WEST MIDLANDS HISTORIC ENVIRONMENT FORUM
Minutes of the 34th Meeting held on Thursday 15th March 2012
at The Axis, Birmingham
Tim Johnston – (EH) CHAIR
Reyahn King (HLF)
Caroline Magnus (HHA)
Rita Mclean or Chris Rice (BM&AG)
Philip Belchere (IHBC)
Elaine Willett (Natural England)
John Hunt (CBA)
Keith Jones or Tim Yarell (Forrestry
Commission)
Gerald Kells or Jerry Birbeck
(CPRE)
Gabriella Misuriello (CCT)
TJ 
RC 
CM 
CR 
PB 
Apols
JH 
TY 
Rebecca Speight, Matt Doran (NT)
Elizabeth Thompson (British Waterways)
Mike Hodder (IFA)
Donna Taverner or Roger Stone (CLA)
George Goodall (WMASA)
Chris Patrick (ALGAO)
Louisa Moore (EH)
Amanda Smith (EH)
MD 
Apols
Apols
Apols
GG 
Apols
Elizabeth Perkins (UKAPT Midlands)
EP 
GB 
Harriet Devlin (Ironbridge Institute)
HD 
LM 
AS 
Item 1: Introductions, apologies and minutes of last meeting
1.1
Apologies received – see above.
1.2
The minutes of the last meeting held on 8 December 2011 – the following amendment was
made: Anne Jenkins has been promoted to Deputy Director of Operations. The Minutes
were agreed.
Matters Arising – HEF welcomed Harriet Devlin of the Ironbridge Institute.
Item 2: The Ironbridge Institute – presentation from Harriet Devlin
 See attached presentation.
 The Ironbridge Gorge Museum Trust is currently advertising for a national Industrial
HAR Officer (funded by EH).
 The Ironbridge Institute runs short CPD courses, such as metal bashing, and lime
mortar, which are held over a two day period, and open to anybody.
Item 3: Heritage At Risk – presentation from Tim Johnston
 See attached presentation.
 Heritage At Risk is the most important initiative for EH, and the Minister, John Penrose,
has shown a personal interest. EH has a target of removing 5% from the original
baseline statistics, each year over the next 5 years.
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 Lucie Thacker has been appointed HAR Support Officer for the English Midlands, and
she will give a presentation at the next HEF meeting.
Item 4: Heritage Counts – Louisa Moore
 The timetable is roughly – a draft of the national report will be ready early July; research
should be completed by the end of March/April. Copy deadline will be the end of
August, and launch date at the beginning of November, to avoid clashing with the Angels
Awards and HAR launch.
 This year, the report will look back over the past 10 years, and have a resilience theme.
It will highlight BPT projects, loss of LA staff and highlight the challenges of the sector at
the moment. The West Midlands will have a four page report and LM will ask HEF
members for case studies.
Action: LM to ask HEF members for case studies
Item 5: Planning Round-Up – Amanda Smith
 See Amanda’s summary, attached.
Item 6: Historic Environment Strategy – review of the Action Plan
 LM took HEF through the Action Plan and some agreements were agreed.
Action: Further comments and/or changes should be sent to LM ASAP
Item 7: Round-up
 CR (BM&AG) – The BM&AG will become a Trust in two week’s time. Rita McClean is
leaving, a new Director has been appointed – Ann Sumner, a former Director with the
Barber Institute, will be joining the Trust in May.
 RK (HLF) – The HLF Strategic Framework for 2013-2019 will be launched in May. The
new Casework Manager (who replaces Rex Carson) starts on 16th April. THI’s – these
will continue for another year in their current form.
 MD (NT) – are waiting for the NPPF to be published. Permission has been granted for
the erection of four wind turbines adjacent to the NT’s property at Lyveden New Bield.
Hardwick Hall has a new visitor facility which will open this spring.
 JY (FC) – The Forestry Commission
 TJ (EH) – There will shortly be a Heritage Crime announcement, relating to lead theft;
Local listing guidance will be launched soon.
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 GM (CCT) – The CCT has had a further round of restructuring, and the 1st April will
see the new structure come into place. Working areas will be based around North,
West and East, and they will be recruiting more volunteers.
 JH (CBA) – The CBA have also restructured and redundancies have been made – the
organisation is focussing on community and archaeology, and have an aspiration of
doubling their membership over the next few years; they are also working
collaboratively with other organisations.
 PB (IHBC) – The reduction in capacity in the sector has been felt – the LA is using
more consultants, which is good news for ex-LA and EH staff. Applications for LBC is
now increasing.
 GG (WMMASA) – The Civic Voice has lost its Director, Tony Burton.
 EP (UKAPT) – emphasised that there were many organisations offering small amounts
of funding, and that the UKAPT Chairman is urging all of their Trusts to seize the
moment. They are hoping to introduce social media to increase members, and some
large trusts have been asked to ‘mentor’ newer or smaller trusts.
Item 8: Details of next meetings:
Thursday 14 June 2012 – venue Museum of the Jewellery Quarter (Chris Rice)
Thursday 13 September 2012 – venue TBC
Thursday 6 December 2012 – venue TBC
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