6 C O N T E X T 1 0 5 : J U LY 2 0 0 8 Periodically… As the sector gears up for the heritage protection reforms likely to commence in 2010, one might be forgiven for thinking this would preoccupy those sector newsletters and journals with an England or Wales focus. Surprisingly they do not, other than to restate the English Heritage published line. The SPAB has continued to be an informed critic, especially on resources, but for other bodies the reactions seem muted. Perhaps this is because the overall picture remains so unclear. The DCMS claims that nearly a hundred documents in all will be required. If that is the case we are all going to have to do a lot more reading. How the reforms relate to and integrate with the planning system will also be important. The latest issue of Theatres, the newsletter of the Theatres Trust (No 15, Spring 2008), has an informative article on how section 106 planning agreements may offer opportunities for theatres but only if the process is managed rigorously. Experience suggests that local planning authorities, despite their best intentions, can not always be relied upon to protect an arts client’s interests and it requires a tripartite agreement involving the local authority, developer and the theatre user. This statement of the seemingly obvious seems to indicate this is not as common as it should be. Where theatres are ‘protected assets’ (to use the new dread phrase) and are refurbished, the question of retaining authenticity remains important. Mark Price, the trust’s planning and architecture advisor, considers how this has been taken into account in the £125 million facelift to the Royal Festival Hall. Elsewhere, Nick Thompson, project architect at RHWL Architects, described the genesis behind the Crucible Theatre, Sheffield, perhaps familiar to wider audiences as a snooker venue, completed in 1971 but recently listed Grade II. The Theatre’s Trust’s new website offers enhanced online resources in a project supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund. It now has a more dynamic database of over 1,000 theatres. Each one is uniquely referenced and able to be continuously updated and extended. There are latest entries and recent updates sections which will permit easy access to revisions. The library currently has 2,000 images to browse. The trust’s resources officer, Kate Carmichael, would be interested in adding further material from IHBC members if they possess it. Natural Stone Specialist (March 2008) caused alarm with a small item on the 61 per cent rise in deaths at building refurbishment projects last year. This appears to have received little attention elsewhere in the sector specialist press. They also noted visits by Health and Safety Executive (HSE) inspectors to more than 1,000 sites in February where they stopped work on at least 300 projects. The HSE also served a further 395 enforcement notices. The article did not allude to heritagerelated schemes. But given the huge size of the refurbishment industry, the current slow-down in new-build, and the temptation to cut costs in a recession, conservation professionals should continue to think carefully about safety before entering sites. Go properly equipped and be alert. The HSE states that basic safety precautions are being flouted and issues such as work at height remain ‘a huge concern’. The RICS Building Conservation Journal (April 2008) deals with current developments in fire protection and prevention. Steve Emery, fire safety advisor at English Heritage, reminds us that saving life is the top priority, with CLG guidance stating that ‘the efficient evacuation of all occupants must take precedence over procedures for limiting damage to property and contents’. This might not be quite as all conservation professionals see it. Research by Graham Matthews of Liverpool John Moores University found, for example, that only 26 per cent of UK cultural institutions had conducted a disaster simulation although one third had experienced some form of disaster in the previous five years. Other alarming statistics are also presented. Emery does highlight three initiatives to deal with this, including an Emergency Planning Group for institutions (archives, libraries and museums) within the M25 to prepare for business continuity, emergency planning and mutual aid during an incident; a standardised training course for treatment of water- or fire-damaged art; and provision of guidance on heritage buildings to fire and rescue services which will assist with their integrated risk management plans (IRMPs). Since 2003 every fire and rescue authority has been required to
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