Welcome to the BEFS e-Bulletin.
Latest:
Discovering Places:
The Heritage Alliance in England is leading one of
the UK-wide "major projects" of the Cultural Olympiad, called
Discovering Places. It's a cross-sector project including historic, built
and natural environment, public, private and voluntary sectors. Several
BEFS members has attended a meeting with
Heritage Alliance about getting involved in the project. If you want to
know more about this project, please contact BEFS office or Catharine
Bull on C.Bull@heritagelink.org.uk
Historic Environment Bill:
BEFS is in the process of setting up a task force to work on the Bill.
Marine Bill: The stage 3 debate of the Marine (Scotland) Bill is due to
take place in the Scottish Parliament on 4 February.
Upcoming BEFS meetings:
4
March, 3pm: General Meeting,
the Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace,
Edinburgh
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| Publications | Scottish Government News Release | News Release | Recent Parliamentary Questions | Recent Parliamentary Answers | Other parliamentary activity | Events Training Job Vacancies
Consultation
Consultation
Paper on Death Certification, Burial and Cremation (SG 27/01/10)
This consultation is inviting responses on Death Certification and the law
relating to burial, cremation and cemeteries, much of which dates back over
100 years. Consultation period 27/01 - 21/04/10). Read more
Responses
to the consultation on the Managing Change in the Historic Environment
Guidance Notes (HS 20/01/10)
A total of 38 responses were received to this consultation, 35 of which are
published. The consultation period was from 31 August to 8 December 2009. Read more
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Publications
Innovation
Review - Sustainable building design and refurbishment in Scotland, December 2009
Issue 1 of the The CIC Start Online Innovation
Review edition is now available online.
Scottish Government News Release
Helping
housholds generate green energy (SG 31/01/10)
More householders will be able to power and heat their own homes without
needing planning permission under plans set to be unveiled this week by the
Scottish Government. While many homeowners can now install technologies
including solar panels, ground and water source heat pumps without planning
consent, anyone seeking to erect their own wind turbine or air source heat
pump must first get permission. A consultation, to be launched on Friday February
5, sets out circumstances where it would be suitable for people to install
such technologies without having to make a planning application. Read more
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News Release
The
Scottish Civic Trust My Place Awards 2010 (SCT 29/01/10)
In recognition of the importance of good places for local communities, the
Scottish Civic Trust announces its new awards programme dedicated to
finding Scotland's thriving architectural design successes that contribute
to making local places better. The Scottish Civic Trust's My Place Awards
aims to celebrate quality developments as nominated by the civic
organisations that care passionately about their neighbourhood. In this its
first year, a Scottish Civic Trust My Place Award will be made to a winning
project that contributes positively to local place-making. Read more
UK to put forward 'fewer and fitter' places for future
UNESCO World Heritage Site designation (DCMS 22/01/10)
A competition to find more cultural and natural heritage places of global
importance , which are fit to become future UK World Heritage Sites, was
launched today by Culture Minister Margaret Hodge. In future the Government
will put forward fewer sites for consideration by UNESCO, with a
streamlined application system to help ensure success. Read more
Historic
Scotland news release
Karen Anderson announced as new Chair of A+DS (A+DS 22/01/10)
Minister for Culture Fiona Hyslop
has announced that Karen Anderson has been appointed to become the new
Chair of Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS). Ms
Anderson, who will take up the post on April
1st 2010, will be succeeding current A+DS Chair Raymond Young CBE. Read more
Military Road Survey highlights possibilities (FCS 21/01/10)
The surviving remnants of one of Scotland's largest
historical features will have a better chance of being conserved thanks to
Forestry Commission Scotland. A recent (Autumn of 2009) survey of the
stretches of the 18th century military road network that lie on the
national forest estate assessed the number and condition of features along
the route. Around 66 km of the known road network on the national forest
estate - stretching from Lochaber to Easter Ross - were surveyed to assess
the condition of the remaining features and the level of conservation work
required. Read
more
Recent Parliamentary Questions
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-31225 Liam McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive
whether it will list those public authorities that will be subject to the
duty in section 11(1) of the Marine (Scotland) Bill to take authorisation
or enforcement decisions in accordance with the appropriate marine plans unless
material considerations indicate otherwise. (SP 01/02/10)
S3W-31226 Liam McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive
whether it will list those public authorities that will be required to comply
with the requirements of section 71 of the Marine (Scotland) Bill by virtue
of section 71(1) of that Bill. (SP 01/02/10)
S3W-31227 Liam McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive
whether it will list those public authorities to which section 72 of the
Marine (Scotland) Bill will apply.
(SP 01/02/10)
S3W-31228 Liam McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive,
further to the answer to question S3W-30269 by Richard Lochhead
on 27 January 2010 (see Q & A below), whether the group of public
authorities to which the Marine (Scotland) Bill will apply will be most
similar to the group of bodies defined as public authorities in (a) section
6(3) of the Human Rights Act 1998, (b) section 3 of the Freedom of
Information (Scotland) Act 2002, or (c) section 322 of the Marine and
Coastal Access Act 2009 or defined as public bodies or office-holders in
section 58 of the Nature Conservation (Scotland) Act 2004. (SP 01/02/10)
S3W-31229 Liam McArthur: To ask the Scottish Executive,
further to the answer to question S3W-30269 by Richard Lochhead
on 27 January 2010, whether it will give an example of an Act in which the
term public authority is undefined that might serve as a precedent to
determine the meaning of the expression in the Marine (Scotland) Bill. (SP 01/02/10)
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%. (SP 28/01/10)
S3O-9415 Linda Fabiani: To ask the
Scottish Executive what support it gives to the Royal Commission on the
Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland. (SP 28/01/10)
S3W-30882 Sarah Boyack: To ask the
Scottish Executive what estimates it has made of the economic impact of a
22% reduction in funding for town planning courses. (SP20/01/10)
S3W-30883 Sarah Boyack: To ask the
Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the impact of a 22%
reduction in funding for town planning courses on its targets for reducing
carbon emissions in the built environment. (SP20/01/10)
S3W-30884 Sarah Boyack: To ask the
Scottish Executive what work it has carried out to assess future workforce
planning requirements for town planners.(SP20/01/10)
Recent Parliamentary Answers
Questions
marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Executive in order
to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.
Q S3W-30882 Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive what estimates it
has made of the economic impact of a 22% reduction in funding for town
planning courses. (SP20/01/10)
A Answered by
Stewart Stevenson (28/01/10): Officials from the Directorate for the Built
Environment have met with representatives of Scotland's planning schools on
a number of occasions at which the matter has been discussed. The chief
planner is scheduled to meet with the Chief Executive of the Scottish
Funding Council to highlight concerns raised.
Q S3W-30883 Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment
it has made of the impact of a 22% reduction in funding for town planning
courses on its targets for reducing carbon emissions in the built
environment. (SP20/01/10)
A Answered by Stewart
Stevenson (28/0110): Officials from the Directorate for the Built
Environment have met with representatives of Scotland's planning schools on
a number of occasions at which the matter has been discussed. The chief
planner is scheduled to meet with the Chief Executive of the Scottish
Funding Council to highlight concerns raised.
Q S3W-30884 Sarah Boyack: To ask the Scottish Executive what work it has
carried out to assess future workforce planning requirements for town
planners. (SP20/01/10)
A Answered by Stewart
Stevenson (27/01/10): The Scottish
Government does not collate information centrally on the supply and demand
of planners across Scotland. It is the
responsibility of planning authorities to ensure that they have appropriate
staff resources in place to meet their statutory responsibilities. The
Scottish Government works does however, work with
the planning schools, the RTPI, the Local Government Improvement Service
and employers to encourage the availability of appropriate professional
skills in the planning service.
Q S3W-30260 - Liam
McArthur (21/12/09): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will ensure that
the powers provided under section 18(3) and (4) of the Marine (Scotland)
Bill will not be used to require private sector organisations to collect
information for generic public use beyond that required to support
development applications.
A Answered by
Richard Lochhead (26/01/10): The provisions
within Section 18(3) and (4) allow Marine Scotland to collect information
only for the purposes of allowing the effective consideration of an
application and to make informed decisions when issuing a licence,
attaching conditions to a licence or refusing a licence.
Q S3W-30267 - Liam
McArthur (21/12/09): To ask the
Scottish Executive how frequently it expects the exception under section
85(1)(b) of the Marine (Scotland) Bill to be disapplied by marine conservation orders in order to
restrict the generation of renewable electricity in marine protected areas.
A Answered by Richard Lochhead (Friday, January
15, 2010): It is not possible to predict how frequently the
exception in section 85(1)(b) of the Scottish
Marine Bill will be disapplied as part of the
marine conservation order process. Scottish Ministers do not intend to disapply section 85(1)(b) as a
matter of course and would require a good case for such action. Such disapplication would require the consent of Parliament.
The generation of marine renewable energy is a priority for the Scottish
Government, as is the conservation of marine biodiversity and cultural
heritage. The Scottish Marine Bill provides for a planning regime that
takes all these priorities into account. I believe it is right that the
Scottish Government and Parliament should have this power to protect
important marine features, even if the power is very rarely exercised.
Q S3W-30269 - Liam McArthur (21/12/09): To ask the Scottish Executive
what the definition is of public authority under the Marine (Scotland) Bill.
A Answered by
Richard Lochhead (27/01/10): It is not common practice to define the
term public authority in a bill. The absence of such a definition is in
line with other legislation and not expected to cause any problems in
practice.
Other Parliamentary activitiy
Motions
*S3M-5603
Marilyn Livingstone: Proposed Cuts to Funding for Architecture, Built
Environment and Planning-That the Parliament notes with concern the proposal
by the Scottish Funding Council to cut funding for architecture, built
environment and planning in universities by 22%; understands that, should
the Scottish Funding Council reduce the number of funding groups from 25 to
four as proposed, the effect of this for the built environment group would
be a fall in funding, on the basis of 2008-09 figures, from £6,415 to
£5,000 per student, which would represent the largest of the cuts proposed
to any sector and would place architecture, built environment and planning
in the lowest funding group; further understands that some concern has been
raised about the incomplete and partial evidence on which the proposal is
founded; believes that a 22% cut in funding would severely impede the
Scottish Government's targets on climate change and housing through
reducing the number of built environment graduates who would be expected to
lead in developing building standards and sustainable and energy-efficient
designs and exacerbating an already strained planning system, and urges the
Scottish Funding Council to reconsider its proposals for such drastic
changes to the funding system at a time when investment should be
encouraged. (SP 26/01/10)
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Events
Our
time is now - Scotland's Civil Society Summit
18 February 2010,10am - 4pm, Edinburgh
International Conference Centre (EICC), The Exchange Edinburgh, Edinburgh, EH3 8EE
This is a unique moment for Scotland's major
citizen-led organisations to come together. The need for us to listen and
act with a shared voice is now more urgent than ever. The time to act is
now. "..this event is a unique collaboration
between a broad coalition of Scotland's major civil
society movements..." Part of The Gathering event , Read more
Renaissance
Towns workshop
24 February 2010, Carnegie Conference Centre, Dunfermline
This free event will provide you with the opportunity to learn from key
individuals involved in the Renaissance Towns approach and to debate the
main challenges, opportunities and issues arising from the Renaissance
Towns model, with other learning network members. For more information
contact Yvonne
Gavin or phone 0141 271 3734, programme
Engage,
Change, Sustain from planning to implementation - EAUC 14th Annual
Conference
22-24 March 2010 , Bangor University
This important conference will be key in highlighting the sector's
successes on sustainability issues, whilst also providing a forum for
delegates to discuss the future for their institutions in an ever changing
world and their developing responsibilities for the both environment and
the local community. Read
more
Room in the City: A Forum for the Civic Square
22-24 April 2010, Glasgow, Royal Concert
Hall and other sites around George Square
A gathering of specialists in the field of urban design,
town planning and architecture will provide an opportunity to explore
issues relating to the urban square as a vital component of a healthy city.
With Glasgow¹s principal civic space, George Square, running through
the conference as a leitmotiv, but encompassing design initiatives that
have been developed internationally, the speakers will address a variety of
topics relating to the multitude of diverse roles a civic space can perform
in the context of a modern city. Keynote speaker Ken Livingstone, former London
Mayor. Read more
Training
Asbestos
Awareness Training
9 March 2010, Edinburgh
Training and Conference Venue, 16 St. Mary's Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SU
If you are responsible for managing the maintenance and repair of a
building, you must manage asbestos in it. Workers who carry out maintenance
and repair jobs such as cutting or drilling into walls, ceilings or
partitions; repairing boilers; laying cables are all at risk of disturbing
asbestos; you have a duty of care to protect these workers from this hidden
killer. RICS Scotland Asbestos Awareness Training follows HSE guidance and
covers: What is Asbestos , Asbestos Materials,
Asbestos Hazards, The Asbestos Regulations. Cost: £180.00 plus VAT (a
reduced rate is available for RICS members). For further details or to book
online visit RICS,
alternatively contact Joanne Noble on 0131 240 0896 or email jnoble@rics.org
P1 Introduction to Masonry Repair in Traditional Buildings
24-26
March 2010, Penicuik House, Penicuik
This 3 day workshop aims to provide an introductory guide to the use of a
range of binders for the effective conservation and repair of traditional
masonry buildings. A combination of lecture and practical teaching this
course gives an understanding of traditional building technology. Cost:
£225+Vat
P2 Masonry Building Conservation -
Principles and Techniques
29-31 March 2010, Penicuik House, Penicuik
Already completed P1? Why not return for this follow on 3
day workshop covering more complex masonry repairs to traditional
buildings. This workshop provides sufficient underpinning and practical
knowledge to enable effective specification, application, supervision and
snagging of conservation works. Cost: £225+Vat
Job Vacancies
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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.
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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