Is ‘gentrification’ an inevitable consequence of the regeneration of our historic areas? The term is often used rather pejoratively, but is that entirely deserved? It is appropriate that we consider these issues and potential solutions, particularly in view of the Government’s ‘Levelling Up’ agenda.

We will be examining the origins and history of gentrification in a London context as well as considering current responses in terms of national policy and projects. Through a series of case studies, we will examine a number of local initiatives in different parts of England and what they are doing (or have done) to protect local communities.

This conference will be of relevance to conservation officers and other heritage professionals, town planners, urban designers, engineers, surveyors, architects, and archaeologists. As always, we intend the presentations to be of nationwide interest, not solely London focused.

IHBC London Branch Day Conference, Tuesday 3rd October 2023
Royal College of Physicians, 11 St Andrews Place, Regent’s Park, London NW1 4LE Chair: David McDonald, IHBC Chair

MORNING SESSION

AFTERNOON SESSION

Royal College of Physicians Tuesday 3rd October 2023

BOOKING

Conference fee (to include buffet lunch)
£100 for IHBC members
£145 for non members

Payment by credit/debit card is acceptable.

General queries
Telephone: 01223 582716

Booking enquiries
booking@ihbc.org.uk or Telephone 0131 662 0366 (Mon, Tue, Fri 9.30am–11.30am)

Terms
The organiser reserves the right to cancel, postpone or modify the conference.
In the event of cancellation by the organiser, any fees paid will be refunded in full.
The following terms will apply to the cancellation of bookings by delegates:

1. Cancellations received up until 19 September 2023 will incur an administrative charge of 15% of fees due.
2. Cancellations received on or after 19 September 2023 will incur a charge equal to the full fees due.

A confirmation email will automatically be sent to you and IHBC Enterprises who are administering all bookings.

BOOKING

David McDonald is Chair of the IHBC and has held the posts of President, Education Secretary and Chair of London Branch. Previously he led the Conservation and Design Team at the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea. A graduate in geography and geology, then qualifying as a Town Planner, he worked for a number of years at the London Borough of Camden. While at Camden he completed the AA Diploma in Building Conservation. He is currently an independent historic environment consultant, specialising in providing heritage training for other built environment professionals.

BIOGRAPHIES

Charmaine Brown is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Education at the University of Greenwich. She holds Fellowship status for the Royal Society of Arts and Society for Education and Training. She has actively been advocating for diversity, equality, and inclusion in a variety of settings since the 1980s. Some has been lecturing on the topic of gentrification and Black urban removal in Peckham since 2014 for Black History Walks, underpinned by the narratives of the Caribbean Community and their experiences from 1950–1990. One of her most recent contributions to heritage and gentrification included BBC Radio4s ‘ThinkingAllowed.’ She is credited as Education Consultant/Advisor for the National Youth Theatre’s recent play ‘Gone Too Far! (2023) on the gentrification of Peckham and displacement of local community groups.


Colin Thom is Director of the Survey of London, the leading authority on the architectural history and topographical development of our capital city. The Survey is part of UCL’s Bartlett School of Architecture, where Colin also teaches architectural history and theory. He worked in the photo and film archive of London Transport Museum before joining the Survey, where he has contributed to and edited Survey volumes for the past 30 years. His other published work includes Researching London’s Houses: an archives guide (Historical Publications, 2005). Colin is also a trustee of the Georgian Group and sits on Westminster City Council’s Green Plaques Advisory Panel.


Tim Walder has worked as the Principal Conservation Officer in Development Management for the Greater London Authority since September 2022. He also provides advice on procedure and policy development, including the London Heritage Strategy and the London View Management Framework. Previously a primary school teacher, he has worked as a local authority Conservation Officer for ten years (in Lewisham and Hackney). His research interests include the history of conservation policy, late Victorian and Edwardian social welfare buildings (schools, swimming baths and disinfecting stations), Art Deco town halls and historic places of worship.


Yianni Hadjiyianni is currently working as a Business Officer in Historic England’s London team, initially assessing planning applications and their impact on heritage. He joined the organisation in 2021 after completing an undergraduate degree in Politics, mainly focusing on Postcolonial Theory. Prior to working as a Business Officer, Yianni worked on developing the London Heritage Engagement Strategy alongside the Greater London Authority, the National Lottery Heritage Fund, as well as various community and local cultural and heritage groups. He is early into his career and his main interests include focusing on intersectionality and inclusion as well as further exploring planning processes.


Judy Ovens and Suzanna Prizeman will be talking about the work they do with Our Hut, an architectural education charity based in Stockwell South London. With Lucy Lavers they are co-founders of Our Hut and as a team they bring together a wealth of experience in architecture, heritage and education. Projects focus on specific buildings or areas and are either commissioned, often through THI funding or similar, or are generated by Our Hut. Activities and outputs include workshops in schools, teacher Inset, family days, oral history, work with volunteers, heritage walks, bus tours, exhibitions, publications and teaching resources. www.ourhut.co.uk


Alec Forshaw was Urban Design and Conservation Officer with the London Borough of Islington for 32 years. He remains actively engaged with SAVE and other heritage bodies on major cases such as Oxford Street M&S, Smithfield, Norwich Anglia Square and Liverpool Welsh Streets. He has been a trustee of the CCT, London Historic Buildings Trust and the Spitalfields Trust. He sits on the Buildings Sub-Committee of the Victorian Society. His bibliography on London includes Smithfield Past and Present; Open Spaces of London; Markets of London, C20 Islington and Contemporary Architecture in the City of London.
He lectures widely on conservation and urban design issues.


Eva Branscome is Professor of Architecture and Cultural Heritage at the Bartlett School of Architecture, University College London from which she also received her PhD. Originally trained as an interior architect, Eva’s research and teaching have two main strands: the first engages with links between built heritage and cultural practices in contemporary Western cities, whether expressed through cultural institutions or counterculture and street art; the second is in the 19th and 20th-century architectural history of Central Europe, focussing upon Austria and other regions in the former Austro-Hungarian Empire. Eva has published extensively – including Hans Hollein and Postmodernism (Routledge, 2018), the first major monograph on that architect-artist.


Karen Phimister is a Town Planner who is currently overseeing a regeneration project in Swindon. The Railway Village, which was designed by Brunel in the 1830s, was designated by Historic England as a Heritage Action Zone and Karen appointed as HAZ Project Officer, to deliver a five-year Masterplan for the area. Prior to that she worked on the Swindon Borough Local Plan Review and was also responsible for community engagement, inclusive design and accessible housing. In Gloucestershire she was a Rural Housing Enabler, promoting provision of affordable housing on rural exception sites, working with Parish Councils, communities, Housing Associations and private developers.


Darren Barker has worked in the heritage and conservation sector since 1993 becoming the Managing Director of Great Yarmouth Preservation Trust in 2011. He has a track record of community engagement and developing creative and viable uses for vacant and neglected buildings and spaces. He is committed to traditional skills training and has established a number of international conservation training programmes. Darren was awarded an MBE in the New Year Honours List 2022 for services to Heritage.


Robert Sakula is a partner of London-based Ash Sakula Architects, which he founded with Cany Ash in 1994. Ash Sakula’s award-winning projects include Tibby’s Triangle in Southwold, The Malings in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and Wickside in Hackney Wick. Current projects include finding new uses for redundant department stores in Bedford and Peterborough, a new timber-based neighbourhood in Lewes designed to circular economy principles, housing projects in London and Slovakia, and the housing-led reinvention of a sensitive and historic site adjacent to Colchester’s Roman wall. Robert has taught and lectured widely in the UK, Germany, Italy, Scandinavia, the USA and Australia.