Easy access to historic landscapes

Posted on: 5 August 2013
By: mackene
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The aim of this guide is to help property owners and managers provide easier access for all their visitors, whatever their age or level of ability. It will also be of value to designers, planners, and others working to open up historic sites to a wider audience.

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Improving historic Soho’s environmental performance: Practical retrofitting guidance

Posted on: 5 August 2013
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This guidance, commissioned by Westminster City Council and its partners English Heritage and Soho Community Environment Fund, considers the opportunities and challenges of retrofitting in this context through four stages: case studies, ‘The Elemental Approach’, building typology and community based interventions.

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The economic impact of the UK heritage tourism economy

Posted on: 15 July 2013
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The Heritage Lottery Fund has published a follow-up to its 2010 Investing in Success study, showing that heritage-based tourism has actually grown despite general economic downturn.  According to the revised report produced by Oxford Economics, heritage-based tourism is now worth £26.4billion to the UK economy annually, a rise of £5.8billion compared with data from 2010. The report also indicates that heritage is a growing concern among domestic tourists, over a quarter of all UK holiday activities undertaken by UK residents now involve heritage.

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The changing face of the high street: Decline and renewal

Posted on: 8 July 2013
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A new English Heritage report claims historic town centre buildings could be crucial for resurrecting high streets.  This report is the product of research commissioned by English Heritage, in partnership with the Historic Towns Forum, to better understand what has changed in recent years. It looks in detail at the current policy and retail context and what they might mean for historic town centres and high streets. The report describes how those that have emphasised local heritage have succeeded in driving footfall and attracting retailers. It emphasises the need for councils to focus on town planning, architectural excellence and long-term investment.

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Designation Yearbook 2012-13: New highlights from the National Heritage List for England

Posted on: 1 July 2013
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This volume presents a national overview of this year’s harvest of new designations. These cover the whole country, and cover the complete range of assets – from wrecks to post-war office buildings; from medieval moated sites to early concrete-framed factories.

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Heritage Dragons Report

Posted on: 24 May 2013
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This report follows the first ever Heritage Dragons event, which was designed by the Heritage Investment Working Group to support community groups in their work to regenerate local historic buildings at risk and act as a springboard for a wider discussion about the value of investment in heritage.

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Valuation of historic buildings in the UK

Posted on: 22 May 2013
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The RICS has published a draft information paper  which examines the principles of valuation as they apply to historic properties and, in particular, provides an overview of the issues facing valuers appraising such assets. The key aims are to: outline the key factors to be considered when undertaking the valuation of historic properties and assets and their potential effect on value; consider the relationship between the principal methodologies and the valuation of historic properties; and identify and signpost sources of information and guidance relevant for the valuation of historic properties or assets. Comments are requested by 17 June 2013.

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Heritage legislation and Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013

Posted on: 13 May 2013
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New heritage legislation has been introduced via the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 that will make life easier and provide greater certainty for owners, managers and developers wishing to make changes to listed buildings. The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Act 2013 was enacted at the end of April 2013. The new legislation is introduces a number of entirely new ideas taken from the previously shelved Heritage Bill, the Penfold Review and other consultations including: heritage partnership agreements; new types of list entry descriptions for listed buildings; certificates of lawful proposed works to listed buildings; revised certificates of immunity from listing; and new national and local listed building consent orders. Further guidance and secondary legislation is needed before many of these measures introduced in the Act can be fully adopted.

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Heritage Law Update

Posted on: 5 April 2013
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This briefing note identifies the principal changes to the Heritage Protection Regime since May 2010 and lists those proposals which are intended to be implemented shortly. Readers seeking a comprehensive review of the current system are referred to the English Heritage ‘Guide to Heritage Protection in England’ which is a helpful on-line source. This note relates specifically to the situation in England.

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Sir Terry Farrell’s review of architecture and the built environment

Posted on: 27 March 2013
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Architect Sir Terry Farrell has been appointed by the Government to make recommendations on promoting high standards of design. He will be supported by an expert advisory panel  of members from across the architecture and design industry who will look at the themes of the review in more detail. The review is intended to engage architects, designers and other built environment professionals to help the Department for Culture, media and Sport think about its role in achieving high-quality design, allowing it to better influence and shape policy across government. The review will look at four main areas: Understanding the Government’s role in promoting design quality in architecture and the built environment; The economic benefits of architecture; Cultural heritage and the built environment; Promoting education, outreach, and skills.

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