Good practice guide for local heritage listing

Posted on: 28 May 2012
By: mackene
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This guidance is for the identification of significant local heritage assets, and the management of these assets through a local list. The guide is intended to encourage a transparent and consistent approach to the process.

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Survey of low and zero carbon homes

Posted on: 28 May 2012
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The recently published Today’s attitudes to low and zero carbon homes: views of occupiers, house builders and housing associations (NF40) highlighted the need for low and zero carbon (LZC) technologies that are reliable, perform to expectations and are capable of being used by home occupiers to achieve their design potential. To provide further guidance on these issues, this report investigates LZC technologies currently being used and likely to become dominant in the market. Through in-depth interviews with homeowners, carried out by the School of Construction Management and Engineering at the University of Reading, this research reports on their day-to-day use and attitudes towards these technologies.

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An offer they shouldn’t refuse: Attracting investment to UK infrastructure

Posted on: 28 May 2012
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This report from the Confederation of British Industry highlights the importance of infrastructure to the sustainability to the UK economy and presents recommendations as to how such infrastructure could be funded.

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Energy future: The role of impact assessment. Porto, Portugal, 27 May – 1 June 2012

Posted on: 28 May 2012
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The 32nd annual conference of the International Association For Impact Assessement considered the role of impact assessment on future global, national and local energy decisions and choices, and how to tackle the environmental and social risks that will appear as a result of our quest for the development, production and management of new energy sources. Draft papers are available online.

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Pathways to impact of research

Posted on: 28 May 2012
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Research Councils UK (RCUK) continue to work with its research communities to develop guidance for Pathways to Impact. It aims to encourage researchers to be actively involved in thinking about how they will achieve excellence with impact and to explore pathways for realising the impact of their research. The case studies provide personal accounts from RCUK funded researchers in regards to their approaches and experiences of Pathways to Impact. The case studies also provide guidance, top tips and best practice for helping researchers to realise the impact of their research.

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Homes for Wales: A White Paper for Better Lives and Communities

Posted on: 25 May 2012
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This White Paper sets out proposals from the Welsh Government for new legislation and other, non-legislative, action on housing in Wales. These include providing people with a home they can afford, helping people whose needs cannot be met by the markets, and providing additional help for vulnerable people and those who need support to live independently. The Welsh Government also plans to revise its guidance on using section 106 agreements to deliver affordable homes.

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Meridian Water: Regeneration masterplan

Posted on: 25 May 2012
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Enfield Council has unveiled a masterplan for the regeneration of a 200 acre (82 ha) area alongside North London’s Lee Valley Regional Park, to be known as Meridian Water. The proposals will create a new mixed-use waterfront community and one of the capital’s largest regeneration and investment opportunities. When completed it will be one of the biggest eco-developments in the UK. The masterplan, developed LDA Design, seeks to build 5,000 new homes and create 3,000 new jobs as well as three new schools and a range of supporting community facilities, a new high street retail core and diverse parklands.

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Making the grade: The impact of office development on employment and city economies

Posted on: 25 May 2012
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A new report by Centre for Cities and supported by the British Council for Offices, shows that there is a striking mismatch between where offices are needed in the UK and where they are being built. This paper explores patterns of office development by looking at case studies of two large cities ( Bristol and Manchester) and two small cities (Cambridge and York) to gain a better understanding of how the office development market differs in these places. It finds that there is a bias toward larger cities in the office development industry.  Despite their economic potential, generally the industry views smaller cities as too risky to invest in.  This could limit their growth in the future and in response these smaller cities need to promote themselves as investment prospects to developers.

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Symposium on Neighbourhood Planning. London, 11 November 2011

Posted on: 25 May 2012
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This event, organised by Action for Market Towns, considers neighbourhood management and the impact of localism proposals. Presentations are available online.

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Concrete Quarterly: Summer 2012

Posted on: 25 May 2012
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The latest issue of the quarterly journal from the Concrete Centre demonstrates concrete’s visual appeal and versatility: Maggie’s Centre, the curved and cut-out precast panels of the cancer care centre in Swansea; 11-15 Baker Street, the crisp white facade; Manchester’s National Cycling Centre, the material’s smooth and rough faces side by side, inside and out; London’s Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens, a sculpture of dark pigmented concrete and LEDs.

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