HPA Attend Diocese of Blackburn Biennial Seminar
HPA’s Specialist Conservation Architect & Director Zoe and Architect Emma recently attended the Diocese of Blackburn Architects and Surveyors Biennial Seminar held at Whalley Abbey.
As the Quinquennial Architects to over 25 Churches in the region, HPA shares the duties involved with producing the extensive Quinquennial reports between experienced staff members within the office.
Every five years, churches must be inspected by a suitably experienced and qualified professional and these are known as Quinquennial inspections. Having been appointed by the Diocesan Advisory Committee, HPA undertake a number of these annually and produce detailed reports on the condition of the buildings and their grounds. This ensures that the buildings are kept in good repair and also highlights ways in which these often ancient buildings can improve their environmental impact as part of the Church of England’s path to Net Zero Carbon.
The incredible setting for the seminar, Whalley Abbey, is a former Cistercian abbey located in Whalley, Lancashire. After the dissolution of the monasteries, the abbey was largely demolished and a stunning country house was built on the site.
The event showed a range of speakers, tailored to assist the Ecclesiastical Architects with regards to technical updates within the industry and issues they may face relating to the climate challenge.
Speakers on the day included a Church Buildings Council member, Head of Climate change at Historic England and the Church of England Net Zero Programme Director as well as grant supporting speakers from Benefact Trust and National Churches Trust.