Rochdale Council is looking to appoint an Heritage Engagement Manager for the Victorian Rochdale Town Hall. Rochdale Town Hall is a building of the highest level of national importance, its Grade 1 listing placing it within the top 2.5% of buildings nationally. It was described by the 20th century architectural historian Pevsner “as one of…
Historic England Says Latest Plans for London’s Liverpool Street Station are ‘fundamentally misguided’
Historic England has branded Herzog & de Meuron’s latest designs for revamping Liverpool Street station in London ‘fundamentally misguided’. The latest proposals, for Network Rail and developer Sellar, include a two-part block reaching 15 and 21 storeys above the Grade II-listed Liverpool Street station and the neighbouring Grade II*-listed hotel. Historic England Chief Executive, Duncan…
UK Government Stands Firm on No VAT Exemption for Building Repairs and Maintenance
On 19th April 2023 Lord Swire tabled a question in the UK House of Lords on VAT equalisation for repairs and maintenance. This question has particular relevance for the future conservation and re-use of industrial heritage buildings. Lord Swire received support from across the house, including from Arts and Heritage APPG Chair Lord Cormack, and…
Concerns Raised About the Future of the Barton Swing Aqueduct
Concerns about the condition of the listed Barton Swing Aqueduct have led a local group to set up a petition to have the bridge restored. The swing aqueduct was built as part of the construction of Manchester Ship Canal and opened to traffic on January 1st 1894. The 235ft long steel aqueduct, which weighs 800…
SPAB Mills Section Lunchtime Lecture, 19 April 2023
The SPAB Mills Section’s latest online lunchtime lecture on 19th April 2023 will look back at what became the standard work on windmills: Rex Wailes’s 1957 book ‘The English Windmill’. Its content blended technical, historical, and anecdotal information to create a work that is still highly readable and relevant today. In the 65 years since…
Museum Estates & Development Fund (MEND) Round 3
Arts Council England has announced details of the Museum Estates and Development Fund (MEND) Round 3. This is an open-access capital fund targeted at non-national Accredited museums based in England and/or English local authorities who are responsible for maintenance of non-national Accredited museum buildings. This is an opportunity to apply for funding to undertake vital infrastructure…
Heritage, Carbon & Historic Buildings Report
Grosvenor, Peabody, Historic England, The National Trust and The Crown Estate have collaborated in research that highlights the skills and training challenges that will be needed to ensure the UK’s historic buildings contribute to a net zero future. They have commissioned research, and shared insights, to help identify how businesses, industry, and Government can unlock…
Museum Development ‘Getting Your House In Order’ Programme for 2023-24 Open for Applications
Applications from museums to join the Getting Your House In Order programme for 2023-24 are now open. Its run jointly by Collections Trust, Museum Development North West, Museum Development North East and Museum Development Yorkshire. This programme will take a cohort of museums from across the North of England through a programme of workshops and…
AIM Pilgrim Trust Grants 2023 Open for Applications
Applications for Collections Care Audits, Collections Care grants and Remedial Conservation grants are now open. AIM is grateful to the Pilgrim Trust for funding the scheme for a further three years from 2023-2025. The grants support small to medium sized museums to care for their collections more effectively and efficiently and to meet the standards required…
Eight Industrial Heritage Sites Receive Latest Cultural Investment Fund Support
Eight industrial heritage sites in England are to receive support through the latest round of the Cultural Investment Fund announced in March 2023. The Cultural Investment Fund, delivered by Arts Council England on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, is a package of the three capital funds: the Museum Estate and Development…
Industrial Heritage Support 