of Worship: Friends of St Mary Church for the rescue of St Mary’s, Norfolk- The Grade I listed St Mary’s Church became redundant in the 1980s and quickly fell into disrepair. The 100-strong Friends group, led by Graham Prior, were faced with a huge challenge to restore the building. The windows broken, walls crumbling, organ vandalised and graveyard completely overgrown the rescue was a real labour of love. When many would have simply given up, the Friends group persevered and achieved the remarkable; bringing a redundant and forgotten church back to life. Graham Prior, Forncett St Mary, said: ‘We have a group of 100 friends who made this all possible. Everybody’s support has been amazing.’
• Best Rescue of a Historic Industrial Building or Site: Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust for the rescue of Blackfell Hauler House, Gateshead- The Bowes Railway is a unique industrial heritage site, once used to transport coal from the Durham coal fields down to the Tyne and to the cities, towns and villages beyond. Of all the buildings at Bowes, the hauler house was the biggest challenge. Subjected to frequent vandalism, graffiti and metal theft that wrecked the machinery, its transformation is all the more remarkable. With support from Historic England and the Architectural Heritage Fund, the Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust has been working on its restoration for nearly 40 years. The roof, windows, doors and steelwork have all been repaired turning the building into a successful workshop producing yurts. Martin Hulse, Tyne & Wear Building Preservation Trust, said: ‘This project had taken over 40 years, we’ve been involved for the past six. The day I pulled the architect through the hole in the wall into the building, was the day I realised the project had to work.’
• Best Craftsmanship by a Trainee or Group Employed on a Heritage Rescue: Emma Dawson for her work on several heritage at risk sites – At the tender age of 16, armed only with a Saturday job at Woolworths and an interest in heritage, Emma landed a place on a foundation scheme where she began learning to work with plaster and mortar. Since then she’s worked on many historic properties, from the National Trust’s Basildon Park to King’s Cross St Pancras, and has earned the nickname ‘The Pointing Queen’. Emma Dawson said: ‘It’s a great honour to work on historic buildings, it’s something I’ve been passionate to work on ever since I was a kid.’
• The People’s Favourite: The Historic England followers and Telegraph Readers’ award: The Newman Brothers Coffin Works, Birmingham- After 100 years of producing small metal goods in Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter, the Coffin Works closed its doors in 1998, leaving factory and offices intact, as if the workers had simply gone on a tea break. It soon fell into disrepair and was declared ‘At Risk’ in 2003, leading to a tireless effort from the Trust’s previous director Elizabeth Perkins and volunteers, to tell the story of this incredible building. Now open to the public, the building has been rescued and offers a window into a lost world.   Simon Buteux, Birmingham Conservation Trust, said: ‘This is an incredible thing for Birmingham. We reinvented the Coffin Works, it was an extraordinarily hard struggle but it was worth it.’

We are delighted to announce the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation has just renewed and increased its funding until 2018. Next year the categories will be broadened to celebrate inspirational community action groups, leading pieces of heritage research and education and, of course, ambitious rescues of our most important historic buildings and places. Look out for more information on the new awards in 2016.

For awards, bursaries, volunteering and other support for learning see IHBC Awards etc

See the IHBC’s Marsh Awards for retired IHBC members in the community and new heritage learners

View the press release and photographs of the award winners and their projects

Coastal Communities in England have only one week left to place applications for the Coastal Revival fund, which can benefit historic buildings and structures.

DCLG writes:
As the summer season comes to an end, seaside communities are being given the opportunity to bid for funding to smarten up and revive cherished piers, striking icons and atmospheric arcades. Coastal Communities Minister Mark Francois yesterday (7 September 2015) urged communities to bid for a £3 million Coastal Revival Fund to help communities kick-start long awaited restoration work and bring back into use hard-to-tackle buildings, landscapes, facilities and amusements. The revived sites will attract visitors, boost the economy and be proud landmarks for future generations to enjoy. The fund will also act as a catalyst to drive additional financing from the private and charitable sectors.

The National Piers Society has said that Weston Birnbeck Pier, Bognor Pier, Herne Bay Pier, and Swanage Pier are some of the historic structures that could benefit.

The government is determined to unlock the economic potential of seaside towns. The successful Coastal Communities Fund has already invested some £120 million in over 220 projects across the UK to help seaside towns diversify their economy to be year-round success stories.

Coastal Communities Minister Mark Francois said: From historic piers, seafronts to lidos our coastal towns are awash with striking icons which we want to celebrate but may have fallen into neglect and disuse over time. I urge communities to bid for this £3 million Coastal Revival funding ahead of the deadline so they can kick-start restoration work and drive further investments so these icons can be restored to their full potential.

This government is committed to reviving our seaside towns and our multimillion pound Coastal Communities Fund is having a big impact on seaside economies. At least £90 million more will be spent in the coming years. The Budget announced the Coastal Communities Fund will continue for another 5 years with a pot of £90 million.This will give communities another chance to take forward their vision for improving their seaside town.

Statistics from VisitEngland show a rise in the numbers of holiday trips being taken in the UK for the first quarter of the year – the highest number in almost a decade. Visits were up 18% on 2014 in England. Earlier this summer, a study by Barclays Business poll of 2,000 adults found that more than three-quarters of people are planning or had already been on a holiday within the UK this year. It found that in 2014 turnover for businesses in the accommodation and food sector rose 11% from the previous year, which is the largest annual increase since 2006.

View the press release

View more information about the fund

IHBC NewsBlogs on funding

IHBC NewsBlogs on coastal issues

Abellio-Scotrail and Transport Scotland are advertising a new fund for railway stations which allows applications for structural work, physical repair and the re-use of vacant station facilities for community benefit (deadline 31 March 2016).

ScotRail and Transport Scotland write:
ScotRail and Transport Scotland are seeking applications for a £1.5million community fund, designed to breathe new life into old and disused railway station premises.

The Stations Community Regeneration Fund enables business and community groups to transform redundant station rooms into facilities to benefit local people.

Any projects that will aid communities or rail passengers will be considered for grants of between £5,000 and £75,000. Bids may also be made for larger sums, dependent on in-depth feasibility studies.

Grants can be used to contribute towards the costs of any structural repairs and to assist with the costs of fitting out station premises for their intended use.

Applications will be assessed on whether they fit with the existing building, businesses and local area, how they meet a market or community demand, and the future benefits expected from the proposal.

The Stations Community Regeneration Fund will be managed and administered by ScotRail with applications being evaluated jointly in conjunction with Transport Scotland. Full information available on the website.

View the funding call

IHBC newsblogs on funding

IHBC members and those who attended the recent annual school in Norwich will recall details of the talk by Dr Sharman Kadish of Jewish Heritage UK, and will be interested to know of the new synagogue condition survey report, which shows improvements in conditions from the last five years, and details of repair projects undertaken. 

Jewish Heritage UK writes:
Britain’s historic synagogues are in better shape than they were five years ago, according to Jewish Heritage’s latest report published this week.

This is especially the case in London where all but one historic synagogue are now rated as ‘Good’ or ‘Fair’ in terms of the key indicators by which  ‘Risk’ is measured in the Heritage world: ‘Condition’ and ‘Usage’. The biggest threats to historic synagogues are poor maintenance and redundancy because of falling membership.

Big repair projects have been carried out at Sandys Row on the edge of the city and at Golders Green, thanks in large part to the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF). Both buildings are now experiencing a new lease of life, contrary to many expectations.

Britain’s oldest ‘cathedral synagogue’, Singers Hill in Birmingham, that for years fought closure, is also enjoying a renaissance. Now finding itself In the centre of a regenerated city centre quarter, this building has undergone renovation largely funded privately by members and has acquired a dynamic rabbinical couple who are turning the shul once again into a hive of activity.

Leicester’s Orthodox congregation have opted to sell off their 1950s hall across the road and to hang on to their distinctive late Victorian synagogue, shown on the cover of the Report. Their foresight has paid off: since 2012 they have landed no fewer than three publicly-funded Heritage grants, totalling almost £145,000, for repairs to the building, development of educational resources on site, as well as for a documentation project of the turn-of-the-20th-century Jewish Section at the city’s Gilroes Cemetery, that was opened soon after the synagogue (in 1902).

The Report’s author, Dr Sharman Kadish, commented, ‘All these examples demonstrate the fact that well-maintained buildings stimulate more activity inside them.  Jewish Heritage’s aim is to preserve the powerful link between Binyan [building] and Minyan [community] for the benefit of future generations.’

Challenges remain. The Report highlights a group of highly graded Victorian synagogues: Liverpool’s Princes Road (Grade I), Bradford’s Bowland Street (Grade II*) and Brighton’s Middle Street (Grade II*) as in need of urgent work to arrest further deterioration. This is especially true in Bradford, where an HLF Repair Grant has been awarded for the first time. In all these places small enthusiastic congregations have worked hard not only to make their shul a widely recognised hub for local Jews, but also a magnet for many non-Jewish visitors, including school parties, especially during this month’s national and European Jewish Heritage Open Days.

‘At Risk’ synagogues are most likely to date from the early 20th century and to be located in the North of England. Sunderland, Blackpool and Liverpool’s Greenbank have all now closed and are seeking appropriate new users.

The recently announced capital development grant for the Manchester Jewish Museum, housed in the city’s Victorian Spanish and Portuguese Synagogue, is set to bring the amount of public funding contributed to historic synagogues to nearly £5 million.

View the IHBC Annual School Storify featuring information from the Jewish Heritage UK presentation 

View the press release

New guidance has been launched this week by the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG) to help protect those who lead a traveller lifestyle as well as prevent unauthorised development within green belts, offering guidance on procedures for site allocation in development plans and measures to deal with enforcement issues. 

DCLG writes:
Special planning rules designed to support England’s travelling community will only apply to those who lead a genuine travelling lifestyle, under changes that came into force from today (31 August 2015).  The measure is part of a wider crackdown on unauthorised occupation of sites, to ensure all communities are required to abide by the same planning rules.

Under a new package of reforms, there will also be greater protection for the countryside and Green Belt, while councils will continue to have a range of powers at their disposal to tackle the illegal encampments that make their law-abiding neighbours’ lives a misery.  Between 2000 and 2009 there was a 4-fold increase in the numbers of caravans on unauthorised sites – creating tensions between travellers and the settled populations.  Today’s new policy makes clear the need to ensure fairness in the system, with planning policy reflecting the requirement that caravan sites should be made available for those who travel permanently.  In addition, it will mean any application for a permanent site, including caravan sites, by someone who does not travel will be considered in the same way as an application from the settled population – rather than being considered under policies relating to travellers.  Today’s changes also tackle the current situation, where councils without an up-to-date supply of caravan sites can find that protections of the Green Belt can be eroded.

The new planning policy ensures this is no longer the case where proposed developments are in protected areas – such as Green Belt land, Sites of Special Scientific Interest, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty or National Parks.  In addition, where previously councils were required to provide sites for people evicted from large-scale unauthorised encampments that happened to be in their area, like Dale Farm, this will be removed.

Communities Secretary Greg Clark said:  I’m determined to ensure fairness in the planning system, so everyone abides by the same rules.  Today’s new policy strengthens the hand of councils to tackle unauthorised development in their area, ensures all communities are treated equally and that the protection of the Green Belt is enforceable.

Housing and Planning Minister Brandon Lewis said:  Unauthorised traveller sites can blight communities, causing misery for their neighbours and creating resentment that planning rules don’t seem to be applied fairly.  Today’s revised planning policy clearly sets out the protection against unauthorised occupation and that the rules apply fairly to every community equally – no ifs, no buts.

View the press release and download the new guidance

IHBC NewsBlogs on green belt issues

The independent report into the impact of funding cuts and changes by Local Authorities has been released by the Welsh Government, reccomending ten action points and changes to secure the future of museums services.

The Welsh Government writes:
The Deputy Minister commissioned the Expert Review of Local Museum Provision in Wales last October to look at the impact funding cuts and organisational changes by local authorities were having on local museums.

The Panel was chaired by Dr Haydn E Edwards, Vice-President of National Museum Wales – Amgueddfa Cymru and the retired Principal and Chief Executive of Coleg Menai who has a background in education and science. The Panel were tasked with producing an all-Wales report, with research, analysis and comment on the current delivery of local museum services and identifying potential sustainable future models.

The final report makes 10 recommendations for securing the future delivery of local museum services, including creating three Regional Bodies to provide operational direction, management and support for locally delivered museums, and the establishment of a national Museums’ Council to provide collective leadership and co-ordinated activities at a national level for the museum sector.

Other recommendations include establishing Collections Wales, to develop and safeguard collections across the country and that museums operated by local authorities should be given relief from National Non-Domestic Rates on the same basis as museums operated by charities.

The Welsh Government and museum governing bodies are also asked to review the current policy and practice of charging for museum entry.

The Deputy Minister said:  ‘Local museums are an important part of healthy and vibrant communities. They encourage active participation in culture, protect our heritage, provide educational opportunities and contribute to our tourism industry. However, most rely heavily on local authority funding, making them particularly vulnerable in times of decreasing budgets.  This is why I called for a widespread and independent review of the delivery of local museum services in Wales, to give a picture of the current situation and to make recommendations of sustainable future delivery, so that we can ensure these important services and the national heritage they care for, can be protected for future generations.  I would like to thank the panel for their work in completing this report. I will take time to consider the recommendations and respond in due course.’

As part of the Review the panel obtained information from a wide-range of sources through regional meetings, interviewing representatives from the sector and issuing a call for evidence.

Dr Haydn E Edwards said:  ‘Local authority museums provide an important and valued service to their communities. Their collections are part of our local and national history and our report recognises this.  I’m grateful to all that have contributed to this report and hope that through the implementation of the ten recommendations the foundations for a resilient, flourishing and well-supported new museum sector will be established.’

View the press release

View the full report

The Scottish Government has announced it will review the operation of its planning system.

This exercise will ‘identify the scope for further reform with a focus on delivering a quicker, more accessible and efficient planning process, in particular increasing delivery of high-quality housing developments.’

The administration said this review would ‘ensure that planning realises its full potential, unlocking land and sites, supporting more quality housing across all tenures and delivering the infrastructure required to support development’.

This will involve streamlining, simplifying and improving ‘current systems and removing unnecessary blockages in the decision-making process.’

View the Programme for Government 2015-16

Historic England have digitised over 600,000 images held in the ‘red boxes’ collection and made these available online as part of the England’s Places website. 

Historic England writes:
Our Architectural Red Box photo collection is now available online on the England’s Places website. Until recently, you had to visit the Historic England Archive in Swindon to browse this massive collection of over 600,000 photographs. Now we have digitised the contents of the Red Boxes so that researchers can browse them from anywhere in England and beyond.

The collection covers the whole of England, and is made up of photographic prints mounted on cards. The cards are stored in 6,750 boxes, all arranged by county and parish.

During the digitisation project, damaged and vulnerable prints were conserved and each card was photographed using a digital camera. Now you can browse the boxes virtually and see the 600,000 images on the England’s Places website.

As well as the photographs themselves, we’ve captured the handwritten notes identifying the place and specific building names which appear on many of the cards. We’ve also made sure that you can view the backs of the cards, which often contain more information about the particular view, date or photographer.

The National Buildings Record started the Architectural Red Box Collection in 1941 to document our built heritage, especially those buildings threatened or damaged by bombing during the Second World War.

The initial core of the collection came from photographic records collected by the Courtauld Institute of Art in the 1930s. Over the following years hundreds of thousands of images were added, including photography taken for the National Buildings Record, and other collections acquired from both commercial and amateur photographers. The collection was closed to new material in 1991.

The collection includes images dating from the 1850s and the early development of photography in the 1850s up to the 1990s. Subjects include churches and country houses, historic buildings and modern architecture. There are street scenes and village-scapes which bring to life Victorian and Edwardian England, alongside photographic records of buildings threatened with destruction during the mid-20th century.

Within the collection, there are images by eminent photographers such as Bill Brandt, architectural specialists like Bedford Lemere and Company, and numerous professional and amateur photographers.

View the press release

View the England’s Places collections

IHBC NewsBlogs on archives

Community planning in Northern Ireland is being given a digital boost, with a ‘techies in residence’ programme helping to make the most of vacant spaces in Belfast town centre.

PLACE Northern Ireland writes:
PLACE is delighted to have been selected, along with Development Trusts NI (DTNI), to take part in the Techies in Residence programme (TIR). We see the TIR programme as an opportunity to join the dots in terms of community planning by mapping the potential of unused space across inner city Belfast. We want to make repopulating vacant spaces easier, faster, and more creative. A key factor in that is taking away much of the mystery surrounding property ownership, rates, contracts, and other formalities that can disinsentivise smaller, independent businesses, community groups, and cultural organisations from stepping in where retail has died off.

PLACE is keen to begin to make data that are already available fit for public use as well as gathering and exposing new data that show how people use the inner city areas. We want to establish an evidence base and accurate policy information to support a more vibrant and resilient inner city. We know that there is significant demand for short, medium, and long term reuse of vacant retail units & void sites. We want to take available data and work with our Techie to make it less unwieldy; simply, to present information to the public in an attractive and useful way.

The Techies in Residence (TIR) programme is as an initiative of the Building Change Trust, which in turn has been funded by Big Lottery Fund. CultureTech have been appointed by the Trust as Managing Agent for the ongoing development and delivery of Techies in Residence.

View the blog

View the ‘Techies in Residence’ website at www.techinres.com

Find out more about PLACE at www.placeni.org

The 2015 Georgian Group awards are now open for entries, with seven categories and a deadline of 30 October. 

The Georgian Group writes:
Our Architectural Awards, sponsored by international estate agents Savills and now in their thirteenth year, recognise exemplary conservation and restoration projects in the United Kingdom and reward those who have shown the vision and commitment to restore Georgian buildings and landscapes. Awards are also given for high-quality new buildings in Georgian contexts and in the Classical tradition.

Entries for the 2015 Awards are now invited.

Projects must: fall within one of the award categories listed below; be located within the United Kingdom, Channel Islands or Isle of Man; and have been completed or be due for completion between 1 January 2014 and 1 September 2015.

Please send digital images and a brief description of your project (including details of the project team) using either Drop box or the free file sharing service We Transfer. In either case use robert@georgiangroup.org.uk as the recipient address. Please do not send entries direct by email to that address as large files are likely to exceed server capacity and may not be received.

You may enter a project in more than one category, or leave it to us to allocate if you are not sure which category best fits your project. For restoration projects, please include both before and after photographs.

The deadline for entries is Friday 30 October 2015. Shortlisted entrants will be notified by 13 November. If you are shortlisted, you will be asked to produce an illustrated exhibition board for the awards ceremony. This will be held in central London in December 2015.

The award categories are:

• Restoration of a Georgian Country House
• Restoration of a Georgian Interior
• Restoration of a Georgian Building in an Urban Setting
• Reuse of a Georgian Building
• Restoration of a Georgian Garden or Landscape
• New Building in the Classical Tradition
• New Building in a Georgian Context

Questions and further information: Please ask Robert Bargery, robert@georgiangroup.org.uk, 020 7529 8920

IHBC Awards etc

Georgian Group Awards