IHBC NewsBlogs

The recent Horizon 2020 Expert Group Report on cultural heritage calls for the EU to do more to promote innovation in cultural heritage and its wider contributions to society, as it also notes that ‘renovation and maintenance represents more than a quarter of the value of Europe’s construction industry’ (page 7).

Three objectives are set for cultural heritage:

• Economy (promoting innovation in finance to support heritage needs)
• Society (valuing the contribution of heritage to communities as well as recognising the contribution of volunteers and heritage outreach, especially the involvement of young people)
• Environment (landscapes and historic environments)

Four further recommendations are made within the report:

• Heritage Led Urban Regeneration (setting up a knowledge network of 30 cities Europe wide to share experiences and good practice, finding solutions to heritage funding)
• Sustaining Cultural Landscapes (setting up a knowledge network of ‘30 cultural landscapes that have demonstrated how culture and biodiversity can be integrated and enhanced to create successful living rural landscapes’ Europe wide to share experiences and good practice to develop a ‘blueprint for successful rural heritage-led regeneration’ (p12).
• Inclusive Governance (a new prize to showcase good practice in the involvement of communities and especially young people in managing and exploring heritage)
• Innovative Business Models for cultural heritage

Grainger Town in Newcastle is the only example from the UK which is featured in the report, as a pioneering example of heritage led regeneration. 

Download the report 

IHBC newsblogs on heritage skills

IHBC newsblogs on European issues in heritage

Did you know that there are two websites in particular that allow you to find presentations and papers relating to matters covered by the IHBC’s Areas of Competence, and we mean ‘ worldwide’?

Slideshare is a website where anyone can post copies of presentations which they have given, on any subject.  A search for historic building conservation brings up a range of presentations, from heritage education in China and discussions relating to the NPPF and heritage to UNESCO policy analysis.

Academia.edu is a social networking site for students, researchers and academics, where people post their own papers, publications and presentations, but can also follow and link to others who are interested in the same topic areas.  You can choose to follow topic areas, for example ‘heritage conservation’, ‘cultural heritage’ ‘stone conservation’ or ‘archaeological method and theory’.

Why not explore or join these sites, and extend your digital heritage  network? You can also share articles and presentations which you think may be of interest to members through the IHBC LinkedIn group.

View presentations on historic building conservation 

Explore Slideshare

Examples of academia public posts include:

• Tees Transporter bridge architecture and engineering presentation
• Online conservation journal with many articles
• Conservation standards article 
• Norfolk heritage presentation (note that IHBC’s annual school is in Norfolk this year)

Explore academia.edu

Search academia.edu

IHBC’s LinkedIn group

New funding has been announced by the Welsh Government to support museums and archives, aiming to help libraries become community hubs and increase the accessibility of cultural resources for communities throughout Wales (also linked to the 2015 Year of Adventure theme).

The Welsh Government writes:
Museums, archives and libraries across Wales will benefit from almost £2.7million in the latest round of Welsh Government grant funding announced today by the Deputy Minister for Culture, Sport and Tourism, Ken Skates.

The main focus of the funding will be to support museums, archives and libraries to deliver the recommendations made in Baroness Andrew’s report on culture and poverty, in which she made a compelling case for joint-working across the sector to ensure culture is accessible to all.

The funding includes £1million to modernise seven public libraries in Fishguard Ebbw Vale, Blaenavon, Porthmadog, Deeside, Cardiff and Powys.

This is part of the Welsh Government’s Community Learning Library Capital Development Programme, which aims to establish libraries as community hubs, where customers can access a range of council services as well as the traditional library amenities.  The remaining £1.7million will be used to help widen access and encourage the use of Wales’ rich and diverse collections on offer at museums, archives and libraries across the country, including £235,000 for programmes to increase the number of users, particularly those living in Communities First areas.  £255,000 will be used to establish a national Digital Library Service, allowing customers to access a free all-Wales e-books and e-zines service, as well as free audio books and free reference sources.

The Deputy Minister said: ‘I am delighted to announce almost £2.7million for our museums, archives and libraries. Tackling poverty is at the heart of our community policy in Wales, which is why I am committed to ensuring this funding will be used to widen access to culture in some of our most deprived areas.  The funding will go towards a range of projects and will provide a valuable boost, enabling local museums, archives and libraries to develop their services and improve facilities, including widening digital services, making it easier for the public to access these important services.  I want to see Wales become the most creative nation in Europe and to achieve this it is vital that everyone is able to access the treasures available in our museums, archives and libraries, and be inspired.’

The funding will also support the further roll-out of Every Child a Library Member, deliver an enhanced Sharing Treasures Programme, where local museums work in partnership with larger museums, and matched funding for the National Manuscripts Conservation Trust to continue their work to preserve important cultural items.

Many of the programmes being funded will support the 2016 Year of Adventure initiative, launched by the Deputy Minister to promote Wales as the capital of adventure tourism, with activities, events and attractions across Wales taking part.

View the news release

IHBC newsblogs on funding

IHBC newsblogs on archives

IHBC newsblogs on museums

The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) invites a call for entries for the research trust awards fund, with a deadline of 1 June.

The RIBA writes:
The Royal Institute of British Architects (RIBA) is calling for applications from individuals interested in conducting new research into architecture. The RIBA Research Trust Awards has grants of up to £10,000 available to support original independent architecture research by practitioners, academics and recent graduates.

The judging committee particularly welcomes applications from new researchers and practice-led researchers, those in collaboration with academia and those not from a traditional research background.

RIBA President Stephen Hodder said: ‘The RIBA Research Trust Awards have supported many talented people in the past who have gone on to become skilled researchers both in the academic field and as practising architects. The originality of proposals is always highly valued along with clarity in the methodology and objectives of the research. I eagerly await the results of this year’s awards.’

The deadline to apply is 1 June 2015.

View more information about the awards

IHBC Awards etc pages 

The Northern Ireland (NI) Assembly met for policy briefing sessions and knowledge exchange relating to planning for coastal areas with sessions covering.

• Shoreline management planning in Northern Ireland
• Marine planning for the blue economy: small island: big challenges
• Landscape Planning for Sustainable Development

The sessions also covered research undertaken for the Ministerial Advisory Group (MAG) for Architecture and the Built Environment in Northern Ireland on Landscape Character Assessment.

Download the briefings and presentations

If you are interested to know what your prospective parliamentary candidate has to say about issues affecting the built and natural environment you will be interested in the Planning Portal review of manifestos and the RTPI’s commendable general election resource. 

Planning Portal has been analysing the planning related pledges of the Conservative and Labour parties, and intends to review others in the coming weeks (results will be posted on the Planning Portal online blog).

The RTPI has provided a useful link to all the major party manifestos in their ‘general election resource’

View the Planning Portal analysis of Labour and Conservative Party manifestos

View the Planning Portal blog

Nathaniel Lichfield and Partners (NLP) have produced a research report which examines the impact of the NPPF on local plan delivery, and associated housing allocations, asking: ‘Is local plan housing delivery too slow?’ 

The NLP report- ‘Signal Failure: A Review Of Local Plans And Housing Requirement’ highlights issues where identified housing need in one area (such as Birmingham or London) is not addressed through overspill in adjacent areas, for although there is an identified need in a market area there are issues with distributing that need in an allocation among adjacent areas.

The research also identifies progress on adopting local plans since the introduction of the NPPF, with 32% of adopted plans requiring ‘immediate or early review’ but 62 local plans ‘found sound’ (p.3). 

Download the report

IHBC newsblogs on localism

IHBC newsblogs on housing

On 1 April the Civic Trust for Wales became ‘Civic Trust Cymru’.

View the new website at http://civictrustcymru.org.uk

View the history of the Civic Trust for Wales and Civic Trust Cymru

Follow Civic Trust Cymru on Twitter (@CivicTrustCymru)

A new small grants programme has been launched by the Northern Ireland (NI) Department of Agriculture and Rural Development (DARD) which can help repairs and improvements to rural community facilities, with a deadline of 22 May.

The Northern Ireland Executive writes:
The Rural Micro Capital Grant Programme will be delivered by local Rural Support Networks on behalf of DARD. The Programme will be open for applications from Monday 13 April 2015 until noon on Friday 22 May 2015. Grants of between £200 and £1,500 are available to constituted rural community organisations for equipment and minor capital works.

The Minister said: ‘I am very aware that the health and wellbeing of those living in rural areas is linked to the support network of family and friends around them. This is the very heart of a community network, people talking, socialising and having a sense of belonging. Unfortunately, I am also aware that more could be done to support rural community groups to help them create the right conditions for their communities to thrive and prosper.  I am therefore pleased to announce my department’s new Rural Micro Capital Grant Programme, with £200,000 available initially, that will provide funding towards the purchase of vital pieces of equipment and improvements to community facilities. By targeting rural community groups, this Programme can directly contribute to reducing isolation and poverty in rural areas while at the same time strengthening community links and promoting health and wellbeing.’

The Minister added: ‘The Rural Micro Capital Grant Programme is another example of how my department is actively tackling rural poverty and social isolation. It also demonstrates how government and the community and voluntary sector can work together to improve the lives of those living in rural areas. This Programme is a real opportunity for community groups to build on their existing roles and to empower local people to make their lives, and the lives of their family, friends and neighbours, better.  I encourage rural community groups to contact their local Rural Support Network or visit the DARD website for more information on the Programme and advice on how to apply.’

View the press release

Find out more about the grants

IHBC newsblogs on funding

Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Eric Pickles has dismissed an appeal for 146 homes on the edge of the Cotswolds Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), due to the potential impact on its character.

The appeal considered the issues of housing land supply, the setting of the AONB, highways safety, local service issues and contribution towards sustainable development.

The decision notice states that ‘the benefits of the proposal would be far outweighed by the environmental harm that it would cause’ (para 33).

Download the appeal notice (ref APP/F1610/A/13/2203411)

IHBC newsblogs on housing

IHBC newsblogs on AONB issues 

RTPI Scotland has issued a research report on the perceptions of community planning and spatial planning, outlining the benefits better joined up working.

RTPI Scotland writes:
RTPI Scotland has today released new research into spatial and community planning. ‘Linking People and Places: Spatial and Community Planning’ explores the relationship between these processes, investigates whether there is a disconnect between them and asks how they could be better aligned and what barriers and opportunities there are to this. It outlines how there can be real value if they worked together to join up Community planning’s work on improving the services that support communities and spatial planning’s role in developing the place.

The report outlines 10 recommendations including the need for community and spatial planning to ‘talk to each other’ more about how they can deliver better outcomes for communities, opportunities for greater professional development for spatial planners and the need for planners to show their value to community planning.

One of the report’s authors, Sile Hayes said:  ‘We spoke with a number of people working in spatial planning and community planning across Scotland about their experiences. There was a clear desire to make the connection, although this will often requires new ways of working. This research will help to inform those involved on how to go about this.’

View the news release

Read the full report

The Heritage Alliance (HA) is running a free webinar relating to the use of community shares and invite you to join in at 11am on 28 April.

The Heritage Alliance (HA) writes:
Call in at 11 am on 28th April to hear Simon Opie, CEO, Hastings Pier Charity, talk about the restoration of this iconic Victorian structure following a devastating fire in 2010 and how community shares have been an integral part of the charity’s fundraising efforts.

This webinar will be followed by key learning points on ‘Fundraising through the Community’ by an Institute of Fundraising trainer. Participants will be invited to put their questions to the presenters live during the workshops.

This free of charge webinar on the Workcast platform will be is the first in a new series of 30 webinars on innovative fundraising subjects. Each workshop in the series will be recorded and placed on the Giving to Heritage website, www.givingtoheritage.org.uk. The workshops are open to anyone involved in a heritage fundraising project across the UK.

To register in advance please email mark.webb@theheritagealliance.org.uk

View more information on the HA website

Find out more about Giving to Heritage events (including forthcoming events and attendance at the Olympia Museums and Heritage Show on 29 and 30 April )at www.givingtoheritage.org.uk

IHBC newsblogs on funding

IHBC webpages on events and learning opportunities

A new initiative launched by Highland Council aims to make information on wind farm locations, planned proposals and potential new sites easy to access through an interactive mapping tool.

Highland Council writes:
The Highland Council has launched a new interactive map on its website showing the location of windfarms and wind turbines in the Highlands.  The user friendly Windfarm Activity Map covers all scales of wind energy development and provides detailed information such as turbine sizes and  planning reference numbers to make it easy for people to get further information.

Chair of the Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Thomas Prag said:  ‘It has always been a bit of a challenge to keep track of windfarm development for everyone involved. This new mapping tool is a step up from what we had previously provided and gives very clear and comprehensive information at the click of a mouse. I am sure people will find having such an interactive and visual representation of where we currently are in terms of wind farm activity very useful. At the moment just the constructed and under construction schemes are shown on the map but plans are to get all approved schemes, refused schemes and those in the planning process added.’

Just shortly after the map was launched, Councillor Prag and his colleagues on the Council’s Planning, Development and Infrastructure Committee had the opportunity to discuss progress in work to review the Council’s Onshore Wind Energy Supplementary Guidance which is used in the consideration of planning applications for wind energy developments.

New national planning policies published in June 2014 changed how Councils are to plan for Onshore Wind Energy development so Highland Council is currently in the process of reviewing their planning policies and guidance.

During the Committee Members were advised that an initial stage of consultation on key issues has been completed and agreed that the Consultation Paper giving the Council’s initial ideas for revisions to the guidance go out for public consultation between March and May with the intention that the formal draft document comes back to the Committee in August this year.

The guidance will identify those areas that are likely to be most approriate for onshore wind farms as a guide for developers and communities. This will take into account that other areas need to be protected due to their importance, for example for nature conservation or landscape. The Consultation Paper sets out further steps the Council proposes to take account of local considerations and cumulative impact before identifying the areas of Highland with the greatest potential for wind energy development.  Whilst the public consultation is underway, officers will be commenting on SNH’s draft soils and peat mapping (available now on SNH’s website) and on SNH’s forthcoming Descriptions and Guidance for the Wild Land Areas.  Also, Members will be invited to take part in a workshop looking at the various options put forward for revising the Guidance.

Committee Chairman, Councillor Thomas Prag, said: ‘As a council we are supportive of the development of a wide range of renewable energy types including wave, tidal, hydro, onshore and offshore wind but we have to find a balance and be able to make informed decisions using robust guidance. Through the Guidance we need to reaffirm our commitment to identify means whereby communities can participate in and benefit from the development of renewable energy across the Highlands. This is an important piece of work so I’d encourage people to take part as the comments we receive will help to complete the full draft Supplementary Guidance for consultation later in the year.’

View the news release

View the wind farm mapping tool website

IHBC newsblog on wind turbines

Newcastle University Institute for Social Renewal (NISR) has launched a debate and discussion highlighting ideas for an incoming government around regeneration, public service and community issues.

The latest blog concentrates on ‘sustaining small town regeneration’ and discusses the benefits of using a ‘small win’ approach to projects.

Read the blog entry on ‘sustaining small town regeneration’

Read all blog entries in the ideas for an incoming government series

Follow the discussions on Twitter using hashtag #ideas4anIncomingGovt

Historic Holyhead has successfully bid for and received funding from HLF to repair town centre properties and assist with the regeneration of the town as the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has earmarked £2.375m towards the project and provided £50,000 upfront, with IHBC members central to the bidding processes.

IHBC Wales Branch Vice Chair, Rory Wilson said; ‘This is yet another example of why conservation skills in our local planning authorities are needed: creating new opportunities and taking challenging projects through from inception, effectively steering them through the legislation with competence and confidence.’

‘Conservation skills always lessen risks for Councils, but in delivering outcomes like these they also clearly demonstrate the huge relevance of heritage-led regeneration to supporting deprived communities, helping them find their feet and restore confidence through taking iconic structures and giving them new life.’

The Isle of Anglesey Council writes:
A vision to revitalise Holyhead’s Market Hall has received a significant funding boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund.  The Isle of Anglesey County Council is delighted to announce that its vision to revitalise this landmark building has received a significant funding boost from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF).

The Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) has earmarked £2.375m towards the project and provided £50,000 upfront to help successfully develop plans for the hall.  The news follows the recent award of £1.55m by the HLF in helping the Council to deliver a Phase II Townscape Heritage Initiative to support the repair and reuse of other historic buildings in the town centre.  The project proposes a major refurbishment of the former Market Hall, a grade II Listed Building – alongside essential conservation work – once again providing public access to this much valued historic building at the heart of Holyhead town centre.

It is proposed the building will combine a relocated town Library with an enhanced local history collection, while also providing a new exhibition space and other complementary uses, contributing to Holyhead’s potential as an increasingly important heritage and cultural destination. The proposals also include the development of a new interpretation strategy and activity plan for the building to reveal inspirational stories, unfold layers of history, thought and knowledge and help more people learn, understand and care about the building and history of the town centre.  The work will encourage new audiences, support community development and transform visitors’ and users experience of the Library service and Market Hall. It will deliver improvements in accessibility, facilities and infrastructure, and will benefit local residents, community groups, schools, tourists amongst others.

Anglesey Council’s Director of Sustainable Development, Arthur Owen, said, ‘The Market Hall is a vital regeneration project for Holyhead town centre. It has been a focus of our concerns and attention for a number of years. We’re pleased that the HLF shares our vision, building on the Welsh Government’s commitment of £700,000 towards the project through the Viable and Vibrant Places programme, for the long term reuse and repair of this iconic historic building. We look forward to working with stakeholders and the community in detailing up the proposals over the coming months.’

Jennifer Stewart, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund in Wales, added, ‘As Holyhead’s first public building, the Market Hall is an extremely important part of the town’s architectural and cultural heritage. I’m delighted that we’ve been able to earmark funding of £2,425,000, including a development grant of £50,000, which will be spent on developing plans for the project in more detail.  Future plans for the building include transforming it into a new centre for training, community activity and heritage learning. I’m delighted that the currently empty building will hopefully become the new home for Holyhead Library and the Island’s local history collection, giving it a whole new important purpose. We look forward to seeing these exciting plans develop.  Thanks to players of the National Lottery, this is the second major investment HLF has made in Holyhead in recent months.’

View the press release

IHBC Wales Branch

England’s Minister for Housing and Planning Brandon Lewis has written to the Chief Executive of the Planning Inspectorate (PINS) Simon Ridley to re-emphasise the importance of landscape character as a factor in considering planning decisions.

The letter states:
‘While National Parks, the Broads, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty and Heritage Coasts quite rightly enjoy the highest degree of protection, outside of these designated areas the impact of development on the landscape can be an important material consideration. We are publicising some of these appeal cases more widely, with the help of the Planning Advisory Service, to promote greater understanding of how landscape character can be taken into account by local planning authorities in their decisions.’

View the full letter

Planning Advisory Service

IHBC newsblogs on landscape

IHBC Members who are involved in finding funding for work to historic properties, and community heritage work will be interested to learn of new guidance from the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation on their Funding Strategy and its priorities on key areas of funding (Arts, Children and Young People, Environment, Social Change, and Food.)

The Esmée Fairbairn Foundation writes:
In March 2015 we published our new five year Funding Strategy. You can read or download the full document on our publications page.

This is the Esmée Fairbairn Foundation Funding Strategy for 2015 to 2019.  We have developed it with Trustees, staff, stakeholders and grantees and informed it by external research and analysis.  It sets out the following:

• Our understanding of the external environment in which we will be working and funding over the next five years.
• The long term goals that we have for our funding and the values that underpin them.
• An explanatory framework for our funding priorities and opportunities for positive change that we will prioritise in the next five years.
• Plans to monitor our impact and effectiveness so that we keep our funding relevant. This includes changes to the way we fund programmes and activities.

The operating environment for foundations has changed dramatically in the last five years.  We expect that the following factors will continue to influence our work for the life of this strategic plan.

• Crisis Funding
• Uncertainty and Risk
• Political uncertainty
• Innovation and Change

View the strategic funding guidance summary

View the full funding guidance document

IHBC newsblogs on funding

New regulations for construction design and management (CDM) recently came into force, and HSE have published guidance on their use and application.

HSE writes:
The Construction (Design and Management) Regulations 2015 (CDM 2015) came into force on 6 April 2015, replacing CDM 2007. This publication provides guidance on the legal requirements for CDM 2015 and is available to help anyone with duties under the Regulations. It describes:

• the law that applies to the whole construction process on all construction projects, from concept to completion
• what each dutyholder must or should do to comply with the law to ensure projects are carried out in a way that secures health and safety

CDM 2015 is subject to certain transitional provisions which apply to construction projects that start before the Regulations come into force and continue beyond that date.

View information on the new regulations

Transitional information

Recent research from Historic England shows that almost everyone lives within 1 mile of designated heritage, and trends reveal the positive opinions of most people regarding the value of heritage.

Historic England (HE) writes:
Historic England has revealed that almost everyone in England now lives within a mile of a designated heritage asset – a building, monument, archaeological site, battlefield, park or garden that is listed for protection.

Designation is the act of officially identifying the most important parts of our heritage so they can receive special protection and be added to the National Heritage List for England. We celebrate their significance – and make sure that our history can be enjoyed by present and future generations.

A poll of more than 5,000 adults has revealed that English people care deeply for their heritage. Just under two fifths (38%) have taken action to protect a local building or place from damaging change, or from becoming derelict or disused. The results suggest a higher-than-expected willingness among the public to protect heritage around them.

Awareness is also high from a poll of more than 1,750 people, with almost half (46%) of English people saying they know of a historically significant building or place within a mile of where they live, and almost two thirds (64%) saying they are interested in their local heritage.

Sir Laurie Magnus, Historic England Chairman, said: ‘These results are fascinating. They show that people care deeply about our heritage and the importance of protecting our spectacular castles, country houses, monuments, memorials and ancient archaeological sites. They are also concerned about the fate of their local heritage and increasingly recognise the importance of places of worship, parks and gardens, historic industrial sites and maritime heritage.’

According to the survey, the most commonly-valued parts of England’s historic environment are country houses and castles (70% said these are important and worth preserving), closely followed by monuments and memorials (67%), and ancient archaeological sites (66%).

However, a substantial proportion of people also consider places of worship (52%), maritime history, such as wrecks and submarines (48%), parks and gardens (45%), railway stations, bridges and tunnels (37%), shipyards and factories (30%) to be important parts of their heritage too.

The research hints at a growing trend for people to recognise and appreciate the rich and varied types of heritage across England.

From the poll of 1,750, 47% of young people (18-24) say they are interested or very interested in their local heritage. The same age group from the 5,400 survey considers monuments and memorials (60%) and archaeological sites (56%) to be more important than country houses and castles (51%).

People aged 45-54 believe country houses and castles (75%) to be the most valuable followed by archaeological sites and monuments (both 72%).  The results also highlighted the differences between genders and regions: men are more likely to consider industrial heritage to be important and worth preserving (32% M, 27% F), as well as transport (39%M, 19%F), pubs and sporting heritage (15% M, 11% F), while women are more likely to consider country houses and castles as important (75% F, 66% M), monuments and memorials (69% F, 640% M) and places of worship (48% F, 55% M).

People in the North East (70%) are most interested in their local heritage versus the South West (69%), London (69%) and South East (68%), while people in the South East and South West are the most active in protecting their heritage (41%). Those who took part in the survey said they have used social media and petitions to take action to protect local historic places.

View the news release

Access the National heritage list for England