IHBC NewsBlog

Councils considering ‘executive powers’ as measures to avoid planning gridlock

Councils are reported to be considering taking up rarely-used executive powers to keep the planning and development system moving during the coronavirus pandemic.

Historic England provides updated flood recovery advice

Historic England's 'After a Flood' provides timely advice on how to dry walls properly and avoid further damage to the building fabric.

Conservation of Timber Buildings: an example of evolving conservation techniques

Context Issue 162 offers a peek into an archive of timber conservation history through the records of the practice of FWB and Mary Charles Chartered Architects.

Call for VAT rates for Refurbishment to be Reduced

To meet the government’s target of being carbon neutral by 2050, we must recycle, reuse and responsibly adapt our existing historic buildings, according to this year’s Heritage Counts report, so Historic England and partners are calling for a reduction in VAT rates to incentivise this more sustainable option.

Grade II Edwardian swimming baths in Birmingham restored

Donald Insall Associates, with the help of Historic England, has completed restoration work of Moseley Road Baths, being converted for use as an arts and culture venue.

IHBC Marsh Award Nominations – Closing Date 30 March

Celebrate your local ‘retired members’ and ‘successful learners’ with £500 cash prizes and 2020 Brighton School places!

Biodiversity Net Gain through UK Construction Projects

The Conservation Hierarchy is a new framework developed by the University of Oxford to help construction projects achieve Biodiversity Net Gain.

How Project Managers for Town Centre Developments can Balance Risk

Jacqueline Hughes, senior risk analyst at Equib, in pbctoday discusses how project managers for town centre developments can get their risk management strategies right.

Red Tape is Strangling our High Streets

A new paper from the Adam Smith Institute argues that the problem with the High Street has been totally misunderstood, saying that we need to reform restrictive planning rules and reject a policy of managed decline to reinvigorate our town centres.

Calculating the full cost of energy used by buildings

The Whole Life Cost of Energy (WLCoE) calculator – issued by government in BETA form – is intended to help building owners and operators to understand the full financial cost of the energy their buildings use, and welcomes feedback

England’s heritage worth £31Bn: New Historic England report

New research published by Historic England (HE) shows the value of heritage to England’s economy as it contributes to economic prosperity and growth through jobs in the heritage and construction sectors and from tourism.

Part of Roman wall in Chester Collapses

Investigations have begun into what caused part of Chester’s Roman city wall to collapse during construction work.