IHBC NewsBlogs

Ten Councils in South East Wales have agreed to join together to ensure the delivery of City Deal.

Monmouthshire County Council writes:
Ten south east Wales local authorities have formally agreed to join forces to help deliver a City Deal for the Capital City Region.

The commitment to work together is a major step forward in the bid to bring a City Deal to the region.

A £500,000 fund had been created to help develop the bid with each of the councils committing cash to the project.

In partnership with the Welsh Government, the ten councils will begin work to develop a proposal for the UK Government for investment in the city-region economy to provide jobs and increase economic output.

The City Deal aims to attract significant levels of new funding for South East Wales to support economic development.  Elsewhere, City Deals have provided significant amounts of new funding to support infrastructure development for city-regions across the UK.

Monthly meetings have been scheduled for all leaders, with Welsh Government officials in attendance, to develop the proposal, while officials have established a working group across all ten authorities and the Welsh Government to develop the detailed business case for the City Deal.

Councillor Peter Fox, Leader of Monmouthshire County Council said: ‘A City Deal for the Cardiff Capital Region will do so much to create a successful and vibrant economic future for south east Wales.  It would unlock huge opportunities for the valley communities, our cities and rural counties like Monmouthshire.  I look forward to working closely with colleague leaders and other partners to make this a reality.’

Councillor Bob Bright, Leader of Newport City Council, added: ‘By working together, the South East Wales councils can make a real difference to the economy of the city-region and benefit all those who live and work here.  Collaboration will help us realise the potential of a strong and united region.’

View the press release

The property developer who painted red and white stripes on her townhouse has lost her latest planning battle. 

The BBC writes:
Zipporah Lisle-Mainwaring, 71, had asked a High Court judge to challenge planning policy which blocked her plans to build a two-storey basement.

However, the judge said the Kensington and Chelsea council’s decision was reasonable and dismissed the case.

She was accused of painting the house to ‘get her own back’ on neighbours who objected to her property plans.

Ms Lisle-Mainwaring had wanted to demolish her Kensington property and replace it with a new dwelling and two-storey basement.

At the High Court she joined forces with the construction company Force Foundations to challenge the council’s policy of restricting basements to one storey.

Paul Brown QC told Mrs Justice Lang earlier this month the policy was ‘fundamentally flawed’.

He added the decision to adopt it in January was taken without due regard to relevant planning issues and without consideration being given to whether there was ‘a reasonable alternative’. 

BBC News report

The Garden History Society (GHS) and the Association of Garden Trusts (AGT) have merged to form a new body entitled the Gardens Trust. 

The Gardens Trust writes:
Today, at their respective AGMs in Newcastle, the Garden History Society (GHS) and the Association of Garden Trusts (AGT) voted to merge to become The Gardens Trust, a new body created to harness the strengths of the two existing organisations.

The main aims of the merger of the GHS and AGT are:

• To speak with a more powerful voice for the protection of parks, gardens and designed landscape;
• To play a key garden conservation role in the planning system as a statutory consultee;
• To provide support to strengthen the local activity of the County and Country Gardens Trusts;
• To be an internationally regarded centre of excellence in the study of garden history;
• To live within the means of the merged organisation and be financially sustainable over the long term.

The first AGM of The Gardens Trust elected a slate of 12 members of the Board, and a new chairman, Dr. James Bartos and a new Vice Chairman, Michael Dawson, were elected by the Board. Dominic Cole OBE, formerly chairman of the GHS, was elected President. Five sub-committees were established to reflect the areas of activity and interest of the new organisation, covering conservation, events, publications, membership and administration and finance.

The creation of The Gardens Trust is the culmination of some five years’ work and discussion which also involved Parks and Gardens UK (the gardens database and website) and the Garden Museum. The move is fully supported by Historic England. The impetus for the merger was a sense that both the GHS and the AGT would be much stronger if working together, especially in terms of conservation activity. To that end, the Historic Landscape Project was formed in 2010 by the AGT to begin the process of devolving much of the responsibility for the conservation of historic landscapes to the County Gardens Trusts (CGTs). A small team of conservation officers travelled around Britain with the objective of establishing or consolidating conservation activity within different CGTs — an initiative that has proved extremely successful. The intention is that the CGTs will over time take on more of the conservation work within their regions, with the central Gardens Trust conservation team concentrating on larger or more complex cases or national policy.

Dr. James Bartos, the first Chairman of The Gardens Trust, was formerly a member of Council of the GHS and of its finance and general purposes committee. ‘I am extremely pleased that both memberships have voted in favour of the formation of The Gardens Trust,’ he said. ‘This is something we have been working on for some time, and I believe it will transform our ability to make a difference when it comes to the protection, conservation and understanding of our gardens and designed landscapes, helping to ensure their continued enjoyment into the future.’

Dominic Cole OBE, first President of The Gardens Trust, became Chairman of the GHS in 2002. ‘I’m delighted at this outcome,’ he said. ‘I never really understood why we had two organisations doing much the same thing. Now the combined memberships of all the CGTs — all that knowledge and enthusiasm — can be merged with the specialist expertise and academic clout of the old GHS to become much more effective not just in conservation but in actively campaigning to protect our designed landscapes. I believe that this merger is a great opportunity for both organisations.’

The Garden History Society was founded in 1965 and celebrated its 50th anniversary this year. The GHS put garden history ‘on the map’ as an academic subject and almost immediately began to publish the twice- yearly academic journal Garden History, which remains the leading forum for scholarly work in this area. In addition it has pursued an active conservation and campaigning role, with a small professional team of conservation officers employed to comment on developments affecting important gardens and designed landscapes. Since 1995 the GHS has been the statutory consultee for designed landscapes and is therefore informed of any proposals which may affect places listed on Historic England’s Register of historic parks and gardens (graded I, II and II*). All of these existing functions of the GHS will continue to be an important part of the role and remit of the new Gardens Trust, which inherits the charity number of the old GHS. Current members of the GHS, who become individual members of The Gardens Trust, stand at about 1,200.

The Association of Gardens Trusts was established in 1993 as a central ‘umbrella organisation’ intended to promote the care, conservation and enjoyment of historic designed gardens, landscapes and parks and to provide a strategic focus and training for the many CGTs established up and down Britain (currently 36). It publishes an annual Yearbook as a digest of the activities of the CGTs (which is to be continued) and organises study days and an annual conference. Each CGT is a CGT member of the new Gardens Trust in the same way that they were each a member of the AGT. Individual members of CGTs still belong to their respective county organisations, paying their annual subscriptions directly to them. In addition, individual members have the option of joining The Gardens Trust, to include a subscription to the journal Garden History and the new Gardens Trust newsletter, incorporating the opportunity to book for study days, foreign trips, lectures and seminars. The total combined current membership of all the CGTs currently stands at about 7,000.

View the press release

IHBC NewsBlogs on historic parks and gardens 

The Scottish Government (SG) has refused a proposal for 31 wind turbines in the Cairngorms National Park, considering the effects on natural and cultural heritage.

The Scottish Government writes:
Ministers have refused consent for the proposed 31-turbine wind farm at Allt Duine near Kincraig.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney concluded the plan does not represent sustainable development as it would result in significant and unacceptable landscape and visual impacts on the Cairngorms National Park, an area of national importance for its natural and cultural heritage, and on wild land.

The decision follows a public local inquiry and Scottish Government consultations on the potential impacts of the wind farm on the Cairngorms National Park and on the implications of the development on new planning policies.

Mr Swinney said:‘The Scottish Government’s policy on wind farms strikes a careful balance between maximising Scotland’s huge green energy potential and protecting some of our most scenic landscape and wild areas. We have been clear that wind farms can only be built in the right places and Scottish Planning Policy sets out rigorous steps to ensure wind farms are sited appropriately and sensitively.

‘I have considered the Allt Duine application fully and have refused permission as the proposal would have a significant and unacceptable landscape and visual impacts in the local area, including on the Cairngorms National Park and on a wild land area.

‘The Scottish Government remains fully committed to renewables and to achieving our target of 100 per cent of our electricity demand coming from renewables by 2020.’

View the press release

IHBC newsblogs on wind turbine proposals

Players of the popular computer construction game Minecraft will now be able to build within a virtual Northern Ireland, which can be used as an educational tool to explore geographical data and historical landmarks such as the Giant’s Causeway.

The Northern Ireland Department of Finance and Personnel writes:
Finance Minister Arlene Foster MLA has today launched a Minecraft NI map meaning, for the first time, the game can be played in a 3D virtual map of Northern Ireland.

Minecraft is one of the most popular video games in history, with over 100 million downloads since its launch in 2009. In the game, players build, explore and play in a virtual world that now includes Northern Ireland.

The Minecraft NI map, which is free to download for PC and Mac versions of the game, has been developed using Land & Property Service’s Ordnance Survey NI (OSNI) digital mapping data.

The map will be of particular interest to Northern Ireland post-primary schools using an educational version of the game as part of a new project. CultureTECH the organisation behind the project, is already using the Minecraft NI map to develop new classroom activities.

View the press release

Download the Minecraft map

A new website has been launched by the Welsh Government called ‘Law Wales’, which explains how legislation differs from the rest of the UK, and clarifying issues which are devolved. 

The Welsh Government writes:
The Law Wales site has been spearheaded by the Welsh Counsel General, Theodore Huckle QC, working with legal publishers Westlaw UK, to raise awareness of the growing body of Welsh law being passed by the National Assembly for Wales and made by the Welsh Ministers.

The National Assembly can pass laws for Wales provided they relate to the 20 specified devolved areas of economic, social and cultural importance to citizens, including health, education, agriculture, transport, housing and the environment.

Nearly 30 new Welsh Acts are expected to be passed during the Fourth Assembly (2011-2016). These join Measures passed in the previous Assembly term which, taken together, mean there are now significant differences in the law in Wales in many areas compared with other parts of the UK.

For example:

• Landlords in Wales must soon, by law, join a compulsory register and licencing scheme designed to protect tenants’ rights.
• All businesses preparing food in Wales have a legal duty to display their food hygiene rating, under a law brought in to improve standards for consumers.
• From December 1st, there will be a new ‘opt out’ system of organ donation in Wales, aimed at increasing the number of organs available for life-saving transplants.

Counsel General Theodore Huckle QC said: ‘With more and more laws being passed affecting only Wales, it’s absolutely vital that people here and beyond understand the growing changes in areas like health, education and housing, to name but a few.  The Law Wales website is designed not only to raise citizens’ awareness of the ways in which these new laws affect their everyday lives, but also the system under which they are developed, scrutinised, and passed.  I’m delighted that through our partnership with Westlaw UK, the site will be further developed to include rich, in-depth content and analysis aimed at those working in the legal system in Wales.’

Daniel Greenberg from Westlaw UK said: ‘Westlaw UK is absolutely delighted to be able to contribute to this vital public service initiative, which will improve access to laws for the citizen.’

First Minister of Wales Carwyn Jones said: ‘As a barrister and a legislator, I am acutely aware of how complex the law can be. I am delighted that the Welsh Government is leading the way in the UK by developing this information service.’

View the press release

View the site

View Ancient monuments and historic buildings legislation information on Law Wales

View town and country planning legislation information on LawWales 

View housing related information on LawWales

A pre-Roman town of 150 roundhouses has been found by university students during an archaeological dig in Dorset.

The discovery of the town lying along a hill-slope near Winterborne Kingston has been described as ‘extremely significant’ by archaeologists who said that what had been found was ‘one of the earliest and largest open settlements in Britain.’ 

See Planning Portal 

Bournemouth University press release

Amber Valley Borough Council has refused permission for a 400-home development on the edge of the Derby suburb of Allestree because of the harm posed to the setting of the nearby Grade I listed Kedleston Hall.

Developer Catesby Estates is considering an appeal. 

See Planning Portal

Cuts of up to 40% in real terms to National Park Authority Government funding in England has led to more than 225 job losses over the past fives years and had a huge impact on services they provide, The Campaign for National Parks has warned.

Following a Freedom of Information request sent to all ten National Parks in England, the Campaign has released a national briefing showing the extent and impact of the cuts to National Parks over the last five years.

A Freedom of Information request found that National Park Authorities in England received £44.7m for 2015/16 compared with £56 million in 2010/11. The report also found that many National Parks have had to cut specific projects and programmes. These include the New Forest cutting its Sustainable Development Fund by 55%, the Broads closing three of its six tourist information centres and withdrawing from maintaining all its rights of way (around 23km), while the North York moors has stopped flood prevention work. The North York Moors has also cuts budgets in its biodiversity and historic environment work.

The Campaign is therefore calling on the Government to effectively resource National Parks, while also enabling them to take innovating approaches to access new or existing funding streams.

Fiona Howie, Campaign for National Parks chief executive, said: ‘Funding available for public transport programmes – that get people out into and around our Parks – has been cut; information centres are closing down or shortening their opening hours; public rights of way are not being maintained and grants for rural businesses – the lifeblood of the community – are being cut.

For the briefing see national briefing

For more information, see the Campaign for National Parks website at cnp.org.uk

The latest The Heritage Alliance (THA) debate, held on 14 July in London, was on the topic of Heritage and Government, while recordings of the debate have been made available on the THA website.

The Heritage Alliance (THA) writes:
Heritage & Government’ – the sixth in the Alliance’s series of Heritage Debates and first to be held in London – examined the changing role the state has played in supporting our heritage for public benefit.

Heritage Alliance Chairman Loyd Grossman led an outstanding panel of heritage champions. Conrad Bird, Director of the Cabinet Office’s GREAT Britain campaign illustrated the importance of heritage to the UK’s position at the top of the soft power league.

Sir Laurie Magnus, Chairman of Historic England outlined the new English Heritage model and warned that ‘the gravy train of state support has gone’. Professor Sara Selwood, Editor of Cultural Trends, examined the relationship between research and public policy making. The 150-strong audience raised issues about education, everyday heritage, VAT and developers’ perceptions of heritage, local authority capacity and the fate of Local Authority heritage assets.

View more information about the debate

On 15 July a Parliamentary debate took place on the state of regional funding for arts and heritage, including discussion on a new arts and heritage White Paper. 

A parallel discussion took place on Twitter using the hashtag#artsfunding, to which 250 people contributed with 1.2 million people following (statistics from the Hansard listing debate 15 July 2015 : Column 347WH)

Robert Jenwick (conservative MP for Newark) introduced the motion, stating ‘ arts organisations have never been under greater pressure to change than they are today. Whether we like it or not, state funding for museums, galleries, and perhaps for the wider arts as well, is in serious and probably perpetual decline.’ (Hansard listing debate 15 July 2015, Column 328WH). 

The debate included discussion on the importance of the heritage schools initiative: ‘In the last Parliament, the Department for Education increased the amount of funding going to music education. It has also supported other programmes such as the museums and schools programme and the heritage schools programme, which are new initiatives to get heritage and museums centre stage in our schools’ (The Minister for Culture and the Digital Economy (Mr Edward Vaizey), Hansard listing debate 15 July 2015, Column 345WH) 

Mr Vaizey also discussed the issuing of a white paper in 2015/16 for arts and heritage, and the importance of place making (Hansard listing debate 15 July 2015 : Column 345WH). 

View the full text of the debate

View discussions about the debate on Twitter

The latest coastal community teams to be launched under the Coastal Communities Fund have been announced, with Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund both highlighting the opportunities for heritage that the fund offers.

DCLG writes:
Coastal Communities Minister Mark Francois today (17 July 2015) gave his support to over 100 new local teams that will help revive England’s seaside towns and decide where investment goes.  The government has provided more than £1 million to fund 104 further Coastal Community Teams, on top of 12 existing pilots, to help bring jobs, growth and prosperity back to our beach towns and cities. The teams – bringing together local business, councils and people – will help coordinate regeneration projects in their area and get the chance to shape the next wave of the successful Coastal Communities Fund, announced in the Budget last week. 

Speaking on a visit to Felixstowe in Suffolk on Friday, Coastal Communities Minister Mark Francois said:  This one nation government is determined to devolve powers and funding so that no corner of the country is left behind. This includes our historic coastal towns and cities that have in some cases fallen into decline in the past but can now ensure that the economic recovery is coming back to them too.  Coastal Community Teams will help decide where that investment goes because local people know best what is needed to grow their local economy. We are backing them with £1 million of direct support and the Budget also confirmed last week that at least £90 million more will be spent in the coming years through the Coastal Community Fund, which these teams will have access to.

By bringing together local businesses, local leaders and volunteers, Coastal Community Teams can help tap into their local heritage and make the most of our stunning seaside assets to make a success of the tourist trade. The teams can also help ensure local people have the skills and opportunities so that they benefit from the new jobs and investment too.

Along with each area being awarded £10,000 to kick-start work, the 116 Coastal Community Teams will also be able to bid for up to a £50,000 share of a new £3 million Coastal Revival Fund to support or restore local heritage and facilities which benefit the wider community and the surrounding economy, which is now open to applications.

Historic England Chief Executive Duncan Wilson said:  Heritage is an integral part of the English seaside; piers, bandstands, theatres and promenades are the backdrop to many happy summer holidays, but these kind of historic buildings often need money to help with repairs. Coastal Community Teams have fantastic ideas on revitalising and reusing their most precious buildings and this Coastal Revival Fund offers an excellent opportunity to get those projects up and running.

Heritage Lottery Fund Chairman Sir Peter Luff said:  Our coast has a distinctive heritage that, with the right investment, can drive regeneration, economic growth and job creation. The Coastal Revival Fund will help to unlock that potential and enable communities to take the first steps towards securing wider investment. The Heritage Lottery Fund is one source of that investment and we look forward to working with the Department for Communities and Local Government and local partners to achieve this vision.

Launched in 2012, the Coastal Communities Fund has already allocated nearly £119 million on 222 local infrastructure and economic projects across the UK. This is helping to create almost 13,700 jobs and provide more than 10,280 training places and apprenticeships. The Summer Budget last week announced that the Coastal Communities Fund would be extended to 2020 with at least £90 million of new funding.

View the news release

IHBC newsblogs on coastal heritage 

IHBC newsblogs on funding

The Architectural Review (AR) award for design of schools is now open, with a closing date of 7 August. 

The AR writes:
The AR Awards are an online awards programme dedicated to commending and celebrating design excellence and innovation across a range of building types.

The AR is at the heart of global architecture and this exciting new awards programme will seek out transformative, leading edge projects from around the world. Challenging and inspiring architects to reflect more deeply on the purpose of architecture and its relationship with the wider world, the AR offers critical thinking for critical times. The AR Awards will reflect these values, examining how different building types are evolving to meet the changing demands of the 21st century.

Conceived as a rolling programme that extends over the year and is evaluated by a high-profile international jury, awards will be made for specific typologies. Categories for 2015 will be House, Schools, and Culture. Winners will be extensively featured in the AR across both print and digital platforms through specially commissioned critiques and films that will explore the ideas behind the architecture and bring winning projects vividly to life. Providing a respected and critically authoritative global platform for the best new buildings, AR Awards represent the ultimate mark of distinction.

The AR Schools category is currently open for entries until 7 August. From kindergartens to universities, nurseries to high schools. This is your chance to be recognised on the global stage as a leading designer of spaces for learning. 

View more information about the awards

View information about past winners

IHBC Awards etc 

If you a young surveyor who is passionate about conservation and surveying why not enter the RICS Young Surveyor of the Year award which has its deadline extended until 10 August.

The RICS writes:
Have you got a successful story to share? Can you, one of your colleagues or employees inspire other surveyors within the industry? If you think that’s you then we want to hear from you.

These awards will once again showcase and celebrate the most inspirational young surveying professionals in the UK and will provide a fantastic opportunity to raise the profile of surveying as a career of choice by recognising inspirational role models and ambassadors.

We encourage entries from both individuals or for colleagues and employers to nominate those who stand out and have shown commitment, drive, and inspiration. Last year the judges commented on the extremely high standard of entries and the challenges they faced in shortlisting, let’s ensure that this year the standard reaches new heights, with even more entries from those high achievers and who truly know the importance of client satisfaction and outstanding performance.

View information about the awards and how to enter

View the notice of extension of the deadline for entrants

Visit IHBC Awards etc

If you enjoy spending some time by the sea, perhaps the latest National Trust, National Trust for Scotland and British Library project will be of interest: a crowd-sourced project inviting everyone to record and share the sounds of coastal areas to help create an archive.

The partners write:
The public is being asked to record the sounds that shape and define our relationship with the coast around the UK in a three-month crowd sourced sound project – ‘sounds of our shores’ – being launched today by the National Trust, National Trust for Scotland and the British Library.

The public is being asked to record the sounds that shape and define our relationship with the coast around the UK in a three-month crowd sourced sound project – ‘sounds of our shores’ – being launched today by the National Trust, National Trust for Scotland and the British Library.

Sounds of the Scottish coastline can be uploaded on to the first ever UK coastal sound map, hosted on the British Library website. These might include the unmistakable calls of kittiwakes at St Abb’s Head, the clamour of seals on Mingulay or the tidal echoes from Culzean Castle’s sea caves.

All of the recordings will be added to the British Library Sound Archive – capturing for all time soundscapes from the beautiful and diverse UK coastline that future generations will be able to hear.

Musician, producer and founder member of Human League and Heaven 17, Martyn Ware, will be using the sounds recorded by the public, which could include sounds from the around the Scottish coast, to create a brand new piece of music for release in February 2016.

The National Trust for Scotland cares over 1000 miles of Scottish coastline and 400 islands, including Fair Isle, Staffa and St Kilda.

Dr Richard Luxmoore, Senior Nature Advisor from the National Trust for Scotland said: ‘Whether it is the timeless surge of Atlantic swells in Staffa’s Fingall’s Cave, the rattle of halliards against hundreds of masts in a bursting marina, the howl of Europe’s strongest winds over the primeval cliffs of St Kilda, the gentle sough of waves on the white coral strand of Iona, the unearthly nocturnal singing of grey seals on a skerry or the rhythmic swishing of a wind turbine, the coast clamours for our attention and leaves an indelible impression on our hearts.’

Cheryl Tipp, Curator of Wildlife and Environment Sounds at the British Library, said: ‘There is something really evocative about the sounds of our coast; they help shape our memories of the coastline and immediately transport us to a particular time or place whenever we hear them. As millions of us head to the coast this summer for holidays or day trips we want the public to get involved by recording the sounds of our amazing coastline and add them to the sound map. This could be someone wrestling with putting up a deck-chair, the sounds of a fish and chip shop or a busy port. We’d also love to hear from people that might have historic coastal sounds, from around Scotland’s coast which might, for example, be stored in a box in the loft. This will help us hear how the sounds of that coastline have changed over the years.’

Sounds recorded, whether on a smart phone, tablet or handheld recorder, can be uploaded to the map via the audioBoom website or app (they are both free and easy to use. The sounds will then appear on the map, which will be hosted on the British Library website.

All of the recordings should be a maximum of five minutes in length and images and words about the particular sound can be added. People will then be able to share their sounds on the map with friends and family. The closing date for uploading sounds is Monday 21 September 2015.

At the end of the project all of the sounds that appear on the map will then be added to the British Library’s Sound Archive for future generations to hear.  The sounds from the ‘sounds of our shores’ map will be used by Martyn Ware to create a new piece of music.

A 20-minute soundscape will transport listeners to the sensory richness of the coastline; capturing the working coastline and the coast where we go to play. Martyn Ware, said: ‘I’ve had a deep connection with the coast all of my life. As a kid growing up in Sheffield we’d go on family holidays to Scarborough or Skegness; I can still remember the sounds that filled our days at the seaside.  There is something emotionally deep about our connection with the coast which has shaped our identity. That is what is so exciting about this new commission and I want to capture the sensory nature of the coastline, reflecting the diversity and beauty of the sounds of our shores.’

To get involved in the project visit www.nationaltrust.org.uk/coastal-sounds for top tips on recording sounds around the Scottish coastline and information about how to upload them on to the map. Participants will also be able to share their sounds on social media using the hashtag #shoresounds.

View the press release

Search for shoresounds submitted so far

Listen to submissions so far

IHBC Audiobooms from Orkney Annual School (audio recordings to listen to)

IHBC newsblogs on coastal heritage 

In light of low take-up and concerns about industry standards there will be no further funding to the Green Deal Finance Company…

DECC writes:
The Government will work with the building industry and consumer groups on a new value-for-money approach, Energy and Climate Change Secretary Amber Rudd announced today.

Amber Rudd also announced that the Government will stop any future funding releases of the Green Deal Home Improvement Fund.

Future schemes must provide better value for money, supporting the goal of insulating a million more homes over the next five years and the Government’s commitment to tackle fuel poverty.

This decision has no impact on existing Green Deal Finance Plans or existing Green Deal Home Improvement Fund applications and vouchers.

Today’s announcement comes as part of Government’s wider review of energy policies. The Energy and Climate Change Secretary has confirmed that her first priority is to get spending under control…

The Government has commissioned an independent review led by Peter Bonfield to look at standards, consumer protection and enforcement of energy efficiency schemes and ensure that the system properly supports and protects consumers.

Current Government policies including the Energy Company Obligation (ECO) scheme will continue to provide support this year to low-income and vulnerable households, reflecting the fact that ECO delivered 97% of home improvements in the last two years.

DECC will work in partnership with the Department for Communities and Local Government to improve the UK’s existing housing stock. The longer-term future of the Energy Company Obligation scheme will be part of these discussions around a new, better-integrated policy.

Read more…

Updates on key questions to the Deputy Minister, Ken Sakes AM, arising in the National Assembly for Wales’ Communities, Equality and Local Government Committee deliberations on the Historic Environment (HE) Bill have been released. 

Questions to the Deputy Minster include:

1. How do you respond to concerns from stakeholders that the recovery of expenses for urgent works is not comparable with the recovery of mortgage debts (as the Bill suggests), as the latter is reliant upon a contractual arrangement, which does not apply in the case of urgent works?

2. What are your views on the proposals from stakeholders that heritage partnership agreements should be broadened to cover other heritage assets, such as historic landscapes, parks and gardens, battlefields and historic environment record entries?

3. Could you provide clarification of the grounds on which it would be reasonable for local authorities to choose not to enter into a heritage partnership agreement? Will decisions not to enter into such an agreement be subject to any form of review/appeal process?

4. Will the statutory Historic Environment Records need to be available bilingually and, if so, what assessment he has made of the practical and financial implications of this? 

See the full list of questions

The government recently unveiled a further package of radical planning reforms as part of a wide-ranging Productivity Plan drawn up by the Treasury and Chancellor George Osborne. 

The Planning Portal writes:
The planning measures include a threat of direct intervention by the Secretary of State over the production of local plans where local authorities are judged to be too slow and the creation of a zonal system for brownfield land involving automatic permission for housing.

In addition, ministers want a tighter planning performance regime which would mean local authorities would be judged to be underperforming if 50 per cent or fewer decisions meet statutory timetables or who fail to process minor applications in line with a significantly tighter “planning guarantee”.

Also planned is legislation to allow major infrastructure projects with an element of housing to be considered as part of the Planning Act 2008 regime and treated as nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs).

The government has announced it is scrapping the requirement on new-home developers to offset new-build carbon emissions by making a contribution to carbon reduction elsewhere.

In addition the administration is proposing to extend permitted development rights to taller mobile masts in both protected and non-protected areas in England. A call for evidence on these proposals has been published. 

See the government press release  

Search Planning Portal

Hydraulic fracturing (fracking) draft regulations have now been released, defining areas in which the activity would be prohibited, though the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has criticised the omission of Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs) from the protected area definitions, and the independent ‘Task Force on Shale Gas’ released its report into local environment and health. 

The Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) writes:
Areas to be excluded from underground fracking activities have been set out by the Government today, through draft regulations that define the protected areas in which fracking will be prohibited.

The draft regulations set out further protections for groundwater and National Parks, Areas of Outstanding National Beauty, the Broads and World Heritage Sites, ensuring the process of hydraulic fracturing can only take place below 1200 metres in these areas. Drinking water is not normally found below 400m.

Ministers also set out their clear commitment to ensure that fracking cannot be conducted from wells that are drilled in the surface of National Parks and other protected areas in such a way as to not impact on conventional drilling operations. More details on this will follow shortly.

Energy Minister Andrea Leadsom said: ‘The UK has one of the best track records in the world when it comes to protecting our environment while also developing our industries – and we’ve brought that experience to bear on the shale gas protections.  We need more secure, home grown energy supplies, and shale gas and oil have a vital role to play – much better that we use what we have at home than relying on supplies from volatile foreign imports.  This industry will be developed safely with world class environmental protections, creating jobs and delivering better energy security while safeguarding of some of our most precious landscapes.’

CPRE has criticised the omission of SSSI’s from the protected area definitions, and writes:
The Government previously committed to limiting fracking in protected areas. In advance of new legislation defining these limits, the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) and other conservation organisations wrote to the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change to exclude fracking from the most sensitive parts of our countryside.

Following the Government laying draft secondary legislation in Parliament to define protected areas, Nick Clack, senior energy campaigner at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), comments:  ‘Although the Government has included National Parks, Areas of Outstanding National Beauty and World Heritage Sites in the definition of protected areas, it has gone back on its previous promise to also include Sites of Special Scientific Interest. It has also ignored our request to ban fracking underneath these areas to prevent unnecessary negative impacts from drilling rigs next to these sites, which would harm their tranquillity and people’s enjoyment of them.  Despite the Government reiterating its intention to rule out fracking from wells that are drilled within National Parks and other protected areas, the Government has not included anything in the legislation to bring this into effect. It is not clear how or when this might happen and we are now looking for the Government to back up its words with the necessary safeguards.’

The Task Force on Shale Gas writes:
The Task Force on Shale Gas today released its second report on the impact of a fracking industry on the UK, specifically assessing local environmental and health impacts.  The report assessed the available evidence on the potential local environmental and health impacts of a shale gas industry in the UK and made a series of recommendations.

Specifically the Task Force recommends:

• Full disclosure by shale gas operators of the chemicals being used in their operations – with Environment Agency monitoring on site to confirm additive levels are within agreed and safe limits
• Baseline monitoring of groundwater, air and soil to be established at the moment a potential site is identified, with community representatives given an oversight role in monitoring and all results made public. Current planning regulations that require full planning consent before boreholes can be drilled for monitoring should be changed
• Operators to commit and be held to the very highest standards in well construction, independently monitored. The Task Force found many of the problems associated with shale gas derived from historical poor practice in the United States, rather than the process of fracking itself. This situation can and must be avoided in the United Kingdom
• The process of ‘green completions’ – whereby fugitive methane emissions are minimised on site – should be mandatory for production wells
• The disposal of wastewater by deep injection – which has been associated with earthquakes in the United States – should be avoided in the United Kingdom in line with current Environment Agency practice, particularly where the nature of the geology is unsuitable
• A National Advisory Committee should be established to monitor data from shale gas operations if and when they are established in the United Kingdom to provide an independent analysis of actual and potential impacts on public health to both policymakers and the public
• Public Health England should commit to reassessing and evaluating its report into the health impacts of shale gas once a statistically significant number of wells have been established and data is available. All results and conclusions must be made public

Lord Chris Smith, chair of the Task Force on Shale Gas said: ‘Our conclusion from all the evidence we’ve seen is clear. Only if the drilling is done properly and to the highest standard, and with rigorous regulation and monitoring, can shale gas fracking be done safely for local communities and the environment.  We highlight four essential ingredients for safe operation: full disclosure of chemicals; baseline monitoring from the outset; strong well integrity, independently regulated; and ‘green completions’ to contain the gas that’s created and minimise emissions.  The evidence shows that many of the concerns associated with fracking are the result of poor practice elsewhere in the world, such as poorly constructed wells.’

‘It is therefore crucial that stringent regulations are established in the UK, as set out in our recommendations, in order to meet these legitimate concerns. We also recommend the formation of a National Advisory Committee to examine, collate and evaluate health impacts associated with shale gas operations once they have begun and data from the first wells becomes available.’

The recommendations follow months of academic review, visits to communities potentially affected by fracking, input from industry, experts, campaigners and relevant associations.  To underline the scientific and robust nature of its report the Task Force has also simultaneously published a briefing document which sets out the scientific foundations of its findings.

‘Our guiding principle is to provide trusted, factual and impartial information that people need in order to make up their own minds about shale gas,’ said Lord Chris Smith, ‘With this second report the Task Force has reviewed evidence, visited shale gas sites and met with experts and communities, all of which has informed our environmental and health recommendations. We look forward to the public’s response.’  The Task Force will publish two further reports in 2015 covering climate change and economics. A final report on the potential risks and benefits of shale gas for the UK will be published as the culmination of the Task Force’s research in the spring of 2016.

The Task Force on Shale Gas was launched in September 2014 to give careful consideration to public concerns, and to provide an impartial and transparent assessment of the potential benefits and risks of shale gas extraction to the UK.

View the DECC press release 

View the draft regulations

View the CPRE press release

View the Task Force on Shale Gas press release and report

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The new House of Lords Committee on National Policy for the Built Environment (BE) has opened its inquiry and held its first public evidence session by taking evidence from experts specialising in planning and design. 

The Committee, chaired by Baroness O’Cathain, heard from:

• Professor Rachel Cooper OBE, Professor of Design Management, Lancaster University
• Dr Richard Simmons, former Chief Executive of the Commission for Architecture and the Built Environment (CABE)
• Professor Mark Tewdwr-Jones, Professor of Town Planning, Newcastle University 

Areas the session covered included:

• What are the main built environment challenges we are currently facing and how might these change? Does demographic change present a particular challenge?
• What will the legacy be of the last 30 years of commercial and residential developments?
• How can we ensure new buildings respect their environment and help to foster communities?
• How effective are we at rejuvenating existing housing developments? Should there be more focus on ‘retrofitting’ existing buildings rather than focusing on new builds?
• Why does the UK consistently fall so far short of meeting its targets on house building completions?

Read the press release