BEFS News

In January 2019, the Scottish Parliament’s Tenement Maintenance Working Group, of which BEFS and RICS are the secretariats, published its interim recommendations report. Since then, the group has discussed stakeholder and public responses to the report, which were received via consultation between January and March. The group will be launching a final recommendation report at an event on 4th June. There will also be the opportunity for you to ask the report’s authors questions during a panel session.

BEFS responded to the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Communities Committee’s call for written views on a new inquiry into empty homes in Scotland. BEFS response highlights a lack of appropriate knowledge and understanding around traditional buildings and the forthcoming proposals for improvement in this area by the Scottish Parliamentary Tenement Maintenance Working Group.

The final stage, Stage 3, of the Planning (Scotland) Bill is rumoured to be scheduled to take place on 18, 19 and 20 June in the Scottish Parliament. For information about the Bill and to see amendments submitted for Stage 3 so far, visit the Bill page.

Climate Ready Clyde and Adaptation Scotland have collaborated to produce a toolkit for assessing and addressing climate risks in the development of built environment and infrastructure projects. Download the full toolkit and individual tools here.

After a clamour of interest following its initial launch earlier this month, BEFS Vice-Chair, Professor Ian Baxter (Heriot-Watt University), introduces his new Heritage Career Guide in association with BEFS and The Heritage Alliance, in this week’s blog.

Consultations

Forestry and Land Scotland Corporate Plan – Consultation
Opened 28 May 2019 and closes 5 Jul 2019.

HES and Our Role in the Planning System
This survey will close on Thursday 6 June at 5pm.

Energy Efficient Scotland: Consultation
Opened 26 Mar 2019 and closes 17 Jun 2019.

The future of low carbon heat for off gas buildings: a call for evidence
Opened 26 Mar 2019 and closes 17 Jun 2019.

Climate Change and Environmental Action Plan 2019-24
This HES consultation will close at 12pm on Wednesday 19 June.

Consultation on adding new categories to the definition of a House in Multiple Occupation
Opened 18 Apr 2019 and closes 8 Jul 2019.

Strengthening Fire Safety for High Rise Domestic Buildings
Opened 24 Apr 2019 and closes 17 Jul 2019.

Short-Term Lets: Consultation
Opened 28 Apr 2019 and closes 19 Jul 2019.

A Scottish Government consultation on Implementation of the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018
Opened 13 May 2019 and closes 4 Aug 2019.

Proposed Fair Rents (Scotland) Bill (SP 14/05/19)
A proposal for a Bill to protect private sector tenants by introducing measures to limit rent increases and to increase the availability of information about rent levels.
Consultation closes on 6 August 2019.

Publications

Housing conditions and standards (SPICe 29/05/19)

Scotland’s finances 2019-2020: key facts and figures (SG 28/05/19)

The range, nature and applicability of funding models to support community land ownership (SLC 27/05/19)

A changing climate for development – A toolkit for assessing climate risks for built environment and infrastructure projects (CRC 23/05/19)

Options for Land Value Uplift Capture – Advice to Scottish Ministers (SLC 17/05/19)

New housing and future construction skills: report (SG 17/05/19)

Housing to 2040: stakeholder engagement report 2018 (SG 17/05/19)

Recovery of possession of adapted properties: guidance for social landlords (SG 16/05/19)

Our Unique City: Our Past, Our City, Our Future (CA 10/05/19)

Scottish Government News Releases

Rise in European visitors (SG 24/05/19)
The number of European visitors to Scotland increased by 19% in 2018, according to official statistics released today.

Thousands of new homes supported by Building Scotland Fund (SG 21/05/19)
Almost £70 million has been invested in housing projects through the Building Scotland Fund (BSF) since its launch last year.

Developing the construction workforce (SG 17/05/19)
Housing construction skills gaps will be addressed following the recommendations of a new industry report.

News Releases

Launch of Great British High Street Awards 2019
The 2019 competition has been launched in reigning high street champion Crickhowell, and nominations are now open, with a winner to be named in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as there being an overall UK winner.

‘Ground-breaking’ Housing Fund launched for charities and social enterprises (SHN 29/05/19)
An impact led social investor has launched a new fund that will invest in the provision of safe, stable and appropriate homes for vulnerable people and their families in the UK.

Kevin Stewart MSP: Putting people and places at the heart of future planning (SCN 28/05/19)
As the Planning (Scotland) Bill reaches the final phase of the Parliamentary process, local government, housing and planning minister, Kevin Stewart MSP, outlines the reasons behind his Stage 3 amendments.

Young Placechangers – last chance to get your Idea funded! (GS 27/05/19)
If you are between 12-25 years old or support/work with young people and you have an idea to how to change your local place for the better, now is the time to put pen to paper!

Community ownership study finds that a mix of funding is needed for success (SLC 27/05/19)
Communities have many options to secure and develop land, but the full range of financing models is often not widely known, and there is more scope to develop innovative finance models to support community ownership, a new report says.

EAA Awards 2019 winning projects revealed (UR 23/05/19)
The Edinburgh Architectural Association has published the names of half a dozen diverse winners of its 2019 awards programme, including a data-driven innovation hub and a barnstorming residential development

New guidance on Housing First published for social housing professionals (SHN 23/05/19)
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland and Glasgow Homelessness Network (GHN) have launched new joint guidance for Scotland’s social housing professionals on Housing First.

Building Scotland Fund reaches £70m new home investment milestone (SHN 21/05/19)
Almost £70 million has been invested in housing projects through the Building Scotland Fund (BSF) since its launch last year.

European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2019: Winners announced (EN 21/05/19)
The winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2019 were announced today by the European Commission and Europa Nostra, the leading European heritage network.

Fundamental rethink needed for Scotland’s approach to land development (SLC 17/05/19)
The Scottish Land Commission is calling for a “fundamental rethink” of Scotland’s speculative and market-driven approach to identifying and allocating land for development.

New grants launched for research into arts for the built environment (SCN 16/05/19)
Churchill Fellowships will be available for professionals in this growing area, including architects, for non-academic studies of the best ideas and practice to be found anywhere in the world.

Work underway to create Wales’ own planning inspectorate (WG 09/05/19)
The Minister for Housing and Local Government, Julie James has today announced work has begun on the creation of a new separate, dedicated planning inspectorate for Wales.

Protecting the Scottish countryside: apply for funding (Innovate UK 07/05/19)
Organisations can apply for a share of £250,000 for projects that support developer decisions in the Scottish countryside.

Opinion & Comment

Helen Smith: If this is a Climate Emergency, developers can no longer be allowed to destroy natural habitats (Common Wheel 28/05/19)

Our planning system is woefully ill-equipped to tackle climate change (AJ 28/05/19)

‘People aren’t disabled, their city is’: inside Europe’s most accessible city (The Guardian 28/05/19)

Should Notre-Dame be reconstructed faithfully? (Apollo 28/05/19)

This is what’s causing Edinburgh’s housing crisis (Cliff Hague in Scotsman 28/05/19)

Can Design Help Save the Planet? (Jim MacDonald in CaCHE 22/05/19)

Beyond the Planning Bill: How Can We Deliver More, Well-Designed Homes in the Right Places? (Craig Maclaren in CaCHE 21/05/19)

Climate emergency means it’s time for architects to step up (RIBA 21/05/19)

System that stopped Edinburgh becoming 2nd-rate Los Angeles is broken (Cliff Hague in Scotsman 21/05/19)

Parliamentary Questions

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government 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”.

Question S5W-23339: Alex Cole-Hamilton, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 22/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the to answer to question S5W-2124 by Fiona Hyslop on 1 February 2019, by what date in 2019 it will publish its Culture Strategy for Scotland.

Question S5W-23355: Jackson Carlaw, Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 22/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what forms of direct financial support it offers to those local authorities not included within its Vacant and Derelict Land Fund for the purposes of redeveloping waste land.

Question S5W-23358: Jackson Carlaw, Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 22/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £11.4 million budget allocated to its Vacant and Derelict Land Fund for projects in 2019-20 has (a) been fully committed and (b) yet to be allocated for the development of vacant and derelict sites.

Parliamentary Questions & Answers

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.

Question S5W-22967: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 02/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many units have been constructed with support from the Scotland Self-Build Loan Fund, and what plans it has to expand the fund.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (10/05/2019)

Question S5W-22980: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 02/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many affordable homes were built in 2018-19, broken down by local authority.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (14/05/2019)

Question S5W-22983: Jamie Halcro Johnston, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 03/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many planning applications for new build residential properties have been refused by a planning authority but successfully appealed to the Scottish Ministers since 2007, broken down by (a) planning authority, (b) year, (c) applicant and (d) size of proposed development.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (14/05/2019)

Other Parliamentary Activity

The Parliament has agreed the following parliamentary recess dates in 2019.

• 30 June to 1 September 2019 (inclusive)
• 12 to 27 October 2019 (inclusive)
• 21 December 2019 to 5 January 2020 (inclusive)

Events

For the latest information about BEFS Members’ events see our events calendar.

“High and Mighty”: our new tour of the finest sculpture in the Old Town
Date & time: Wednesday 12 June 2019; 6pm – 8pm.
Meeting point: Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.
The city’s monuments and public works of art mark Edinburgh out as a great capital city and are one of the reasons for our UNESCO World Heritage inscription. To celebrate the publication of art historian Professor Ray McKenzie’s new comprehensive reference guide, Public Sculpture of Edinburgh, you are invited to a specially curated tour of the Old Town’s most important sculptures.

Towns Tea Party 2019
Date & time: June 19, 2019; 1:30PM – 4:30PM.
Venue: Whitespace, Norloch House, 36 King’s Stables Road, Edinburgh EH1 2EU.
Join Scotland’s Towns Partnership for our annual meeting of all those involved in supporting towns and improvement districts. An opportunity to celebrate Scotland’s towns as places for local communities and businesses.

The Future of our Cities and the Role of Planning – Sir Patrick Geddes Commemorative Lecture 2019
Date & time: Thursday 27 June 5:45PM – 8:15PM
Venue:  Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh EH1 2QA
Andrew Carter, Chief Executive of Centre for Cities explores the future of cities at the 2019 Sir Patrick Geddes Commemorative Lecture in Edinburgh on 27 June. Centre for Cities is the leading think tank dedicated to improving UK city economies. Andrew has 20+ years of experience working on urban economic policy issues for development agencies, consultants and research institutes. He spent time in the US with the Churchill Foundation’s Fellowship Programme reviewing urban economic development in America. He is a regular media contributor chairing and speaking at conferences across the UK and Europe on urban and economic issues.

Summer Excursion to Biggar Museum and New Lanark
Date & time: Saturday July 6 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Join us for a fascinating tour of this unique 18th century mill village sitting alongside the picturesque River Clyde. Now one of Scotland’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, New Lanark was founded in 1786 by David Dale, who built cotton mills and housing for the mill workers.  In partnership with Robert Owen, a Welsh philanthropist and social reformer, New Lanark became a successful business and an early example of a planned settlement and so an important milestone in the historical development of urban planning.  Workers enjoyed fair wages, free health care, a new education system and the first workplace nursery school in the world! In addition, Fellows of the Society will also be treated to a morning visit to Biggar and Upper Clydesdale Museum. This museum explores 14,000 years of rural and small town life in Upper Clydesdale. It focuses on the people who lived and worked in the area from prehistoric times up to the mid-20th century and illuminates a small part of their ordinary and extraordinary lives. Tickets cost £40 for Fellows and £45 for guests.

Walter Scott’s Romantic Landscape : Abbotsford Gardens Study Day
Date & time: 27 July 2019, 11am – 4pm.
Cost: £20.00 SGLH Members, £30 Non-members.
Since 2014 Gardens Heritage Development Manager Pippa Coles has been overseeing the rehabilitation of the gardens and policies at Abbotsford.  With Pippa as our guide for the day, we shall begin with a brief introduction, followed by an examination of the formal gardens and terraces surrounding the house.  After lunch in the Ochiltrees Café, we shall explore the wider landscape created by Walter Scott as the setting for his romantic creation. This will be an opportunity to see work in progress, and to discuss the challenges of managing this iconic landscape.
For further information or to book, please contact info@sglh.org.

Monuments in Monuments 2019
Date & time: Wednesday 2 – Friday 4 September 2019; 10am – 4pm
Venue: The Engine Shed, Stirling
Full ticket: £300. Day tickets: £120
This conference explores the conservation challenges facing carved stones and objects inside historic buildings. Hear from specialists from all over the world about how traditional skills, emerging technology and conservation science are helping to overcome these challenges. You can buy full conference or individual day tickets. Student rates are available. For more information and to book, please visit our website.

Training

Conservation Summer School 2019
Date: Monday 3 – Friday 7 June
Venue: The Engine Shed, Stirling
Full ticket: £450. Day tickets: £100
Only a few tickets remain for our Conservation Summer School 2019. Learn about the latest techniques from top conservation experts, get hands-on with traditional skills and materials, and see conservation in action on site visits. Day ticket options are available. For more information and to book your place, please see our website.

Reinforced Concrete Masterclass – New for Summer 2019!
Date & time: 28 June 2019, 09.30 – 16.00
Venue: Charlestown Workshops, Fife
Cost: £190 + vat. BLF, IHBC, RICS or RIAS members are eligible for 20% discount.
Come and join us to explore the fascinating world of reinforced concrete (yes, really really!) – learn what can be achieved with it, its constituents, its decay mechanisms and how it can be successfully repaired with a variety of methods and materials. Not all reinforced concrete buildings are carbuncles …CONCRETE can be COUTHIE! If we are listing more and more buildings and structures from the 20th Century, many of which will be of reinforced concrete construction, then we need to know how to fix them and prolong their lives. We have a huge variety of structures and buildings of reinforced concrete construction across the country. Research and analysis of these buildings has helped inform their appropriate repair, but there are many challenges ahead. Join us and learn from our gathered experts in this field for what should be a very informative and enjoyable

Vacancies

Mauchline CARS Project Officer
To co-ordinate and manage the Mauchline CARS Programme to increase local economic activity by revitalising and diversifying Mauchline Town Centre.
Closes: 31 May 2019.

Managing Editor
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is seeking an experienced and motivated Managing Editor to take overarching responsibility for the management, design, production and marketing of a mix of online and print archaeology and history resources.
Deadline for applications: 11pm on Sunday 9th June.

City Mills Development Officer
Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust are seeking an enthusiastic and driven historic buildings conservation professional to join their team.
Closing date: 5pm on Thursday 13 June 2019.

Professional Development (PD) Officer
The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) is seeking a Professional Development (PD) Officer to operate across all their UK-based branches.
Closing Date: Monday 8 July 2019.

 

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 Environment Scotland (HES); Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH); Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO); English Heritage (EH); Design Council (DC); 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 Government Building Standards  (SGBS); Europa Nostra (EN); Historic England (HE).

If you have any questions or comments on the above, or would like to submit information to be included, please get in touch with Saskia Smellie or telephone BEFS Office on 0131 220 6241.

BACK

BEFS News

BEFS has responded to a number of consultations in the last two weeks. BEFS response to the Scottish Government’s Environmental Principles and Governance in Scotland consultation, reiterates points made previously about the importance of maintaining EU standards and principles in relation to environmental protections and governance.

BEFS also responded to the Scottish Community Development Centre’s call for views on UN-SDG 11. The UN-SDG 11 covers (but is not limited to): access to adequate housing, sustainable transport systems, inclusive urbanisation, access to green-space, support for planning, and is the only SDG which involves strengthening and safeguarding the world’s cultural and natural heritage. BEFS response supports the Scottish Government’s adoption of the UN-SDGs – but appreciates that meaningful change may only come from active leadership willing to make hard choices, supported and steered by a strong third sector.

As the Secretariat of the Scottish Parliamentary Working Group on Tenement Maintenance, BEFS has also responded to consultations on Housing Beyond 2021 and the Infrastructure Commission for Scotland.

Looking for a job in the heritage sector? BEFS Vice-Chair, Professor Ian Baxter (Heriot-Watt University), has compiled an invaluable Heritage Career Guide in association with BEFS and The Heritage Alliance, which aims to list a range of useful places to check for vacancies in the sector. Also, check out the range of vacancies below.

Historic Environment Scotland are surveying stakeholders to see how well we think they are performing their role in the planning system. Responses will inform HES’ annual report for this year. Get involved by completing this short survey.

As part of their research into infrastructure planning, RTPI are asking local authority planners to complete a short survey on current approaches, barriers, challenges, and opportunities for a more integrated approach.

Calling applicants to the 20th Anniversary Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning. The closing date for applications is tomorrow (17th May).

BEFS Policy Lead, Ailsa Macfarlane, explores the implications of climate change goals for policy in the built environment, in this week’s blog.

Consultations

Local Government Committee investigates empty homes
The call for written views will close on Friday 17 May.

Scottish Parliament Committee launches workplace parking levy survey (SP 09/05/19)
The Scottish Parliament’s Rural Economy and Connectivity Committee has launched an online survey to gauge views on the proposed workplace parking levy, which will run until 20 May.

HES and Our Role in the Planning System
This survey will close on Thursday 6 June at 5pm.

Energy Efficient Scotland: Consultation
Opened 26 Mar 2019 and closes 17 Jun 2019.

The future of low carbon heat for off gas buildings: a call for evidence
Opened 26 Mar 2019 and closes 17 Jun 2019.

Climate Change and Environmental Action Plan 2019-24
This HES consultation will close at 12pm on Wednesday 19 June.

Consultation on adding new categories to the definition of a House in Multiple Occupation
Opened 18 Apr 2019 and closes 8 Jul 2019.

Strengthening Fire Safety for High Rise Domestic Buildings
Opened 24 Apr 2019 and closes 17 Jul 2019.

Short-Term Lets: Consultation
Opened 28 Apr 2019 and closes 19 Jul 2019.

A Scottish Government consultation on Implementation of the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018
Opened 13 May 2019 and closes 4 Aug 2019.

Proposed Fair Rents (Scotland) Bill (SP 14/05/19)
A proposal for a Bill to protect private sector tenants by introducing measures to limit rent increases and to increase the availability of information about rent levels.
Consultation closes on 6 August 2019.

Consultation Responses

Local Governance Review: analysis of responses to Democracy Matters (SG 15/05/19)

Infrastructure Commission call for evidence: Scottish Government response May 2019 (SG 10/05/19)

Publications

Compulsory purchase powers and listed buildings: case study (SG 16/05/19)

Overview of private rented housing reforms in Scotland (SPICe 14/05/19)

Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland: delivery report 2017-2018 (SG 14/05/19)

The Global Climate Emergency – Scotland’s Response: Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham’s statement (SG 14/05/19)

Ten Buildings that Define Edinburgh (CA 05/19)

Planning (Scotland) Bill masterplan consent areas: Key Agencies Group joint statement (SG 09/05/19)

New HES Designations Application Form (HES 08/05/19)

Glasgow City Heritage Trust Event Brochure: May & June (GCHT)

Key data about The National Lottery Heritage Fund: 2018-19 (HLF 29/04/19)

News Releases

SCDC Supporting Communities Programme: People, Planning and Place (SCDC 16/05/19)
We’re offering help to community organisations involved in community-led action planning and strengthening community engagement.

Scotland’s changing housing landscape (SPICe 15/05/19)
Looking back at the first parliamentary debates on housing you might get a certain sense of déjà vu.  Some of the problems MSPs spoke of, including a lack of adequate housing in rural areas, wouldn’t look out of place in a parliamentary debate on housing today.

Glasgow’s Historic Built Environment: A Snapshot (GCHT 15/05/19)
GCHT recently updated our interactive map for Glasgow’s historic built environment. It presents info about listed buildings, housing demographics, the Buildings at Risk Register and recent fires amongst other statistics.

Glasgow and Edinburgh fight to become the UK’s first ‘net-zero’ city (BBC 15/05/19)
Glasgow and Edinburgh are going head-to-head to try to become the UK’s first “net zero” city.

Here’s how Edinburgh aims to go carbon neutral by 2030 (Evening News 14/05/19)
The Capital will aim to become carbon neutral by 2030 after council leaders set one of the most ambitious targets globally – 15 years earlier than the Scottish Government’s ambition.

Post-Brexit environmental standards must be maintained (RTPI 10/05/19)
he Scottish Government’s proposed environmental watchdog must be strong enough to maintain high environmental standards after Brexit, the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Scotland has warned.

Help conserve Scotland’s historic sites – with your phone! (HES 10/05/19)
Learn how you can be a ‘citizen scientist’ at 20 of Scotland’s most evocative historic sites as part of an exciting new conservation project.

Scotland’s First Heritage and History Hackathon (HES 08/05/19)
Join us for Scotland’s first ever heritage and history hackathon – where entrepreneurs, designers and technologists will spend 75 hours exploring Scotland’s heritage through data and technology.

New £11.5m fund open: Investing in Communities (CC 05/19/)
A new Scottish Government £11.5 million fund is open to community groups to help tackle disadvantage, poverty and inequality in communities.

RTPI urges new approach to Scottish infrastructure funding (RPTI 03/05/19)
Decisions on funding infrastructure in Scotland should be based on long-term factors beyond the economy, says RTPI Scotland.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund releases its first batch of Open Data (Kion Ahadi HLF, 29/04/19)
The Open Data movement is growing, and more and more government departments, charities and funders are signing up to it. What does that mean for HLF?

Opinion & Comment

Let’s not forget the role of energy efficiency in homes (Herald Scotland 15/05/19)

Short term lets need regulation, regulation, regulation (Holyrood Magazine 08/05/19)

Can We Measure Culture in Cities (Economists Talk Art, 07/05/19)

Rethinking Sacred Spaces for New Purposes (Arch Daily, 07/05/19)

Don’t write off abandoned buildings – they can be an important resource for the community (the Conversation, 03//05/19)

The house the robots built (Ben King, BBC)

Why does whole-life carbon matter for architects? (AJ 25/04/19)

Reusing Historic Buildings: The Green Choice (Steven Robb, HES 08/18)

Parliamentary Questions

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government 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”.

Question S5W-22967: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 02/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many units have been constructed with support from the Scotland Self-Build Loan Fund, and what plans it has to expand the fund.

Question S5W-22980: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 02/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many affordable homes were built in 2018-19, broken down by local authority.

Question S5W-22983: Jamie Halcro Johnston, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 03/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many planning applications for new build residential properties have been refused by a planning authority but successfully appealed to the Scottish Ministers since 2007, broken down by (a) planning authority, (b) year, (c) applicant and (d) size of proposed development.

Parliamentary Questions & Answers

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.

Question S5W-22438: Adam Tomkins, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 01/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the regeneration of vacant and derelict land, and how much it has allocated to each local authority in each of the last five years to deal with this.
Answered by Aileen Campbell (02/05/2019)

Question S5W-22769: Michelle Ballantyne, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 24/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that construction companies adhere to the established mortar standards in all new-builds.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (01/05/2019)

Question S5W-22782: Richard Lyle, Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support house building and associated infrastructure.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (03/05/2019)

Question S5W-22783: Richard Lyle, Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) affordable homes and (b) homes for social rent have been completed in each local authority area in each year since 2007, also broken down by how many have been (i) future-proofed to meet the needs of older people and an ageing population and (ii) adapted or built specifically to meet the accessibility requirements of disabled people, including wheelchair users.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (08/05/2019)

Question S5W-22785: Richard Lyle, Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of brownfield land are available for house building, and how this equates to the capacity for building new homes.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (03/05/2019)

Question S5W-22786: Richard Lyle, Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how much surplus land is owned by (a) central and (b) local government, and how this equates to the capacity for building new homes.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (03/05/2019)

Question S5W-22788: Richard Lyle, Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to make (a) public and (b) private land available for house building in areas where there is a housing shortage but where market conditions act against this.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (03/05/2019)

Events

For the latest information about BEFS Members’ events see our events calendar.

Energy Efficiency and Project Management
Date & times: Monday 20th May, 10am to 4pm.
Venue: The Engine Shed, Stirling.
Join Heritage Trust Network for a focussed training day in Stirling including sessions from Moses Jenkins, who will talk on Energy Efficiency and Adaptation and Colin Tennant who will speak on Project Management. Both topics will no doubt feature in your current or upcoming built heritage project, so we strongly recommend attending! The event will take place at Scotland’s Centre for Conservation, The Engine Shed and we are grateful to be hosted by Historic Environment Scotland for the day. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. You are welcome to send as many attendees from your organisation as you wish, including staff, volunteers and trustees.

Public Lecture: The Future of Urban Research in Bangladesh
Date & time: Tuesday 21 May, 14:00-16:00.
Venue: Yudowitz Lecture Theatre, Wolfson Medical Building, University of Glasgow.
In the face of uneven urbanisation, diverse critical urban challenges, and climate vulnerability of cities, Bangladesh must strengthen its urban research so that effective policies and practices can help build sustainable cities. With no national urban research institutes in place, universities are the incubators for crosscutting urban studies. In this public lecture, Professor Mohammad Fayek Uzzaman – Vice Chancellor of Khulna University, will share the potentials of urban research and challenges in creating a supportive research environment in Bangladesh. Professor Shamim Mahabubul Haque and Dr Shilpi Roy will share key findings and innovative research approaches from different collaborative urban research projects at Khulna University, such as the Centre Sustainable, Healthy and Learning Cities and Neighbourhoods.

Archaeological Research in Progress 2019
Date & time: Saturday May 25 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm
Venue: Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), 22-26 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PQ.
Ticket prices: Student / Unwaged places @ £20. Fellows / Archaeology Scotland Members places @ £30. Non-Fellows / Non-Members places @ £40.
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is managing the event this year (with our partners Archaeology Scotland) and the conference programme includes exciting new research findings and best practice in archaeology covering all periods from across Scotland and beyond. Event sponsored by: Historic Environment Scotland (HES), Forestry & Land Scotland (FLS), AOC Archaeology Group, Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA), GUARD Archaeology, Wessex Archaeology, LUC and SUERC.

Roads & Records – The Glasgow Motorway Archive
Date & time: Thursday, 06 June 2019, from 18:00 to 19:00 doors 17:45
Venue: Wee Red Bar, Edinburgh College of Art, 74 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9DF
Talk by Stuart Baird, Chairperson of the Glasgow Motorway History Archive. The Glasgow Motorway Archive is an independent, non-profit organisation dedicated to the preservation of records relating to the planning and construction of the city’s motorways and major roads. Glasgow has more miles of urban motorway than any other UK city, and it has many unique engineering and architectural features. The archive was founded by Stuart Baird, a professionally qualified civil engineer, working within the Scottish highways sector.

RICS Commercial Property Conference
Date & time: 6 June, 10:00am – 04:00pm
Venue: Radisson Blu, 80 High Street, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1TH
The commercial property market is in transition and joining fellow professionals from across the sector to network, discuss and analyse key issues and opportunities, is as important as ever. The RICS Commercial Property Conference returns to Scotland to cover the latest policy, market and technological changes to help you stay ahead. This year’s programme will bring together agents, occupiers and investors to strengthen your understanding of the current economic outlook, latest occupier trends, growth opportunities, and risks to the commercial property sector.

SNH Landscape Character Assessment Workshop
Date & time: Thursday 13th June 2019, 10.30 – 15.30.
Venue: Battleby Conference Centre.
In February 2019 SNH published a reviewed national Landscape Character Assessment (LCA) in digital format on its website. LCA is the process of identifying and describing variation in character of the landscape. It provides baseline information used in development planning, and in landscape design and development management. A follow-up LCA Workshop is primarily for landscape and planning practitioners. The event aims to explore ways to develop LCA and its usage in the future. Speakers and facilitators will include Professor Carys Swanwick, landscape consultants, and representatives from Landscape Institute Scotland, Scottish Forestry, Forestry & Land Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, SNH and local authorities. If you would like to attend please reply to LCA_REVIEW@nature.scot by 12 noon on Friday 31st May 2019.

Talks at the Lane present IF_DO on Architecture as a Social Art
Date & time: 14th June 2019 at 6.30pm
Venue: Custom Lane, Leith
Founded in 2014 by Thomas Bryans, Sarah Castle & Al Scott the practice has an interest in the wider repercussions of architecture which provides a catalyst towards creating sustainable and healthy environments in which to live, learn, work and play.
Thomas and his fellow founding Directors all studied at University of Edinburgh and this Talk at the Lane is also part of the Architecture Fringe 2019 programme of events. Thomas will be discussing their ongoing community projects, research and teaching on how design can promote social spaces as a means of addressing social isolation. For more info about the Talks at the Lane.

Icon Scotland Group – Salvage of library, archive and museum collections workshop
Date: 19th June
Venue: The University of St Andrews Library
Fee: £40-£90
Introductory workshop on the procedures for salvaging museum, library and archive collections. This course is suitable for anyone who might be involved in salvaging museum, library and archive collections in an emergency, including non-specialists.
The topics covered include preparing the salvage operation, setting up a triage point, moving damaged items and first-aid treatments for a wide range of materials. For more information about the course times, attendance options, prices and how to book please see the Eventbrite page.

The Planning Convention 2019: The future of planning – what’s next?
Date & time: 19 June, 8:30 to 18:00
Venue: County Hall, Belvedere Rd, Lambeth, London SE1 7PB
The Planning Convention is the largest event in the planning profession’s calendar. Each year we gather over 400 practitioners, politicians, policy makers, developers and community and environmental professionals to address current industry issues. Delegates have the opportunity to hear from key influencers, network, discuss and find solutions to the most pressing problems facing the profession. We’ll examine the future for the planning profession. Examining good design, reimagining town centres and debating infrastructure, merging tech with practical, seeking solutions to the housing crisis, taking inspiration from successful cities and planning for a diverse society, what is next and where are we going?

RICS Annual Dinner 2019, Scotland
Date & time: THU 27 JUN 2019, 07:00 PM – 11:00 PM.
Venue: Radisson Blu , 301 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8DL.
Join fellow property professionals for the RICS Annual Dinner 2019, Scotland – an opportunity to network with professionals in the region. The dinner will provide the ideal setting to entertain clients, socialise with colleagues and generate new business contacts. Ian Fergusson, RICS Chairman for Scotland looks forward to welcoming guest’s to this year’s Annual Dinner. Set to be held at the prestigious Radisson Blu in Glasgow, with return of this highly anticipated black-tie event, also comes your opportunity to meet up with fellow members, friends and business partners old and new. We have an evening of superb food, entertainment and networking lined up, so put the date in your diary and secure your place now to avoid missing out.

Summer Excursion to Biggar Museum and New Lanark
Date & time: Saturday July 6 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Join us for a fascinating tour of this unique 18th century mill village sitting alongside the picturesque River Clyde. Now one of Scotland’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, New Lanark was founded in 1786 by David Dale, who built cotton mills and housing for the mill workers.  In partnership with Robert Owen, a Welsh philanthropist and social reformer, New Lanark became a successful business and an early example of a planned settlement and so an important milestone in the historical development of urban planning.  Workers enjoyed fair wages, free health care, a new education system and the first workplace nursery school in the world! In addition, Fellows of the Society will also be treated to a morning visit to Biggar and Upper Clydesdale Museum. This museum explores 14,000 years of rural and small town life in Upper Clydesdale. It focuses on the people who lived and worked in the area from prehistoric times up to the mid-20th century and illuminates a small part of their ordinary and extraordinary lives. Tickets cost £40 for Fellows and £45 for guests.

Retrofit 2019; Materials, Strategies, Innovations and Skills for the Future
Date & time: September 10th 2019, 9:20-12:55 (followed by a networking lunch).
Venue: The Lighthouse, Glasgow.
This event will explore technologies, practices, engagement strategies, design, funding opportunities and long term benefits that retrofitting can offer in Scotland and is an opportunity for those involved in the sector to engage with peers to tackle issues and create partnerships, to develop innovative strategies and solutions with other thought leaders while engaging with new potential partners, suppliers and clients.
Confirmed speakers include:

• Robin Webster, President, RIAS
• Dr Lori McElroy, Building Energy, Performance and Research Leader, BRE Scotland
• Dr Niall Kerr, Research Fellow, Energy Policy Effectiveness, University of Edinburgh
• Chris Morgan, Scottish Ecological Design Association
• Dr Mohammed Salah-Eldin Imbabi, Director of the Centre for Innovative Building Materials and Technologies, University of Aberdeen
• Phil Ford, Skills Planning Lead, Skills Development Scotland

Icon Scotland Group – Plenderleith Lecture 2019 – speaker announced, save the date!
Date: Thursday 28th November 2019.
Venue: Lighthouse, Glasgow.
Icon Scotland Group is delighted to announce that this year’s lecturer will be Liz Davidson IHBC, Hon FRIAS, OBE – Senior Project Manager, Mackintosh Building Restoration. This evening event will take place in Glasgow on Thursday 28th November 2019 at the Lighthouse, Glasgow. Booking details to follow on Icon website.

Training

CPD: Traditional Roof Slating (Edinburgh)
Date & time: Wednesday 22 May 2019, 13:00 – 14:00.
Venue: Architecture and Design Scotland, 146 Bakehouse Close, Edinburgh EH8 8DD.
This National Federation of Roofing Contractors CPD touches on many topics relevant to the maintenance and upgrade of tradition Scottish slate roofs. It will be presented by Graeme Miller from Bain & Irvine.

RICS CPD Day Aberdeen
Date & time: 20 June, 08:30am – 05:30pm
Venue: Hilton Hotel Aberdeen Treetops, 161 Springfield Road, Aberdeen, AB15 7AQ
Enhance your capabilities and knowledge around today’s ever-changing market trends, legislation, and technical guidance. Learn from leading industry professionals and take away practical solutions which can be implemented into your daily practice – benefiting both your business and personal professional development. 6 hours formal CPD

Icon Scotland Group 5-Day Practical Gilding Course
Date & time: 9th – 13th September 2019, 10.00 – 16.00.
Venue: Kelvin Hall,1445 Argyle Street, Glasgow
Fee: £350 – £ 550
Back by popular demand and extended to 5 days, this course aims to familiarise participants with the materials, methods and techniques of both water and oil gilding. The course provides opportunities to learn a variety of skills relating to gilding and the use of traditional materials and techniques.
The course is practical and theoretical, making it particularly useful to newly-qualified conservators. It is also suited to anyone with an interest in gilding – beginner, refresher or anyone with related experience. Tutor is Tim Ritson, Head of Paintings and Frames Conservation at the Royal Museums Greenwich. All tools and materials are included in the cost. The course will run from 10 – 4 each day.

Vacancies

Chair Recruitment
Cupar Development Trust is seeking to have a new Chair to take up post from December 2019.

Office Administrator 
The Scottish Civic Trust is recruiting an Office Administrator (Maternity Cover).
Closing date for applications: 17 May 2019.

Senior Fundraising Officer
The Senior Fundraising Officer at Arts & Business Scotland will play a key role in developing the Fundraising strategy of Hearts and Minds.
Closing date for applications: Monday 27 May 2019.

Scotland Support Officer 
The Architectural Heritage Fund has secured funding from Historic Environment Scotland to increase its capacity to deliver projects in Scotland through employing a new Scotland Support Officer.
Please send these by email only to recruitment@ahfund.org.uk by 5pm on Thursday 30th May.

Edinburgh World Heritage Communications Officer
Edinburgh World Heritage is looking to appoint an ambitious and creative Communications professional to this important role within our team.
Closing date Friday 31st May 2019 at 5pm. 

Archaeology Scotland Project Officer
Due to several successful funding applications, Archaeology Scotland is now seeking short-term assistance to assist the delivery of our two community archaeology initiatives Adopt-a-Monument and Attainment through Archaeology.
Closing Date for Applications: Sunday 2nd June at 12 midnight

Managing Editor
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is seeking an experienced and motivated Managing Editor to take overarching responsibility for the management, design, production and marketing of a mix of online and print archaeology and history resources.
Deadline for applications: 11pm on Sunday 9th June

BACK

BEFS News

The Scottish Government has confirmed today that Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions target will be net-zero by 2045. This coincides with the publication of the Committee on Climate Change’s report on the UK’s contribution to stopping global warming. What can the built environment sector do to support this and are current strategies (and Bills) sufficiently tailored to meet the target?

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) are asking for your views on their draft Climate Change and Environmental Action Plan (CCEAP) 2019-24. This document sets out how HES aim to address the challenges and opportunities presented by climate change to the organisation and to the wider historic environment. It also outlines how they will continue to support Scottish Government to meet its ambitious carbon reduction targets.

Scotland’s Landscape Alliance was formally launched last week by the Landscape Institute Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland. The Alliance is a great opportunity for a range of organisations to collaborate to maximise the public benefits from Scotland’s landscape and places whether economic, social, cultural or environmental. BEFS welcomes the initiative and will be participating in a number of the alliance’s working groups, including on landscape for healthy communities and landscape, land use and economy.

Given that there are over 17,000 volunteers in the built environment sector, the Scottish Government’s newly published national outcomes framework for volunteering may be of interest.

Edinburgh Traditional Building Forum will be delivering a Traditional Building Skills and Materials Event on 13 and 14 May in the quadrangle outside Edinburgh City Chambers, which members of the public are welcome to attend. The Forum are delivering a Homeowners Property Repair Event on 13 May to help identify and undertake repairs to your homes. They will also be holding a Traditional Building Skills Demonstration at the Scottish Parliament on 28 and 29 May and again at the Royal Highland Show in June. Don’t miss the opportunity to try your hand at some traditional building practices!

The full programme for the Architecture Fringe 2019 launches tomorrow (Friday 3 May). With almost 100 projects, events, exhibitions, talks, lectures and a summer school taking place across Scotland, this fourth edition of the #ArchiFringe will be the biggest yet.

The Arts Council have published a new toolkit for making the case for art and culture. You can also find our advocacy toolkit for the built environment here, alongside a fundraising toolkit and a range of historic environment best practice case studies from across Scotland.

In our blog this week, Jeff Saunders, Dig It Project Manager with Society of Antiquaries, tells us about the process of bringing Archaeology and Minecraft together, following their recent inspiring Edinburgh Science Festival event.

Former BEFS Chair, Graeme Purves, has published a think piece on Strategic Development in Scotland with the UK2070 Commission, which are currently working on a framework to address spatial inequalities across the United Kingdom. Read more about it here.

Finally, check out the fantastic number of events taking place this month below or in our calendar.

Consultations

Consultation on Environmental Principles and Governance in Scotland
Closes 11 May 2019.

Climate Change and Environmental Action Plan 2019-24
This HES consultation will close at 12pm on Wednesday 19 June.

Strengthening Fire Safety for High Rise Domestic Buildings
Opened 24 Apr 2019 and closes 17 Jul 2019.

Short-Term Lets: Consultation
Opened 28 Apr 2019 and closes 19 Jul 2019.

Easy access to listed buildings in Wales
Opened 25 April 2019 and closes 19 July 2019.

Publications

Net Zero – The UK’s contribution to stopping global warming (CCC 02/05/19)

Net-zero and the climate emergency (SPICe Briefing 02/05/19)

Short Scottish Secure Tenancy for homeowners: guidance for social landlords (SG 01/05/19)

Short Scottish Secure Tenancies for antisocial behaviour and miscellaneous changes: statutory guidance for social landlords (SG 01/05/19)

Streamlined eviction process – criminal or antisocial behaviour: statutory guidance for social landlords (SG 01/05/19)

Impact of the European Union in Scotland: examples (SG 30/04/19)

Interim Guidance on Conservation Areas – Designation of Conservation Areas and Conservation Area Consent (HES 25/04/19)

Interim Guidance on the Principles of Listed Building Consent (HES 25/04/19)

Rescue and Reuse: Communities, Heritage and Architecture (RIBA Publications)

Volunteering for All: national framework (SG 25/04/19)

Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey: 2018 (SG 24/04/19)

Resourcing the Planning System: Key Trends and Findings 2019 (RTPI Scotland 23/04/19)

Planning (Scotland) Bill – Stage 3 RTPI Scotland briefing (RTPI Scotland 23/04/19)

Energy Efficient Scotland programme: analysis of delivery mechanism (SG 19/04/19)

Bucharest Declaration of the Ministers of Culture and their representatives on the
role of culture in building Europe’s future (Council of the EU 16/04/19)

Strengthening Community Councils: Exploring how community councils can contribute to democratic renewal in Scotland (SCDC 04/19)

Historic Environment Circular –Updated (HES 04/04/19)

Heritage and Wellbeing: State of the Evidence (What Works Wellbeing 03/19)

Scottish Government News Releases

Climate Change action (SG 02/05/19)
Scotland will stop contributing to climate change within a generation under new, tougher climate change proposals.

Help for affordable homes (SG 30/04/19)
An additional £80 million over the next two years will help councils deliver affordable homes across Scotland.

More homes for rent (SG 29/04/19)
People renting will have more choice in where they live and greater security over their home through a £30 million investment from the Building Scotland Fund.

Building a fairer housing market (SG 28/04/19)
Ensuring the housing market is fairer and delivers more people the homes they want is at the heart of a package announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon today.

Volunteering for al (SG 25/04/19)
The Volunteering Outcomes Framework aims to reduce barriers to volunteering for people from all sections of the community, regardless of their background.

Decrease in derelict and urban vacant land (SG 24/04/19)
The total amount of derelict and urban vacant land in Scotland has decreased by 716 hectares (6%) in the latest year, from 11,753 hectares in 2017 to 11,037 hectares in 2018.

News Releases

Scotland’s greenhouse gas emissions ‘to be net-zero by 2045’ (BBC 02/05/19)
The Scottish government will legislate to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2045 after receiving fresh advice from an expert panel.

Extra £80m funding to help councils deliver affordable homes (SHN 30/04/19)
The Scottish Government has made an additional £80 million available over the next two years to help councils deliver affordable homes.

Abbeys, alleys and augmented realities; Scotland’s urban past comes to life (HES 29/04/19)
Celebrating five years of community heritage projects, Past Forward – Stories of Urban Scotland takes you on a journey around the nation, discovering some of the best kept secrets in our towns and cities, as well as some familiar sites seen through fresh eyes.

Scottish housing project triumphs at national planning awards (SHN 25/04/19)
A housing-led regeneration of one of the largest brownfield sites in Scotland is among three Scottish planning projects to have won at the prestigious national awards ceremony of the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI).

Dundee V&A short listed for Museum of the Year (Herald 25/04/19)
Dundee’s new V&A museum is in the running for the title of Museum of the Year.

Orkney hosts international workshop on climate change threat to World Heritage sites (HES 24/04/19)
A major international workshop is taking place on Orkney to set a benchmark for understanding the impact of climate change on World Heritage sites.

MSPs urged to drop Planning Bill’s extra duties (RTPI Scotland 23/04/19)
RTPI Scotland is warning MSPs that the Planning (Scotland) Bill may be unworkable as it stands, ahead of the Bill’s stage 3 debate, given the number of unfunded additional duties it currently contains.

Architecture Fringe set to take over The Lighthouse with 2019 programme (SCN 23/04/19)
The production team of the Architecture Fringe will take over The Lighthouse in central Glasgow for the whole of June as part of its 2019 programme.

Study aims to stamp out fire risk to historic buildings (SCN 23/04/19)
A fire-safety expert is to lead the first comprehensive study into the risk historic buildings face from fire with the hope of saving more of Scotland’s heritage from being lost.

Joint drive to tackle heritage crime in Scotland (HES 18/04/19)
New group launched to combat heritage crimes in Scotland.

Conservation news (SGLH 18/04/19)
the early months of the New Year have seen the culmination of several long-running conservation cases for Scotland’s Garden and Landscape Heritage.

Robbed of Our History: Heritage Crime (HES 18/04/19)
We are fascinated with historic wrong-doings – but modern crimes committed against heritage aren’t making it into the history books. From Stirling to Scapa Flow, we uncover recent examples of heritage crime in Scotland.

Businesses Benefit from Listed Buildings (HE 2/04/19)
Business owners and operators based in listed buildings say they benefit from their historic premises.

Opinion & Comment

Declaring a climate emergency won’t help without action (Jamie Livingstone, Oxfam Scotland for The Times 02/05/19)

An Economy for the 21st Century as if People and Planet Really Mattered (Úna Bartley for Bella Caledonia 30/04/19)

Opening site doors can open young minds (Brian McQuade for Scottish Construction Now 30/04/19)

Cities are louder than ever – and it’s the poor who suffer most (Guardian 25/04/19)

The opportunities offered by brownfield land (Fraser Lynse for Scottish Construction Now 23/04/19)

Parliamentary Questions

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government 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”.

Question S5W-22769: Michelle Ballantyne, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 24/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that construction companies adhere to the established mortar standards in all new-builds.

Question S5W-22782: Richard Lyle, Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to support house building and associated infrastructure.

Question S5W-22783: Richard Lyle, Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) affordable homes and (b) homes for social rent have been completed in each local authority area in each year since 2007, also broken down by how many have been (i) future-proofed to meet the needs of older people and an ageing population and (ii) adapted or built specifically to meet the accessibility requirements of disabled people, including wheelchair users.

Question S5W-22785: Richard Lyle, Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many hectares of brownfield land are available for house building, and how this equates to the capacity for building new homes.

Question S5W-22786: Richard Lyle, Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how much surplus land is owned by (a) central and (b) local government, and how this equates to the capacity for building new homes.

Question S5W-22788: Richard Lyle, Uddingston and Bellshill, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to make (a) public and (b) private land available for house building in areas where there is a housing shortage but where market conditions act against this.

Events

For the latest information about BEFS Members’ events see our events calendar.

Conservation 101 webinar
Date & time: Friday 3 May 2019, 9.30am – 12.15pm
Sign up to our free webinar, Conservation 101.
Hear from Historic Environment Scotland experts as they take you through the building blocks of conservation. Learn about the ethics and philosophy of building conservation, decay mechanisms and buildings defects, and the listing process. These sessions are run in conjunction with the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). This event is free. Booking is essential.

Tour of National Wallace Monument, Stirling
Date & time: Wednesday, 08 May 2019 at 6:00PM – 8:00PM
Venue: National Wallace Monument Visitor Centre, Abbey Craig, Hillfoots Road, Stirling FK9 5LF
The Monument has recently had extensive external refurbishment and internal transformation for its reopening this spring. New interactive exhibitions on William Wallace, the Wars of Independence and in the Hall of Heroes provide a draw for visitors. This tour includes a briefing on the history and development of the monument and its surrounding site, discussing the challenges of managing a listed building as a popular tourist attraction, and a visit to, and climb of, the monument itself to view the new exhibitions. Assemble in the Visitor Reception Centre at the car park where refreshments will be available from 6pm.

Women in Scottish Archaeology | Wikipedia Edit-a-thon
Date & time: Thu, 9 May 2019, 10:00 – 16:00
Venue: Central Library, 7-9 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EG.
Did you know that just 18% of biographies on English Wikipedia are about women? We’re here to change that! Dig It! and Edinburgh Central Library in collaboration with Wikimedia UK are calling on YOU to add to and improve the world’s collective knowledge about women in Scottish archaeology. Spend the day learning how to become an editor of the world’s largest online encyclopedia and get to grips with a variety of amazing resources from Edinburgh Central Library. Learn about the lives and work of the women we’ve identified, or bring along your own knowledge about the women who have inspired you. You will actively help to build a global audience for Scotland’s rich culture and heritage, and bring forgotten stories to light.

People Powered Planning: Putting Communities on the Front Foot
Date & times: Saturday 11th May 2019 10 – 4.30pm
Venue: Trades Hall, Central Glasgow G1 1UH.
We know there are many people in Scotland who feel baffled, alienated and disenfranchised by the planning system. Others have gained some understanding, learnt to navigate and decode the systems and others have taken ownership and grabbed what opportunities there are to shape their local environments and fulfill community aspirations. We hope that this conference will link people up, provide some information about where to go for help and give some handy tips on how to successfully engage in planning. Importantly we also hope the conference will help to create a sense of a movement of people who are willing to campaign for change to make the planning system more responsive to people who want the best for their local areas.

Edinburgh Traditional Building Skills – Homeowners Property Repair Event Event
Date & time: May 13, 5:30 pm – 7:30 pm
Venue: Edinburgh City Chambers, 253 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1YJ.
Edinburgh Traditional Building Forum will deliver a homeowners’ event on 13 May to help them identify and undertake repairs to their homes. The event will also highlight how to keep your home in a good state of repair with timely repairs which will ultimately save homeowners money if done correctly. Keeping your home in a good state of repair is the first step to making a home energy efficient. There will be experts from across the industry and public bodies giving homeowners impartial advice on how to start repairs and correct maintenance of their building. There will also be expert advice on overcoming issues of shared repairs and how City of Edinburgh Council can help homeowners experiencing these issues.

Edinburgh Traditional Building Skills Demonstration
Date & time: 13th – 14th May, 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM
Location: Quadrangle outside Edinburgh City Chambers
Those attending will be very welcome discuss the route into the industry for local apprentices at Edinburgh College who will be giving mini-masterclasses to local school pupils. We will have four trades being demonstrated by apprentices are working with Developing the Young Workforce, Edinburgh, Midlothian & East Lothian Regional Group, to bring school children to try the skills on display. This event is part of larger Construction Scotland’s Inspiring Construction programme where we promote the vast array of careers available in the construction industry to school pupils to help them make their career choices.

wHY Landscape – Mark Thomann on Ross Pavilion & Recent Works
Date & time: 14th May 2019 at 6.30pm
Venue: Custom Lane, Leith
wHY is an interdisciplinary design practice dedicated to serving the arts, communities, culture and the environment. wHY are the lead for the team that won the competition to redevelop the Ross Pavilion in West Princes St Gardens, Edinburgh known as the Quaich Project. The project aims to bring people together, generating new connections both locally and internationally. Mark Thomann (landscape director at wHY) will present an intimate look at wHY’s Ross Pavilion & Gardens, the firm’s first project in Europe. Mark will also touch upon other recent works by the firm, and lessons learned from a career in landscape design. For more info about the Talks at the Lane.

Play, Social Justice and Urban Space – Perspectives from India and Scotland
Date & time: Sat, 18 May 2019, 09:30.
Venue: Bellfield, 16B Bellfield Street, Portobello, Edinburgh EH15 2BP.
Play, Social Justice and Urban Space is an exciting international event exploring children’s use of space. How do children navigate their local environments? How do they claim space, making child-friendly environments in contested urban space? What role do adults have? The programme includes a rich mix of speakers from Scotland and India, music, art and dialogue. Light refreshments.

Glasgow’s Atlantic World: Tobacco, Sugar and Slavery
Date & time: Wed May 22nd, 6pm
Venue: 54 Bell Street, Glasgow
Glasgow’s historic transatlantic trade routes and history are present not only in the streets of Glasgow but also in the people, places and heritage of the Caribbean islands and the Americas up to today. Dr Stephen Mullen will explore the history of Glasgow’s links to the Americas and the Caribbean, before Councillor Graham Campbell tells us more in detail about Glasgow’s links to Jamaica, and why Jamaica is the Caribbean’s most Scottish island. £6

Archaeological Research in Progress day conference
Date & time: Saturday 25 May 2019 (9am – 5pm)
Venue: Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE), 22-26 George Street, Edinburgh, EH2 2PQ
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is managing the event this year (with our partners Archaeology Scotland) and the conference programme includes exciting new research findings and best practice in archaeology covering all periods from across Scotland and beyond. Event sponsored by Historic Environment Scotland, Forestry & Land Scotland, AOC Archaeology Group, Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, Guard Archaeology, Wessex Archaeology, LUC and SUERC.

Traditional Building Skills Demonstration at the Scottish Parliament
Date & time: MAY 28 AT 10:00 AM – MAY 29 AT 3:00 PM
Location: Scottish Parliament
Scottish Traditional Building Forum will be delivering a Traditional Building Skills and Materials Event on 28 and 29 May outside the Scottish Parliament which members of the public are welcome to attend. Working with various Developing Young Workforce teams, we have organised for school pupils from Glasgow, Falkirk, Fife and Edinburgh will receive a mini-masterclass in roof slating, stonemasonry, plastering and painting & decorating. The demonstrations will be delivered by Dundee & Angus College, Edinburgh College, City of Glasgow College and the National Federation of Roofing Contractors.

Heads of Planning Scotland Conference
Dates: Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th of June.
Venue: South Hall Complex, Pollock Halls, 18 Holyrood Park Road, Edinburgh, EH16 5AR
The Heads of Planning Scotland (HOPS) Conference will be held this year at the University of Edinburgh, Pollock Halls on Thursday the 6th and Friday the 7th of June. This year the theme of the Conference is Collaboration in Planning.

Talks at the Lane present IF_DO on Architecture as a Social Art
Date & time: 14th June 2019 at 6.30pm
Venue: Custom Lane, Leith
Founded in 2014 by Thomas Bryans, Sarah Castle & Al Scott the practice has an interest in the wider repercussions of architecture which provides a catalyst towards creating sustainable and healthy environments in which to live, learn, work and play.
Thomas and his fellow founding Directors all studied at University of Edinburgh and this Talk at the Lane is also part of the Architecture Fringe 2019 programme of events. Thomas will be discussing their ongoing community projects, research and teaching on how design can promote social spaces as a means of addressing social isolation. For more info about the Talks at the Lane.

Monuments in Monuments 2019
Date & times: Wednesday 2 – Friday 4 September 2019, 10am – 4pm
Venue: The Engine Shed
Full ticket: £300. Day tickets: £120
This conference explores the conservation challenges facing carved stones and objects inside historic buildings. Hear from specialists from all over the world about how traditional skills, emerging technology and conservation science are helping to overcome these challenges. Full conference or individual day tickets are available. Student rates are available.

Training

CPD: Damp in Traditional Buildings
Date & time: Wed May 8th, 12:30-1:30pm
Venue: 54 Bell St., Glasgow
When buildings become damp, either from external water ingress or from internal humidity and condensation, their materials decay faster and their occupants can be exposed to health hazards. Georgina Allison, conservation architect and lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, will remind us how traditional buildings are designed to deal with damp, and what conservation issues and solutions damp buildings may present. All GCHT CPD sessions are recognised by the IHBC, and attendees can obtain a CPD certificate upon completion. £10 per person /£5 for students, including light lunch.

Heritage Trust Network Scotland, Members’ Skills Training Event
Date & times: Monday 20th May, 10am to 4pm
Venue: The Engine Shed, Stirling
HTN are pleased to confirm that we have two highly regarded speakers lined up for our focussed training day including Moses Jenkins, who will talk on Energy Efficiency and Adaptation and Colin Tennant who will speak on Project Management. Both topics will no doubt feature in your current or upcoming heritage project, so we strongly recommend attending! The event will take place at Scotland’s Centre for Conservation, The Engine Shed in Stirling and we are grateful to be hosted by Historic Environment Scotland for the day. Refreshments and lunch will be provided. Book your places now!  Please email Sarah on sarahpearce@heritagetrustnetwork.org.uk to confirm your attendance.

Repair and Maintenance of Masonry Arch Bridges
Date & time: 24 May 2019, 09.30 – 16.30.
Venue: Charlestown Workshops, Fife.
Cost: £190 + vat …… Remember if you are a BLF, IHBC, RICS or RIAS member you are eligible for 20% discount on this seminar. Please just give us a call with your member number.
This one day masterclass looks at all aspects of masonry arch bridge construction and the materials utilized to determine the most appropriate repair schemes. It is suitable for building professionals, contractors, engineers and others involved in heritage work.

Conservation Summer School 2019
Dates: Monday 2 – Friday 7 June 2019
Venue: The Engine Shed, Stirling
Week ticket: £450. Day tickets: £100
Registration for our Conservation Summer School is now open. Learn about the latest techniques from top conservation experts, get hands-on with traditional skills and materials, and see conservation in action on site visits. We have flexible registration options, whether you want to book the full 5-day course, or individual days which are more relevant to your needs. Applications for student bursaries are open until Friday 10 May. Week and day tickets are also available.

Traditional Roofing Practical Workshop
Date & time: Monday, June 3rd, 6pm
Venue: Cathedral Square, Glasgow
Repairing and maintaining traditional roofs are key aspects of conserving the built environment. Join us for an early-evening practical session at Glasgow Cathedral, getting hands-on with the materials and techniques of slate and lead roofing. This event is aimed at professionals who would like to increase their technical skill and understanding, although enthusiasts are also very welcome.
Further information: stephanie@glasgowheritage.org.uk

CPD: Conserving Interwar Shopfronts
Date & time: Wed June 5th, 12:30-1:30pm
Venue: 54 Bell Street, Glasgow.
The shopfronts and signs of the 1920s and 30s are characterised by materials such as Vitrolite, bronze, faience, and terracotta, which present their own considerations and challenges as they age. Dr. Lindsay Lennie, one of Scotland’s foremost authorities on historic shopfronts, gives a specialised talk on the materials and methods of this brief but significant time period, and discusses conservation solutions to conserving interwar shopfronts. All GCHT CPD sessions are recognised by the IHBC, and attendees can obtain a CPD certificate upon completion. £15 per person, £10 students, including a light lunch.

Reinforced Concrete Masterclass – New for Summer 2019!
Date & time: 28 June 2019, 09.30 – 16.00
Venue: Charlestown Workshops, Fife
Cost: £190 + vat …… Remember if you are a BLF, IHBC, RICS or RIAS member you are eligible for 20% discount on this seminar.
Come and join us to explore the fascinating world of reinforced concrete (yes, really really!) – learn what can be achieved with it, its constituents, its decay mechanisms and how it can be successfully repaired with a variety of methods and materials. Not all reinforced concrete buildings are carbuncles …CONCRETE can be COUTHIE! If we are listing more and more buildings and structures from the 20th Century, many of which will be of reinforced concrete construction, then we need to know how to fix them and prolong their lives. We have a huge variety of structures and buildings of reinforced concrete construction across the country. Research and analysis of these buildings has helped inform their appropriate repair, but there are many challenges ahead. Join us and learn from our gathered experts in this field for what should be a very informative and enjoyable day.

Vacancies

Building Craft Programme Coordinator 
24k-26k, The Prince’s Foundation, Dumfries House, East Ayrshire
The Prince’s Foundation are on the lookout for a Programme Coordinator to manage and assist with their building craft training programmes. This role will support the next generation of master craftspeople, and ensure that the valuable skills required to conserve our historic built environment are kept alive. Download the Job Description here. Find out more here.
Deadline 20th May, 12.00pm

Vacancies at A&DS
Architecture and Design Scotland is looking for 4 people to join our team. If you would like to help deliver good architecture and successful places, collaborate with others and promote the value of good design, then we’d love to hear from you.
•    Principal Design Officer (B3)
•    Senior Design Officers (B2)
•    Design Officers (B1)
Closing date: Midnight Monday 6 May 2019.

Development & Membership Manager
Are you passionate about the Heritage Sector? Do you want to work at the heart of heritage, shaping the future of The Heritage Alliance? The Heritage Alliance is the heritage sector’s umbrella organisation and advocacy body and we are seeking an outstanding person to take up the key role of Development and Membership Manager. The successful candidate will join the Alliance’s small, busy team based in offices in Southwark, just behind the Tate Modern.
The closing date for applications is 5th May 2019 with interviews expected a week later.

Appointment of Chair of Trustees
Edinburgh World Heritage is seeking an individual with drive and enthusiasm to replace Dr Brian Lang CBE, FRSE, in chairing its energetic and professional Board of Trustees, working with them and the Director to take the organisation forward during a time of change.
Closing date: by 5pm on Monday 27th May 2019.

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BEFS News

Historic Environment Scotland has published its new Historic Environment Policy for Scotland (HEPS) to help guide and inform decision-makers such as local authorities and asset owners. This policy has been in development for a number of years, with public and sector wide engagement. BEFS Policy & Advocacy Lead, Ailsa Macfarlane, provides a summary of the new policy and accompanying documents here.

We welcome the training that Historic Environment Scotland are already making available before the new policy is due to be formally adopted on the 1st May 2019. HEPS was launched in conjunction with HES’ new Corporate Plan 2019 Onwards: Heritage for All.

In anticipation of the publication of the revised Historic Environment Policy for Scotland, BEFS decided to undertake an analysis of how existing historic environment policies are utilised within the planning system. Read the analysis here.

BEFS responded to the Scottish Government’s ‘Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Programme 2019-2024’ Consultation. This response was brief and related to the important role and place of the historic environment within the Programme – including within high-level outcomes, as well as how the qualities of buildings within the historic environment were described within the consultation.

If you are involved with heritage in your local community in any way then this is for you! Join the Scottish Community Heritage Alliance (SCHA) for a discussion day about Scottish Community Heritage. The University of St Andrews, the National Library of Scotland and Ergadia Heritage have teamed together to organise a series of 12 community heritage research workshops around Scotland, funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. They will be talking about networks, sharing ideas about how a new national network might look, and what it could do for community heritage.

Peter Burman is stepping down as Vice-Chair of BEFS Board. Peter will continue in his capacity as a Trustee and Chair of the Historic Environment Working Group (HEWG) and we thank him for his expertise and support of the team. We hope that the time freed up will allow Peter to fully enjoy his forthcoming wedding. We would like to welcome our new Vice-Chair of the Board, longstanding BEFS Trustee, Ian Baxter.

We are delighted to promote such a fantastic array of events, CPD and training opportunities, and vacancies from across the built environment sector again this week. Do check out the sections below for details!

Consultations

Consultation on adding new categories to the definition of a House in Multiple Occupation
This consultation proposes adding new categories to the definition of HMO.
Opened 18 Apr 2019 and closes 8 Jul 2019.

DCMS Committee seeks evidence on the contribution of gardens to UK’s economy and tourism
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is launching a short inquiry to explore how gardens contribute to UK tourism, the economy and to our national heritage.
The deadline for submitting evidence is Tuesday 7th May at 5pm.

Local Government Committee investigates empty homes
The Local Government & Communities Committee has launched an inquiry into empty homes and how they can be brought back into use.
The call for written views will close on Friday 17 May.

MSPs call for evidence on business rates reform
The Local Government & Communities Committee has asked for written views on the Non-Domestic Rates Bill introduced on Monday 25 March.
The call for evidence closes on Thursday 30 May.

Community Engagement Baseline Survey for Owners and Managers of Land
The Scottish Land Commission is working with communities and with people who own and manage land to make sure that all people in Scotland have the opportunity to be involved in decisions about land that significantly affect them.
The survey will be open for responses until the end of May 2019.

New-Build Homes (Buyer Protection) (Scotland) Bill
Graham Simpson has lodged a proposal for a New-Build Homes (Buyer Protection) (Scotland) Bill, intended to establish standard missives for the sale of new-build homes, including redress for purchasers in respect of defects in construction.
The deadline to respond to the consultation is Thursday 27 June.

Publications

Brexit uncertainties masking longer term challenges to the Scottish economy (FAI 17/04/19)

Simplified planning zone housing pilots: update April 2019 (SG 16/04/19)

Social Tenants in Scotland, 2017 (SG 16/04/19)

Planning (Scotland) Bill: Revised Explanatory Notes (SG 15/04/19)

Community ownership: case studies (SG 08/04/19)

Historic Environment Policy for Scotland (HES 04/04/19)

Historic Environment Scotland Corporate Plan 2019 Onwards (HES 04/04/19)

The future of seaside towns (HoL 04/04/19)

News Releases

Notre Dame Tragedy: a personal loss for every European (EN 16/04/19)
Europa Nostra, the Voice of cultural heritage in Europe, wishes to express its deepest sympathy and immense sadness following yesterday’s fire that devastated Notre Dame of Paris.

Capital’s concrete concert hall plans backed before crunch hearing (Scotsman 16/04/19)
Proposals to build the first new concert hall in Edinburgh for more than 100 years have been backed by planners ahead of a crunch hearing.

Calls for new property tax to boost Scottish council funds (Scotsman 15/04/19)
A new system of property tax and environmental charges should be introduced to boost Scottish council funding, according to a report.

Scotland from the Sky returns for a second series (HES 15/04/19)
Three-part BBC1 Scotland series reveals Scotland’s hidden ancient past through aerial photography held in the Historic Environment Scotland (HES) archives.

IHBC’s newest Context out: – Featuring Scotland’s ‘Highlands and Islands’ (IHBC 12/04/19)
The latest issue of IHBC’s membership journal Context is now out, themed around practice issues relating to conservation in Scotland’s ‘Highlands and Islands’, including the challenges and achievements of working in diverse rural areas.

Scottish Land Fund grants more than £500,000 for community ownership projects (SHN 11/04/19)
A Highlands residents association is one of four community groups to receive financial support from the Scottish Land Fund to transfer ownership of local projects to the hands of local people.

Brexit impasse continues to challenge the market (RICS 11/04/19)
The housing market remained subdued in March, a picture that has been evident in the sales market for several months now, according to our latest UK Residential Market Survey.

New House of Commons Library Note on VAT and Churches: from reforms to grants (IHBC 09/04/19)
The House of Commons Library has issued a new Briefing Note that examines how construction work for churches is treated for VAT in the UK; proposals for reform in this area, and the changes made in Budget 2012, removing the zero rate of VAT which had applied to alteration work on listed buildings, while also giving details of the current grant scheme for church repairs.

Over £4 million investment for Scotland’s historic heartlands (HES 05/04/19)
A £4.4 million funding boost for regeneration projects in Scotland’s historic heartlands was announced today by Historic Environment Scotland.

New Learning Section (Engine Shed) 
We have been making improvements to our website and have recently launched our brand new Learning Section. Take a look and explore the Engine Shed’s learning offering. Whether you are looking for formal learning opportunities, some Continuing Professional Development (CPD), or summer courses, we have something to suit all styles and levels of learning. Please get in touch if you have any feedback for us at technicaleducation@hes.scot.

Opinion & Comment

‘Notre Dame and Glasgow Art School disasters have similar sense of horror and loss’ (Herald Scotland 16/04/19)

Why is Britain so bad at planning cities? (David Rudlin in the Guardian 11/04/19)

We Recycle Bottles. Why Don’t We Recycle Buildings? (SOM 03/2019)

Barcelona does What Terrifies Most Mayors: It Punches Parasitic Vacant Building Owners (Revitalisation 01/04/19)

Parliamentary Questions & Answers

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.

Question S5W-20978: Bill Bowman, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 14/01/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Retail Consortium’s call for local authorities to be able to use a portion of the town centres fund for reducing non-domestic rates.
Answered by Derek Mackay (23/01/2019)

Question S5W-20977: Bill Bowman, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 14/01/2019
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish details of its proposed town centres fund, and what its position is on the Scottish Retail Consortium’s call for business improvement districts and other organisations to be eligible to bid for funding.
Answered by Derek Mackay (29/01/2019)

Events

For the latest information about BEFS Members’ events see our events calendar.

Rhind Lectures 2019, Hadrian’s Wall: A Study in Archaeological Exploration and Interpretation
Date & time: 6pm Friday 10th May @ 6:00 pm until 4pm Sunday 12th May
Venue: auditorium, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, EH9 3EL
The six lectures will be given over the course of a weekend by Professor David Breeze OBE, BA, PhD, Hon DLitt, FSA, Hon FSA Scot, FRSE, Hon CIfA. Hadrian’s Wall was written about even when it was still in use as a frontier. Interest continued through the next 1000 years, but it was the spirit of enquiry generated by the Renaissance which led to more focussed study. Once archaeological excavations started, the pace quickened. Now we have an enormous data base even though only about 5% of the Wall has been examined. The 2019 Rhind Lectures are organised by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and are sponsored by AOC Archaeology Group.

People Powered Planning: Putting Communities on the Front Foot
Date & times: Saturday 11th May 2019 10 – 4.30pm
Venue: Trades Hall, Central Glasgow G1 1UH.
We know there are many people in Scotland who feel baffled, alienated and disenfranchised by the planning system. Others have gained some understanding, learnt to navigate and decode the systems and others have taken ownership and grabbed what opportunities there are to shape their local environments and fulfill community aspirations. We hope that this conference will link people up, provide some information about where to go for help and give some handy tips on how to successfully engage in planning. Importantly we also hope the conference will help to create a sense of a movement of people who are willing to campaign for change to make the planning system more responsive to people who want the best for their local areas.

RICS Rural Mid-Session Conference
Date & time: 16 May 2019, 9:00-16:45
Venue: SNH Battleby , Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW.
This conference will equip you with the right knowledge to leverage current opportunities for growth and resilience in the sector, so you can be better prepared to mitigate any risks to your business. Covering vital sessions such as environmental risks and global valuation, private water supplies and unlocking the potential of water, this conference will bring together rural professionals from across the region to discuss challenges and share industry expertise specific to Scotland. Further sessions will take a closer look at best practice when it comes to the valuation of rural properties, agriculture rent review process, the Scottish Beaver Migration Scheme and resulting environment implications.

Play, Social Justice and Urban Space – Perspectives from India and Scotland
Date & time: Sat, 18 May 2019, 09:30.
Venue: Bellfield, 16B Bellfield Street, Portobello, Edinburgh EH15 2BP.
Play, Social Justice and Urban Space is an exciting international event exploring children’s use of space. How do children navigate their local environments? How do they claim space, making child-friendly environments in contested urban space? What role do adults have? The programme includes a rich mix of speakers from Scotland and India, music, art and dialogue. Light refreshments.

Scotland’s Housing: More than Just Numbers
Date & Time: Wed, 22 May 2019, 09:30 – 16:45.
Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, 80 High St, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 1TH.
Over the last 60 years housing in Scotland has been dominated by a drive for quantity rather than quality. However, in the last 20 years dissatisfaction with the lack of affordable, environmentally benign and future-proofed housing in Scotland has been growing and we are beginning to see some positive signs of change. Inspiration is being taken from many places, including Germany and Switzerland. However, the innovations they illustrate are often perceived as “too difficult” to achieve in Scotland. The event will address this perception – that “it would never work here” – by providing a forum in which to debate the institutions, mechanisms and actors that need to be put in place to overcome the current barriers and to progress with the best possible advice and experience.

Lime Burning on Lismore – Scottish Working Party
Date & time: 23-27 May 2019, 9am-5pm each day
Venue: Park Lime Kilns, Lismore, Oban
SPAB Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and the Building Limes Forum invite you to the Scottish Working Party 2019 on the beautiful island of Lismore. This popular annual event attracts volunteers ranging from heritage and architectural professionals, to those with an informed amateur interest in buildings and history. Volunteering at the Working Party is a unique opportunity to learn from some of the country’s leading craftspeople in a relaxed setting. On Lismore we will be building a lime kiln, slaking and testing the lime, repairing the B listed kiln, and investigating the archaeology of the island.  Deadline for applications is 23 April 2019.

RICS Dilapidations Conference, Scotland
Date & time: 30 May 2019, 08:45-17:00
Venue: The Studio, 67 Hope St, Glasgow, G2 6AE
The conference will provide a comprehensive update and expert guidance on the current and future issues impacting commercial landlords and tenants, building surveyors and valuers. Delivered by leading speakers at the forefront of dilapidations issues, the programme addresses all crucial areas and offers practical guidance to better your day-to-day practice. Bringing together the combined expertise of surveyors, valuers and legal professionals, the event will provide a roundup of recent case law and analyse the impact it will have on your day-to-day practice. The programme will also provide an update on technical issues such as, building services, leases and supersession.

Making more of what we’ve got – repurposing unused and underused spaces
Date & Time: Thu, 6 June 2019, 09:00 – 16:30.
Venue: Hamish Wood Building, Glasgow Caledonian University.
This year’s Central Scotland Green Network Forum conference is presented in partnership with the Scottish Land Commission to explore the theme of repurposing unused and underused sites. Over 9,000 hectares of the CSGN area is classified as vacant and derelict; this accounts for 78% of Scotland’s total. It holds huge potential to help make better places that support health and wellbeing, help boost the economy and mitigate against the challenges of climate change. In addition, we also have large areas of land associated with housing, business and transport which have little or no function. By rejuvenating these areas communities stand to benefit from increased engagement and empowerment, tackling social inequalities while increasing local pride and ownership.

Bright Sparks: Shining a Light on Museum Learning
Date & Time: Mon, 17 June 2019, 09:30 – 16:30.
Venue: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ.
Does your work with schools need some stimulation? Are you looking to re-invigorate your learning programmes or develop your learning practice? Do you want to know more about the Curriculum for Excellence? Perhaps you’re just interested in exploring new ways of working strategically and operationally in formal learning…Our Bright Sparks one-day learning symposium will be filled with inspiration from industry leaders on topics such as policy, practical methods for dialogue with schools, STEM, how to build a learning programme, innovative models for learning, and work-based learning.

RICS Annual Dinner 2019, Scotland
Date & time: THU 27 JUN 2019, 07:00 PM – 11:00 PM.
Venue: Radisson Blu , 301 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8DL.
Join fellow property professionals for the RICS Annual Dinner 2019, Scotland – an opportunity to network with professionals in the region. The dinner will provide the ideal setting to entertain clients, socialise with colleagues and generate new business contacts. Ian Fergusson, RICS Chairman for Scotland looks forward to welcoming guest’s to this year’s Annual Dinner. Set to be held at the prestigious Radisson Blu in Glasgow, with return of this highly anticipated black-tie event, also comes your opportunity to meet up with fellow members, friends and business partners old and new. We have an evening of superb food, entertainment and networking lined up, so put the date in your diary and secure your place now to avoid missing out.

Scottish Living History Festival – Save the Date! 
Date: Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September.
Location: Callendar House, Falkirk.
As part of our 75th anniversary celebrations Archaeology Scotland are planning a special weekend family orientated free event for all – the Scottish Living History Festival will launch this year’s Scottish Archaeology Month. Two full days of interactive hands-on activities, digital experiences (such as recreating archaeological sites in Minecraft) locally sourced high quality food vendors, period musicians, engaging talks from experts, popular talks linking archaeology to Game of Thrones, Outlander and Outlaw King, ancient craft workshops, re-enactment groups including the Antonine Guard and guided walks will all be on offer. There will be displays of skills in leather working, jewellery making, kilt making, metal working and promotion of artisans and craftspeople as well as many hands-on activities for children (simulated excavations, finds sorting, ancient writing, exploring artefact investigation kits, archaeological detective work, archery, marching with Roman soldiers and life as a Viking). We also plan to recreate a Roman milestone where young people can try out stone carving under expert supervision. More details on the website in due course.

Monument in Monuments – Conference
Dates: Monday 2 – Wednesday 4 September 2019
Venue: Engine Shed, Stirling
Cost: Early bird ticket: £125-250 (until Friday 19 April). Full Conference: £300. Day ticket: £60-120.
Our inaugural conference, Monuments in Monuments 2019, brings together conservation practitioners, students and professionals to investigate the challenges facing monument conservation. From Monday 2 – Wednesday 4 September 2019, hear from specialists and experts from around the globe, and explore how traditional skills, emerging technology and conservation science are helping to overcome these challenges. For more information and registration options, visit our website. Our early bird ticket discounts end on Friday 19 April. Student tickets are also available.

Training

CPD: Conserving Concrete 
Date & time: Weds. 24th April 2019 | 12:30-1:30pm.
Venue: 54 Bell Street. Glasgow.
As the architectural heritage of the first half of the 20th century continues to age, an understanding of its more modern materials and methods is crucial to conserving our interwar and post-war buildings. Peter Drummond, FRIAS RIBA and director of Peter Drummond Architects, will present a session on conservation and repair approaches to architectural and decorative concrete. £10 per person / £5 for students, including light lunch.

Conservation 101
Date & time: Friday 3 May 2019, 9.30am – 12.15pm.
Venue: Engine Shed, Stirling
This course is the first in a series of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events which will be held quarterly in Stirling in partnership with RIAS and RICS. Hear from Historic Environment Scotland’s experts covering a wide range of topics in conservation. For further programme information and to register check our website. If you can’t attend this event in person, you can also register for our webinar. This event is free. Booking essential.

CPD: Damp in Traditional Buildings
Date & times: Weds. 8th May 2019 | 12:30-1:30pm.
Venue: 54 Bell Street, Glasgow.
When buildings become damp, either from external water ingress or from internal humidity and condensation, their materials decay faster and their occupants can be exposed to health hazards. Georgina Allison, conservation architect and lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, will remind us how traditional buildings are designed to deal with damp, and what conservation issues and solutions damp buildings may present. £10 per person /£5 for students, including light lunch.

Repair and Maintenance of Masonry Arch Bridges
Date & time: 24 May 2019, 09.30 – 16.30.
Venue: Charlestown Workshops, Fife.
Cost: £190 + vat …… Remember if you are a BLF, IHBC, RICS or RIAS member you are eligible for 20% discount on this seminar. Please just give us a call with your member number.
This one day masterclass looks at all aspects of masonry arch bridge construction and the materials utilized to determine the most appropriate repair schemes. It is suitable for building professionals, contractors, engineers and others involved in heritage work.

RICS Commercial Property Conference, Scotland
Date & time: THU 6 JUN 2019, 10:00 AM – 04:00 PM.
Venue: Radisson Blu, 80 High Street, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1TH.
The commercial property market is in transition and joining fellow professionals from across the sector to network, discuss and analyse key issues and opportunities, is as important as ever. The RICS Commercial Property Conference returns to Scotland to cover the latest policy, market and technological changes to help you stay ahead. This year’s programme will bring together agents, occupiers and investors to strengthen your understanding of the current economic outlook, latest occupier trends, growth opportunities, and risks to the commercial property sector. Whether you are in retail, leisure or office, there will be a session to update you on the current market outlook.
Attend this conference to be at the forefront of what is happening in the industry.
4 hours formal CPD. Link to Programme.

Summer School
Dates: Monday 3 – Friday 7 June 2019
Venue: Engine Shed, Stirling.
Cost: full week £450 or per day £100
Join us for an exciting and varied week of seminars, workshops and day trips in building conservation. This course is the perfect introduction to building conservation, and is a key event in our annual programme. Each day will focus on a different topic. If you cannot commit to a full week, we offer day tickets so you can attend the days that are most relevant to you. For more information about the programme or to book a place, visit the Summer School page on our website.

RICS CPD Day, Aberdeen 2019
Date & time: THU 20 JUN 2019, 08:30 AM – 05:10 PM.
Venue: Hilton Hotel Aberdeen Treetops, 161 Springfield Road, Aberdeen, AB15 7AQ
Enhance your capabilities and knowledge around today’s ever-changing market trends, legislation, and technical guidance. Learn from leading industry professionals and take away practical solutions which can be implemented into your daily practice – benefiting both your business and personal professional development. Everyone has different topics they are interested in, which is why this conference offers a choice of 18 breakout sessions to allow you to tailor the day specifically to your personal CPD needs. Choose from a range of practical breakout sessions, ensuring that the CPD you are set to gain will best meet your needs. 6 hours formal CPD. Link to Programme.

Rock to Roof
Location: Mount Stuart, Bute
Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with the Mount Stuart Trust, have extracted a small quantity of slate block from the historic quarry at Ardmaleish point. SPAB Fellow Richard Jordan, will be delivering a series of workshops and demonstrations in the grounds of Mount Stuart estate on splitting slate block into roofing slate. Scotland has a long history of slate quarrying. Slate from the Isle of Bute was recorded as early as 1445 when 130,000 slates produced from the quarry at Ardmaleish Point were used to repair the roof of the King’s Castle at Dumbarton.  By the 1880s, slate production on Bute had all but ceased until the Hilton quarry was temporarily re-opened to provide roofing slate for Wester Kames Castle. It closed soon after in 1920. Event details and booking instructions will follow shortly. For any enquiries, please contact technicaleducation@hes.scot.

Vacancies

The Society is recruiting for a new ScARF Project Officer
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is seeking an exceptional candidate for the post of ScARF Project Officer. The post will help deliver the Society’s role within Aim 2 of Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy. The successful candidate will assist the ScARF Project Manager with the development and updating of the Scottish Archaeological Research Framework. Work will include helping to co-ordinate projects to create and publish new regional research frameworks as well as updating existing frameworks. The role will also build on the success of the recent ScARF Museums project to help encourage and build capacity for research on archaeological collections in museums.
Closing Date: Monday 22nd April 2019.

Planning Vacancies at Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority
Do you have skills or experience in Development Management, Design, Built Heritage, or Conservation Architecture? If so, read on! Following recent changes with staff moving to promoted roles, and our planning team set to be as busy as ever with lots of planning applications in the pipeline, we have exciting opportunities to join the award-winning Planning teams at Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority. These three roles provide a rare chance to be part of a high performing team within an ambitious organisation delivering significant benefits within Scotland’s first National Park and beyond. Our focus is on getting the right skills and experience for these roles so we are happy to talk flexibly about working hours.
Closing date is: Tuesday 23rd April 2019 @ 12noon.

Advocacy & Communications Officer
Are you passionate about the Heritage Sector? Do you want to work at the heart of heritage, shaping the future of The Heritage Alliance? The Heritage Alliance is the heritage sector’s umbrella organisation and advocacy body and we are seeking an outstanding person to take up the key role of Advocacy and Communications Officer. The successful candidate will join the Alliance’s small, busy team based in offices in Southwark, just behind the Tate Modern.
The closing date for applications is 1st May 2019 with interviews expected a week later.

Development & Membership Manager
Are you passionate about the Heritage Sector? Do you want to work at the heart of heritage, shaping the future of The Heritage Alliance? The Heritage Alliance is the heritage sector’s umbrella organisation and advocacy body and we are seeking an outstanding person to take up the key role of Development and Membership Manager. The successful candidate will join the Alliance’s small, busy team based in offices in Southwark, just behind the Tate Modern.
The closing date for applications is 5th May 2019 with interviews expected a week later.

Vacancies at A&DS
Architecture and Design Scotland is looking for 4 people to join our team. If you would like to help deliver good architecture and successful places, collaborate with others and promote the value of good design, then we’d love to hear from you.

• Principal Design Officer (B3)
• Senior Design Officers (B2)
• Design Officers (B1)

Closing date: Midnight Monday 6 May 2019.

Appointment of Chair of Trustees
Edinburgh World Heritage is seeking an individual with drive and enthusiasm to replace Dr Brian Lang CBE, FRSE, in chairing its energetic and professional Board of Trustees, working with them and the Director to take the organisation forward during a time of change.
Closing date: by 5pm on Monday 27th May 2019.

Commissioner Roles at Historic England
We are currently recruiting three people to join our Commission, the group of experts that make up our governing body. We are seeking candidates with backgrounds in architecture, archaeology and heritage-based tourism. Find out more about these roles and how to apply

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