Welcome to a bulletin packed with news and updates! We are
most pleased to share the news that BEFS has received funding from
Historic Scotland to become the intermediary body to represent the
Scottish historic environment sector. BEFS now seeks a Director to lead
it forward. (See vacancies below). BEFS news release
BEFS office: Jo Robertson will return
from maternity leave 31 March. Pernilla Rinsell will stay with BEFS for
another 3 months on a temporary contract.
BEFS meetings: 13 April: BEFS Historic
Environment working group meeting / consultation meeting on Extending
Permitted Development Rights For Domestic Micro-Wind Turbines and
Air-Source Heat Pumps.
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to sections:- Consultation and Inquiries | Publications | Scottish Government News
Release | News Release | Recent
Parliamentary Questions | Recent Parliamentary Answers |
Other parliamentary activity | Events |
Training | Job Vacancies |
Other updates
Consultation and Inquiries
Views
sought for inquiry into Transport and Land-Use Planning (22/03/10)
The influence of transport and land-use planning policies over economic
growth and climate change will be the focus of an inquiry launched today by
the Scottish Parliament's Transport,
Infrastructure and Climate Change committee. The inquiry will assess
the extent to which the two planning policy areas work together, and
whether there is scope to improve levels of integration to increase
economic growth and limit climate change in Scotland.The closing date for
written submissions is Friday 7 May 2010. Read more
World Heritage for the Nation: Information for applicants
for the new UK tentative list (DCMS 16/03/10)
The UK Government is preparing a new Tentative List of natural, cultural
and mixed sites for potential nomination for inscription on the UNESCO
World Heritage List, to be submitted to UNESCO in 2011, with a view to
putting forward nominations to the World Heritage Committee from 2012.
Closing date 11 June 2010. Read more and consulation.
Publications
Cultural
Capital: a manifesto for the future (HL 25/03/10)
The Heritage Alliance has launched a manifesto for the cultural life of Britain. Cultural
Capital: a manifesto for the future demonstrates how investing in culture
will build Britain's social and
economic recovery. Luminaries of the arts and cultural world argued that
reduction of public investment would make poor economic sense: "As the
eyes of the world are on Britain during the Olympic year, 2012, sustained
funding is essential if our cultural institutions and attractions are to
realise the opportunity that 2012 presents to create a lasting legacy of
more people taking part in arts and culture, and to enhance our
international profile". The full Cultural Capital
document.
Consideration
of Climatic Factors within Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) (SG 19/03/10)
Provides guidance on the consideration of climatic factors within strategic
environmental assessment. Read more
Planning
Advice Note 1/2010 Strategic Environmental Assessment of Development Plans (SG 19/03/10)
Provides advice on how the requirements of the Environmental Assessment (Scotland) Act 2005 can be
met within the development planning process. Read more
New report shows heritage tourism contributes £20bn to UK
economy and has important role to play in recovery (HLF 05/03/10)
A new report published 5 March 2010, commissioned by the Heritage Lottery
Fund (HLF), reveals for the first time the scale of the heritage tourism
industry in the UK, estimating its gross domestic product (GDP) contribution to
be £20.6 billion. Read
more
Towards a low carbon, high well-being built environment (nef 24/02/10)
How do buildings affect our well-being? And what impact do they have on the
environment? This report, commissioned by the Happold Trust, explores how
architects, engineers, planners and policymakers can ensure that new
development projects work for people and the planet. Read more
Back to Top
Scottish Government News Release
Architecture
and Design Scotland (SG 30/03/10)
Fiona Hyslop, the Minister for Culture and External Affairs, announced on
30 March the appointment of nine Members to the Board of Architecture and
Design Scotland. Read
more
Royal
Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (SG 26/03/10)
Minister for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop, announced the
reappointment of the Chair of the Royal Commission on the Ancient and
Historical Monuments of Scotland for a second term of office. She also
announced the appointment of four new Commissioners. Read more
Land reform success exceeds expectations (SG 23/03/10)
Scotland's land reform
legislation is ensuring the long-term sustainability of communities the
length and breadth of the country. More than 60 communities bodies have
submitted over 112 applications to purchase land and almost 80 applications
have been approved since the Land Reform Bill was passed in 2004. Read more
News Release
A
new focus on ordinary places (CABE 26/03/10)
English towns and cities need to focus on improving the ordinary places
where more than 80 per cent of people live, says a new CABE report. Ordinary places
sparks a debate about how we respond to the needs of the residential areas
around big city centres, smaller post-industrial cities and the suburbs. Read more
Historic Scotland helps traditional buildings become more
energy efficient (HS 24/03/10)
Historic Scotland is challenging the view that traditionally built homes,
which comprise almost a fifth of Scotland's houses, are energy inefficient
and a barrier to meeting Scotland's carbon reduction targets in the housing
sector. This is one of the issues which was discussed at a conference,
"Energy Efficiency and Sustainability in Traditional Buildings"
hosted by Historic Scotland on Wednesday 24 March at The Hub in Edinburgh. Read more
Margaret Hodge sets out Government 'Vision' for England's Historic
Environment (DCMS 24/03/10)
'Six-Point Strategy' to build on past success and help secure future. The
value of the historic environment should be recognised and championed by
all those - at every level in Government and beyond - who have a role in
its protection, Culture Minister Margaret Hodge said today. The
Government's Statement on the Historic Environment for England 2010, sets
out a Six Point Strategy to safeguard England's precious built heritage. Read more
New funding for heritage advisory body (HS 23/03/10)
Fiona Hyslop, Minister for Culture announced that Historic Scotland is
giving a three year cash commitment of more than £360,000 in order to help
support the Built Environment Forum Scotland, (BEFS), become the
intermediary body to represent the historic environment through the Voluntary
Sector Funding Programme. Read more
English Heritage welcomes PPS5 the Planning
Policy Statement for the Historic Environment (EH 23/03/10)
English Heritage welcomes the new Planning Policy Statement for the
historic environment (PPS5) that has been
launched. The Government's Statement on the Historic Environment is also
launched today and provides the context for PPS5 and sets out how
heritage contributes to a wide range of government objectives. Read more
New scheme to speed up listed building consent (HS 22/03/10)
Historic Scotland has invited every local authority in Scotland to join a
planning scheme to improve and speed up the process of dealing with certain
types of applications affecting category B listed buildings. This is part
of a range of reforms aimed at strengthening the partnership between
Historic Scotland and local authorities across Scotland. It follows a successful
three month pilot scheme where Perth and Kinross, Glasgow City and the City
of Edinburgh councils were able to issue listed building consent for B
listed buildings without the need to consult Historic Scotland. Read more
Help for Historic Places of Worship (EH 22/01/10)
What condition are England's listed churches and other historic faith
buildings really in and what will most help the congregations whose task it
is to maintain them? Most of the country's 14,500 listed places of worship
are in good condition and are a huge asset to their communities, thanks
almost entirely to the work of volunteers. Many are adapting to incorporate
crèches, cafés and post offices alongside worship. Read more
EU-wide Heritage Label proposed (HL / IHBC
29/03/10)
European Culture Commissioner Androulla Vassiliou has suggested that
historic sites across Europe that 'symbolise European integration, ideals
and history' should be identified with The European Heritage Label as an
EU-wide initiative. This proposal builds on a 2006 intergovernmental
project involving 17 member states plus Switzerland (the UK is not yet
involved), where 64 sites across the 18 countries have received the label
after being nominated by the governments of the participating nations.
Under the revamped scheme, member states would be asked to nominate up to
two sites per year to receive the label. A panel of independent experts
would then assess the nominations before designating a maximum of one site
per country, on an annual basis. The Commission said its European Heritage
Label would not replicate initiatives such as the UNESCO World Heritage
scheme, because the title would only be bestowed upon sites that have
played 'a key role in the history of the European Union'. The new plans
will be submitted for adoption to the European Parliament and the Council
of Ministers, which represents EU member states, and if approved could come
into effect as early as end of 2011. Read more
Recent Parliamentary Questions
Parliamentary
Questions
Questions marked with a (^) 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-32448 Alison McInnes: To ask the Scottish Executive
whether it is considering reviewing the planning gain mechanism and, if so,
what specific changes it is considering; what impact these changes will
have, and when the review will be published. (SP 17/03/10)
S3W-32454 Alison McInnes: To ask the Scottish Executive what
its position is on the sufficiency of tests used to determine the
appropriateness of using the planning gain mechanism and what the reasons
are for its position on this matter. (SP 17/03/10)
Recent Parliamentary Answers
Questions
marked with a (^) are initiated by the Scottish Executive in order to
facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.
Q
S3O-9957 Maureen Watt: To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is
taking to recycle unused stones located on rural land for construction
projects. (SP 11/03/10)
A The Minister for
Transport, Infrastructure and Climate Change (Stewart Stevenson): Decisions
on the suitability for reuse of unused stones on rural land are best taken
at a local level. Not all unused stones are suitable for construction.
Maureen Watt: Unused large stones are a common
feature of many fields and could provide a cheaper, more environmentally
friendly alternative to disruptive quarrying practices. Will the minister
undertake, along with local authority officials and construction companies,
to examine ways of encouraging the use of such stones in construction
projects, which would reduce carbon emissions and damage to the
environment?
Stewart Stevenson: The member makes an interesting point.
Like many people in Scotland, I live in a house in a steading in a rural
setting, which makes use of stones that were found around the farm when the
steading was converted. That is a traditional approach to building, which
commends itself in many instances. Local authorities could impose planning
conditions on the design of buildings in the countryside, to ensure that we
use such stones, which people have been digging out of arable land
throughout the world for some 8,000 years. (11/03/10)
Q S3W-32075 - Liam
McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive when it anticipates that the
environmental report from the strategic environmental assessment for
offshore wind in Scottish territorial waters will be published. (SP
02/03/10)
A Answered by
Richard Lochhead (15/03/10): The Environment Report from the Strategic
Environmental Assessment will be published in April 2010.
Q S3W-32076 - Liam
McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive when consultation will take place
on the environmental report from the strategic environmental assessment for
offshore wind in Scottish territorial waters. (SP 02/03/10)
A Answered by
Richard Lochhead (15/03/10): A formal consultation on the Environment
Report from the Strategic Environmental Assessment will start in April
2010.
Q S3W-32081 - Liam
McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive whether the strategic environmental
assessment for offshore wind in Scottish territorial waters will spatially
identify areas for development, including areas (a) requiring significant
protection from development and (b) of search where development is likely
to be acceptable, and what the reasons are for its position on this matter.
(SP 02/03/10)
A Answered
by Richard Lochhead (15/03/10): The Strategic Environmental Assessment will
assess the likely impact upon the environment of offshore wind developments
(including cumulative effects from more than one development, and from other
types of developments) and identify three types of spatial areas. These
will be:
(a) Areas excluded from development.
(b) Areas which have considerable environmental constraints
and/or conflicts of use with potential offshore wind energy development.
(c) Areas which have limited environmental constraints
and/or conflicts of use with potential offshore wind development.
The Environment Report will categorise spatial areas into
these three types.
Q S3W-32198 -
Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Executive what its position is on the
Scottish Funding Council's planned reduction in funding for architecture
courses. (SP 05/03/10)
A Answered by
Michael Russell (15/03/10): This is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council
(SFC), not Scottish ministers. The SFC's proposal to reduce funding for the
teaching of architecture formed part of its recent consultation on subject
price groups. The responses to the consultation are the subject of further
consideration and no final decision on price groups has yet been made by
the council.
Q S3W-32201 -
Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has asked the
Scottish Funding Council to explain why it has reduced funding for
architecture courses. (SP
A Answered
by Michael Russell (15/03/10): I refer the member to the answers to
questions S3W-32198 and S3W-32200 on 15 March 2010.
Q S3W-32200 - Pauline
McNeill: To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made representations
to the Scottish Funding Council to maintain funding levels for architecture
courses. (SP 05/03/10)
A Answered by
Michael Russell (15/03/10): Further to my answer to question S3W-31132 on 4
February 2010, the Minister for Culture and External Affairs met the
Scottish Funding Council on 9 March 2010 to discuss concerns raised by the
sector about the council's proposals to reduce the funding level for
architecture, built environment and planning courses.
Q S3W-31132 - Marilyn
Livingstone: To ask the Scottish Executive how it will support universities
offering degrees in architecture, built environment and planning following
the proposal from the Scottish Funding Council to reduce the funding for
these degrees by 22%. (SP27/01/10)
A Answered by
Michael Russell (04/02/10): How to allocate funding for teaching in
universities is a matter for the Scottish Funding Council, rather than
Scottish ministers. We have however ensured that the Funding Council is
aware of the views of the professional bodies for architecture, built
environment and planning about its proposed reforms for teaching funding.
The Chief Executive of the Funding Council met the Scottish Government's
Chief Planner and Chief Architect on 27 January 2010 to discuss this
matter.
Back to Top
Other Parliamentary activitiy
Events
Building
Drystone Walls
13 & 14 May 2010, Scottish Traditional Skills Centre at The National
Trust for Scotland's Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire
Aimed at private individuals, professionals and those involved in landscape
conservation and enhancement projects, this course will impart basic skills
and provide hands on training in the techniques involved in building
Drystone Walls. Cost: £175 per delegate inclusive.
20 & 21 May 2010, Scottish Traditional Skills Centre,
The National Trust for Scotland's Fyvie Castle, Aberdeenshire
The course will encompass the theory and practical use of
lime, as opposed to cement based mortars, in the construction, re-pointing,
repair and maintenance of traditional buildings, walls, and other stone
built structures including the techniques involved in mixing and applying
lime mortars, as well as the correct use of tools and materials - and is
aimed at construction industry professionals, private individuals and those
involved in conservation, repair and maintenance projects. Cost: £175 per
delegate inclusive.
For further information and to reserve a place: Call:
Soundcraft: 01888 511 347 or email
Training
Damp In Buildings
30 April 2010, Charlestown Workshops, Penicuik
This masterclass delivered by Mike Parrett one of the country's leading
Building Pathologists and co-author of the RICS best seller, 'Diagnosing
Damp' the recognised primary reference work on dampness in buildings.
For more information please contact admin@scotlime.org
or phone us on 01383 872722 or book online
Job Vacancies
Director
- Built Environment Forum Scotland
Salary: £38,488 - £41,447
Full time, based in Edinburgh
BEFS is seeking a Director with a passion for Scotland's places, excellent
strategic, organisational, interpersonal, communication and IT skills and
who enjoys working in a focussed, motivated small team. The Built
Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) is an independent Scottish Charity that
brings together both professional and voluntary organisations that work
within the built environment sector. The Director position is an exciting
opportunity for a resourceful and confident individual to play a central
role in developing BEFS not only as the Scottish intermediary for the
historic environment but also the wider built environment.
Closing date for applications: 26 April 2010, Noon,
Interview date: 7 May 2010, in Edinburgh
Other updates
The Historic Environment (Amendment) Bill Timetable and the
Parliamentary Stages of a Bill (HS)
Key dates in the preparation of the Bill for introduction to
Parliament are as follows, read more
Making Space 2010: An international award and conference
promoting innovation, creativity and sustainability in design for children
and young people aged 0-18
Making Space 2010 is an international award supported by the
Scottish Government and OECD Centre for Effective Learning Environments.
Submissions are invited from across the world for the most successful
building or space (indoor or outdoor) for children and young people aged
0-18 (inclusive), completed between January 2005 and December 2010. Entries
are welcomed for any building or space that is for children and young
people from schools to street furnishings, recreational or educational,
rural or urban. Read
more
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)Heritage Alliance
(HL). For further information, links are provided to the relevant
documents.
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
tel: 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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