IHBC Director’s pick from HESPR’s £228K+ of weekly works: Council seeks team for Town Hall re-purposing, to 24/11 & £180K

The IHBC’s heritage business register HESPR – our Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition quality assurance service – emails members our exclusive ‘News and Tender Alerts’, with the IHBC Director’s ‘taster’ pick for NewsBlog readers this week a call by an English linked to re-purpose a Town Hall, to 24/11 and valued £180K.

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the (AI) doorstep’: £10m AI planning tool tender… near-instant decisions on householder apps

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£10m is being invested in planning AI for householder cases with near-instant decisions as officers stay in control, reports Complete AI Training.

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Parliament on PAC on ‘Housing developer levy funds’ failure ‘due to systemic problems’: Councils hampered by ‘asymmetry of skills’ with developers

The system designed to create new affordable housing and infrastructure through developer contributions is not working properly, reports the Public Accounts Committee (PAC), as asymmetry of skills also means that councils often find it hard to challenge developers’ claims.

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AHF: New Funding Available to Support Heritage-Regeneration Projects in Wales in 2025/26

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is delighted to announce the renewal of its strategic partnership with Cadw, the Welsh Government’s Historic Environment Division.

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ARB registration of internationally-qualified architects – consultation results

The Architects Registration Board (ARB) has published the results of its public consultation on proposed changes to international routes to Registration.

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Heritage Fund: Six areas, towns and cities across the UK to benefit from long-term investment

The Heritage Fund is delighted to announce funding for these new Heritage Places, the next chapter of a 10-year journey to help places thrive by connecting communities to the heritage on their doorstep.

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the Global doorstep’: Driving through Dublin… and ‘How the car changed the city’

image for illustration: Liffey East by Jtdirl, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

… Long tailbacks, sitting in traffic and navigating the M50 are a fact of life for many in Dublin… but how did the city become so jam-packed with cars, asks RTE Brainstorm?

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Context 184 under the spotlight: IHBC’s accessible CPD for Conservation Professionals, on ‘Discovering Jane Jacobs’

image: Jane Jacobs by Rob Cowan for IHBC Context 184

IHBC’s members’ journal Context in June 2025 – No. 184 – focussed on ‘Leaders of conservation thought’ included Joe Holyoak on ‘Discovering Jane Jacobs’.

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IHBC’s ‘Practice’ Signpost: Joint CPD webinar update on ‘Traditional and historic buildings – a new Retrofit British Standard’ with IHBC’s John Edwards, 14/11

BS 40104: 2025: Retrofit Assessment for Domestic Dwellings – Code of Practice’, was officially published at the end of September and here Prof. John Edwards, IHBC’s Technical Panel Secretary and lead on the heritage/traditional buildings workstream, updates NewsBlog readers on key issues, and on how to find out more.

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Need a MATE? More free online Accreditation guidance and update sessions offered to guide IHBC applicants.

As part of the IHBC’s evolving Membership Accreditation Training Events (MATE ) programme, we’re continuing to offer free webinars for applicants with CPD-certified advice on applying for IHBC accreditation (Full & Associate).

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IHBC’s Annual School ‘Save the Date’ notice & Home Page launch: IHBC’s 2026 Newcastle School, 18-20 June, on ‘Adaptive Reuse’ & up to 20 hours CPD – accessible, interdisciplinary, cost-effective

The IHBC is delighted to announce the launch of the Home Page of the 2026 Annual School, to take place in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 18-20 June, on ‘Adaptive Reuse’ and across up to 20 hours CPD.

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IHBC warmly welcomes PCO approval to Petition for Charter

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) has warmly welcomed the approval from the Privy Council Office (PCO) for the submission of a Petition for Charter following its review of our Memorandum.

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IHBC’s ‘Research’ Signpost: Public Practice – Recruitment & Skills Report 2025

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Planning Practice’s fourth annual survey is the first to included results from across the UK.

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Council could take legal action after collapse at Ledbury building

image for illustration: High Street, Ledbury by Colin Park, CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons

Herefordshire Council is considering taking legal action after a collapse at a building in Ledbury town centre, writes The Ledbury Reporter.

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IHBC features ‘Heritage from the doorstep’: Lancaster property firm and director fined over £76k for flouting planning laws on historic listed building

Breaches of planning and listed building control at a prominent city centre site have resulted in substantial fines and costs being awarded against a Lancaster-based company and one of its directors, reports The Lancaster Guardian.

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AHF’s Heritage Impact Fund Reaches £10 Million Milestone in Pioneering Social Investment for Historic Buildings

The Heritage Impact Fund (HIF), delivered by the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), has reached a major milestone as £10Mn in loan offers are now approved, to support the reuse and regeneration of historic buildings across the UK.

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Vic Soc ‘concerned’ at growing pattern: ‘Minister overrules expert advice on nationally important historic buildings’

The Victorian Society (Vic Soc) is ‘deeply concerned’ by a ‘growing pattern of the Secretary of State refusing to add important historic buildings to the National Heritage List for England, even when formally recommended to do so by Historic England’.

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1-Year extension for Countryside Stewardship Scheme, to support farming and nature

DEFRA has confirmed a one-year extension for over 5,000 Countryside Stewardship Mid-Tier agreements, originally scheduled to end in December 2025, so thousands of farmers will receive extensions to continue restoring nature and farming sustainably, supporting long-term food security.

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Government’s ‘Pro-growth package unshackling Britain to get building’

Pro-growth changes to the government’s landmark Planning and Infrastructure Bill to get Britain building faster have been announced by Government UK.

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Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet approves plan to help mitigate the potential impact of development on Stonehenge and Avebury WHS

Wiltshire Council’s Cabinet has approved a ‘Setting Study for the Stonehenge and Avebury World Heritage Site’ (WHS) which, if adopted by Full Council, can ensure that developments in Wiltshire do not adversely impact the internationally significant monuments and area.

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Looking back to IHBC’s Council on ‘Heritage Skills in Conservation’, and ahead to our new ‘response-led’ DRAFT Minutes, for review and feedback

IHBC’s Council, our inclusive member-only advisory and training body, held its most recent meeting online on 8 October to engage with and update members while also exploring ‘Heritage Skills in Conservation’, and now with new-format response-led First Draft minutes available for review and feedback to us at IHBCCouncil@ihbc.org.uk.

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IHBC’s ‘Practice’ Signpost: Joint CPD webinar update on ‘Traditional and historic buildings – a new Retrofit British Standard’ with IHBC’s John Edwards, 14/11

BS 40104: 2025: Retrofit Assessment for Domestic Dwellings – Code of Practice’, was officially published at the end of September and here Prof. John Edwards, IHBC’s Technical Panel Secretary and lead on the heritage/traditional buildings workstream, updates NewsBlog readers on key issues, and on how to find out more.

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Need a MATE? More free online Accreditation guidance and update sessions offered to guide IHBC applicants.

As part of the IHBC’s evolving Membership Accreditation Training Events (MATE ) programme, we’re continuing to offer free webinars for applicants with CPD-certified advice on applying for IHBC accreditation (Full & Associate).

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IHBC’s ‘Intervention’ signpost from Designing Buildings: 35 Years of BREEAM (and latest V7 mandatory update)

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After many iterations and updates, and within an increasingly competitive market for alternative assessment methods, the latest BREEAM 7 is perhaps one of the most demanding, reports Designing Buildings (DB) and becomes the only option from September 2025.

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IHBC’s ‘Director’s pick’ from HESPR’s weekly notice of works: Heritage body seeks heritage attractions study, to 17/11

The IHBC’s heritage business register HESPR – our Historic Environment Service Providers Recognition quality assurance service – emails members regular ‘News and Tender Alerts’, and the IHBC Director’s pick this week comes from a national heritage body for a heritage attractions study, to 17/11.

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