Category Archives: Sector NewsBlog

The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is delighted to announce that Northern Ireland’s Department for Communities, through its Historic Environment Division, is to contribute £300,000 towards the recently launched Heritage Impact Fund (HIF).

Organisations can apply for a share of £250,000 for projects that support developer decisions in the Scottish countryside. image: Fiona Newton

Then Heritage Minister Michael Ellis attended the signing of a Heritage Partnership Agreement (HPA) at King’s Cross Station with Historic England, Network Rail and Camden Council, with the HPA helping ensure efficient future management of the nationally significant site by … Continue reading →

The winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2019 were announced by the European Commission and Europa Nostra, as 25 laureates from 16 countries have been recognised for their impressive accomplishments in conservation, research, dedicated service, and … Continue reading →

England’s Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) seeks views on proposals for a radically new building and fire safety system, with the consultation closing 31 July.

CLORE Leadership is now inviting applications for their next Emerging Leaders and Leadership Intensive residential courses, a programme supported by Historic England and with bursaries now available.

The National Churches Trust (NCT) is seeking entries for works such as new church extensions, re-ordering schemes or major repairs or conservation projects for the 2019 UK Church Architecture Awards, closing 1 July. image: NCT website

Springfield Properties has become the UK’s first house builder to use waste plastic to build a road on a housing development.

Manchester has become the first city in England to develop more than a third of its Green Belt, analysis of new figures by modular homes developer Project Etopia reveals, Planning, BIM & Construction Today (pbctoday) reveals.

Planning services in Wales are struggling to manage a complex system in the face of insufficient capacity and reducing resources according to a new report by the Auditor General for Wales.

The Government has been accused of trying to ‘rig’ the public consultation on plans to build a Holocaust memorial Centre in Westminster, after a private company – hired to help ‘public engagement’ – oversaw a sudden huge surge in supportive … Continue reading →

Churches are being urged by the National Churches Trust (NCT) to take part in new Heritage Action Zones (HAZs) scheme to help historic high streets. image: Ledbury by Joanna Theobald

Over the last five years Sainsbury’s Bank Personal Loans has seen 30% of its personal loans taken out to fund home improvements, and while the volume of loans taken out for this purpose has remained fairly steady since 2014, the … Continue reading →

Local authority leaders have criticised the Government’s decision to allow homeowners and businesses to extend their properties without going through local planning departments. image: Open Government Licence v 3.0

Nominations for our annual Top 10 Most Endangered Buildings campaign are now open, as the Victorian Society asks residents in England and Wales to nominate threatened Victorian buildings for their Top 10 Endangered Buildings of 2019 list.

The Queen’s former Malta home, Villa Guardamangia, has been put up for sale for nearly €6m (£5.3m), reports the BBC.

Entries for the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence in the English Regions for 2019 are open until 28 June.

UCL Press has announced the publication of a new free open access book likely to be of interest, ‘London’s Urban Landscape: Another Way of Telling’, edited by Christopher Tilley.

Figures reveal that South Ayrshire Council has more than exceeded its targets for bringing empty homes back into use. image: pbctoday

Victorian Society announces 2019 Conservation Award – which seeks to recognise the best work carried out to Victorian and Edwardian buildings in Birmingham and the West Midlands – are now open for nominations, and close on 31 December.

To mark the 75th anniversary of D-Day, six Second World War concrete structures built as replica landing craft for training, nine sunken army tanks, two armoured bulldozers and components of Mulberry floating harbours in Dorset, Devon and West Sussex are … Continue reading →

A major new report by the Wales Audit Office has concluded that under resourced planning services in Wales are struggling to manage a complex system ‘in the face of insufficient capacity and reduced resources’. image: RTPI

GMB London, part of one of Britain’s largest and fastest growing trade unions, has welcomed the decision by Clarion Housing to cancel the demolition proposal of Sutton Estate in Chelsea following a campaign by residents and unions. image: pbctoday

RICS reports that young surveyors are on the rise, as more female surveyors are being recognised for their talent.

Work to help develop a better understanding of the heritage significance of the Abbey in Bury St Edmunds has been praised by RTPI President Ian Tant. image: RTPI