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Latest: Welcome to the BEFS e-Bulletin. BEFS is
currently seeking People Passionate for Places, Policy and Practice - As
a collective of organisations representing huge public and professional
interest, members of BEFS (Built Environment Forum Scotland) seek
to improve Scotland's
places, by supporting dialogue between practitioners
and influencing strategic debate. The Board is now looking for
committed individuals to play a pivotal role in steering this
organisation through an exciting period of development. Visit the
BEFS website http://www.befs.org.uk/issues.htm for
further details. Also note that Jo Robertson, Forum Co-ordinator is
on maternity leave from 15th June and we welcome Pernilla
Rinsell to the staff to cover the role.
BEFS upcoming activities:
Thursday 25th June: Meeting of the BEFS Historic Environment Working
Group.
Thursday 27th August: BEFS General Meeting and AGM (open to BEFS
member reps) followed by seminar (open to all) - we welcome Malcolm
Cooper, Chief Inspector, Historic Scotland, to talk on the topic 'Taking
the wide view: travelling along the heritage dimensions of placemaking' (to attend, please contact the BEFS
office for further details).
For further information on BEFS visit: www.befs.org.uk .
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Short-cut to
sections:- Consultations | Publications |
Scottish Government news releases | News
releases | Recent parliamentary questions | Recent parliamentary answers | Other
parliamentary activity | Events | Training
| Job vacancies
Consultations
Forthcoming
Consultation on Implementation of the Removal of the Duty of Planning
Authorities to Notify Historic Scotland on Certain Types of Listed Building
Consent Application
This consultation explains how Historic Scotland, Perth and Kinross,
Glasgow City and the City of Edinburgh Councils operated a pilot which
explored whether they could issue faster listed building consents to
applicants without a reduction in the quality of decisions. (Summer 2009)
Review of
Building Standards - Section 1 (Structure)
To consult on a review of guidance on Section 1: Structure contained within
the Technical Handbooks which support the Building Regulations... (Summer
2009)
Review of
Building Standards - Section 6 (Energy) Reducing CO2 Emission and Energy
Demand
The Scottish Government is committed to addressing Climate Change and, as
part of this process, reducing carbon dioxide emissions from buildings...
(Summer 2009)
Compliance
To seek the views and opinions of key stakeholders and users of the
building standards system in Scotland on methods and procedures for
improving compliance with the national building regulations. (Summer 2009)
http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Consultations/Forthcoming
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Publications
Governance
and Leadership Collaborative Research (OSCR 28/05/09)
In September 2008 OSCR co-commissioned research by Cranfield
University into the governance and leadership characteristics of the
Scottish Third Sector.
http://www.oscr.org.uk/NewsItem.aspx?ID=f1b52a35-6446-42d6-aaf4-00f9d551bc15
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Scottish Government news releases
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News releases
A+DS CEO to Step-Down
(A+DS 04/06/09)
Chief Executive of Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS) Sebastian Tombs
has announced that he is to step-down from his post. Sebastian Tombs has
led A+DS through its early years since its launch in 2005.
http://www.ads.org.uk/news/614_a-ds-ceo-to-step-down
Construction
and transport industries take on aliens (SNH 09/06/10)
New best practice manual has been launched to help industry tackle some of
the problems caused by invasive non-native species. The manual has been
developed by the Construction Industry Research and Information Association
(CIRIA) and is aimed at a wide range of infrastructure managers.
http://www.snh.org.uk/press/detail.asp?id=2081
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Recent parliamentary questions
Answers
will appear in a subsequent Bulletin, with questions reproduced. Questions
marked with a triangle are initiated by the Scottish Executive in order to
facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament. Questions in
which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an
"R".
S3W-24667
Claire Baker: To ask the Scottish Executive when it expects to publish the
final National Planning Framework for Scotland 2. (SP 10/06/09)
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Recent parliamentary answers
Q
S3W-24323 Lewis Macdonald: To ask the Scottish Executive what grant funding
is available to community and voluntary groups to improve the energy
efficiency of community and church halls. (SP 29/05/09)
A Answered by Jim Mather (04/06/09): Grant funding is
available to community and voluntary groups to improve the energy
efficiency of community and church halls through two main sources. Firstly,
the Communities and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) provides grant funding
for energy efficiency measures to churches and community groups if the
energy efficiency installation is part of a project involving a renewable
energy installation (energy efficiency will not be funded on its own).
Under this scheme advice is free and grants of up to £150,000 are
available. An independent charity, Community Energy Scotland, manages the
scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government. It can be contacted on 01349
860 120 and via its website at www.communityenergyscotland.org.uk.
Secondly, for community backed projects undertaking stand alone energy
efficiency measures grant funding can be sought from the Climate Challenge
Fund. Subject to meeting the fund criteria the Climate Challenge Fund can
support actions to improve the energy efficiency of church and community
halls such as draft proofing and the installation of insulation. The full
criteria are available at www.infoscotland.org/climatechallengefund.
Q
S3W-24381 Patrick Harvie: To ask the Scottish
Executive whether it considers climate change a matter of national interest
in the context of Planning Circular 3/2009.
A Answered by Stewart Stevenson (04/06/09): Planning
applications are required by law to be decided in accordance with the
development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise. Should
issues related to climate change be raised in relation to a planning
application, these will need to be taken in to account by the decision
maker.
Q
S3W-23829 Peter Peacock: To ask the Scottish Executive what the potential
legal, operational and financial consequences would be of local authorities
and their community planning partners failing to undertake an environmental
assessment of single outcome agreements. (SP 12/05/09)
A Answered by Roseanna Cunningham (27/05/09): It is for
the individual local authorities to consider whether their single outcome
agreement falls within the scope of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland)
Act 2005 (2005 Act) and therefore requires a Strategic Environmental
Assessment (SEA). However, there is the possibility of the following legal
consequences for authorities that fail to meet their statutory obligations
under 2005 Act when preparing Scottish plans and programmes: Section 11 of
the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 provides the Scottish
ministers with the powers to consider whether any Scottish plan or
programme requires an Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) and to direct
a Responsible Authority to carry out an SEA in accordance with the 2005
Act, if they consider one was required. The other is the possibility of
judicial review in the Court of Session. There are no direct financial
consequences, such as a penalty for not undertaking an SEA when one was
required. However, if it is found that a Responsible Authority had failed
to undertake an SEA of a plan or programme there is likely to be indirect
cost implications, for example; plan preparation delays, potential remedial
action and the need for a retrospective assessment.
Q S3W-23892
Dr Richard Simpson: To ask the Scottish Executive when the final criteria
for and listing of Scottish battlefields will be published and whether such
a listing will have an influence on any decision to underground the
proposed Beauly to Denny power line. (SP 13/05/09)
A Answered by Michael Russell (Wednesday, May 27, 2009):
Ministers will make a statement on policy for historic battlefields later
in the summer. It is not possible to speculate on the application of as yet
unpublished policy to specific cases.
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Other parliamentary activity
Motions
*S3M-4271
Robin Harper: Moratorium on Opencast Coal-That the Parliament recognises
the serious impact of opencast coal mines on communities throughout
Scotland; understands the harmful effects on health and the serious
disruption faced by local communities forced to live with opencast mines on
their doorsteps; acknowledges that plans to expand opencast mining will
blight yet more communities and are incompatible with the Scottish
Government's stated climate change targets; condemns the Scottish
Government for leaving the vast majority of planning decisions concerning
opencast coal mining in the hands of councils with huge vested interests in
supporting the industry; accepts that Scotland should be investing more in
proven renewable technologies before unproven end-of-pipe solutions, and
calls on the Scottish Government to bring in a moratorium on new opencast
projects and to set out a timescale for the phasing out of Scotland's two
coal-fired power stations. (SP 29/05/09)
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Events
Scottish
Renaissance Towns Conference: by the Community for the Community
Thursday 25 June2009, Eastwood Park Theatre, Giffnock,
East Renfrewshire Free event
The conference brings together the key decision makers and the community in
Scotland to share and refine the Scottish Renaissance Towns initiative, a
new way of delivering national and local objectives by promoting and
enhancing the local distinctiveness of our towns, cities, villages and
rural areas.
Contact email: business@eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk
telephone: 0141 577 8529
http://www.eastrenfrewshire.gov.uk/scottish-renaissance-towns-conference
Upgrading
your Governance
Thursday 3 September 2009, 10 am 12 noon, Glasgow
This session will look at the essential elements of governance, and
include: A review of the alternative legal structures a charity can adopt,
including unincorporated organisations, trusts, companies limited by
guarantee, IPSs, CICs, SCIOs.
http://www.scvo.org/scvo/SCVOEvents/ViewSCVOEvents.aspx?al=t&EID=1025&from=EventHome
Study
tour of the Republic of Ireland - Quality Place-making 7/10 July 2009
The tour will explore four towns in the Republic sharing information and
good practice on what makes a high quality place.
Contact Historic Towns Forum at http://ehtf.org.uk/
Affordable
room hire: open night invitation, Thursday 18 June 2009, 4:30 - 7pm at RICS, 9 Manor Place Edinburgh
RICS offer affordable yet versatile meeting and event facilities,
competitive rates. Attendance limited
http://www.rics.org/Networks/Regions/UK/Scotland/scotland_venues_intro.htm
Contact Danielle Blair : 0131 240 0895 or dblair@rics.org.uk
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Training
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Information
in the Bulletin is extracted from a number of websites; including the
Scottish Government (SG); the Scottish Parliament (SP); Architecture
and Design Scotland (A+DS); Historic Scotland (HS); Scottish Natural
Heritage (SNH); Scottish Council for Voluntary
Organisations (SCVO); English Heritage (EH); Commission for Architecture
and the Built Environment (CABE); Department of Communities and Local
Government (DCLG); Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS);
Department of Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); National Assembly for
Wales (NAW); Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS); Scottish
Building Standards Agency (SBSA). For further
information, links are provided to the relevant documents. Back copies of
the Bulletin are available approximately one month after publication on the
BEFS website.
If you have any questions or comments on the above, or would like to submit
information to be included, please get in touch with Anne Wilkinson awilkinson@befs.org.uk or call
the BEFS Office on 0131 220 6241. We hope that you find the Bulletin
useful, however if you wish to be removed from the circulation list, please
get in touch.
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