Support for local Historic Gardens Trust

We are helping a local historic gardens trust review their computer systems and introducing a new membership database.

Seminar and Event for Bath University

Today Wyvern Heritage worked with the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB to run a day seminar and day school for students on the Bath University MSc in Historic Gardens Conservation.

New Environmental Stewardship handbooks now available online

The fourth edition of the Environmental Stewardship (ES) handbooks are now available on the Natural England website containing details of a suite of new options and updates aimed at increasing the environmental benefits and value for money of the schemes.

Printed copies are expected to be available week commencing 22 October.
The new handbooks are effective from 1st January 2013. As well as the introduction of five new options, changes will also be made to a number of other ES option titles, prescriptions and point values.

The new handbooks will automatically be sent to any farmer or land manager who has requested an application pack but has not yet submitted an application. The fourth edition handbooks terms and conditions will legally apply to any ES agreement with a start date of 1st January 2013 onwards. Any customer with an existing agreement who wishes to amend it to incorporate one of the new options, should review the guidance at www.naturalengland.org.uk/es

Source: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/about_us/news/2012/161012.aspx

Find funds with the Heritage Funding Directory

278 funding sources - a total of £500 million - and dozens of specialist advice, training and education bodies have been gathered together in The Heritage Funding Directory, the free capacity-building project set up in 2007 by The Heritage Alliance and now sponsored by the Country Houses Foundation. Now refurbished and re-launched, it exists to support heritage organisations struggling to find funding.

English Heritage - online heritage protection guide released

English Heritage have launched a comprehensive one-stop guide to heritage protection law, policy and guidance - aimed at helping policy-makers, owners and developers understand the challenges of heritage conservation.

A Guide to Heritage Protection in England covers everything from identifying and designating heritage assets to protecting heritage at risk. Frequently-asked questions about where you can find funding, how listed building consents work and the impact of European legislation are all answered - and an extensive glossary of technical jargon is included.
It also includes the repercussions of the National Planning Policy Framework and the Localism Act, and summarises upcoming changes in heritage protection legislation such as the Penfold Review. It will be reviewed regularly, taking any such changes into account, so those in need of help get up-to-date information.

Source: Heritage Alliance Newsletter

New IFA Standard and guidance for archaeological advice by historic

IfA and ALGAO  have announced the publication of a new Standard and guidance for archaeological advice by historic environment services. Discussions regarding the need for this Standard and guidance date back at least ten years, although the project to develop them was only recently initiated in March 2011. Funding support from received from English Heritage, Historic Scotland and Cadw, and development took place under the guidance of a project board comprising representatives of the three funding bodies, IfA, ALGAO UK and ALGAO’s committees for England, Wales and Scotland.

The Standard and guidance is based on a comprehensive survey of current practice which identified a number of key issues. These were further explored at a series of workshops with ALGAO members and invited representatives of the national agencies. Two formal rounds of sector wide consultation and redrafting followed as well as detailed discussions with members of ALGAO’s executive committee, the project board and relevant specialists.

The Standard and guidance was proposed for adoption in draft for one year to allow further operational feedback to be sought from the sector. Any proposed changes will be agreed with ALGAO and a final version will be proposed for full adoption at the IfA AGM in 2013.

You can find the new Standard and Guidance on our website at http://www.archaeologists.net/sites/default/files/node-files/Arch-advice-with-glossary-2012.pdf.

Shipwrecks and War Memorials - English Heritage guidance

Guidelines on the first aid and conservation of materials recovered from wrecks, as well as the restoration and management of war memorial landscapes, have been published by English Heritage. For tips on everything from how to handle corroded treasure to how to plant an appropriate herbaceous border please click on the links below. Caring for our Shipwreck Heritage. Conservation and management of war memorial landscapes.

HLF Skills for the Future Initative

As part of their strategic framework, the Heritage Lottery Fund will be running another Skills for the Future initiative, providing paid work-based training placements to meet skills shortages in the heritage sector.

Grants of £100,000- £1million will be available to not-for-profit organisations to fund vocational training in skills that are essential to the future conservation of heritage as well as to the effective engagement of the public. The HLF's Trustees have set aside £15 million for this initiative.

An online application pack will available at www.hlf.org.uk/skills  from 31 October 2012 outlining the two-round application procedure. First-round applications need to be submitted by noon on 31 January 2013, for a decision in May 2013. If you have an idea for a project, please submit a project enquiry form which will be available online from 31 October 2012 and HLF's Development teams will advise you on next steps.
You can find out more about the programme by attending one of the Skills for the Future pre-application workshops, happening across the UK in November and December 2012.

Civic Voice Protect Our Place Survey

If you work in your community to improve the historic environment, then Civic Voice and English Heritage want to hear from you.

As part of its National Heritage Protection Plan (NHPP), English Heritage has committed to encouraging greater active engagement in the historic environment by more people. As part of this Protect Our Place wants to comprehensively map current community action that protects local places.
To complete the survey, please click here.

Icon launches new stidy of Conservation Workforce

The Institute of Conservation (an Alliance member) launched its National Conservation Education & Skills Strategy, aimed at fostering a successful learning and research environment in the UK that will deliver future knowledge, skills and understanding. As part of this new strategy, Icon will collate and review information about the nature of the conservation workforce in the UK.

Heritage Alliance Heritage Day 6th December

Registration is open for this year’s Heritage Day which will take place in Kent House, Knightsbridge SW7 1BX  on 6th December.

This is an excellent opportunity for Alliance members and those from across the sector to get together, share ideas and hear about exciting new developments in the heritage world. All are welcome.

Alliance members will gather for their AGM before the sector-wide lunchtime reception opens to all, followed in the afternoon by Loyd Grossman’s Chairman’s address. 

The Rt Hon Ed Vaizey, Minister for Culture, will then give one of his first major speeches on heritage since it was included in his ministerial portfolio in September. And for the third year, the Heritage Alliance Heroes Award will be presented for exceptional volunteer effort.

http://www.theheritagealliance.org.uk/

English Heritage focuses on Grade II Buildings at Rosk

There are some 82, 264 Grade II buildings in the South West, accounting for 91.9% of all listed buildings in the region. Beautiful, historic or architecturally special, they are the houses, cottages, shops, inns, offices, schools, town halls, libraries, farms, and other special buildings that shape the character of the South West.

Andrew Vines, Planning Director for English Heritage in the South West said: "Grade II listed buildings are the bulk of the South West's heritage treasury. When one of them is lost, it's as though someone has rubbed out a bit of the past - something that made your street or your village special will have gone.

English Heritage has embarked on an ambitious programme to find out how the one major element of our heritage not already covered by the Register - the nation's Grade II listed buildings - can be assessed. Adding the South West's Grade II buildings found to be at risk from neglect, decay or dereliction to the national At Risk Register would be a first step to securing their future.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/news/southwests-gradeII-buildings-at-risk/

EH launches 2012 Heritage at Risk Register and focuses on Burial Grounds and Cemetries

English Heritage has launched the Heritage at Risk Register 2012. It reveals that 524 of London's listed buildings, 35 scheduled monuments, 12 registered parks and gardens, and 65 conservation areas are at risk. Despite economic difficulties, the percentage of Grade I and II* buildings at risk in London continues to reduce slightly, down to 3.8% from 4.2% last year.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/news/burial-grounds-cemeteries-har-challenge-london/

Changes to Listed Places of Worship grants will come into effect in autumn.

 

The Government has announced details of how the Listed Places of Worship (LPW) Grant scheme will be expanded in October.
The Government announced in the Budget in March that the zero rate of VAT for approved alterations to listed buildings would be withdrawn, with effect from 1 October 2012. However, at the same time it was announced that the LPW Grant scheme would be extended to cover approved alterations of listed places of worship.
Following consultation with faith and heritage organisations, the scheme will remain largely the same to ensure it is as easy as possible to use.
Some restrictions will be lifted, however, including those on repairs to kitchens and toilets, and there will be additions, including the installation of security and forensic systems to prevent crime.
To improve cash flow for places of worship, the scheme will also return to a system of monthly payments.
The extended scheme will come into effect on 1 October to coincide with the VAT changes. In the meantime the current rules and criteria will continue to apply.
Detailed guidance and new applications forms will be available on the LPW scheme website in September 2012.

• Upcoming changes to the LPW Grant scheme

Heritage Alliance launches series of public heritage debates

Source: The Heritage Alliance

The Alliance is delighted to announce its latest initiative – a series of public heritage debates to examine some of the more controversial issues we face in caring for the huge range of historic assets we have in this country.

The series, generously sponsored by Ecclesiastical Insurance Group, kicks off in Cambridge on 17 October in partnership with the Cambridge Heritage Research Group. The subject will be ‘Heritage & Tourism: Who needs Whom?’. Alliance Chairman Loyd Grossman will lead a panel of outstanding speakers – Robert Hewison, author of ‘The Heritage Industry’; James Berresford, Chief Executive of VisitEngland; Dame Fiona Reynolds, Director General of the National Trust; and Marie Louise Stig Sorenson, Reader in Prehistoric Archaeology, University of Cambridge. The debate will then be opened to the floor.

6.15pm for a 6.30 start at Magdalene College, Cambridge, followed by a reception, finishing at 8.30pm. This event is free of charge but registration is required. To find out more and to register for this exciting event, click here.

Places are limited to 120. Registration opens 23 August. Please register for this free event by emailing sheralyn.wade@theheritagealliance.org.uk by 5 October. Tickets will be by acknowledgement email.

Consultation on Improvements to Listed Building Consents

Source The EH News Feed

The Department for Culture Media and Sport has consulted on proposed reforms to Listed Building Consent (LBC). The Government is keen to incorporate reforms into the Enterprise and Regulatory Reform (ERR) Bill, which will get its 3rd reading in Parliament this Autumn. As a result, the consultation period for the reforms to LBC was set at 30 days in order to meet the timetable already established for the ERR Bill.

I am currently travelling to the Trees Beyond the Wood Conference in Sheffield

The core theme of the event will be to raise and discuss issues around the concept of the wood and to address issues of trees outside woods in their biological and historical context. The conference starts today and I am giving a poster presentation tomorrow.

English Heritage Protect Historic Railway features

More than 40 railway structures given protected status after an English Heritage consultation.

From the soaring brick Silly Bridge in Oxfordshire to the Tudor Gothic stone Pixash Lane Bridge in Bath and North East Somerset, English Heritage's project to safeguard historic railway buildings, bridges and tunnels along the Great Western main line, has resulted in 35 new listings and seven structures being upgraded by the Department for Culture Media and Sport. Stretching from London Paddington to Temple Meads in Bristol construction on the route began in 1836 to the designs of the father of railway engineering, Isambard Kingdom Brunel.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/news/greatwestern/

Catch up with the highlights from the national conference for AONBs

Catch up with the highlights from the national conference for AONBs

http://www.landscapesforlifeconference.org.uk/

DCMS consultation "Improving Listed Building Consent"

As reported in HELM newsletter

"This consultation was published on 26th July.  This seeks views on a second batch of potential reforms from the Penfold Report:-  

• Introduction of a system of prior notification leading to deemed consent if the local planning authority does not respond within 28 days - to remove the number of full LBC applications for works which have little or no impact on special interest;  OR
• Introduction of a system of local and national class consents which would enable local planning authorities or the Secretary of State, respectively, to identify works which will not longer require LBC as they have no impact on special interest;
• Introduction of Certificates of Lawful Works which will enable the applicant  to get a formal view from the LPA either that proposed works will not require LBC or that works already carried out did not require LBC;
• Introduction of a system of accredited agents who will be able to provide an LPA with an expert report on LBC applications in lieu of the report of the authority's own conservation officer, intended to widen the pool of expertise to be brought to bear on LBC applications, save LPA resources and provide more flexibility for applicants.

The consultation is a short one, as Government will be seeking opportunities for legislative change on this issues at the earliest available opportunity.  The views of heritage practitioners, owners and applicants on these proposals will be important.  The consultation document can be seen here  http://www.culture.gov.uk/consultations/9236.aspx. Any views you have should be submitted to DCMS by 23 August."

The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill to make changes to heritage protection system

As reported in the HELM newsletter

"An important strand of improvements to the heritage protection system is going ahead as a result of Government's 'Penfold Implementation Report' published in November 2011.  The Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Bill, currently going through Parliament, contains four reforms relating to the protection and management of heritage assets, which are:-

• Enabling list descriptions to specify attached or curtilage structures which are not considered to be of special interest - to remove the need for listed building consent (LBC) for structures which are not of interest;
• Freeing applications for Certificates of Immunity from Listing (COIs) from the need to apply for planning permission;
• Merging planning permission and conservation area consent - to simplify the system and remove duplication, while retaining a criminal sanction against unauthorised demolition of conservation area buildings; and
• Creating statutory Heritage Partnership Agreements which will allow agreed works to go ahead without the need for listed building consent.

All these reforms were included in the Heritage Protection Bill of 2008, which failed to get Parliamentary time, and together constitute a sensible package of reforms which can improve systems while retaining levels of protection.  We expect them to complete their passage through Parliament in the Autumn."

English Heritage publish a series of guides to selection criteria for designated heritage assets

Battlefields Designation Selection Guide

This guide sets out the criteria for defining a battlefield and how they are selected for inclusion on the Register of Historic Battlefields.

Download Battlefields Designation Selection Guide

Commemorative and Funerary Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

A guide to outline the selection criteria used when scheduling archaeological sites associated with commemorative and funerary practice.

Download Commemorative and Funerary Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

Commercial Sites Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

A guide to outline the selection criteria used when designating archaeological sites associated with commerce.

Download Commercial Sites Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

Culture, Entertainment and Sport Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

A guide to outline the selection criteria used when scheduling archaeological sites associated with culture, entertainment and sport.

Download Culture, Entertainment and Sport Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

Gardens Designation scheduling Selection Guide

A guide to outline the selection criteria used when scheduling archaeological sites associated with gardens.

Download Gardens Designation scheduling Selection Guide

Law and Government Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

A guide to outline the selection criteria used when scheduling archaeological sites associated with law and government.

Download Law and Government Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

Places of Learning Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

A guide to outline the selection criteria used when scheduling archaeological sites associated with places of learning.

Download Places of Learning Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

Religion and Ritual pre-AD 410 designation Scheduling Selection Guide

A guide to outline the selection criteria used when scheduling archaeological sites associated with religion and ritual pre-AD 410.

Download Religion and Ritual pre-AD 410 designation Scheduling Selection Guide

Ships and Boats: Prehistory to Present Designation Selection Guide

The purpose of selection guides is to explain our approach to designation. This guide considers all vessels used on inland waters, coastal waters and the open sea.

Download Ships and Boats: Prehistory to Present Designation Selection Guide

Sites of Health and Welfare Designation Sceduling Selection Guide

A guide to outline the selection criteria used when scheduling archaeological sites associated with health and welfare.

Download Sites of Health and Welfare Designation Sceduling Selection Guide

Transport Sites Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

A guide to outline the selection criteria used when scheduling archaeological sites associated with transport.

Download Transport Sites Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

Utilities Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

A guide to outline the selection criteria used when scheduling archaeological sites associated with utilities.
Download Utilities Designation Scheduling Selection Guide

EH writes to chief planning officers regarding the Historic Environment and Neighbourhood Planning

The letter sets out the support English Heritage is able to offer in relation to Neighbourhood Plans. English Heritage has a statutory role in the development plan process and there is a duty to consult them on any Neighbourhood Plan where their interests are considered to be affected as well as a duty to consult them on all Neighbourhood Development Orders and Community Right to Build Orders.

http://www.helm.org.uk/upload/pdf/eh-letter-chief-planning-officers.pdf?1343371626

 

Natural England publishes five full National Character Area Profiles

Five full profiles have been published today to demonstrate how the Natural England programme to update the National Character Area descriptions will develop over coming months. The five featured profiles, now available on Natural England’s website, are:

• Sherwood, Arden, Severn and Avon Vales, Humberhead Levels and South Devon NCAs, in addition to the Southern Pennines profile already available.

Source: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/about_us/news/2012/180712.aspx

National Character Areas map out 159 landscape areas, each defined by common landscape characteristics including natural features, vegetation types, buildings and settlements.

Congratulations to the Cranborne Chase AONB for passing first round funding first stage funding bid for the proposed ‘AONB Countryside Centre

The AONB has been successful in the the first stage funding bid for the proposed ‘AONB Countryside Centre’ which was voted through by the Local Action Group of the Sowing SEEDS funding programme last Wednesday.

Wyvern Heritage was very pleased to be able to help the AONB with this first stage application, gathering evidence and advising on the bid document.

The detailed second stage bid will now be put together for the SEEDS Executive in September. It is envisaged that the planned ‘Countryside Centre’ will offer accredited and vocational training courses in countryside and associated skills. It will also be the base for an AONB-wide volunteer force. The third element is to be an AONB information hub for local communities and visitors alike.

See the AONB Website for more information www.ccwwdaonb.org.uk

Natural England launches further consultation on upland review

Natural England has invited further contributions to the second stage of a wide-ranging evidence review into land management, biodiversity and ecosystem services in the uplands. Views and contributions are welcome from upland land managers, land owners, industry, academic, scientific and third sector groups.

The independent review of upland evidence is being carried out in two parts and was launched last month with a request for contributions around three initial topic areas. The first phase will draw to a close on 20 July and the independent experts will begin to carefully consider the evidence in relation to each of the questions set out in the scoping document: (341kb).

Natural England is now inviting submissions of evidence for the second phase of the study which will cover:

• Determining environmentally sustainable stocking regimes on moorland
• Assessing the feasibility of restoring degraded blanket bog

The deadline for submissions is 14 September 2012.

Source: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/about_us/news/2012/170712.aspx

Capital Grant scheme open for listed places of worship

A one-off capital grant scheme worth £1.1m has been made available for listed places of worship until April 2013. The Church of England and the National Churches Trust will distribute the funds. The Church of England has received £781,000 which it will allocate across its dioceses.
The National Churches Trust has received £319,000 and will run a grant scheme open to all listed places of worship that are not in the Church of England’s care. For more information, please visit http://nationalchurchestrust.org/supporting-you/grants/community-grants-new.php

English Heritage send out nationwide survey of farmers to look at heritage at risk

English Heritage estimates that there are some 1,600 Scheduled Monuments at risk from cultivation on farms across England. To tackle this problem and save these precious archaeological sites for future generations, it is sending out a nationwide questionnaire to farmers and land managers about farming and management practices on their land.

See http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/about/news/nationwide-survey-farmers/ for more information

UK Landscape Award 2012 Open to entries

Showcasing the best projects in the UK

The UK Landscape Award celebrates the power of the local landscape to benefit communities within it. Not only will the winner of the award represent the quality of UK projects but the winner and commended projects will be promoted as good examples of what can be achieved.

A landscape for Europe

The UK Landscape Award was created by the European Landscape Convention and helps to implement it in the UK. The winner will become the UK's entry to the Landscape Award of the Council of Europe (COE) which will be decided by the COE in 2013.

All kinds of landscapes are eligible to enter

The landscape might be newly-created, it could be the improvement or renewal of an existing landscape or perhaps it has brought new life or community involvement to an existing place. All types of landscape - urban, rural, peri-urban (urban edge), suburban, coastal, agricultural, industrial, designed, natural, cultural, appealing to or designed for children - might be eligible to enter.

Who can enter

To be eligible to enter the UK landscape Award, the project must have been carried out by a local or regional authority, a non governmental organisation (NGO), a registered charity or a partnership with or between the above. The project will also need to be available to the public for 3 years before the final submission date.

A great opportunity

The Award is a great opportunity for organisations to demonstrate how they work with communities to make better places for all to enjoy.

Important dates

Entries close at 12 noon on 19 October 2012. The winner will be announced in November 2012. The UK winner will then be submitted to the Council of Europe’s European Landscape Award for 2013.

Natural England reveals next steps for Marine Conservation Zones

The Joint Nature Conservation Committee (JNCC) and Natural England have presented the formal Advice Package on 127 recommended Marine Conservation Zones to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra).

This advice marks the latest step towards the Government’s objective to create a well-managed network of Marine Protected Areas to help protect the range of habitats and species in our seas by the end of 2016. The Advice Package is being provided to Defra to support the decisions the Environment Minister will make on the designation of MCZs after a formal public consultation is held (the consultation will start in December 2012).

See http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/about_us/news/2012/190712.aspx for more information

HLF launches new Strategic Framework 2013-18

As reported in the Heritage Alliance Update

Last week at a launch event at the British Museum, the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) set out its plans for investing £375m a year of lottery money over the next five years, with the publication of its Strategic Framework 2013-18.

HLF Chair Dame Jenny Abramsky pledged to work with heritage organisations and other partners across the UK to build a resilient heritage economy, and outlined details of new funding streams designed to enable a strong, robust sector to rise to the challenging conditions it now faces.

The strategic framework for 2013-2018 includes plans to: run a further round of the Skills for the Future programme; offer development funding and professional mentoring, and introduce start-up grants and transition funding for organisations needing to cope with new challenges; kick start philanthropy through providing endowments and smaller grants for capacity building, and support for fundraising training; stimulate local economic growth with a new Heritage Enterprise scheme designed to fund partnerships – including social and private enterprises – to develop sustainable new uses for the most challenging historic sites; encourage the sector to use digital technology, by asking HLF-supported projects to make their digital content widely available at no charge and funding stand-alone digital projects; and extend HLF support for heritage in private ownership under the Our Heritage programme (£10,000 to £100,000) for physical works to heritage, provided they achieve a “step-change” in terms of public access and engagement. HLF also plans to continue to make the application process more straightforward, with the introduction of Sharing Heritage – a new grant programme for smaller projects needing £3,000-£10,000.

For further details and information on all the funding streams and initiatives, see the full Strategic Framework here. To see The Alliance's response to the HLF Strategic Framework, click here.

Natural England publishes Monitor of Engagement with the Natural Environment (MENE) survey

This study provides a wealth of useful evidence and sampled 47, 000 people in 2011/12, providing a unique data set on long term trends in countryside usage.

This year’s results show that:

• Volumes of visits to urban parks have increased 13 per cent and visits to paths, cycleways and bridleways have increased by 20 per cent since 2010/11.
• 68 per cent of visits were to places within two miles of the respondent’s home.
• 93 per cent of the population agreed that having open green spaces close to where they live is important. Also 86 per cent agreed that spending time out of doors was an important part of their life.
• Nearly 2.7 billion visits were made to English countryside, coast and open spaces last year - around 65 visits per adult.
• An estimated £20 billion was spent during visits to the natural environment in 2011/12.
• Nearly 1 in 6 people (16%) only visit the natural environment twice or less a year.

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/about_us/news/2012/020712a.aspx

Check out our sister blog Wyvern Archaeology and History Update

This blog Features events, news and facts of relevance to the history, archaeology of North East Dorset, South Wiltshire and the Cranborne Chase.

http://www.historiclandscape.blogspot.co.uk/

Attending the Sowing Seeds LAG this evening where the Cranborne Chase AONB are presenting their bid for a countryside centre

Sowing SEEDS covers the Community Partnerships Executive North Dorset (CPEND) area of North and East Dorset and the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB), who working together originally secured £2.85 million (as a result of a national review on all LAGs during 2011, the revised programme allocation is now £1.944M for the lifetime of the programme) to improve the economic wellbeing of the area with funding available until the end of 2013. The funding is being delivered through the Local Action Group, a Group that wants to support your project ideas.

The AONB team, with the support of the AONB partnership, have assessed the feasibility of creating a multipurpose ‘countryside centre’ that would provide vocational training courses, special interest courses, environmental education, volunteering opportunities and a range of visitor opportunities to explore the surrounding countryside and are biding to Sowing SEEDS for this finance.

Wyvern Heritage and Landscape Consultancy have been aiding the AONB in putting together the funding bid for this project and gathering evidence.

Presenting today the historic character areas project to the North Wessex Downs AONB council of partners

The North Wessex Downs AONB council of partners oversees the implementation of the  management plan. This project will allow the AONB to use existing Historic landscape datasets more effectively.

Check out the WSHC guide to dating old photographs

How often do we discover old photographs or family albums tucked away or which have recently come into our possession, but which frustratingly contain little or no information about their subjects? It is possible to discover more about these images than meets the eye, if you know what to look out for.
Check out the guide on the Wiltshire & Swindon History Centre Blog to find out more

http://www.wshc.eu/blog/discovering-a-little-more-than-meets-the-eye-dating-photographs.html

Explore your local archaeology and history during the Festival for British Archaeology

CBA Festival of British Archaeology 2012: Saturday 14 to Sunday 29 July

The Festival showcases the very best of British archaeology, by presenting over 750 special events organised and hosted by museums, heritage organisations, national and countryside parks, universities, local societies, and community archaeologists across the UK. You don’t have to be an archaeologist to join in - the Festival gives everyone the opportunity to learn about their local heritage, see archaeology in action, and get hands on with history.

http://festival.britarch.ac.uk/

New CBA commissioned highlights low levels of ethnic diversity in the historic environment sector

Those involved in the historic environment sector need to take more action to ensure success in developing the ethnic diversity of its work and volunteer force.

This is the conclusion of a ground-breaking research report, launched today, which examined ethnic diversity within the historic environment workforce. The report which was commissioned by the Council for British Archaeology Diversifying Participation Working Group and funded by English Heritage identified barriers to participation for minority ethnic groups in education, volunteer schemes and the workforce. The report also made a number of recommendations to overcome diversity issues through better data collection, greater profiling of ethnic minority involvement and improvement in recruitment processes and professional practices.

See http://www.britarch.ac.uk/news/120620-diversityreport for more information

Summary of responses on 'heritage tax' published

http://www.theheritagealliance.org.uk/

HM Revenue and Customs published its Summary of Responses to the consultation on the 'heritage tax' - the Budget proposal to levy VAT on approved alterations to listed buildings.

The Heritage Alliance has been campaigning on this issue since March; we are going through the Government's response very carefully, and will publish a statement on our website shortly.

818 of the 1493 responses to the VAT consultation (which also included measures relating to sports drinks, hairdressers' chairs, etc) related to the 'heritage tax' - the highest number of responses across all the measures in the consultation.

Attended the first meeting of the Wiltshire HLC project - information on this project is available via the Wiltshire history centre website

This project has been sponsored by English Heritage and will run for three years, starting in April 2012 and finishing in March 2015. It will examine the whole of Wiltshire (including Swindon Borough) and is being carried out in collaboration with a range of other organisations including Wiltshire Council, Swindon Borough Council, National Trust, Natural England and the Environment Agency.

As part of this process there will be several consultation stages where the information produced will be reviewed and analysed, and contributions made by project stakeholders.

All of this research will go towards producing a detailed and interactive digital map, descriptions and photographs of the landscapes visible across the county, analysis of archaeology present in the landscape and so much more!

The project also intends to integrate the historic landscape character studies that have already been produced for the Cranborne Chase and West Wiltshire Downs AONB (http://www.historiclandscape.co.uk/index.html) and the North Wessex Downs AONB (http://www.westberks.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=12848).

See
http://www.wshc.eu/about-wshc/archaeology/581.html

Scottish Archaeology Research Framework Website Launched

The Scottish Archaeological Research Framework (ScARF) reflects the current state of knowledge regarding Scotland’s past. As understanding of the past changes, so too will ScARF. It should be seen as a live document that will be constantly updated, edited and improved. The people developing ScARF are the people who use it: those who research Scotland’s past for enjoyment, employment, or frequently both.

 ScARF is therefore not a routine publication as it is one that is revised from day one. It is also multi-authored and necessarily multi-disciplinary, reflecting the variety of approaches and people who conduct research into the past. ScARF is therefore subject to an ongoing process of review. The formulation of the framework required a considerable amount of work from across and beyond the Scottish heritage sector, and was therefore continually peer-reviewed during the process of creation. That work formed the basis for ScARF, and it is now open to everyone to review, improve and develop.

 Each of the nine panel reports are available to browse, section by section, on this website. It is also possible to download the .pdf versions of each report from here, but please note that the version on the website may be more up to date.

http://www.scottishheritagehub.com/content/welcome?goback=%2Egde_2318969_member_121227529

Recommendation for keeping up to date with law policy and guidance affecting heritage - follow @EHLegalDirector

English Heritage‏@EHLegalDirector

The English Heritage legal team uses this twitter account to notify of new developments in law, policy and guidance affecting the heritage protection system in England and is a useful way to keep up to date with changes and new interpretations of the NPPF as it beds in.

Only 2 Days until the 2012 #dayofarch, why not take part or follow along on the day

Have you ever wondered what archaeologists really get up to? Is it all just digging or is there a lot more to it? The Day of Archaeology 2012 aims to give a window into the daily lives of archaeologists.

http://www.dayofarchaeology.com/

Free HELM discussion session on the NPPF and Heritage

On Monday I attended this free discussion session on the National Planning Policy Framework and its implication for heritage and found it very informative - there are still a few sessions left if you are interested.

See http://www.helm.org.uk/server/show/ConWebDoc.11473

New CPRE briefing note on landscape characetr and planning published

The Campaign to Protect Rural England SW have produced a briefing note on landscape character and planning in the SW, which is available to download from the South West Protected Landscape Forum website

http://www.southwestlandscapes.org.uk/ProjectLibrary.asp?ProjectCategoryId=26

Has your heritage organisation received public funding in the last 5 years? Then why not help shape future public policy

As reported in the Heritage Alliance Bulletin: -

Help inform Government policy via the CASE survey - English Heritage is encouraging heritage bodies to participate in the Culture and Sport Evidence (CASE) programme, which surveys cultural and sporting sectors organisations in order to provide Government with information on the challenges and opportunities these sectors face, and to inform future Government policy.

 CASE research is conducted with the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), English Heritage, the Arts Council and Sport England. Given the cross-sectoral nature of this work English Heritage is keen that the heritage sector is well represented, and would be grateful if more heritage organisations could register to participate.

To take part your organisation should have received some form of public funding (which can include HLF grants) in the past five years. To register for the survey complete the short registration form  here by the end of June. For more information about this research you can email the EH social and economic research team: SandEResearchTeam@english-heritage.org.uk

EH launches Good Practice Guide on Local Lists

In recognition of the importance of local heritage lists, English Heritage (EH) has developed a Good Practice Guide to support the preparation and management of local heritage lists.

The document is the first comprehensive guide to local heritage listing in England. It draws on good practice from across the country in developing a new local heritage list or making improvements to an existing one, and includes a number of case studies illustrating key aspects of the process. EH advises the Guide should be seen as a starting point in order to respond to local needs, and that decisions on the way assets are identified and the system used for managing the local heritage list are matters for local planning authorities and local communities.

http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/caring/listing/local/local-designations/local-list/