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Continuing Professional Development (CPD)

Pre-conference webinars
Annual School Tours
Day School Programme

Annual School CPD Webinar Series

We are pleased to announce a series of CPD-focussed webinars in the run up to the Annual School, led by sector specialists and all relating to this year’s School theme of Adaptive Reuse.

These webinars are free to attend and open to all.

Old Buildings, New Rules: Navigating Building Control and Regulations for Adaptive Reuse
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Title: Old Buildings, New Rules: Navigating Building Control and Regulations for Adaptive Reuse

Speaker(s): Anthony Gwynne, Prof. John Edwards

Date: Friday, 22 May 2026

Time: 10am – 11.30am BST

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Join us for this introductory webinar exploring building control and regulations in the context of adaptive reuse and retrofit. Covering the Building Safety and Fire Safety Acts and recent regulatory changes, this session will also draw on case studies exploring considerations and potential risks, before closing with a forward-looking discussion on managing retrofit and adaptive reuse for traditional and historic buildings within today’s evolving regulatory landscape.

This event is hosted in partnership with IHBC Technical Panel, and forms part of the IHBC Annual School 2026 Pre-conference Webinar Series. 

About the Speakers:
Anthony Gwynne has over 34 years’ experience in local authority building control, working as a surveyor, team leader, and manager. A Chartered Building Surveyor for more than 30 years and a fire engineer for over 20, he earned a master’s with distinction in Sustainable Building Conservation from Cardiff University in 2020. Anthony has worked with a broad range of buildings—including residential, commercial, industrial, historic, and non-standard constructions such as straw bale houses. He is registered with the Building Safety Regulator as a Class 3 Specialist in non-standard construction and a Class 4 Technical Manager.
His career began in conservation with Cadw and English Heritage, and he continues to specialise in traditional buildings. He has authored a textbook on Building Regulations and is writing a second for Wiley Blackwell. He carries out interviews for registration of building inspectors with the Building Safety Regulator (BSR) and contributes technical articles for national publications.
Anthony also serves on the IHBC’s technical panel and is co-authoring the Code of Practice for BS7913: the Guide to the Conservation of Historic Buildings.

Professor John Edwards, formerly of Cadw and English Heritage, is both a practitioner as a Director of Edwards Hart Consultants and an educator that delivers training courses across the UK, Ireland and mainland Europe.  His specialisms include climate change, retrofit, building pathology and building conservation, in which he is certified and accredited.

John sits on the BSI’s Retrofit Standards Task Group and Cultural Heritage Committee and has authored and co-authored many publications, reports, training schemes and qualifications including guidance and standards. For example, leading on the development of BS 7913: 2013 and co-authoring the latest BSI standards on retrofit which includes the forthcoming new British Standard on retrofit assessment. He is also a Professor in Practice at University in Wales Trinity St.
Professor Edwards also delivers a 2-day course on energy efficiency and retrofit of traditional buildings that achieves the only recognised qualification in the subject, and a 1-day course on the new Joint Position Statement on dealing with moisture in traditional buildings.
Enhancing Adaptive Reuse
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Title: Enhancing Adaptive Reuse: An exploration of heritage architectural intervention in international contexts

Speaker(s): Alina Holyst

Date: Friday, 29 May 2026

Time: 1pm – 2pm BST

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This presentation explores how adaptive reuse revitalises existing buildings through strategic architectural interventions in diverse international contexts. It places particular emphasis on the use of contemporary interventions as best practice, highlighting how modern design approaches can sensitively integrate with historic structures. The discussion examines how architects balance preservation and innovation to extend building life, respond to cultural and environmental needs, and create sustainable, functional spaces. Through selected global case studies, the presentation illustrates key strategies, challenges, and the transformative potential of reimagining the built environment.
 
About the Speaker: 
 
Alina Holyst is a chartered architect and IHBC-accredited conservation specialist, leading her practice from Rostrevor, Northern Ireland. She is a strong advocate for adaptive reuse and thoughtful conservation on both national and international stages, advancing these principles through her design work as well as her engagement in research and education. Her work champions the integration of contemporary interventions within historic contexts.
 
She serves on the Ministerial Historic Monuments Council (HMC), is Deputy Chair of IHBC Northern Ireland, and contributes to conservation education through her teaching with the CIOB and previously at Queen’s University Belfast.
Engagement, (mis)understanding and outreach
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Title: Engagement, (mis)understanding and outreach: Do we have the education and skills we need to plan for Adaptive re-use?

Speaker(s): Dr. Alison McCandlish & Prof. John Sturzaker

Date: Friday, 5 June 2026

Time: 1pm – 2pm BST

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Reflecting the theme of this year’s IHBC Annual School – Adaptive Reuse – this webinar will explore the intersection between historic building conservation and town planning, with a particular focus on education and skills. The planning system plays an essential role in building conservation and in controlling the (re-)use of historic buildings, which are themselves important assets in villages, towns and cities. However, the trends in higher education and local authority funding over the last 20 years mean that professionals working in these sectors may be less familiar with each other than was once the case. Our speakers will look at how planning and conservation professionals are educated and trained, including through lifelong learning, and consider how best to engage young people and others in our disciplines. We also invite you to consider your own CPD needs around adaptive re-use, and the themes raised at the Newcastle 2026 Annual School. 
 
About the Speakers: 
 
Professor John Sturzaker FRTPI is Director of Careers, Education & Planning Aid England at the Royal Town Planning Institute. His remit includes the promotion of planning as a career, higher education and CPD. Prior to working at the RTPI John worked as a planner in Local Authorities and in higher education, most recently as Ebenezer Howard Professor of Planning at the University of Hertfordshire, where he remains a visiting lecturer. 
 

Dr Alison McCandlish MRTPI IHBC is a Lecturer in City Planning at the University of Glasgow. 

She leads the MSc City Planning and Real Estate programme, and teaches urban conservation and planning, specialising in creative methods for community engagement and outreach. Prior to working at the University of Glasgow, Alison worked in Local Authority conservation and planning roles, and as a researcher and lecturer at the University of the West of Scotland and City of Glasgow College. Alison is the vice-chair of the IHBC Context Editorial Board, Chair of the Built Environment Forum Scotland Conservation Officers Group and an RTPI Ambassador. 

Annual School CPD Study Tours

As part of the Full School, in person delegates will be able to participate in a range of local tours. The table below illustrates the main areas of competence for each tour will address. Please note this is not an exhaustive list, and tours may cover other areas of competence not listed here.
Ref. Tour name Principal Area(s) of Competence
T1 Byker Wall Evaluation, Management
T2 Ouseburn Evaluation, Management, Intervention
T3 Keelmen’s Hospital & All Saints Evaluation, Management, Intervention
T4 Live Theatre and Trinity House Management, Intervention
F1 Cooper's Studios Management, Intervention
F2 Founder’s Place Management, Intervention
S1 Byker Wall Evaluation, Management
S2 Keelmen’s Hospital & All Saints Evaluation, Management, Intervention
S4 Seaton Delaval Hall
 Management, Intervention
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Annual Day School Programme

During the Day School, both in person and online delegates will benefit from a range of talks, presented by specialists, exploring different aspects of Adaptive Reuse. The table below shows which areas of competence will be the key focus of each talk. Please note this is not an exhaustive list, and talks may cover multiple areas of competence, including those not listed here.


Topic Speakers Principal Area(s) of Competence
Welcome Address Dr. Anna Keay OBE Evaluation, Management
Opportunities and Benefits for Adaptive Reuse Henrietta Billings Evaluation, Management, Intervention
What is Adaptive Reuse? Prof. John Pendlebury Prof. Francesca Lanz Evaluation, Management
Adaptive Reuse: A legislative & policy overview Alexandra Fairclough Management
New Uses for Old Churches: a paradigm for Adaptive Reuse

Adrian Browning

Clare Chapman

 Management, Intervention
From Advice to Action: How Digital Planning is Supporting the Adaptive Reuse of Historic Places. Rebecca Burrows Management, Intervention
Fire Safety and Regulations: Challenges & Opportunities Steve Emery Evaluation, Management
Adaptive Reuse from a Building Preservation Trust Perspective Martin Hulse Professional, Evaluation
Safety First: Health, Safety and Adaptive Reuse James Woolgrove
 Evaluation, Intervention

Giving Rise to Raby: A Local Authority Approach to Adaptive Reuse

 Tom Betts, Bryan Harris Evaluation, Management
A School Friend's view of the IHBC's Day School, from the outside Timothy David Crawshaw, RTPI Professional, Management
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Download the programme

The IHBC is continually exploring new support for Continuing Professional Development (CPD) at our Annual Schools – they are ‘Schools’ after all – and for 2026 members can prepare better for studies, talks, visits and networking by using our web guidance and links, especially for the Day School speakers and tours on the Thursday and the Saturday.

IHBC’s Conservation Cycle

Above: IHBC’s Conservation Cycle

The Annual School programme and tours within Newcastle and beyond provide an ideal opportunity for delegates to progress their CPD requirements and develop their professional built and historic environment competences with like-minded colleagues in a stimulating learning environment.

To offer feedback contact IHBC director Seán O’Reilly at director@ihbc.org.uk

See more on CPD in the IHBC

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