Kelvin Lit’s Post

Approval for 39 homes in South Lakeland village Great news for the South Lakeland area! Planning permission has been granted for 39 new homes, including 14 affordable homes, in a development south of Haggs Lane in Cartmel Place North West. While we were not involved in the initial stages, our team was brought in by the planning consultants to address concerns raised by the Woodland Trust regarding the impact on a nearby Ancient Semi Natural Woodland. Having assessed the site, adjacent woodland and in particular the topography across the site, we demonstrated that the development would not adversely impact the woodland. In addition to this, with a suitable level of control throughout the construction phase, as well as amendments to the landscape proposals to extend the woodland fringe to create an additional buffer, suitable safeguards could be implemented against negative impacts, allowing this development to proceed. HOLBECK HOMES LIMITED #newhomes #sustainabledevelopment #arboriculture #treesurvey #woodland https://lnkd.in/e_5sbbia

Pavement heave. Incorrectly planted and poorly maintained urban trees can cause pavement heave which ruins the value of infrastructure. But the risk of pavement heave can be eliminated using structural soil cells, which provides street trees with all the space they need to develop strong, healthy root systems, but in a directed and managed way. Even when the street trees are figs! Using our structural soil cells, the City of Newcastle, Australia, overcame these problems, creating an iconic avenue of figs in the civic center that coexists in perfect harmony with urban infrastructure. In less than 10 years, the figs on either side of the street have grown to meet in the middle, offering a cool, shady respite for residents, and visitors atop the civic park stairs and a fittingly picture-perfect entrance to the Newcastle Art Gallery. Access the full case study here https://ow.ly/XNWj50SRIIf #citygreen #urbanlandscapesolutions #sustainablefuture #greeninfrastructure #environment #stratavault #treecanopies #urbantrees #trees #climatechange #localgov

We love seeing communities preserve historic properties while also modernizing assets! This article highlights some preservation work in Danville. What is your favorite preservation work in Region 3? #GoVARegion3 #EconomicDevelopment https://lnkd.in/e7FQY9py

Here's another great example where Sika helped with #specification, #CAD detailing and #construction site support. Using a combination of #waterproof sheet membranes and watertight #concrete. Follow the link below to learn more

My writing and historic landscape research explores campus planning and urban cultural landscapes of parks. Here is my recent article on the transformation of an historic cemetery.

Urbanization and the environment

Working with Heritage properties means we often have to adhere to really strict standards and guidelines (and rightly so!). Before we start work on any project, we have to do a bit of investigative work. First we'll get as much information from the client as we can. Is it a listed building? Has there been any external involvement previously? How much do they know? Then we'll move on to land registry, which will hopefully provide some more information surrounding the history of the property. We will then work with local councils and authorities to see whether the property is in a conservation area, so that we're working in a sympathetic manner and within guidelines. What you'll often find is that current building regulations and historical guidelines don't match up at all, which can sometimes lead to a little bit of misalignment, so often there has to be a conversation around that as well. Once we've worked out exactly what can and can't be done, we then get to work! If you're looking for an experienced renovator who understands the intricacies (and red tape!) that comes with historic and heritage properties, do get in touch. I'd love to chat. #PropertyRenovation #Shropshire #WomenInConstruction #WomenInProperty #HistoricRenovation

Interesting discussion about the pros and cons of historic preservation. Most of my colleagues are very much on the "pro" side, so I'd never looked much at the cons. I'm definitely still "pro", but an interesting perspective.

Want the latest news from Heritage? Click the link below. This month we talk about flood-proofing a historic property with ITEX, a Denver Housing Authority affordable housing success story, and the grand opening of the adaptive reuse of a factory that produced an American icon. #historicpreservation #historictaxcredits #HeritageConsultingGroup

Philosophical question for the heritage sect...at what point is a renovated and converted listed building no longer worthy of its listed status? How much of the original building would have to be reused, saved, etc. in order to stay listed? I ask because this is a common situation when converting an historic building. What percentage of the building's original and historic fabric would need to be retained and reused? If it is less than say 30%, should the building remain listed? Is there a figure that can be used to quantify this? The conversion of a listed building, especially ancillary buildings like barns, can be quite a balancing act. Do you insulate on the inside or outside, how many new openings do you create to add light and ventilation, do you add a mezzanine level into the large volume of the main barn, how do you heat the building, etc. Do you retain all of the timber framing so that it can be seen? The same can be asked if an historic building has a fire. If the majority of the listed building has to be replaced, should it still be listed? I have come across these queries as a conservation officer in an LPA, as well as in the private sector. They provoke interesting debates with colleagues! What are your thoughts?