IHBC NewsBlogs

Energy efficiency measures and traditional building repairs are able to be funded for those on low incomes under new proposals announced by the Scottish Government

The Scottish Government writes:
Up to £21 million will be invested in a new three year scheme to allow low income owner-occupiers carry out essential repairs and energy efficiency improvements to their homes, Housing Minister Margaret Burgess announced recently.

The Help for Homes scheme targets those with limited income who meet the minimum equity requirements.

Unveiling details of the new scheme during a keynote speech at the Glasgow and West of Scotland Forum of Housing Associations’ (GWSF) Conference on Regeneration, Mrs Burgess said:  ‘Housing is at the heart of the Government’s ambitions to create a fairer and more prosperous country, and that includes supporting homeowners in essential upgrades to enable sustainability at home.  We recognise there are homeowners who want to look after their homes and make them more energy efficient but are unable to afford to carry out work, particularly those who live in tenements. The Help for Homes funding will help homeowners with limited income to combat this.  That is why the Scottish Government is tendering for a Help for Homes pilot scheme, which will see vulnerable homeowners given help to carry out vital improvements to their homes.’

The property must have been the homeowner’s sole residence for at least 12 months. The maximum loan is 49 per cent of the valuation.

If there is a mortgage or other secured debt at least 30 per cent of the market valuation in equity must remain in the property after the loan has been deducted. Eligible homeowners will borrow from the Scottish Government and repay when they sell their home, die or transfer ownership.

There will be no means test but the scheme will be limited to properties in Council Tax bands A to C and also to home owners outwith these Council Tax bands in receipt of Council Tax Reduction.

Peter Howden, Chair of GWSF, said: ‘GWSF very much welcomes the Scottish Government’s renewed emphasis on community regeneration, and its commitment to helping owner-occupiers make necessary and sustainable changes to their homes through the Help for Homes scheme.  Not only will this scheme encourage regeneration and sustainability within tenements in particular, but it will also help owner-occupiers living in mixed tenure blocks contribute toward overall repairs alongside housing associations and local authorities.’

Scottish Gov news

The London Assembly is calling on the Mayor of London to back a new campaign to make London the world’s first National Park City.

The London Assembly writes:
A motion agreed unanimously by Assembly Members today calls on the Mayor to get behind the campaign to make Greater London a National Park.

The Assembly urges the Mayor to support the organisation leading the campaign in order to improve the health and quality of life of over 8 million Londoners and help preserve the capital’s biodiversity.

The Assembly noted that in developing London as a National Park, initiatives such as tree planting will help the capital deal with the very real threat of severe weather, which is expected to worsen in the future, as outlined by the Environment Committee.

Jenny Jones AM, who proposed the motion said:

‘This initiative could ensure that nature is included in every aspect of London’s urban fabric. By supporting this vision, we can help galvanise programmes that will make this city a far more pleasant and safe city, better able to cope with heavy downpours and heat waves. This means a large scale rollout of river restoration, tree planting, urban greening of concrete surfaces and a reversal of paved over front gardens.’

View the press release

IHBC newsblogs on historic parks and gardens

The Big Lottery has allocated £175 million of funding, in partnership with European Social Fund, to help address poverty and skills issues in areas of socio-economic deprivation.

IHBC members who work in rural areas may be interested to learn that the new fund includes isolated rural areas among eligible areas, as are ‘hard to reach’ groups. 

The Big Lottery writes:
Communities across England are set to benefit from £175 million supporting people most in need to develop the skills and tools to overcome barriers to work, education and training. 

The Big Lottery Fund is for the first time matching funds from the European Social Fund (ESF) 2014-2020 to provide joint investment in 71 local projects tackling the root causes of poverty, promoting social inclusion and driving local jobs and growth.

Projects will provide opportunities for people to improve numeracy, literacy and digital skills, build confidence and self-esteem, and better understand and manage their finances. Extra support will be given to hard to reach and socially-excluded groups, including people with disabilities, mental health or addiction issues, those who are homeless, ex-offenders and people living in isolated rural areas.

The Big Lottery Fund is working with Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs) across England who have identified projects that best meet local need and priorities. From today organisations can apply for funding to deliver these projects.

Dawn Austwick, Chief Executive of the Big Lottery Fund said: ‘We are delighted to be working with Local Enterprise Partnerships across England to bring new funds into communities to develop employment opportunities and pathways to the job market for those most in need. These projects focus on solutions developed at a local level, from customised programmes for carers seeking flexible work to support for people to create new local social enterprises.’

The 71 projects announced today with a total of £174,521,600 available across England represent the first round of this funding and involve 25 LEP areas. Further investment is expected to be delivered over the next few years, taking the total number of LEP areas with projects to 37. Each LEP has identified the issues challenging their communities and the opportunity that funding can bring to address them. The funding will be managed by the Big Lottery Fund, giving voluntary, community and social enterprise groups greater access to this wider ESF money than in previous years.

Projects open for applications today include:

• Two projects covering the London LEP area to support out of work carers and those whose caring responsibilities have recently ended move closer to the job market. The project will be flexible to work alongside people’s caring commitments, recognising that in some cases training, volunteering or work experience rather than formal employment might be more appropriate while still keeping people attached to the labour market. The project recognises that carers are an economically inactive group which receives relatively little employment support.
• A project in Enterprise M3 LEP (Hampshire and Surrey) to support people furthest from the labour market to improve their skills and set up a social enterprise business, in particular young people and those not in employment, education or training. It will support people to start, grow and sustain a business, with individual tailored support and mentoring. This will help address urban and rural deprivation in the area, as well as issues surrounding an ageing workforce and increasing welfare dependency.
• A project in the Greater Lincolnshire LEP area to support people with financial and debt problems and reach those not currently seeking support. This will help address financial exclusion, which affects a significant proportion of the local community, including lack of access to basic services like bank accounts, and drives people to unmanageable debt, stress and depression.
• A project in Lancashire LEP to support older people and younger people in the area with low or no skills, who are therefore unable to access the job market. This will help address barriers to work in the most deprived areas, such as Blackpool, Burnley, Blackburn and Darwen, which are associated with lower skill levels.

The first competitive application stage is now open. Grant competitions are fair, open and competitive and any organisation is eligible to apply, however most of the projects will be better suited to partnership working.

View more information about the projects and funding on the website 

IHBC newsblogs on funding

The Civic Trust awards are now open for entries, with a closing date of 31 July. 

The Civic Trust writes:
The 2016 Civic Trust Awards application round is open now. The Civic Trust Awards application round opened on 22nd May 2015 and closes on 31st July 2015.

Applications will be processed and assessors allocated in August, assessment visits will take place throughout September and October, with our Regional Finalists announced in December. Projects are then considered on a national/international basis and the shortlist of winners announced in January 2016. The final level of award will be revealed at our Awards Ceremony in March 2016 (venue to be confirmed).

Entries can be made by anyone closely connected with a project, so long as the permission of the owner and occupier of the scheme has been obtained prior to entering.

Wholly internal schemes are not eligible to apply unless the scheme is accessible to the public (i.e. internal restoration of a historic building/museum etc). However, internal aspects will be considered as part of the assessment process.  Schemes must be visible to the public – it must be possible to see most of it, all year round, from a public thoroughfare. Private buildings that are regularly used by large numbers of people, for instance schools or commercial buildings, are considered visible. Entry fees cannot be returned if the judges decide the scheme is not visible.  Fully completed phases of large projects (including any landscaping or ancillary works) are eligible to apply. Entrants should state in the scheme description how the phase relates to the project as a whole, and indicate the project’s total size and expected completion date. Judges visiting the scheme must be able to fully assess any completed phase of the project. If our judges decide that the scheme cannot be fully assessed due to the incomplete nature of the scheme or any adjacent works, then the application will be considered unsuccessful. In such instances, resubmission will be permitted at a later date (additional application fee payable).  Private houses are eligible but must demonstrate how their project contributes to the debate on topics such as density, sustainability and social mix (e.g. affordable homes). Entrants are reminded that the building must be visible to the public.

View information on how to apply

View full eligibility criteria

IHBC Awards etc

The Royal Warrant Holders Association have awarded the Plowden Medal to Nancy Bell (Head of Collection Care for The National Archives) and Sarah Staniforth (former Museums and Collections Director for the National Trust).

The Royal Warrant Holders Association website lists previous winners of the Plowden Medal, and reasons for their conservation recognition.

The Royal Warrant Holders Association writes:
The Association awards the Plowden Medal annually to recognise the man or woman who has made the most significant recent contribution to the advancement of the conservation profession.

Inaugurated in 1999, the award commemorates the Hon. Anna Plowden CBE, a leading conservator and Grantee of Plowden & Smith, who was President-elect of the Association at the time of her death in 1997.

Presented at the Association’s Annual Luncheon, the Plowden Medal covers all aspects of conservation, be they practical, theoretical or managerial, and is open to both those working in private practice and those employed by institutions.

View a list of previous winners

See the IHBC Awards etc page

The RIBA has launched a new resource which aims to champion and celebrate the diversity of roles and people within the construction industry, with positive role models publications designed to counteract stereotypes. 

The Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) writes:
As part of an ongoing commitment to promote diversity and inclusion and inspire a wide talent pool in the construction industry, the Royal Institute of British Architects’ (RIBA) has today (2 June) launched Role Models, a new on-line publication celebrating the diversity of British architects.

Through inspiring and frank interviews with 12 individuals who volunteered to be profiled, RIBA’s new publication, challenges stereotypes of what an architect looks like, and shows the different ways in which it is possible to navigate the inevitable highs and lows of a competitive profession to forge a successful and rewarding career. Role Models includes profiles of:

• Maral Rahmantalab, an Iranian-born female architect, who experienced discrimination on her journey to forging a successful career. Maral wants her story to inspire others to appreciate that their differences can be their strengths and they bring something unique and valuable to the construction industry.
• Stephen Ware, who is profoundly deaf and took part in the project to prove that disability is not inability. Stephen explains how exclusion would hold back the construction industry.
• Daniel Kerr, who explains how difficult it can be for people to understand something they know little about. Daniel hopes that sharing his story as a transgender person will help others understand how people are more likely to achieve success when they can be themselves.

RIBA President Elect and Equality & Diversity Champion, Jane Duncan, said:  ‘Diversity is crucial to the future success of our industry and RIBA is committed to providing the necessary leadership to drive out inequality from our construction industry. The Role Models project has given a voice to a diverse cast of inspiring individuals. These 12 features powerfully show that whatever your gender, background, ethnicity, disability, sexual orientation or education, you can succeed in architecture.  I urge the whole industry – students, colleagues, mentors and employers – to read, share and learn from these frank and revealing profiles.’

Alongside the publication of Role Models, RIBA has launched a package of digital resources for anyone inspired by the role models’ stories.

Find out more at www.architecture.com/RIBArolemodels

For IHBC newsblogs on diversity

RIBA press release

Donald Trump has lost his latest legal challenge against an offshore wind farm project near his Scottish golf resort.

The Scotsman article

A rare concrete wartime structure which was previously on the buildings at risk register has now been fully restored, with new interpretive materials installed. 

Historic England writes:
Fulwell Acoustic Mirror is a 4m high concave concrete dish, constructed on the coast at Fulwell, Sunderland. Completed in 1917, it was designed to act as an acoustic early warning system against air raids, after a bomb dropped by a Zeppelin over the Wheatsheaf area of Sunderland in April 1916 left 22 people dead and more than 100 injured.

After many years of neglect the acoustic mirror’s crumbling condition led to the structure being included on the Historic England (previously known as English Heritage) Heritage at Risk register. This triggered a partnership between Sunderland City Council, Historic England and the Heritage Lottery Fund programme- Limestone Landscapes, which has resulted in a glorious restoration, unveiled today, 9 June 2015.

The mirror worked by reflecting sound detected by a microphone in front of the dish to an operator with headphones who could alert the authorities of approaching Zeppelins. Using sound detection methods learnt in the trenches it was designed to give a 15 minute warning of approaching enemy airships.

In 2013 Sunderland City Council secured funding from Historic England. This, together with money allocated to Limestone Landscape Partnership from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF), allowed the rescue to go ahead.

Now, with its smooth concave dish tilted upwards towards the sky, the Fulwell Acoustic Mirror is one of only 10 scheduled monuments in Sunderland. It can stand proud as an enduring witness to the experience of local communities during the turbulent years of the First World War.

Kate Wilson, Historic England’s Principal Adviser for Heritage at Risk for the North East, said: ‘The Acoustic Mirror at Fulwell was part of a chain of important early acoustic detection devices along the coast of Britain and, as one of only four surviving examples in the North East, it is a rare survivor of our 20th century defences and a witness to the conflict of First World War. This has been a very successful partnership to repair and reveal the mirror’s history. It will take a step towards making sure the acoustic mirror will survive for many more years to come and come off our Heritage at Risk register.’

Councillor John Kelly, the City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Public Health, Wellness and Culture, said: ‘Fulwell Acoustic Mirror is a very rare, long lost reminder of the Home Front in the North East during the First World War.  The restoration has given the acoustic mirror a new lease of life by preserving it for future generations almost 100 years after it was built to defend our shores.  This along with new interpretative material will make it more accessible to residents, groups, schools and visitors as a unique heritage tourist attraction and educational resource.  There are only a handful of these mirrors remaining, so it’s an incredibly important part of our military history and it’s especially fitting that this work has been completed at a time when we are commemorating the centenary of the First World War’.

The restoration has been a partnership effort, with a number of different groups and agencies involved in the project:

Sunderland North Young People (SNYP) under the supervision of Groundwork North East and the City Council’s area response team cleared the undergrowth. Beaumont Brown Architects led the design work and supervised the repair and landscaping works. While the Archaeological Practice Limited carried out an archaeological assessment of the site alongside a number of other contractors who were involved in the restoration.

The project used specially developed techniques, including the use of diluted sheep droppings to tone in the repair work. Its setting has been enhanced by an attractive landscaping scheme of bound gravel pathways, grassed picnic areas and a wildflower meadow including poppies. A specially designed interpretation panel with original artwork provides an educational resource at the site.

View the press release and images of the structure

IHBC newsblogs on buildings at risk

Plans for a new four-storey building in the centre of St Albans will have to be reconsidered after the owners of an adjacent block of flats won a court battle at London’s High Court to quash planning permission because of ‘overshadowing’.

St Albans Review 

The Heritage Alliance ‘heritage heroes’ awards are now open for entries, with a closing date of 15 September. 

The Heritage Alliance Heroes award scheme was established to celebrate the outstanding contribution to society made by heritage volunteers in England. Now in its fifth year, previous recipients include Portland Works, Bluebell Heritage Railway, Gorton Monastery in Manchester, and the SS Shieldhall in Southampton.

The Award scheme is open to all Alliance member organisations and their members. Entries should demonstrate a distinctive achievement in the past 12 months by a voluntary individual or team. Applying or nominating couldn’t be easier – please submit a short nomination form and send to Alliance Trustee, Denis Dunstone denis.dunstone@talktalk.net. The deadline for applications is 15th September 2015.

The winner will be asked to present a five minute video showcasing the achievement for presentation at The Heritage Alliance’s AGM & Heritage Day on 3rd December 2015. The winner will also receive a memento of the event.

View the news release and download the papers to enter 

A new five-year initiative has been launched by RCHAMS and Historic Scotland, celebrating and recording the history and heritage of local communities across Scotland, with the first events happening in Livingston and Paisley. 

Historic Scotland writes:
A new five year project that will celebrate Scotland’s diverse urban landscape was launched in Livingston today (Friday 5 June).

Scotland’s Urban Past (SUP), a joint initiative between the Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) and Historic Scotland, with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund, is an innovative project that will put groups and individuals across Scotland’s towns and cities in charge of recording the history on their doorsteps through capturing memories, investigating buildings and exploring sources of local knowledge.

SUP is calling for groups and individuals of all ages to discover and share the fascinating stories of Scotland’s towns and cities by taking the lead in community projects. A dedicated team from RCAHMS and Historic Scotland have committed to providing 1500 people with the skills to document Scotland’s ever evolving built environment through hands-on training in historical research, drawing and photography.

The five year project will culminate in a national exhibition in 2019, showcasing the achievements of 60 community-led projects and celebrating Scotland’s towns and cities.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, visited The Vennie Youth Club in Livingston, part of the Knightsridge Adventure Project and one of three pilot projects that have taken place as part of the scheme, to officially launch SUP and encourage communities across Scotland to get involved.

The young people from the Vennie were given training by the SUP team to record the story of how they campaigned for and worked with West Lothian Council to design and deliver the Youth Club’s new skate park, and what the space means to them, through the medium of film.

To view the Vennie project’s film visit https://vimeo.com/129761475

View pictures and information from the events on the Facebook page

Follow @ScotUrbanPast on Twitter 

For further information on how to get involved please visit www.scotlandsurbanpast.org.uk

The Churches Conservation Trust has won Grand Prix laureate recognition at the prestigious Europa Nostra Awards at the ceremony in Oslo this week.

Europa Nostra writes:
The winners of the European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage/Europa Nostra Awards 2015 were celebrated this evening during a high-profile event at Oslo City Hall.  The European Heritage Awards Ceremony was co-hosted by Tibor Navracsics, European Commissioner for Education, Culture, Youth and Sport, and Denis de Kergorlay, Executive President of Europa Nostra, on behalf of the President of the organisation, Placido Domingo, who unfortunately had to cancel his attendance due to family circumstances. The Maestro sent a special message to congratulate the 30 winners.

The event was honoured by the presence of HRH Crown Prince Haakon of Norway. The Mayor of Oslo Fabian Stang and the Norwegian Minister of Climate and Environment Tine Sundtoft welcomed an audience of 600 heritage professionals, volunteers and supporters from all over Europe. The entire ceremony was live streamed on the Europa Nostra YouTube channel.

During the ceremony, the seven Grand Prix laureates and the Public Choice Award winner, chosen from among this year’s winning projects, were announced.

The seven Grand Prix laureates, selected by independent juries and entitled to receive €10,000 each, are:

• Category Conservation?? Liszt Academy Of Music In Budapest, Hungary?? Salt Valley Of Añana, Basque Country, Spain?? Armenian Church Of St. Giragos In Diyarbakir, Turkey
• Category Research And Digitization ?? Wonders Of Venice: Virtual Online Treasures In St. Mark’s Area, Italy?Category Dedicated Service ?? Rundling Association, Jameln, Germany?? Churches Conservation Trust, London, United Kingdom
• Category Education, Training And Awareness-Raising ?? Programme For Owners Of Rural Buildings In Estonia, Tallinn, Estonia

The Public Choice Award, chosen in an online poll conducted by Europa Nostra, goes to the conservation of the Nuragic Sculptures of Monte Prama in Sardinia, Italy.

The EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards was presented to 28 winners from 15 countries taking part in the EU Creative Europe programme. Europa Nostra Awards were also given to two projects from European countries not taking part in that programme, namely Armenia and Russia.

In his special message for the laureates of the awards Europa Nostra’s President Placido Domingo stated: ‘We celebrate your talents and skills and we honour your vision and courage. Each of you has made a real difference! Each of you has shown the way to be followed by others across Europe, and indeed across the globe.’ He added: ‘The time has come for Europe – both for the European Union and the Council of Europe – to develop hand in hand an ambitious strategy for Cultural Heritage, in close partnership wíth and active participation of civil society. It is our shared goal to continue building the policy momentum for heritage in Europe. 2018 will – we all hope – be the European Year of Cultural Heritage.’

EU Commissioner Tibor Navracsics stated: ‘Since 2002, with the EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards, the European Commission and Europa Nostra have celebrated exceptional examples of conservation, research, education, training and awareness-raising of Europe’s cultural heritage. This year the choice was particularly challenging. The quality and diversity of the projects highlight once more the high levels of skills and dedication which characterise Europe’s heritage sector. The value of heritage is not only symbolic; it has a positive impact on economic growth, social cohesion and the quality of life in our regions and cities. We should therefore keep supporting the heritage sector, also for the benefit of future generations. I congratulate all the winners, and especially the Grand Prix laureates and the Public Choice Award winner.’

IHBC Awards etc 

View the full press release including judges comments 

The Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has released a new report this week which aims to investigate the land banking of sites, the research concludes that the ‘nine largest housing developers have 314,000 housing plots in strategic land banks’ and suggests that Local Authorities are given more powers to address this.

CPRE writes:
A new research paper from the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) argues that giving local authorities greater powers could greatly increase the number of suitable housing sites being brought forward for development.

The paper, Getting houses built, argues that the focus on profitability within the current housebuilding sector, dominated by a small number of volume builders, is dictating supply but not meeting need. This focus has adversely affected the location and build-out rates of new housing. Greenfield land is being targeted for its ease and lower risk, while suitable brownfield land nearby remains unused and too few affordable homes are built.

In analysing the sector, the report finds that the nine largest volume housebuilders have long-term strategic land banks of 314,000 housing plots . CPRE acknowledges that private developers have a duty to their shareholders over national housing targets, but this figure indicates the need to reform the current system to accelerate the supply of homes in the right places.

Following the recent Government announcements on the Right to Build and a new register of brownfield sites, the paper suggests a number of options that could empower local authorities to accelerate house building. It suggests that authorities could be given ‘use it or lose it’ measures if permissioned land is not developed quickly; that authorities could learn from European land acquisition models and use reformed Compulsory Purchase Orders (CPOs) to acquire land suitable for housing at existing use value; and that authorities could levy council tax on housing that is unfinished two years after the granting of planning permission.

In further recommendations, the paper suggests that smaller sites, often on brownfield land, must be more regularly identified, as currently just eight per cent of sites securing planning permission are smaller developments. All land (including that held ‘in option’, or strategic banks) should also be compulsorily registered. 

Getting houses built is the fourth paper in the Housing Foresight series for CPRE.

Luke Burroughs, author and research and policy advisor at the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE), comments: ‘The need for volume builders to seek high levels of profitability limits the amount of new housing. It also delays the delivery of new houses and increases the likelihood of new housing being built in less suitable locations. Large scale greenfield sites are forced through the planning system with new housing slowly drip-fed onto the market, while suitable brownfield land remains undeveloped. This leaves our countryside under threat and urban areas in need of regeneration.

‘If we are to reach targets of 200,000 homes per annum or more, local authorities must be empowered in the development process. Improving transparency in land ownership and viability assessments would greatly boost residential development. Local authorities can also help small-scale builders develop suitable smaller sites by doing more to identify and earmark these sites for development.’

Download the report

View the news release

IHBC newsblogs on housing

The opinions of a planning committee on historic lighting columns has been the subject of debate at a recent meeting of Fife Council recently, with the local newspaper (the Courier) has reported on the committee decisions.

The retention of historic lamp posts and lighting was considered important by the committee members, 9 objections were received, and an application for new columns was refused contrary to officer recommendation.

The committee report minutes state:
(the committee) requested that Transportation & Environment Services consult with community representatives and local ward members on styles of lighting columns for future replacement programmes (source: application 15/00499/FULL report page 79)

View details of other historic lighting projects which Fife Council have carried out (funded by HLF, Carnegie Dunfermline Trust and the Council)

View the Courier newspaper article

View the committee report and minutes

Durham County Council (CC) has lodged Judicial Review papers at Leeds High Court over the judgement made against County Durham Plan.

Durham County Council writes:
Statement from Ian Thompson, corporate director of regeneration and economic development: ‘Following a constructive meeting with the Planning Inspectorate we had hoped there would be further examination in public hearing sessions to explore the points we referred to in our letter to the inspector.

‘Consequently, it came as a disappointment that the Planning Inspector has now declined to reopen the examination so that our concerns can be fully explored in the public domain. The impartial advice we have received since the inspector’s report was published supports our commitment to the soundness of the Plan’s forecasts for job creation and homes. We maintain the Plan offers the best prospect for economic growth and a once in a generation opportunity to see our county deliver on its potential to safeguard the sort of life we want every resident to have the opportunity to strive for.

‘We have explored every option and opportunity in our efforts to demonstrate this, which has included employing independent planning experts to review our business-backed predictions for growth.

‘We now have no choice but to pursue this matter through the courts by way of a Judicial Review. This is not a decision we take lightly. This is not the position we hoped to be in.’

View the statement and associated documents 

The Welsh Government (WG) asks if you know of a business in Wales that which offers outstanding professional services, or carries out excellent community services as, if so, nominations are now open for the High Street Heroes awards, with a deadline of 10 August.

The Welsh Government writes:
People across Wales are encouraged to celebrate the businesses and individuals which make the biggest contribution to their vibrant local high streets by nominating them for a prestigious new national award. 

The High Street Heroes awards are part of the Support Your High Street campaign, which showcases the vast range of shops and services available on Wales’ diverse high streets and town centres.

Businesses and services can be nominated in one or more of six categories: food & drink; fashion, health & beauty; leisure, home & garden; professional & financial services; eating out on the high street; and community service provider.  People are also encouraged to nominate their overall High Street Hero – an individual deserving recognition for their outstanding contribution to their local high street and community.

Minister for Communities and Tackling Poverty, Lesley Griffiths, launched this year’s campaign and the new awards at Princes Café in Pontypridd, which has been in the Gambarini family for over 60 years and is now run by twin brothers David and Joe.

Lesley Griffiths said:  ‘High streets are the heart of our local communities. They offer access to vital services, support our economy and provide opportunities for people to come together to socialise.  Our High Street Heroes awards recognise the hard work and dedication of people and businesses up and down the country which are providing high-quality services and boosting their local communities.  We want to celebrate the achievements of local traders, like the Princes Café here in Pontypridd, which make an outstanding contribution to their town centres. I encourage everybody to vote for their favourites!’

The art deco café is a landmark in the town and is as popular with customers today as ever. Jo Gambarini, co-owner of the Princes Café said:  ‘We’re delighted to host the launch of the ‘Support Your High Streets’ campaign at The Princes, here in Pontypridd. It’s well known that the high streets have had to fight very hard over the last few years with increased competition, but people do want their local towns to do well and with a strong business community supported by local and national government, towns can survive and prosper.’

The café is just one of the excellent local businesses contributing to the vibrant local high street in Pontypridd, where much work is underway to regenerate the town centre. With support from the Welsh Government, Rhondda Cynon Taf Council is working with building owners and businesses to deliver high quality premises in the town and enabling owners to renovate and lease empty floorspace above commercial premises to provide new homes in the town centre.

Rhondda Cynon Taf County Borough Council’s Cabinet Member for Economic Development and Planning, Cllr Robert Bevan, said: ‘We were delighted to welcome the Minister to Rhondda Cynon Taf to launch this year’s Support Your High Street campaign and the High Street Heroes Awards.  Over recent years the Council has successfully attracted significant funding to regenerate our town centres and we continue to work closely with town centre businesses and traders to support and promote the wide variety of shops, cafes, pubs, restaurants and much more that they each have to offer.  Last year the Council was able to fund free parking at all of our town centre car parks throughout December to support traders in the run up to Christmas and we are delighted to be extending this initiative to include free town centre parking for this year’s Support Your High Street Week in September. This will provide a further boost to town centre businesses during this important week which will raise the profile of Rhondda Cynon Taf’s unique high streets and town centres.’

Federation of Small Businesses Wales Policy Chair, Janet Jones, said: ‘High streets are at the heart of our communities, providing essential local services and creating valuable local employment.  At FSB Wales we know there are some really great businesses based on our high streets, and we hope these awards will highlight some of the excellent businesses out there and the exceptional service they provide.  There are special businesses in every town and we would urge everyone to support their local high streets and local traders.’

Voting for the High Street Heroes awards is online via the Support Your High Street Facebook page and entries close on 10 August 2015.

A shortlist of Heroes from across Wales will be reviewed by a panel of judges, who will select the overall High Street Hero winner, with the winners in the business categories decided by popular vote. The winners will be announced during High Street Week, which is taking place 19-26 September 2015.

For IHBC Awards etc

Welsh Government news

New plans to consult on planning reform have been indicated by the Scottish Government (SG).

The Scottish Government writes:
The time is right for further improvements to the nation’s planning system, Social Justice Secretary Alex Neil will underline at a planning conference in Edinburgh…

10 years since planning reform began with the publication of a white paper, Mr Neil will soon announce plans to consult on further reforms to the planning system.  The Scottish Government wants to improve and streamline development planning and housing delivery and this is expected to be a focus of a national discussion in the coming year.

New advice to improve planning for infrastructure and housing across Scotland is set to be unveiled towards the end of the year.

Delivering the keynote address at the Scottish Planning Policy Conference, Mr Neil will say: ‘Modern planning policy can make a real difference to the places where people live and work. Much has been achieved in the past 10 years, which has seen major changes, for the better, in the planning system.  But I recognise that more needs to be done to deliver on our aspirations for a high performing planning system. The vision of a truly inclusive planning system is best served by continuous improvement of existing procedure and systems, led by innovative approaches to stakeholder engagement.  I will work with all those involved in the planning system to develop proposals for further reforms in more detail, later this year.’

View the news release

House in Highgate have been rejected by a planning inspector. The inspector said the plan to replace the Victorian villa with a new, classically inspired eight-bedroom mega-mansion would have been out of place with other buildings in the area.

Architects Journal article

Planning Portal Blog