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Morning [firstname,fallback=Subscriber] / Issue 261 - Friday30August2013
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New colours, new images and much more with our updated Update - out 13 September!
Opportunity to comment on new online planning resource
Planning Minister Nick Boles has announced that the Government's new online planning resource is now live, containing a new and streamlined suite of planning practice guidance to complement the National Planning Policy Framework.
The resource will run until 9 October 2013 on a trial basis, allowing interested parties to comment on content, before launching fully later in the autumn. To review the material and to comment, please click here.
This follows the Taylor Review of Planning Practice Guidance, set up by the Department for Communities and Local Government to reduce unnecessary regulation and ensuring greater clarity. The previous system was catalogued in 230 different documents (totalling 7,000 pages) and was complex and sometimes repetivitive in places.
The Heritage Alliance, through the Historic Environment Forum, has worked closely with DCLG throughout the process to ensure the best possible protection for the nation's heritage.
The new system will be more public-facing with a greater emphasis on local decision-making, allowing community groups greater freedom to set up neighbourhood plans. DCLG have commented that the new format will give "clearer protections for [the] natural and historic environments" with this new, more local focus.
However PPS5, the document covering planning practice guidance for the historic environment sector, will remain in place for now.
John Sell, Chair of the HEF, said: “It is welcome that the government has given the same weight to Conservation and the Historic Environment as it has to other planning guidance. The HEF will now work to ensure that those responsible for our heritage have easy access to all the other help and guidance they need.”
CPRE maps impact of HS2
Alliance member the Campaign for the Protection of Rural England has released a new series of maps showing the impact of HS2 on the countryside along the proposed route.
Covering the landscape, construction and operational impact, the maps take into account the visual prominence of the new line, the impact on surrounding land during development and the noise of the trains when running.
Ralph Smyth, Senior Transport Campaigner for CPRE says: ‘Current noise and compensation laws focus just on the impact to people’s homes. While this is very important it means less attention is given to reducing the impact of new infrastructure on more sparsely populated areas of our countryside. Tranquil areas are important to people and nature; we need to defend them.'
The consultation on the route of HS2's Phase Two is currently live.
Theft of priceless rood screens 'profoundly shocking'
Devon & Cornwall Police are asking members of the public for any information that might help track down the two 15th-century painted panels stolen from a rural Devon parish church.
Depicting St Victor of Marseilles and St Margaret of Antioch, the panels were " the best example of this type of late medieval art in the country...as unique and priceless as a Turner or a Rembrandt" according to Dr Neil Rushton of the Churches Conservation Trust (an Alliance member). A third panel was damaged during the theft.
Chief Executive of the CCT, Crispin Truman told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme: “These are some of the oldest examples of public art, these are not paintings in an art gallery belonging to a private individual, these are created by and for the community.”
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NEWS /
The Alliance would like to thank all Update subscribers – both from member organisations and individuals – for their support.
For those wishing to become individual supporters of the Alliance and help our efforts to protect the nation’s historic environment, please contact Sam Bradley or Kate Pugh.
New video promo for Heritage Open Days
A recent partnership with Ealing-based Met Film School have produced very compelling, very different interpretations of Heritage Open Days, England's biggest voluntary cultural event.
The beautifully crafted Paper Story animation by Paul Martin is juxtaposed with the gritty New World by Mike Jones. Share them with as many people as possible and contact Heritage Open Days on Facebook and Twitter.
HODs is England's biggest voluntary cultural event and last year's event saw 51,214 organisers and 4,648 properties welcome a remarkable 2 million visitors. This year it runs from 12-15 September, so get across to their directory of events and get involved!
DCLG to open up 'mysterious' planning decision process
Communities Secretary Eric Pickles has announced new guidance to protect "freedom of speech and independent journalism" following local residents being threatened with arrest for filming and reporting council planning meetings.
Under the new rules, planning appeal hearings will be open to be filmed, tweeted and reported. Pickles also challenged councils to open other meetings to the public, shedding some light on a 'rarely seen' side of local government.
Pickles added "An independent local press and robust public scrutiny is essential for a healthy local democracy: without the sunlight of transparency, the flowering of localism will wither. Heavy-handed councils who call the police to suppress freedom of speech are abusing state powers."
Cabinet Office to offer match funding
£500,000 will be made available by the Cabinet Office from 15 October, to support a campaign from community group organisation Localgiving.com.
Under the Grow Your Tenner campaign, eligible charities in England on Localgiving.com will have one-off donations of up to £10 doubled. Monthly donations up to £10 a month will also be doubled for six months.
The Cabinet Office will also provide match funding of up to £250,000 to support the 2013 Big Give Christmas Challenge - involving matching public donations pound for pound in the run-up to Christmas.
£29million boost for seaside towns
The Department for Communities and Local Government has announced the next stage in its ongoing 'Coastal Communities Fund' project - aimed at supporting the economies of seaside towns. Under last year's scheme, heritage railways in Swanage and North Yorkshire were recipients of CCF funding.
Financed by the government through the allocation of funding equivalent to 50% of the revenues from the Crown Estate’s marine activities in that area, the scheme also supports communities taking action to boost volunteering, support sustainability and better use local assets to drive economic growth. Projects from last year's round are forecast to deliver over 5,000 jobs and create 500 apprenticeships in the coming years.
This comes at a timely moment, as this BBC report on risks to the country's historic piers shows. People's Piers, a report from Cooperatives UK, argues that while "More people live by the seaside than live in Wales and 10% of our national heritage assets are within a mile of the sea." many piers are "trapped in a cycle of neglectful ownership", with private owners ignoring conservation issues.
New Directors for the Soane Museum and Royal Armouries
The John Soane Museum has welcomed it's new Director in Abraham Thomas, formerly of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
As the V&A's Curator of Design, Thomas was responsible for the much-praised 'Heatherwick Studio: Designing the Extraordinary’ exhibition. He replaces Tim Knox, now Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge.
The Royal Armouries also has a new Director-General in the shape of Edward Impey, currently the Director of Heritage Protection and Planning at English Heritage. A former curator at Alliance member Historic Royal Palaces, he takes over following the resignation of Jonathon Riley last year.
Proposed merger for nine local authorities
Nine councils are proposing a merger to form one combined authority in an effort to boost economic growth in their area.
Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, Sheffield, Bassetlaw, Bolsover, Chesterfield, Derbyshire Dales and North East Derbyshire would combine, withresponsibility for transport, economic development and regeneration. Three further areas - West Yorkshire, the North East and Merseyside - are also considering a merge.
A previous combined authority was established in 2011 in Greater Manchester and has led to considerable achievements including refurbishment of Bolton and Rochdale railway stations anda programme of low-carbon reduction measures.
For more information and to respond to the consultation, please click here.
New guidance on online giving
The Institute of Fundraising and the Charity Finance Group will team up to jointly produce guidance for charities using online giving platforms. This follows the suspension of the online giving portal CharityGiving last month.
The guidance, developed over the next few months, will explain how online platforms work so that charities are able to understand the donation process and try to ensure donations are secure. It will also cover good practice in online payment systems used by individual charities.
Daniel Fluskey, head of policy and research at the IoF, said: "Digital donations are growing – more people are using online giving platforms or smartphones to give money to their favourite causes. As the technology continues to develop it’s important that charities feel confident in using digital channels to connect with donors. We hope that this guidance will achieve that."
'Culture is healthy' according to new report
Reading, dancing or visiting historic sites, museums and libraries can have a positive effect on your health, according to a new report from the Scottish Government.
Healthy Attendance?was based on responses to the Scottish Household Survey, making it the first population level evidence for Scotland on the association between taking part in culture and sport and self-assessed health and life satisfaction.
Participation in the historic environment was shown to boost health levels, with those who visited a museum 20% more likely to report good health than those who did not. Overall, those who participated in a creative or cultural activity were 38% more likely to report good health compared to those who did not participate in any cultural activity in the previous 12 months.
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ALSO THIS FORTNIGHT /
The Heritage Alliance needs your Farrell Review responses
The Heritage Alliance is planning to draw together the heritage sector's responses to the Farrell Review of Architecture and the Built Environment.
This was a useful example of government recognising the significance of cultural heritage in the built environment and a summary of the sector's views would be a helpful resource.
If you are happy for elements of your organisation's submission to be quoted in a public document then please send a copy to Sam Bradley by 19 September 2013.
Final push for Giving to Heritage - survey closes TODAY
We've had a fantastic response so far to the Alliance'sGiving to Heritage survey, designed to find out more about your fundraising training needs. Thank you to all who have taken the time to complete it. We do need to hear from as many people as possible to make sure the programme, if successful in securing full HLF funding, delivers what you, the independent heritage sector, wants.
The survey closes TODAY, so if you haven't already filled it out then please do so - and encourage colleagues to do so too. It only takes five minutes and it will help guide this very exciting project forward.
To complete the survey, please click here.
Trio Policy - charity advocacy survey
Trio Policy, a body that works with organisations to improve the impact of their policy, advocacy and communications, is conducting a survey of the challenges UK-based charities and not-for-profits face in achieving their advocacy goals.
The answers will be used to compile a report reflecting general advocacy trends in the charity sector, which will be circulated to all who have participated.
The survey takes around ten minutes to complete and can be found here. Organisations that complete the survey will be invited to the launch of the report and be offered a free strategy session by Trio Policy.
London's Cultural Legacy - survey
The Mayor of London’s Cultural Strategy Group is keen to develop a picture of the immediate legacy outcomes from the London 2012 Festival and the Cultural Olympiad. This will help to continue to make the case for the arts and culture in London and support legacy planning.
We would be very grateful if you would complete this survey and also forward to any colleagues. Any organisations who played a part in the Olympiad are strongly encouraged to respond.
The deadline for responses is 12 September 2013.
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HAVE YOUR SAY /
September
Gift Aid and Digital Giving. Deadline 20 September
October
European Commission Consultation on Sustainable Buildings. Deadline 1 October.
Department for Business, Innovation and Skills Consultation on funding reform for apprenticeships in England. Deadline 1 October.
Welsh Government Consultation on proposals for the historic environment in Wales. Deadline 11 October.
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EVENTS /
2013
6 September: Energy Efficiency in Traditional and Historic Buildings one-day course, University of York.
11 September:Historic Religious Buildings Alliance Open Day, St Alban's Centre, Holborn, London. Booking form and flyer.
12 September: SPAB Metalwork Conservation Masterclass, Hampton Court Palace
12-15 September: Heritage Open Days
14-15 September: Vintage Mobile Cinema, Lewes
15-29 September:European Days of Jewish Culture and Heritage
20 September: IHBC Characterisation Conference Making Sense of Place, Circomedia, Bristol
21-22 September: Medicine and Mortality 1300-1900, Weald & Downland Open Air Museum
27 September: Owning a Mill, Burwell Museum, Mill Close, Burwell, Cambridgeshire
27 September: Practical Flour Milling, Cann Mills, Shaftesbury, Dorset
7 October: The Medieval Roofs of Europe, Weald & Downland Open Air Museum
7-11 October: The Repair of Old Buildings Course, St Andrews Holborn, London
8 October: Managing Major Buildings Projects in Places of Worship training day, New Room, Bristol
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