The IHBC has welcomed the new statement on the practice standards and philosophy of the SPAB – The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings – recently published under the title ‘The SPAB approach to the care and conservation of old building’, and written by the SPAB Director and Full IHBC member Matthew Slocombe.
IHBC Chair James Caird said: ‘This update of the SPAB philosophy to address modern planning policy and design contexts adds another substantial tool to the armoury of the informed conservation professional, so that the best outcomes for the built and historic environment can be secured in a system that has evolved radically since the foundation of the SPAB.’
SPAB Director and IHBC member Matthew Slocombe said: ‘In a world where government planning policy is high level and prone to frequent change, the ‘SPAB Approach’ offers tried and tested guidance that aims to help conservation professionals through difficult decision-making.’
IHBC Director Sean O’Reilly said: ‘The IHBC will circulate Matthew’s ‘The SPAB Approach’ with a forthcoming issue of our membership journal Context, to make sure it reaches all our members. As an interdisciplinary professional body, we would expect IHBC members from all backgrounds and sectors to be familiar with the thinking and practice of the SPAB approach, a critical foundation in modern conservation practice that sits comfortably alongside our own more recent joint ‘Conservation Professional Practice Principles’, just as much as the IHBC-supported BS 7913.
See more background on the IHBC’s joint ‘Conservation Professional Practice Principles’
To see the Practice Principles follow the links to our ‘Recognised standards and guidelines’ on the IHBC’s Toolbox
See IHBC’s Toolbox linked from the homepage icon
DOWNLOAD the Practice Principles
For the Context journal article by IHBC Member John Edwards on ‘Why building conservation needs BS 7913’
For more on the SPAB approach and to download ‘The SPAB Approach to the care and conservation of old buildings’ see the website
