Category: climate change

Historic England Consultation on New Advice on Climate Change & Historic Building Adaptation Now Open

Historic England Consultation on New Advice on Climate Change & Historic Building Adaptation Now Open

mikenevell

Historic England has published (November 2023) a draft Advice Note that aims to provide clear and consistent advice on balancing climate action with building adaptation. Primarily aimed at local planning authorities, heritage consultants, and those involved in the planning process, the Historic England Advice Note (HEAN) is now open for consultation to ensure everyone can comment on the final advice.

Historic England has produced this Advice Note to provide clarity and to support consistent decision-making for proposals to reduce carbon emissions and improve the energy efficiency of historic buildings, whilst conserving their significance and ensuring they remain viable places to live in the future. It reflects current national planning policy, and whilst the Advice Note will largely be for a specialist audience, it will also be useful to building owners/occupiers once the final version is published, and so relevant to all organisations that run and/or own industrial heritage sites.

Amongst other points, the draft advice note states that solar panels and heat pumps can be fitted to listed buildings so long is it is done discreetly. Listed building consent will always be required for the installation of photovoltaic and solar thermal panels, but they will generally be acceptable on non-principal roofs. Likewise, the installation of heat pumps will possible, and will also require listed building consent, provided that they are sympathetically sited. Loft insulation, as long as not sprayed, and insulation under or between floors will also be usually acceptable.

Ian Morrison, Director of Policy and Evidence at Historic England, said: “The new Advice Note we are consulting on demonstrates how historic buildings can become more energy efficient and help to reduce carbon emissions in England. It’s not a question of ‘if’ change can happen, it’s a question of ‘how’, and this new advice will make it clearer for us all to ensure historic buildings are adapted appropriately to respond to the climate crisis. We welcome feedback on how the Advice Note will enable decision making to be more consistent.”

To read the draft Advice note and contribute to consultation follow this link: https://historicengland.org.uk/whats-new/news/climate-change-historic-building-adaptation-consultation/

HE_logo_art_CMYK
Climate Change and Heritage Case Studies wanted

Climate Change and Heritage Case Studies wanted

mikenevell

Historic England is seeking heritage sector partners to help them create a digital case study resource. They are looking for case studies under a range of themes relevant to industrial heritage sites and organisations, including climate change and heritage, retrofitting, reuse and regeneration, design and communities. 

The case studies will be used within Historic England’s e-learning courses to support learners within the sector to develop knowledge and confidence in the management of the historic environment through the planning system.   If you have worked on a case or project that you feel demonstrates good practice and could help others, please take a look at the procurement information by following this link:

https://in-tendhost.co.uk/historicengland/aspx/ProjectManage/162

Join Historic England’s Roundtable Discussion on Carbon Net Zero and Industrial Heritage

Join Historic England’s Roundtable Discussion on Carbon Net Zero and Industrial Heritage

mikenevell

Historic England is organising a number of online roundtable discussions with different parts of the heritage sector to discuss the impact of reaching Carbon Net Zero. The project lead, Dan Miles, will be runnign two sessions for Industrial Heritage sites to bring people together to talk about some of the key issues they are encountering. These include how to start measuring emissions, setting out how to write a plan, or covering concerns that are associated more specifically with industrial heritage sites. To join one of the discussions on the 12th or 14th December, please fill in the registration form linked here: https://forms.office.com/r/TN0KiyHN5e

In addition, Historic England’s survey to find out what support small and medium size heritage organisations need to help them on their journey towards reaching carbon net zero is still open.  The survey is live until 11th December. Follow this link to fill in the survey:  https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/X8E3CQ/.

HE_logo_art_CMYK
Trials on Using Floodwater from Disused Mines as a Heat Source Move Forward

Trials on Using Floodwater from Disused Mines as a Heat Source Move Forward

mikenevell

The use of water from abandoned coal mines to heat homes and historic sites has taken a further step forward. The Welsh government has agreed to spend £450,000 on a project which it hopes will help cut Welsh energy bills and Wales’ carbon footprint. The money will be used by the Coal Authority, who manage disused pits in Britain, to locate the best areas in Wales for such a project.

Potential sites will be tested for the effectiveness of extracting water from disused mines and putting it through a heat exchanger, where some heat is recovered, before it is amplified by a heat pump. This can then be used to heat homes and/or industrial heritage sites. Mine water heating is low-carbon, but not carbon-free because the water has to be further warmed using a heat pump, which operates like a fridge in reverse. A similar programme in Gateshead, England, developed by the Coal Authority at a cost of £9m, has become the largest mine water heat scheme in the UK.

For further details follow this link: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-62154271

or this link for the Gateshead project: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-60772187

For the Coal Authority website follow this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/the-coal-authority

Historic England Climate Change & Cultural Heritage Webinar Series

Historic England Climate Change & Cultural Heritage Webinar Series

mikenevell

Historic England have a range of free-to-watch webinars and one of the themes this autumn is climate change and cultural heritage. A growing number of industrial heritage sites are threatened not just by heavier rainfall, floods, and the consequent erosion, but by storms, heat waves, drought, and vegetation change.

‘Climate Friday’ is a series of webinars beginning 9th October focussing on the impact of climate change on heritage. Hosted by Historic England’s Environmental Strategy team, in collaboration with the Climate Heritage Network, they will provide delegates with an in-depth look at a range of topics related to climate change and cultural heritage presented by international experts in heritage and climate change research, policy and practice.

The first one is entitled ‘Thinking about interrelationships between the climate crisis and heritage’. Sign up here:

https://historicengland.org.uk/services-skills/training-skills/online-training/webinars/climate-friday-webinars/

The Upper Furnace pool at Coalbrookdale, Ironbridge. Historic water management systems like these are vulnerable to sudden climate events.