John Preston is an artist, historic environment consultant and lecturer. After studying architecture and art history, he started as a planner in Suffolk; his first conservation job was at Monmouth District, followed by Cambridge-based District, County and City Council roles culminating as Historic Environment Manager for Cambridge. An IHBC founder member, he has been Education Secretary, first Convenor of the Green Panel, and Vice-Chair of Policy Committee. He was a Trustee of COTAC, has represented IHBC on the Edinburgh Group and the National Trust’s working group on EPCs, is a member of Transition Cambridge’s Energy Group, and is retiring (after 7 years) as Heritage Chair of the STBA. He wrote the IHBC Toolbox Guidance on “Climate Change and Older Buildings – Key Sources”. He is a long-time contributor to “Context”.

Overview
Speaking as an individual, I will draw on nearly 50 years’ experience of working with traditional buildings, my local government career culminating as Historic Environment Manager for Cambridge, my long involvement in skills and training as COTAC Trustee, IHBC Education Secretary and lecturer, and my 7 years as Heritage Chair of the STBA.

I summarise “big picture” challenges in terms of climate change, touching on the wider historic environment, before focusing on the UK Government and the construction industry’s failures to recognise the need for a different approach to traditional buildings. I raise the risks inherent in “one size fits all” approaches, and highlight what’s missing: repairs, embodied carbon, and consideration of cultural value. I challenge perceptions of heritage as an obstacle to tackling climate change. My talk ends on a hopeful note, including the STBA’s work and the Welsh Wellbeing of Future Generations Act, before I pass the baton to Crispin Edwards.

A University of Wales graduate in Tourism Studies, Crispin has experience of establishing a small heritage centre, working for English Heritage on grants and planning casework, and as a local authority conservation officer. He is currently a listing adviser with Historic England, assessing heritage assets for inclusion on the National Heritage List for England principally under the regimes of listing, scheduling and registration. He has been a full member of the IHBC since 2012, since when he has been a Trustee. He is also vice-chair for the North West branch. As well as a postgraduate certificate in the archaeology of standing buildings he has received the NOCN Level 3 award in energy efficiency measures for older and traditional buildings. He co-ordinates the IHBC’s Green Panel, which provides the Policy Committee with comments and advice on sustainability matters.’

Overview
Summarising past, present and possible future IHBC activity relating to climate change; our focus on the topic goes back many years and has been resurgent recently. Publicising the IHBC Green Panel and asking the membership for their suggestions as to how this can best work to help them over the next year or two

Adam Hitchings is the Architectural Heritage Fund’s Wales Development Manager. He advises charities and social enterprises to build their capacity, resilience and readiness to undertake a heritage project. He manages the Wales grant programme which provides early project stage seed funding.

Prior to joining the AHF in 2017, he worked at the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) for almost 15 years in a variety of roles. As a Development Officer he supported organisations throughout Wales in making applications.

He has extensive project planning and management experience gained while serving on the Fund’s task and finish group, developing and implementing its on-line application portal. This was furthered while on secondment at Welsh Government assisting with the delivery of its new online recruitment system.

He has a deep knowledge of the heritage and community sector in Wales and an extensive network of support agencies and professional advisors. He completed community shares practitioner training and works closely with the Cwmpas and Co-operatives UK.

He is a fluent Welsh speaker graduating with a degree in Welsh from the University of Wales Swansea in 2002 and is the Wales Trustee of the Heritage Trust Network.


Adam Hitchings ydy Rheolwr Datblygu Cymru’r Gronfa Treftadaeth Bensaernïol. Mae e’n rhoi cyngor i elusennau a mentrau cymdeithasol yn helpu adeiladu eu gallu, gwydnwch a’u parodrwydd i gyflawni prosiect treftadaeth. Mae e’n rheoli’r rhaglen grantiau yng Nghymru sy’n darparu grantiau cyfnod cynnar i brosiectau.

Cyn ymuno â’r Gronfa yn 2017, fe weithiodd yng Nghronfa Dreftadaeth y Loteri am bron 15 mlynedd mewn sawl rôl wahanol. Cefnogodd sefydliadau ledled Cymru ymgeisio am grantiau fel Swyddog Datblygu.

Mae ganddo brofiad helaeth o gynllunio a rheoli prosiectau a enillodd wrth weithio ar grŵp gorchwyl a gorffen y Gronfa i ddatblygu a chyflawni’r porth ceisiadau ar-lein. Datblygodd hwn yn bellach pan oedd ar secondiad i Lywodraeth Cymru i’w chynorthwyo cyflawni ei system recriwtio ar-lein newydd.

Mae ganddo fe wybodaeth ddofn o sector treftadaeth a chymunedol yng Nghymru a rhwydwaith eang o asiantaethau cymorth ac ymgynghorwyr proffesiynol. Fe gwplodd hyfforddiant ymarferydd cyfranddaliadau cymunedol ac yn gweithio’n agos gyda Cwmpas a Coops UK.

Mae ganddo fe radd Cymraeg (Prifysgol Cymru Abertawe) ac yn Ymddiriedolwr Cymru y Rhwydwaith Ymddiriedolaethau Treftadaeth.


Overview
The Architectural Heritage Fund helps communities across the UK find enterprising new ways to revitalise old buildings. The climate crisis is the biggest risk facing life on the planet and adapting, retrofitting and reusing historic buildings can be a central part in how we tackle this ever more urgent crisis. We therefore want to help organisations reuse buildings but also to help them ensure their buildings and operations reduce and mitigate their impact. This presentation will cover the support available from the AHF with advice, grants and social investment for social enterprises which either operate from and / or are planning on taking ownership of a historic building.


Mae'r Gronfa Treftadaeth Bensaernïol yn helpu cymunedau i ddod o hyd i ffyrdd mentrus o adfywio'r hen adeiladau. Yr argyfwng hinsawdd yw'r risg fwyaf sy'n wynebu bywyd ar y blaned a gall addasu, ôl-osod ac ailddefnyddio adeiladau hanesyddol fod yn rhan ganolog o'r ffordd rydyn ni'n mynd i'r afael â'r argyfwng hwn sy'n fwy brys ag erioed. Felly, rydym am helpu sefydliadau i ailddefnyddio adeiladau ond hefyd i'w helpu i sicrhau bod eu hadeiladau a'u gweithrediadau'n lleihau ac yn lliniaru eu heffaith. Fe fydd y cyflwyniad hwn yn ffocysu ar y cymorth sydd ar gael gan y Gronfa drwy gyngor, grantiau a benthyciadau ar gyfer mentrau cymdeithasol sydd naill ai’n gweithredu o a / neu’n bwriadu cael perchenogaeth ar adeilad hanesyddol.

John is Director Edwards Hart Consultants and Professor of Practice University of Wales Trinity St David. He is a practitioner and educator with over thirty years’ experience and has been responsible for the refurbishment and retrofit of thousands of buildings ranging from social housing to grade 1 listed buildings and Scheduled Monuments. As an industry expert he is a member of the BSI Retrofit Standards Task Group and has contributed to the development of standards and guidance on the energy efficiency of buildings including British and European Standards and PAS 2030 PAS 2035 and PAS 2038 along with National Occupational Standards for Construction Site Management Retrofit. A Chartered Environmentalist, Chartered Construction Manager, Chartered Building Surveyor, accredited in building conservation, trained energy assessor and qualified educator and competency assessor. He is formerly Assistant Director of Cadw and previously worked for English Heritage and is Chair of the IHBC Technical Panel.

Overview
This session will focus on standards applicable to improving the energy efficiency and retrofitting of older and historic buildings, ranging from mainstream such as BSI’s PAS 2035 and PAS 2038, to BS 7913 and the European standard for retrofitting historic buildings BS EN 16883. It will include a critique and examples of use all in the context of other issues and requirements.

Dawn Bowden MS is Deputy Minister for Arts, Sports & Tourism. She worked for the National Health Service between 1979 and 1982, and for Bristol City Council from 1982 to 1983. In 1989, she moved to south Wales to become the youngest and first female District Officer in the area. She rose through the ranks of her union to become the UNISON Cymru/Wales Head of Health, a position she held up to her election as Assembly Member for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney in May 2016. She counts amongst her proudest achievements leading on the negotiations that delivered the Living Wage into NHS Wales in 2014.

Dawn was elected as a Member of the Senedd for Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney in May 2016. In the last Senedd term, Dawn served on the Health, Social Care and Sport; Culture Welsh Language and Communications; External Affairs and Additional Legislation; Climate Change and Rural Affairs; Children, Young People and Education and Equalities, Local Government and Communities Committees. She also Chaired the Committee on Senedd Reform and represented the Welsh Parliament at the European Congress of Regions and was a Member of the Valleys Taskforce.

On 13 May 2021 Dawn was appointed Deputy Minister for Arts, Sports & Tourism and Chief Whip.

Harry has spent 37 years devoted to the conservation of historically and important buildings such as Roedean School, recently main-contracting the repair of Toller Fratrum built by the Knights Hospitallers in the 11th Century which was devastated by a fire in 2016 amongst years of multi-disciplined private works and always with his own manufactured materials. In his final lecture tour, the late Ian Constantinides, a leading figure in architectural conservation described Harry as a “hero of conservation.” This experience has led to ‘The Vivus Solution’ and the combined use of appropriate materials & techniques in order to achieve our “modern” requirements. This material experience has never been more important than right now, facing the climate emergency.

Judith is Head of Regeneration and Conservation for Cadw, the Welsh Government’s Historic Environment Service. She was co-author of two books promoting the preservation of industrial landscapes, and has written various articles detailing the conservation work of her organisation.

Carolyn Hayles is Chair of Environmental and Sustainable Design for the Built Environment in the Cardiff School of Art and Design at Cardiff Metropolitan University. Carolyn has a career working in architecture and the built environment disciplines spanning more than 27 years. Carolyn completed her PhD on the weathering and conservation of historic building stone, a project funded by the Getty Grant Programme and under the auspices of the National Trust for Scotland at the University of Glasgow between 1992-5. She subsequently spent eight years at the Building Research Establishment in Scotland, specialising in Built Heritage research. Since 2004, Carolyn has been employed in academia. Carolyn is a practitioner and researcher in education for sustainable development, whilst her current research focuses on the delivery of climate adaptation decision-making approaches and frameworks, to inform architecture and interior design that optimises occupant comfort, health, and wellbeing.

Overview
Wales’s climate is anticipated to be both warmer and wetter. ‘Hot’ summers are expected to become more commonplace by the middle of this century. Wetter weather, wind-driven rain and associated extreme storm events will also bring challenges. There is a risk to building fabric and indoor environmental quality (IEQ). The aim of research undertaken for Welsh Government and Cadw was to identify the impacts of climate change on Wales’s dwellings and the adaptations required in preparing for a changing climate. Two modelling approaches were applied, one to understand the impacts on IEQ and the other building fabric vulnerabilities. Results show that there are IEQ risks especially associated with relative humidity in older dwellings, and targeted ventilation strategies will be needed to improve the extraction of moisture-laden air. Vitally, advocating regular maintenance and repair will not only reduce the risks associated with changing weather patterns but help motivate climate adaptive behaviours.

Andrew Lavender is a Housing Consultant and Environmental Health Practictioner, who specialises in in Private and Public Sector Housing initiatives.

He has worked with many Local Authorities and national consultancy firms providing specialist housing consultancy, including interim and project management, area regeneration, strategy development and acting as an expert witness in civil and criminal proceedings.
Andrew is well known for his work as the delivery partner for the Kent No Use Empty Initiative, which is a nationally recognised initiative aimed at the regeneration of long-term empty and derelict properties.

Andrew is currently supporting the Welsh Government and Local Authorities in developing and implementing a robust approach to regeneration through enforcement and other innovative solutions. He is also sits as a professional member of the First-tier Tribunal (Property Chamber).

Overview
This session will cover a broad range of legislation that can be applied to long-term empty properties or to those properties that are having a detrimental impact on their community.

Delegates will have a clear understanding of the advantageous and disadvantages of each approach and how to use the legislation in a tactical manner.

Elfed Roberts is Head of Sustainability & Innovation for Pobl, one of Wales’s largest Housing Associations.

With a background as an architect, Elfed leads on the plans to decarbonise Pobl’s new homes.

Place Making and Carbon Cutting are at the heart of Pobl’s ambitions. They are committed to creating 10,000 new homes over the next decade, and many of their housing projects involve the conversion and refurbishment of historic buildings.

Elfed’s earlier career includes Conservation Manager at Cotswold DC, and roles advising on the conservation of historic buildings and areas at several local authorities in Wales and England.