Helen Lawrenson, Director of Centre for Stewardship, shares examples of successfully re-purposing historic buildings for sustainable uses.
House of Falkland Stables
Over the last 10 years Falkland Stewardship Trust, a registered Scottish charity based on the beautiful designed landscape of Falkland Estate has been sympathetically repurposing heritage buildings in its care.
Sitting at the entrance to Falkland Estate, the B-listed House of Falkland Stables has been home to many residents. Originally designed in 1822-4 by John Swinton, additions and improvements were made in 1889 and gradually over time, horses were supplemented then replaced by motor cars. People have always lived or worked at the Stables and today, the Stables is full of activity. There is a combination of tenanted houses, charity and estate offices as well as public spaces for seminars and craft activities. In 2015 we opened up the South Stables as a small Information Hub to welcome people to the Estate. The gardens around the Stables are edible growing spaces looked after by our conservation volunteers and to the west of the Stables we are evolving a tranquil Ceremonial Space to host weddings and other ceremonies, as well as a space for quiet reflection. The courtyard has been transformed with its large circular grassed space. Pop-up restaurant evenings are now hosted in the original stable block where visitors dine in horse booths. Whilst the horses have gone to pasture, the Stables building is still very much thriving.
The sawmill at Chancefield
For centuries the Forest of Falkland has been a place of woodland enterprise. The sawmill at Chancefield was built in the 1890s and operated till the 1970s after which the building went into decline. In 2015 we were fortunate to secure grant funding and working with the Estate’s own maintenance team, we have brought the building back to life.
Today, the main forestry building at Chancefield is home to two of Falkland Stewardship Trust’s exciting programmes: Our Bright Future which is helping young people to develop skills in the rural sector; and Simple Shelters, a pilot project involving participants in the building and use of huts and other simple structures in the environment. Dotted around Chancefield are smaller huts for artists and crafts people looking to establish a community of skilled makers processing timber and forest products.
Memorial Chapel
“An unfinished building for an unfinished life”, the Memorial Chapel sits in the heart of the designed landscape looking down over the Stables building. The Memorial Chapel was commissioned by Lord and Lady Ninian Crichton Stuart to commemorate their son who died just before his third birthday. The architect was Reginald Fairlie whose family home was the nearby Myres Castle. Work started in 1913 but the building was never complete as Lord Ninian was killed at the Battle of Loos in 1915. Nearly a century after, the Chapel underwent major restoration of its fabric with pointing and a sedum top finish on the walls. Whilst the building continues to remain roofless, it now serves a happier purpose for wedding ceremonies and small musical concerts.
The Temple of Decision
Designed by Alexander Roos for the wealthy estate owners, the Tyndall Bruces, the Temple of Decision was built in 1849 as their summer house. With a grand sweeping stone staircase and four majestic pillars, the Temple would have been one of the most important features within the landscape. Sadly over time, this building fell into decay. In 2016, thanks to funding through the Living Lomonds Landscape Programme, we were able to work with architect Jonathan Gotelee and stone masons LimeRich and Nic Boyes Stone Conservator to carry out consolidation works. Whilst further decay of the building has now halted, the Trust and its partners have time to consider further works and funding applications – so thinking caps on! What purposes can we imagine for this building…
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Download the slides from BEFS recent Land Value Capture event.
The Land Value Capture event (Riddle’s Court, 31 May 2018) held in association with jhplanning, gathered a wide variety of professional perspectives and approaches. There seemed to be a clear collective desire to continue with collaborative approaches, particularly those approaches which take different views into consideration. There is a need to increase infrastructure and housing provision, these were drivers to the current Scottish Planning review, and this event gave clear messages that there is appetite for vital work to continue in this area.
Download the slides from the event here.
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Get The Latest Built Environment News, Events, Vacancies, Consultations And Publications In Our News Bulletin.
BEFS News
The Local Government and Communities Committee has published its report on the Planning (Scotland) Bill. The Committee calls for the Bill to expressly set out a purpose of planning, reflecting an ambition to create “high quality places”. BEFS welcomes the report and looks at the recommendations in relation to BEFS written and oral evidence. Subject to Parliamentary approval, the Stage 1 debate on the Planning (Scotland) Bill will take place on the afternoon of Tuesday 29 May.
The issue of tenement maintenance was progressed in a remarkably consensual Scottish Parliament debate yesterday, with agreement on a motion on the inadequacy of existing legislation in dealing with the condition of Scotland’s tenement housing stock. The motion gives further support to the cross party working group, chaired by Ben Macpherson MSP and secretariat provided by BEFS and the RICS (more information here), and it’s good to see the Minister for Local Government and Housing voting in favour of a review of the relevant legislation. The issue of tenement maintenance was recently presented at a meeting chaired by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs who also advised not to shy away from looking at amending legislation. The parliamentary working group meets again next week to look at resourcing for local authorities to utilise powers, standard entity for owners to organise works and building inspections and BEFS hopes to make papers arising available shortly. Full transcript of yesterday’s parliamentary debate is available here, or you can watch it on Parliament TV here.
Can you spare 10 minutes to contribute to new research for the heritage sector? The State of Heritage Funding Now.
The Scottish Land Commission has published a new report and briefing paper on using land value increases to deliver new housing and development. Written by a team from Heriot-Watt University, the report reviews the UK’s historic experience of land value capture and identifies what lessons current policy makers could take from this experience.
Ahead of BEFS event, Land Value Capture – An Exploration of Methods & Views, BEFS Trustee, Bill Pagan summarises his vision of capturing land value for public benefit, in this week’s blog.
Consultations
Call for Evidence on Experience of Concentrated Land Ownership (SLC 15/18)
Scotland has an unusually concentrated pattern of land ownership compared to other countries and the pattern has remained largely unchanged for decades. Concern about the effects that this has on rural communities and the wider public interest has long been a central issue in the land reform debate in Scotland. The call for evidence will be open until 30 June 2018.
Environmental Principles and Governance after EU Exit (BG 10/05/18)
Opened 10 May 2018 and closes 2 Aug 2018.
Consultation Responses
National Lottery Strategic Funding Framework 2019-2024 – Consultation Findings (HLF 21/05/18)
Improving Parking in Scotland: Consultation Analysis Report (Transport Scotland 21/05/18)
Publications
Stage 1 Report on the Planning (Scotland) Bill (LGCC 17/05/18)
Report on the Consultation on the Scottish Government’s Draft National Outcomes (LGCC 15/05/18)
Annual Report on Welfare Reform Follow up Paper: Housing and Social Security (SG 14/05/18)
Affordable Housing Supply Funding – SPICe Briefing (SP 11/05/18)
Scottish Government News Releases
Household numbers continue to rise (SG 22/05/18)
The number of households in Scotland has continued to increase to 2.46 million in 2017, according to figures published today by National Records of Scotland (NRS).
Promoting Scotland’s cultural heritage (SG 12/05/18)
The Scottish Government has invited Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) to apply for European Regional Development Funding (ERDF) to establish a multi-million pound Challenge Fund to protect and promote the Highlands & Islands natural and cultural heritage assets.
Energy efficiency in social housing (SG 10/05/18)
Social housing landlords will be able to make their properties more energy efficient, with money from a £3.5 million decarbonisation fund. Local authorities and housing associations will be able to use the fund on projects that improve energy efficiency and decarbonise heating, for example when installing solar panels or air source heat pumps.
News Releases
RIAS Response to Hackitt Review (RIAS 22/05/18)
The Hackitt review proposes a new regulatory standard for high rise high risk residential buildings of 10 storeys plus.
£8.6 million for heritage led projects in Scotland’s seven cities (HES 19/05/18)
Scotland’s seven cities are set to benefit from over £8.6 million of investment for heritage-led regeneration projects. The funding is being released through the City Heritage Trust programme, which is administered by Historic Environment Scotland (HES).
CIfA and DGUF to sign memorandum of understanding (CifA 17/05/18)
On 12 May, CIfA’s Board of Directors and the Deutschen Gesellschaft für Ur- und Frühgeschichte e.V (DGUF) signalled their intention to formally sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) designed to permanently regulate the cooperation between the two associations. The MoU recognises that both organisations have a commitment to the promotion of archaeology, care for our cultural heritage and good practice in archaeology.
LIS Launches the Mark Turnbull Travel Award (LIS 14/05/18)
Using overseas travel to gain an insight into best and innovative landscape practice to address some of the current landscape challenges facing Scotland. This award will benefit future generations of graduate landscape architects in Scotland as well as the practice of landscape architecture by bringing overseas experience and knowledge back to the country.
EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards 2018: 29 winners from 17 countries announced (EN 15/05/18)
The winners of the 2018 EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards, Europe’s top honour in the field, were announced today by the European Commission and Europa Nostra, the leading European heritage network. The 29 laureates from 17 countries have been recognised for their impressive accomplishments in conservation, research, dedicated service, and education, training and awareness-raising.
2018 EU Prize for Cultural Heritage / Europa Nostra Awards – Public Choice Award (EN 15/05/18)
You should vote for 3 projects. You cannot vote for the same country more than once. You need to confirm your vote by clicking on the e-mail that you will receive. The winner will be announced at the European Heritage Awards Ceremony on 22 June 2018 in Berlin, Germany. Deadline for voting is 10 June 2018.
Edinburgh Doors Open Day (CA 05/18)
Be part of Edinburgh’s biggest free celebration of architecture, culture and history. The Cockburn Association is currently seeking expressions of interest for new venues and events for Doors Open Days 2018. Find out more and get involved!
Braw Buildings (Hostelling Scotland 05/18)
Hostelling Scotland have partnered with Scottish Civic Trust’s Doors Open Days and ScotRail on an exciting new project for the Year of Young People 2018. The Braw Buildings Project offers young people in Scotland the chance to stay in one of 6 Youth Hostels across Scotland and take part in Doors Open Days.
Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF) – now open for applications (SG 14/05/18)
The Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, delivered in partnership with COSLA and local government, supports locally developed regeneration projects that involve local communities, helping to support and create jobs and build sustainable communities.
Energy efficient buildings: Council adopts revised directive (European Council 14/05/18)
The Council today adopted a revised directive on the energy performance of buildings, so completing the final stage in the legislative procedure. The directive improves energy efficiency in buildings and encourages building renovation. Decarbonising the existing, highly inefficient European building stock is one of its long term goals.
New environment law to deliver a Green Brexit (BG 10/05/18)
Environmental Principles and Governance Bill announced as consultation launches on new body to hold government to account. A new Environmental Principles and Governance Bill will ensure environmental protections will not be weakened as we leave the EU, the government has confirmed.
Opinion & Comment
Back to the Land? (Mark Stephens, Heriot-Watt University for SLC 23/05/18)
Three Thatched Buildings You Need To Know (Rosanne Watts, HES 18/05/18)
RTPI Scotland: Planning Bill must make clear planning will defend public interest (RTPI 17/05/18)
Plaque attack! (Kenny Brophy, 15/05/18)
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”.
Graham Simpson S5W-16603
To ask the Scottish Government whether it still plans to introduce a Warm Homes Bill. (SP 11/05/18)
Elaine Smith S5W-16753
To ask the Scottish Government how many of its proposed 50,000 affordable homes will be accessible to disabled people. (SP 17/05/18)
Elaine Smith S5W-16754
To ask the Scottish Government how many affordable homes there have been in each local authority area in each year since 2016. (SP 17/05/18)
Elaine Smith S5W-16755
To ask the Scottish Government how many affordable homes in each local authority area have been (a) built and (b) demolished in each year since 2016. (SP 17/05/18)
Elaine Smith S5W-16769
To ask the Scottish Government how it encourages the private sector to modify homes in line with the needs of disabled tenants. (SP 17/05/18)
Elaine Smith S5W-16770
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to meet the demand for accessible housing for disabled people. (SP 17/05/18)
Motions
Motion debated on 23/05/18
Graham Simpson: Housing—That the Parliament believes that existing legislation is inadequate in dealing with the condition of Scotland’s tenement housing stock; backs calls for changes to legislation including, for example, having mandatory building health checks; believes that property factors can play a part in a new system; considers that there are property factor companies that perform their duties well, but that there are some that are performing poorly; acknowledges the limited role of the First-tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber) in improving the performance of property factors and considers that the system for members of the public to make complaints should be improved; believes that there is a need for a more robust process to remove property factors that repeatedly break the property factors code of conduct or duties, and calls on the Scottish Government to review the current system.
- The SNP amendment agreed there should be a review of existing regulation relating to the maintenance of tenements, which would cover mandatory health checks and property factors.
- Labour’s amendment called for a “new system” and a review of the “gaps” in housing legislation, as well as suggesting more robust regulation for factors.
- The Green and Liberal Democrat amendments were not selected for debate.
Events
For the latest information about BEFS Members’ events see our events calendar.
RSA Scotland: MCICH Network – Politics of Cultural Memory in the Nations of Europe
Date: Mon 18 June 2018, from 17:45 – 19:30.
Venue: Hawthornden Lecture Theatre, National Galleries of Scotland, Edinburgh EH2 2EL.
RSA Fellows and guests, IIC Members and NGS Patrons, Friends and Supporters are warmly invited to attend this lecture, the second in an RSA Fellows’ Media, Creative Industries, Culture & Heritage Network (MCICH) Series to mark 2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage. The MCICH Network extends its thanks to the Diplomatic Academy, Vienna, National Galleries of Scotland RSA Scotland for support of this event. Early booking is advised. Dr. Emil Brix, born in Vienna, is a diplomat and historian. He is the Director of the Diplomatic Academy in Vienna. He has served in the Austrian diplomatic service.
Causy Development Trust Annual General Meeting 2018
Date: Tuesday, 19 June, from 7pm.
Venue: Buccleuch & Greyfriars Free Church, 10 West Crosscauseway, EH8 9JP
Causey Development Trust AGM 2018 is on Tuesday 19th June at 7pm. The guest speaker will be Daisy Narayanan, Project Director, Central Edinburgh transformation, CEC, Deputy Director, Sustrans Scotland. All welcome!
RTPI Sir Patrick Geddes Commemorative Lecture: Tessy Britton – The Participatory City (NOT SOLD OUT as website suggests)
Date: 26 June from 6pm.
Venue: Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh.
Tessy Britton, Founding CEO of The Participatory City, will give this year’s Geddes Lecture at the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh. The Participatory City Foundation is an organisation established to create a large citizen-led participation ecosystem in Barking and Dagenham. Book here.
Training
From Quarry to Quoin: A Conservation Guide to Stonework
Date: 19 June 2018, 9am-1pm.
Venue: Walpole Hall, Chester Street, Edinburgh EH3 7EN.
£50/£40 EWH members
Join us for the next instalment of our training series: a comprehensive training session where we will explore all aspects of stonework from the quarry to the workshop and beyond.
Topics covered:
- Quarries
- Geology of the World Heritage Site
- Stone matching, workability and maintenance
- Health and safety
- Practical demonstrations
Speakers include:
- Marcus Paine, Hutton Stone
- Katie Strang, Scottish Lime Centre
- Luis Albornoz, British Geological Survey
- Christa Gerdwilker, Historic Environment Scotland
- Maggie Tennant, St Mary’s Cathedral Workshop
- Jordan Kirk, St Mary’s Cathedral Workshop
The RIAS is happy to recommend this event to its members, and it is recognised by the IHBC for CPD.
Vacancies
Volunteer with us! Architecture Fringe
With the Architecture Fringe 2018 programme released into the world we are now seeking some assistance in helping us to successfully deliver this year’s festival. We are a volunteer-run organisation and we are looking for like-minded people to enter into the spirit of contributing a small amount of their time in helping us to enact positive change on Scotland’s built environment.
Should this be of interest please drop us a line at hello@architecturefringe.com noting ‘Volunteer Help’ in the subject heading by 12 noon on Monday 28th May 2018.
Programme Manager
This is an exciting opportunity to lead the delivery of the North Isles Landscape Partnership Scheme, following a successful funding application. The North Isles Landscape Partnership Scheme will raise awareness of and conserve and enhance the distinct identities of Orkney’s North Isles through the delivery of a number of projects. In the latest Halifax Rural Areas Quality of Life Survey, Orkney retained the title of Britain’s best rural place to live. The aspiration is to improve the condition of heritage assets, make heritage more accessible, encouraging the involvement of young people and the sharing of heritage between generations. Closing date: Sunday 03 June 2018.
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 tel: BEFS Office on 0131 220 6241.
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BEFS Trustee, Bill Pagan offers his personal take on how to capture land value to public benefit, ahead of BEFS event.
In informal discussions at recent events, I have outlined a possible way of capturing some of the value of development land to public benefit, while not discouraging development. This is in part a response to the proposals by Thomas Aubrey in his BEFS Annual Lecture last year, and his subsequent Report on Edinburgh City Region. BEFS upcoming event on Land Value Capture seemed an appropriate incentive to put my thoughts down on paper.
The principles behind my proposal are:
- That a variable Levy on development land be introduced, the levy being payable to:
- A new Scottish Land (or Infrastructure) Fund.
As well as raising cash for housing land, an aim of this Levy is that it will contain sufficient encouragement for land to be developed that contentious, costly and slow Compulsory Purchase powers will not be needed, although these powers will continue in place.
The Levy will be seen as a Tax, which is within Devolved Powers, and more difficult to oppose. Since Governments of all colours detest “hypothecated” general Taxes and equivalent, and since in practice the hypothecation disappears after an initial year or two (see Gordon Brown’s NIC increase to assist the NHS, for example) a separate Fund as the destination for the Levy is necessary.
My proposals are that, once the “Scottish Land (or Infrastructure) Fund” is established, it will be funded by the Scottish Government sufficiently to enable it to purchase potential Development Land not already in public ownership, and that the proposed Levy is paid to it as well.
I suggest that at least two years’ notice of the introduction of the Levy is given, encouraging those owning potential development sites (especially those owning sites with existing Planning Consents) to accelerate their plans to develop, and avoid the new Levy. This, as a one-time benefit, should unlock sites at present being banked.
The new Levy will be payable immediately on introduction of the Levy if Planning Permission in Principle (PPiP) has been in place for two years, otherwise on the earliest of:
- Two years after the grant of PPiP,
- The sale in the market, of land with PPiP,
- The start of construction – but
- with reduced rates of the Levy for brownfield sites, and
- with higher rates of the Levy for green belt sites.
If the owner of the land sells it to the Fund at a small discount, then no Levy will be payable if:
- The price is paid over 10 years, and
- Without interest on that price, and
- Without inflation uplift on that price.
I look forward to hearing your views, and discussing the challenges and opportunities presented by capturing land value at BEFS event, Land Value Capture – an exploration of methods & views, later this month.
ADDITION: A PDF demonstrating the sums behind the description above can now be found here.
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A summary of the Local Government & Communities Committee recommendations in relation to the BEFS written and oral evidence.
BEFS welcomes the report from the Local Government & Communities Committee and below looks at the recommendations in relation to BEFS written and oral evidence.
Planning Purpose: The Committee recommends a purpose for planning be included in the Bill to “reflect the ambition to create high quality places, to protect and enhance the environment, to meet human rights to housing, health and livelihoods, to create economic prosperity and to meet Scotland’s climate change goals and international obligations.” BEFS strongly supports such a definition having recommended alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals.
National Planning Framework/Scottish Planning Policy: It supports the merging of NPF and SPP but wishes SPP to be made explicit in the Bill. It recommends Parliamentary approval be required for the NPF and any amendments. The committee does not support the withdrawal of statutory regional planning “unless a more robust mechanism is provided to that currently proposed in the Bill.” BEFS submission stated for the need for regional planning to have a statutory basis or local authority funds would easily be diverted.
Supplementary Guidance: It seeks further clarification from the Scottish Government on how matters which were previously the subject to statutory supplementary guidance should now be articulated and given sufficient weight to ensure development is in accordance with an authority’s plan. BEFS Members had strong concern on the loss of supplementary guidance.
Local Place Plans: The Committee is concerned that Local Place Plans will privilege already empowered communities resulting in widened inequality and is unconvinced that enough resource is available to support their creation – “as things stand the proposals for LPPs run the risk of being disregarded or ineffective.”
Appeals: It does not think the Bill addresses the imbalance in between applicants and communities within the planning system and while not wholly recommending equal rights of appeal does seem to be suggesting a higher threshold is introduced for applicant appeals. The committee “urge the Scottish Government to look at these issues before Stage 2” – BEFS flagged the need for robust research on this topic early on the review of the planning system.
Simplified Development Zones: It recommends that Simplified Development Zones are part of the NPF and LDP and should only be proposed by planning authorities and Scottish Government with full public consultation. They acknowledge the Minister’s commitment to amend the Bill at Stage 2 to identify the types of land that may not be included in an SDZ scheme – BEFS has a preference for designated areas (eg conservation areas) to be excluded.
Infrastructure Levy/Land Value Capture: The Committee notes the ongoing research on infrastructure levy and land value capture and seeks timetables and clarification on details to be laid before Parliament. Don’t miss the opportunity to explore Land Value Capture options at BEFS forthcoming event on Thursday 31st May 2018.
Enforcement: While welcoming increased fines in relation to enforcement the committee asks that Scottish Government ensure planning authorities are properly resourced to take action – planning departments being properly resourced is an issue for many proposals within the Planning Bill.
Training: It does not support mandatory training for Councillors on planning committees but recommends that training should be available as CPD and include: community engagement, equalities and human rights duties; challenges in urban and rural settings, environmental and sustainability duties – arguably “environmental” includes the historic environment but it would be good to see that referenced. Alternatively, it recommends that all decision- takers in planning should be subject to the same training requirements – potentially applying to all Councillors and Scottish Ministers.
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Get The Latest Built Environment News, Events, Vacancies, Consultations And Publications In Our News Bulletin.
BEFS News
Join us for Land Value Capture – An Exploration of Methods & Views, on 31st May in Edinburgh. This event will provide a forum for built environment professionals and others with an interest in land to discuss the potential for land value capture as a means of increasing housing supply across all tenures, funding future infrastructure, and investing in placemaking.
The Local Government and Communities Committee has agreed its Stage 1 report on the Planning (Scotland) Bill. The report will be published on Thursday 17 May at the Committee’s digital reports hub on the Parliament’s website here.
Currently there is no major research into the funding landscape for the heritage sector in Scotland. Evaluation during the four years of Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage (RSH) has made it clear how crucial a report of this kind is for sector understanding and development. You can contribute to ‘The State of Heritage Funding Now’ research, which has been commissioned by the RSH partners (Archaeology Scotland, Arts & Business Scotland, BEFS, greenspace scotland, & Museums Galleries Scotland) by completing this short survey.
The Scottish Heritage Angel Awards 2018 are now open for nominations. Groups and individuals involved in heritage projects across Scotland are encouraged to enter as the scheme returns for a fourth year.
BEFS Trustee, Jocelyn Cunliffe, reflects on the content and discussions at BEFS recent workshop, ‘Keeping Church Buildings Alive’, organised in partnership with Scottish Redundant Churches Trust, Scotland’s Churches Trust and The Prince’s Foundation, in our blog this week.
Special Announcement
Through BEFS bulletin you regularly receive information on our activities and other relevant news on policies, funding and activities related to the built environment. Our bulletin also includes invitations to our events and calls to participate in awards, events and research undertaken by BEFS partners and member organisations.
As you may know, the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) will take effect on 25 May 2018. This important EU regulation aims primarily to give control back to EU citizens and residents over the use of their personal data.
In compliance with the GDPR, we want to ensure that you are happy to continue receiving BEFS bulletin and the third party jobs, events, publications and news it contains. Subscribers have previously given their consent to receive BEFS bulletin but, we want to make sure that you are aware that you can opt-out from receiving future editions of the bulletin at any time. To opt out simply scroll to the very end of this email and click ‘unsubscribe from this list’.
We process the data you provide when you sign up to BEFS bulletin under the ‘legitimate interest’ legal basis of GDPR. We will shortly have a new Data Protection Policy and Privacy Notice online, providing more details of how we deal with your data. We will share this in a bulletin in due course. However, rest assured that we will never sell or share your data with third parties, or use your contact details for anything other than BEFS bulletin.
Consultations
Consultation on the Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing post-2020 (EESSH2)
Opened 2 May 2018 and closes 27 Jul 2018.
Energy Efficient Scotland Consultation: Making our homes and buildings warmer, greener and more efficient
Opened 2 May 2018 and closes 27 Jul 2018.
A Consultation on Land and Buildings Transaction Tax – Property Investment Funds
Opened 3 May 2018 and closes 2 Aug 2018.
Publications
Human Rights and the Work of the Scottish Land Commission: A discussion paper (SLC 08/05/18)
Energy Efficient Scotland: Route Map (SG 02/05/18)
Energy Efficient Scotland – Partial Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (SG 02/05/18)
Energy Efficient Scotland – Strategic Environmental Assessment: Environmental Report (SG 02/05/18)
Energy Efficient Scotland: Equality Impact Assessment (SG 02/05/18)
Housing and life experiences: policy development (Joseph Roundtree Foundation 30/04/18)
Infrastructure Investment Plan 2015 – Progress Report for 2017 (SG 30/04/18)
Scottish Government News
Scottish Awards for Quality in Planning 2018 (SG 08/05/18)
The applications are open until Thursday 24th May 2018, information about this year’s Scottish Awards for Quality for Planning can be found on our blog. If you are looking for inspiration for our new #SAQP2018 children and young people category, have a look at these projects from our Making Places event last year.
Funding for fuel poverty and energy efficiency (SG 02/05/18)
Funding of £54.5 million to help tackle fuel poverty and reduce greenhouse gas emissions has been announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
‘Changing Places’ facilities coming to Dundee Station (SG 02/05/18)
Campaigners welcome project approval. Accessibility campaigners in Dundee will welcome the news Transport Minister Humza Yousaf has approved Changing Places facilities at the city’s key rail station.
£3 billion of new infrastructure built (SG 30/04/18)
Investment includes road, rail and hospital. The Queensferry Crossing, a new hospital and major motorway improvements are among £3 billion worth of infrastructure projects completed in Scotland last year.
News Releases
Smell of heritage: a framework for the identification, analysis and archival of historic odours (ICON 05/05/18)
We don’t know much about the smells of the past. Yet, odours play an important role in our daily lives: they affect us emotionally, psychologically and physically, and influence the way we engage with history. Can this lead us to consider certain smells as cultural heritage? And if so, what would be the processes for the identification, protection and conservation of those heritage smells?
The Old Royal High School is under threat! (CA 04/05/18)
The Cockburn Association together with Edinburgh World Heritage and New Town & Broughton Community Council have launched a Crowd Justice fundraising appeal today. Thomas Hamilton’s Royal High School, built between 1825-9, is one of the most important Greek Revival buildings in Europe and was one of the buildings to inspire the moniker of ‘Athens of the North’. Please help us win the planning appeal by pledging a contribution!
Conservation Conversations (ICON Scotland Group)
Icon Scotland Group’s Blog aims to promote the high standard of heritage conservation activities in Scotland and showcase a range of events, people and projects from all conservation disciplines. If you are involved in a conservation related project or event or in Scotland, or would just like to share your enthusiasm for all things heritage, they would love to hear from you! All disciplines and people are welcome. For submission guidelines, or if you have any questions, please contact Blog Administrator, Emily hickemily@hotmail.com.
Review offers springboard for improving Green Infrastructure across the CSGN (CSGN 04/05/18)
The Glasgow & Clyde Valley Green Network Partnership has today published its much anticipated Report into the quality of Green Infrastructure (GI) policies across the Central Scotland Green Network region.
Are you considering transforming your property? – Sign up to Architect in the Hoose
and speak to an architect for ideas and inspiration! (RIAS 04/18)
The scheme is very simple and all contributions go to charity – architects across Scotland are offering hour-long consultations to the public in return for a £45 donation (a bargain!) to the Architects Benevolent Society (ABS). The ABS helps people of all ages who have experienced redundancy, illness, accident or bereavement. One in six of those cared for is under the age of 35, and half of those helped by the Society are below retirement age.
International Summer Academy on Managing Historic Urban Landscapes – Open Call for early career participants (EN 04/05/18)
Europa Nostra and partners invite early career professionals (‘up to 40 years old’) across Europe to apply to the Open Call for participation in the International Summer Academy ‘Managing Historic Urban Landscapes’, which will take place from 5-12 August 2018, in Petrovaradin, Novi Sad, Serbia, with applications closing 15 May 2018.
CSGN Development Fund Provides Funding Boost of £355,000 to Central Scotland Green Projects (CSGN 03/05/18)
Central Scotland Green Network Trust (CSGNT) today (2 May 2018) announced that 14 environmental projects across Central Scotland have benefitted from a green funding boost totalling over £355,000.
Tram Extension Plans – Cockburn Response (CA 27/04/18)
The Cockburn Association supports the extension of Edinburgh’s current tram line. Trams to Newhaven: community integration and well-being must be centre stage. Approach must be Civic Design led; supporting community vitality and viability.
Opinion & Comment
Cities need to cool down to survive (Milena Ivkovic, RTPI 08/05/18)
Is Airbnb a threat to historic cities and towns? (Cliff Hague, 07/05/18)
Planners are key players in this urban century (Cliff Hague & Christine Platt for RTPI, 18/04/18)
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-15933: Graeme Dey, Angus South, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 17/04/2018
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its guidance regarding engaging communities in decisions relating to land, as required under Part 4 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016.
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham (18/04/2018)
Motions
Motions for debate today
Kevin Stewart: A Route Map to an Energy Efficient Scotland—That the Parliament welcomes the publication of the Energy Efficient Scotland Route Map and continued recognition by the Scottish Government of energy efficiency as a national infrastructure priority; acknowledges that, by 2040, the Energy Efficient Scotland programme will make the country’s homes and buildings warmer, greener and more efficient, remove poor energy efficiency as a driver of fuel poverty, help achieve Scotland’s climate change targets and maximise the local economic benefits across all of Scotland arising from an investment programme that has a ‘whole economy’ value of around £10bn; welcomes Scotland’s ambitions to tackle climate change and fuel poverty as a huge opportunity to transform the energy efficiency of existing domestic and non-domestic buildings, drawing together action at a national and local level that is undertaken by individuals, businesses and the public and third sectors, and notes that this will build on the work of the Scottish Government, Scotland’s 32 local authorities and partners that have improved over one million homes and non-domestic properties since 2008.
– The Conservative amendment suggested an earlier target for all homes to meet the EPC C rating of “no later than 2030”.
– Labour’s amendment suggested the target to reduce fuel poverty levels was not ambitious enough and called for fuel poverty to be eradicated.
– The Green amendment called for public spending to be “substantially accelerated” to achieve these aims.
– The Liberal Democrat amendment criticised the lack of recognition for improving energy efficiency and tackling fuel poverty in remote, rural and island communities.
Events
For the latest information about BEFS Members’ events see our events calendar.
RIAS Convention 2018 – ‘Future Directions’
Date: Fri, 11 May 2018, 09:00 – Sat, 12 May 2018, 14:00.
Venue: Queens Cross Church, 38 Albyn Place, Aberdeen, AB10 1YN.
This year’s RIAS Convention is generously sponsored by Gartcarron Fire Engineering, Kingspan Insulation and Marsh. We are delighted that this year’s RIAS Convention will take place at Queens Cross Church in Aberdeen. The church was put out to competition and won by local architect, John Bridgeford Pirie (Messrs Pirie and Clyne). Completed in 1881, the church is built of grey granite, has a tower and spire rising to a height of 145 feet and cost c. £7000 to build. Both the Friday and Saturday events will take place at the church and we will be able to enjoy its new extension by RIAS Chartered Practice, Lee Boyd Limited. As this is the Scottish Government’s Year of Young People, our Saturday session will focus on architectural education and showcase the work from some of our talented students of architecture. The Convention Dinner will take place at the Aberdeen Douglas Hotel, which has been welcoming guests since 1848.
Dryburgh Abbey – Its Picturesque Landscape Re-assessed
Date: Monday 21 May 2018, 9.45am – 4.45pm.
Location: Dryburgh Abbey, St. Boswells.
This whole day event hosted by Historic Environment Scotland in conjunction with The Gardens Trust focuses on the extensive designed landscape surrounding Dryburgh Abbey in the Scottish Borders. The day will start from the Abbey car park with guided tours of central parts of the designed landscape. This will be followed by morning coffee at Dryburgh Abbey Hotel after which we will learn of the history of the landscape and its development, historical connections and cultural significance by the author of the comprehensive Conservation Management Plan which has been commissioned for the site, landscape architect Peter McGowan. After a light lunch we will go out for the afternoon tour of outer parts of the landscape. We then return to the Hotel for afternoon tea and hear of context of abbeys being used as follies within landscapes, before concluding the day’s events by opening up the discussion on alternative options for how the designed landscape could be managed in the future.
Vernacular Buildings Seminar
Date: Thursday 24 May 2018, from 9.30am – 4.30pm.
Venue: Engine Shed, Stirling.
This one day event will explore the local materials and skills used to make Scotland’s historic rural houses. From earth to thatch, timber to stone, these buildings are the original eco-builds.
Archaeological Research in Progress 2018
Date: Sat 26 May 2018, from 09:15 – 17:30.
Venue: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ.
The national conference examining recent and ongoing archaeological projects across Scotland will take place at the Engine Shed in Stirling on Saturday 26th May 2018. This conference is supported by Historic Environment Scotland and is delivered in partnership with the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. The all-day conference gives the audience the opportunity to hear first-hand about the most recent archaeological projects across Scotland and should not be missed. Offering great value for the full day (lunch and refreshments are included in the ticket price) there are further discounts for Archaeology Scotland and Society of Antiquaries of Scotland members. Book now to ensure your place.
Industrial Riverside Health Walk
Date: Wednesday 30 May 2018, from 2pm – 3pm.
Venue: Engine Shed, Stirling.
Surrounded by the River Forth, the Riverside area had been the port of Stirling for hundreds of years.
From the medieval period till the 1940s, ships and boats carried people and goods from Stirling to ports around the world. During the 18th, 19th and 20th centuries many of these goods, including agriculture, machinery, carriages, barrels and fabric, were manufactured in the Riverside area.
On this Heritage Health Walk join Moses Jenkins from Historic Environment Scotland to learn about the industrial heritage in this area. Free – Booking essential.
Young Surveyors Conservation Day
Date: Friday 1 June 2018, from 9.30am – 4.30pm.
Venue: Engine Shed, Stirling.
A one-day seminar on building conservation basics for surveyors. Learn about the conservation principles for traditional and historic structures, gain an insight into how to use traditional mortars and building components. Suitable for newly qualified and graduate surveyors. Free – but booking essential.
Scotland Branch – MATE session
Date: 7 June.
Location: Glasgow.
IHBC are holding another Membership Application Training Event – the main aim of which is to assist people in upgrading their membership from either Affiliate/Associate to Full membership.
There will be a presentation from Kate Kendall, IHBC Education, Training & Standards Liaison Officer followed by small group discussions. Kate Kendall said: ‘These events are a great way for prospective applicants to find out how to understand their skills, knowledge and experience in the context of IHBC membership criteria and accreditation. And all this is free too, offered to anyone interested in IHBC membership as part of the IHBC’s charitable support for the care of the built and historic environment.’ To book your FREE place please email Kate at LETS@ihbc.org.uk.
HES’s Building Conservation Summer School
Date: 11th to 15th June 2018.
Venue: Engine Shed, Stirling.
We are delighted to announce that the programme for our annual Summer School has now been announced. This five-day day course provides a great introduction to building conservation; it is taught by leading experts in the heritage sector and as well as lectures, the programme includes exclusive site visits and hands-on workshops. You can get a discounted weekly ticket or a day ticket if you are interested in attending a particular day. In support for the Year of Young People, we are offering a limited number of bursary places to those starting their careers in conservation. You must be between 18 and 26 years of age and have a passion for building conservation.
IHBC Annual School 2018, Northern Ireland Branch
Date: 21-23 June.
Location: Belfast.
Our shared Heritage – communication | negotiation | transformation. Secure your place for the next in IHBC’s celebrated series of Schools. Bursaries are still available and low-cost residential options ensure IHBC members and colleagues can explore our Full School tour options, from the global brand of the Titanic quarter or the nationally important country house, to local contested heritage, all offering some of the best value heritage CPD around, and all courtesy of the IHBC. IHBC Director Sean O’Reilly said: ‘This year we’ve substantially upgraded our online CPD support, as a taster for the future, so be sure to make early and full use of the CPD references, links and area guidance, as well as our social media, to make the best of another unique IHBC learning experience.’
Training
Rubble Wall Building
Date: 5 – 6 June 2018.
Venue: Merryhill Training Centre, Fife KY11 3DR.
This practical two day course will equip you to set out, construct and finish a traditional rubble wall using a variety of building stones and traditional lime mortars. The importance of laying the stones correctly and the use of pinning stones will be emphasised so that no more than 30% of the volume of the wall is mortar! The content of this workshop provides part of the underpinning knowledge required for assessment and accreditation of SQA National Unit 3 – ‘Conservation Masonry’.
Intensive Training Week – C1,C2 & National Units
Date: 11 – 15 June 2018.
Venue: Merryhill Training Centre, Fife KY11 3DR.
This intensive week of training and assessment will combine our courses ‘C1 Making and Using Traditional Mortars’ and ‘C2 Traditional Masonry Repair’ with continual assessment to allow you to gain SQA National Units 1, 2 & 3 in Conservation Masonry within five intensive days. You require to have trowel skills to participate and be assessed.
Rendering & Harling with Lime
Date: 21 – 22 June 2018.
Venue: Merryhill Training Centre, Fife KY11 3DR.
This course will enable you to apply a variety of external lime finishes including formal ‘lined out’ work to less formal textured harled finishes to a wide range of background types including matching in to existing finishes. Attendance at this two day workshop will let you get to grips with both hand casting and mechanical application techniques to effect a range of surface finishes and is relevant for the reinstatement of traditional lime finishes and for new build applications.
3-Day Practical Gilding Course
Date: September 3-5.
Location: Glasgow.
This course will familiarise participants with the materials, methods and techniques of both water and oil gilding. It will provide opportunities to learn skills relating to gilding using traditional materials and techniques. This is a practical course and particularly suited to newly-qualified conservators but it is also suitable for anyone with an interest in gilding.
To quote the Tutor, Tim Ritson, “Gilding skills are very transferable and even as an experienced gilder I’m always interested in picking up new techniques.”
All tools and materials are included in the cost. Lunch, tea and coffee will be provided. The course will run from 10:00 – 16:00 each day. The course is taught by Tim Ritson, Head of Frames Conservation at the Royal Museums Greenwich and experienced trainer. Tim is passionate about teaching and sharing his knowledge to promote the continuance of traditional craft skill.
Vacancies
Govanhill Baths Capital Project Director
Govanhill Baths Community Trust‘s goal is to re-open the Govanhill Baths as a Wellbeing Centre and at the same time contribute to the wider social, cultural and built regeneration of Govanhill as a community through a range of activities. It is the role of the Capital Project Manager to ensure successful delivery of the above refurbishment and new build programme. This will involve managing the Design Team and other external consultants, developing partnerships with local organisations, and working closely with programming and operational staff to ensure that the capital works are capable of underpinning the delivery of a sustainable programme and business model for Govanhill Baths.
Deadline for applications is 5pm 15th May 2018.
Scottish Civic Trust Project Officer
The purpose of the role is to coordinate the Trust’s Civic Connections project, working closely with the Director. This project involves supporting and developing the Trust’s network of local heritage groups, amenity societies and civic trusts through events, including an annual conference and lecture, and promotional material and resources. The project will recognise that intergenerational activity, particularly at the local level, is very important. The project will set out to encourage all members of the community, and young people (under 25) in particular, to take an active interest in their local heritage.
Closing date for applications: 5pm on Wednesday 16 May 2018
Regional Services Coordinator (part-time)
The post holder will work within the regional RICS team in Scotland to coordinate meetings, events and activities to actively contribute to the organization’s objectives as outlined in the RICS UK business plan. This is a part-time position, working 21 hours per week, Wednesday to Friday.
Application close date: 1 June 2018.
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 tel: BEFS Office on 0131 220 6241.
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BEFS Trustee, Jocelyn Cunliffe, reflects on the content and discussions at BEFS recent workshop, ‘Keeping Church Buildings Alive’.
BEFS, in partnership with the Scottish Redundant Churches Trust (SRCT), Scotland’s Churches Trust (SCT), The Princes Foundation and with the financial support of Historic Environment Scotland (HES), ran a pilot Workshop on Monday 23 April 2018 at Renfield St Stephen’s, Glasgow, with the title ‘Keeping Church Buildings Alive’. This was described as a legacy project of BRICK – the BRICK (Building Resources, Innovation and Community Knowledge) Programme was an innovative four-year-long education programme designed by The Prince’s Regeneration Trust (now part of The Prince’s Foundation) ‘to build skills, provide expertise and improve connections’ – a UK-wide programme which ran until March 2018.
BEFS’ Director Euan Leitch introduced the event and explained that it was directed at anyone who manages a church or might in the future manage a church. Just over twenty organisations who own or manage churches attended. The audience was divided approximately 50/50 between community groups and faith groups. A survey which was sent to all participants prior to the Workshop identified the three topics that people most wanted to know more about: searching for funding, including for maintenance; generating income and what makes a successful funding application; and how to make your building warmer and cheaper to maintain.
Raymond Young, Chair of the General Trustees of the Church of Scotland, took as his title ‘Historic Churches – New 21st Century Partnerships?’ He pointed out that the Church of Scotland’s estate includes 4,000 + churches, halls, manses and glebes; it owns the largest collection of listed buildings in Scotland and is a dynamic estate with church buildings being closed, disposed of and new ones built. He predicted that over the next 10 years the Church may need to get rid of 600 churches, of which approximately 60% may be listed. What is the future of these churches? It is very unlikely that any more churches owned by the Church of Scotland will go into guardianship (as St Serf’s, Dunning) and be looked after by Scottish Ministers, but transference to a local trust, eg Govan Old, or to a community trust, eg Portobello Old, where Action Porty, who achieved the first urban community buy-out, with the Scottish Land Fund contributing 94% of the purchase price, are working to develop the church and halls as a community asset, may be models. We need to focus on the potential of churches and look at new funding and leasing arrangements. What happens if a SCIO fails? Why can’t the Big Lottery fund a faith-based organisation? Raymond’s talk raised many questions and pointed to a variety of ways forward.
The next speaker, Dorothy Hoskins from HES, described HES’s experiences of community engagement in relation to the Engine Shed, Stirling. She was followed by Judith Roebuck of the Church of Scotland’s Committee for Church Art and Architecture (CARTA) whose talk was on achieving church closure and what might happen to the contents of closed churches. She explored the relationship between the heritage and religious worlds. Once the building is no longer in use for worship ecclesiastical exemption from the need for listed building consent for interior alteration ceases. Paul Jardine of Jura Consultants in ‘Consider Your Audiences’ looked forward, considering the ways of maximising the uses of the building, thinking about SWOT analysis and community or potential user surveys, comparator analysis and competitor analysis. In quantifying demand, look for the larger market, and come up with a range of options to generate enough income to sustain the building.
After lunch there were tips from funders – Gordon Barr of the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) emphasised ‘read the guidance notes’. The AHF offers advice, grants and loans but does not fund churches in full time religious use. Stuart Beattie spoke on ‘Scotland’s Churches Trust – Happy to Help’ and their grant scheme. He was followed by Catherine Townsend of the National Churches Trust (NCT), formerly the Historic Churches Preservation Trust, which since 2010 has given over £700,000 to churches in Scotland. SCT have an annual budget to recommend church projects to NCT. Unusually the NCT offers grants for kitchen and toilets as they want churches to be available for community use.
Tiva Montalbano of The Prince’s Foundation explored community engagement. Attendees worked in groups to produce lists of activities and ideas for activities which take place in churches. Her advice included ‘start small, incremental growth is more sustainable’ and ‘keep people warm’. Identify those with influence (keep satisfied) and those who are interested (keep informed). Look for allies and encourage people to opt in and engage with you. Victoria Collison Owen’s subject was ‘Unexpected Benefits: using Activities to Engage and Sustain’. She showed how the SRCT has encouraged activities involving people who give meaning to the building. At the exemplary restoration of St Peter’s Church, Sandwick, people were involved in the process of doing the work and the church’s history was brought back to life and shared. Overnight stays, ‘champing’, offer a different way of engaging. At Cromarty East and at St Margaret’s, Braemar, new uses have been introduced, events animate the buildings – ‘there is no set list of activities and the only limit is your imagination’. The final speaker was Rosie Fraser, formerly of The Princes Regeneration Trust who went through the thought processes in ‘How to make your Project Sustainable’. She looked at the project life-cycle, the development phase, the capital budget and the revenue budget, including contingency monies, staff funding , sundries (for items that are forgotten like vermin control or licences) the delivery phase and the operational phase. She illustrated her talk with two projects, the Montagu funerary monuments at St Edmund’s Church, Warkton, and Middleport Pottery. At Middleport visitors have to accept that they have to pay. They underestimated the amount of income needed and the maintenance requirements associated with 40,000 visitor numbers over two years.
In summary – an excellent pilot workshop which was enjoyed by over sixty people from across Scotland and which will form the basis of further initiatives to address the challenges of Scotland’s ecclesiastical heritage, how to keep church buildings alive and in good repair.
Jocelyn Cunliffe, BEFS Trustee.
You can download the presentations from the range of speakers here.
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Can you spare 10 minutes to contribute to new research for the heritage sector?
Why is this research taking place?
Currently there is no major research into the funding landscape for the heritage sector in Scotland. Evaluation during the four years of Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage (RSH) has made it clear how crucial a report of this kind is for sector understanding and development.
The State of Heritage Funding Now research has been commissioned by the RSH partners (Archaeology Scotland, Arts & Business Scotland, BEFS, greenspace scotland, & Museums Galleries Scotland).
What organisations should complete this survey?
Heritage includes professional and voluntary organisations:
Archaeology | Archives & collections | Community heritage | Historic buildings & monuments | Industrial, maritime & transport | Intangible heritage | Land & biodiversity (including urban green spaces and parks) | Libraries | Museums.
To ensure your heritage organisation’s information is included in this important research, please complete the short survey in the link below:
https://www.surveymonkey.co.uk/r/stateofheritagesurvey
Deadline: 14 June 2018
What are the expected outcomes?
The entire sector will benefit from this report which will be widely disseminated and made publically available.
The completed report will:
- Raise awareness of the current funding landscape for the heritage sector from public, private and charitable sources.
- Act as a discussion paper to reflect on developments within the sector over the last 3-5 years.
- Identify possible next steps, moving forward from the RSH programme delivery which comes to an end in June 2018.
All individual responses will be treated in the strictest confidence with analysis and reporting anonymised unless agreed with respondents.
The RSH partners encourage a strong response from the heritage sector to ensure that the survey can deliver robust and representative data on the funding mix and funding experiences of different types and locations of heritage groups and organisations. Please support the project by completing the survey.
Any questions in the first instance should be directed to the research project manager Andy Parkinson from Consilium Research & Consultancy on 07713 357389 or email andy@consiliumresearch.co.uk.
The RSH programme is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund.
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Get The Latest Built Environment News, Events, Vacancies, Consultations And Publications In Our News Bulletin.
BEFS News
BEFS is keen to continue the momentum for exploration and discussion around land value capture and invites you to Land Value Capture – An Exploration of Methods & Views, on 31st May in Edinburgh. This event will provide a forum for built environment professionals and others with an interest in land to discuss the potential for land value capture as a means of increasing housing supply across all tenures, funding future infrastructure, and investing in placemaking.
On Monday, BEFS hosted a workshop on ‘Keeping Church Buildings Alive’ at Renfield St Stephens Centre in Glasgow. The event provided practical tips and expertise on maintaining local church buildings from the Church of Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Architectural Heritage Fund and many more. Download the rich and informative range of presentations from our website. The workshop was organised in partnership with Scottish Redundant Churches Trust, Scotland’s Churches Trust and The Prince’s Foundation.
In March, BEFS held a lively workshop with stakeholders from across the sector to review Historic Environment Scotland’s Policy Statement (HESPS), ahead of the HES consultations and review to be held in 2018. You can now read about the outcomes of the intensive workshop and the report here.
BEFS invited Lucy Casot, Head of Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) Scotland, to present research on proposed changes to the organisation’s future direction, to the Historic Environment Working Group. The responses to HLF’s wide-ranging questionnaire have been summarised in a report. BEFS supported many aspects of the changes but advised HLF to clearly retain their specific focus on heritage.
Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage (led by Arts & Business Scotland in partnership with Archaeology Scotland, Built Environment Forum Scotland, greenspace Scotland and Museums Galleries Scotland) has commissioned Consilium to map the current funding landscape for the heritage sector in Scotland. This is part of the legacy of the four-year RSH capacity building programme. The resulting report will aim to raise awareness of the current funding landscape for the heritage sector from public, private and charitable sources. You can contribute by completing this short survey.
Historic Environment Scotland, Archaeology Scotland and Northlight Heritage have announced a call for contributions to Scotland’s Community Heritage Conference 2018. More details here.
BEFS Director, Euan Leitch, provides an update on recent developments in the ongoing campaign to improve property maintenance in Scotland, including the establishment of a parliamentary working group on the maintenance of tenement communal property and newly commissioned research.
Wojciech Borowski, Project Coordinator at PAS, reflects on the two-year Heritage Lottery funded youth project, In the Footsteps of Geddes, in the first of our blogs this week.
Team BEFS recently spent a day exploring the history and heritage of Falkland. The visit offered an opportunity to explore the village, the Estate and the Palace; the way in which the three interact, the pressures of tourism, and the opportunities arising from their recent charrette process. More about what we learnt in our second blog this week.
Consultations
A Connected Scotland: Tackling social isolation and loneliness and building stronger social connections
Closes 27 April 2018.
Petition: Permitted development rights in conservation areas
Calling on the Scottish Parliament to urge the Scottish Government to review the permitted development rights legislation, which we consider impacts unfairly on residents of conservation areas and listed buildings in Scotland.
Closing Date for Online Petition: 08 May 2018
Call for Evidence on Experience of Concentrated Land Ownership (Scottish Land Commission 22/03/18)
The call for evidence will be open until 23 May 2018.
Publications
HES Annual Operating Plan 2018-19 (HES 23/04/18)
Guidance for Acquiring Authorities: Can I use Compulsory purchase? (SG 26/04/18)
Guidance for Acquiring Authorities: How do I prepare a Compulsory Purchase Order? (SG 26/04/18)
The Planning (Scotland) Bill: Understanding Planning Jargon (SPICe 25/04/18)
Guidance on Engaging Communities in Decisions Relating to Land (SG 18/04/18)
Glasgow’s Historic Built Environment: A Snapshot (GCHT 04/18)
What is the city but the people? Engineering inclusivity debate (ICE 04/18)
Listen to the Stones (ScARF 04/18)
A popular summary booklet and PDFs of the core text and 39 case studies for Future Thinking in Carved Stones in Scotland: A Research Framework can now be downloaded here. Unusually this Framework is structured around the Heritage Cycle, referencing Our Place in Time (see Section 1.4). A poster summarizing the approach can be found here
National Outcomes Consultation 2018 – SPICe Briefing (SPICe 13/04/18)
News Releases
Show your support for EU colleagues (SCVO 24/04/18)
We have launched an online resource dedicated to Brexit and the effect on third sector EU colleagues as part of our #EUareValued campaign. It has background, useful information, links to other resources, case studies of organisations affected and a quick guide to applying for settled status. Find out why Camphill Scotland and the British Heart Foundation Scotland support #EUareValued.
HES Publishes Annual Operating Plan 2018/19 (HES 23/04/18)
The plan outlines the key commitments for HES over the next 12 months to support its work as the lead public body for the historic environment, and details how the work of the organisation will ensure the historic environment thrives and delivers economic and social benefits for all of Scotland. This is underpinned by five strategic themes: Lead, Understand, Protect, Value and Perform.
Neighbours bring life back into redundant churches (Herald 23/04/18)
Experts are gathering in Glasgow today for an event designed to guide communities on how to tackle taking over such historic buildings, with many already being restored for a wider range of uses other than worship including as a concert venue and for attracting tourists.
New Director for the Scottish Civic Trust (SCT 23/04/18)
The Scottish Civic Trust is delighted to announce that its new Director is Dr Susan O’Connor, latterly Senior Projects Advisor for Scotland with the Princes Regeneration Trust.
Search for Best Regeneration Project Begins: Herald Property Awards for Scotland 2018 (STP 23/04/18)
SINCE 2007, The Herald Property Awards for Scotland have been setting the standard for excellence in housebuilding. For more than a decade, developers, industry professionals and sales teams have recognised these awards as the highest accolade achievable in their field.
HEEPS loan scheme now open for applications (SNH 20/04/18)
The Scottish Government’s Home Energy Efficiency Programme Scotland (HEEPS) loans scheme for Registered Social Landlords 2018/2019 is now open for applications.
Young person’s heritage manifesto launched on World Heritage Day (EWH 18/04/18)
A manifesto was launched today outlining steps necessary to ensure Scotland’s young people feel a stronger connection to the country’s heritage. The manifesto was written by a group of young people living and studying in Edinburgh, and was launched at a World Heritage Day celebration attended by Scottish Minister Maree Todd.
Record-breaking visitor figures at Scotland’s historic sites (HES 17/04/18)
Historic Environment Scotland (HES), who manage over 300 Historic Scotland visitor attractions across the country representing more than 5,000 years of Scottish history, are celebrating a 17% increase in footfall from the previous financial year, recording 5,041,297 visitors throughout the 2017/18 financial year.
2018 European Year of Cultural Heritage #EuropeforCulture
BEFS, with others, supported the 2018 EYCH Launch by Commissioner Phil Hogan on 9th April at the French Cultural Institute. BEFS members are encouraged to seek accreditation for events large and small across Scotland. The European Commission website is http://europa.eu/cultural-heritage and the UK 2018EYCH website is www.2018-eych-uk.eu. The UK Coordinator, Graham Bell of North of England Civic Trust may be reached via 2018eychuk@gmail.com. He is ready to give advice about, and issue completion forms regarding the accreditation process.
How do we create places that deliver healthier lives? (DC 16/04/18)
Design Council and Social Change UK today launched our Healthy Placemaking report which highlighted the outcomes from their survey of over 600 built environment practitioners across the UK including architects, town planners and urban designers. The aim being to gain insight and understanding of their experiences across multiple areas on healthy placemaking, and the possible barriers and challenges found.
3.3 million Available to Support volunteering in Scotland (Voluntary Action Fund 04/18)
This scheme managed by the Voluntary Action Fund (VAF) will enable Scotland’s small to medium-sized third sector organisations to recruit additional volunteers (who will contribute towards delivering a new volunteering project, or extending/expanding an existing one) and improve how volunteers are supported in their role. The deadline for applications is 5pm Friday 4 May 2018.
Creative Industries Sector Deal launched (DDCMS 28/03/18)
Britain’s world-leading creative industries are set to consolidate the country’s position as a global creative powerhouse, following a groundbreaking new Industrial Strategy deal agreed between government and the Creative Industries Council (CIC) on behalf of the sector.
Opinion & Comment
5 Key Take-Aways from our New Report on Co-Living (Atif Shafique, RSA 03/18)
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”.
Graeme Dey S5W-15933
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish its guidance regarding engaging communities in decisions relating to land, as required under Part 4 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2016. (SP 17/04/18)
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-15589: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 23/03/2018
To ask the Scottish Government how it monitors the effectiveness of home reports.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (17/04/2018)
Question S5W-15699: Graeme Dey, Angus South, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 28/03/2018
To ask the Scottish Government when the Scottish Land Commission will lay its revised Programme of Work in the Parliament.
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham (29/03/2018)
Events
For the latest information about BEFS Members’ events see our events calendar.
RIAS Convention 2018 – ‘Future Directions’
Date: Fri, 11 May 2018, 09:00 – Sat, 12 May 2018, 14:00.
Venue: Queens Cross Church, 38 Albyn Place, Aberdeen, AB10 1YN.
This year’s RIAS Convention is generously sponsored by Gartcarron Fire Engineering, Kingspan Insulation and Marsh. We are delighted that this year’s RIAS Convention will take place at Queens Cross Church in Aberdeen. The church was put out to competition and won by local architect, John Bridgeford Pirie (Messrs Pirie and Clyne). Completed in 1881, the church is built of grey granite, has a tower and spire rising to a height of 145 feet and cost c. £7000 to build. Both the Friday and Saturday events will take place at the church and we will be able to enjoy its new extension by RIAS Chartered Practice, Lee Boyd Limited. As this is the Scottish Government’s Year of Young People, our Saturday session will focus on architectural education and showcase the work from some of our talented students of architecture. The Convention Dinner will take place at the Aberdeen Douglas Hotel, which has been welcoming guests since 1848.
A Repton Celebration
Date: Saturday 12 May 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Location: Broomhall House & Valleyfield – the only Scottish landscape designed by Humphry Repton.
We have put together a super celebratory event to mark the death of Humphry Repton, the last great landscape designer of the 18th century. After coffee, Lord Bruce will welcome us and take us on a virtual tour of Broomhall House. Dr. Patrick Eyres, landscape historian and editor, will speak about Repton and his Theatrical Self-promotion through Red Books and Printed Publications. This will be followed by an illustrated talk: The Valleyfield Red Book by Christopher Dingwall. A buffet lunch is included, after which there is an optional guided tour of Valleyfield, about 20 minutes’ drive from Broomhall.
Heritage as Citizenship: The Challenge of the New Urban Agenda
Date: 15th May at 6pm (with registration from 5.45pm).
Venue: National Galleries of Scotland.
On Tuesday 15th May, Dr Francesco Bandarin, a UNESCO Consultant, and until February 2018 Assistant Director-General of Culture at UNESCO, is speaking at the National Galleries of Scotland at a joint RSA Fellows’ MCICH Network and National Galleries Scotland event. From 2000 to 2010 Dr Bandarin was Director of the UNESCO World Heritage Centre and Secretary of the World Heritage Convention. From 2010 to 2014 he served as Assistant Director-General of UNESCO for Culture. He was re-appointed in this position for an interim period until February, 2018, and delivered the Keynote Opening Speech at the 2016 Edinburgh International Culture Summit. Dr Bandarin’s publications include: The Historic Urban Landscape: Managing Heritage in an Urban Century, 2012 and Reconnecting the City. The Historic Urban Landscape Approach and the Future of Urban Heritage, 2015, both published by Wiley-Blackwell.
New Life For Empty Buildings – How Can Do Spaces Can Transform Our High Streets
Date: Tue 22 May 2018 from 10:00 – 15:30.
Location: Strathearn Artspace, 6 Comrie Street, Crieff PH7 4AX.
Crieff is not alone in its efforts to regenerate its town centre. Towns across Scotland face similar challenges and there are other community groups sharing our struggles. Want to find out more? Join us on the 22nd May for Can Do Places’ practical workshop at Strathearn Artspace for anyone that wants to see their local economy and town, city or village thrive. It will be engaging, interesting, useful and most of all – fun!
‘Governance and Power’ – A SURF Debate
Date: Thursday 24th May.
Location: Glasgow.
This debate is part of a progressive programme of work by SURF to promote and inform the current national Review of Local Governance. To help SURF consider the varied possibilities and challenges in this cross sector and multi-level debate, we will hear first from Robin McAlpine, as Director of the Common Weal, and then from Cllr. Alison Evison, President of COSLA who will draw on their respective considerable experience and differing perspectives. The rest of the event will be a platform for constructive and participative open debate.
IHBC Annual School 2018, Northern Ireland Branch
Dates: 21-23 June 2018.
Location: Belfast.
The IHBC’s Annual School for 2018, with the linked Day School on 22 June, is the national annual conference of the Institute of Historic Building Conservation, supporting built and historic environment conservation specialists and their networks and colleagues, and for 2018 it will focus on the principle of ‘Shared heritage’ to promote an inclusive approach to the main themes for the European Year, those of ‘Engagement – Sustainability – Protection – Innovation’. The School will encompass and offer, through talks, visits, tours, networking and presentations, UK-wide examinations of practice issues with a specific Belfast and Northern Ireland context, that include: Heritage challenges and insights; Leading practitioners, policymakers, businesses & advisers; New national and international practices and partnerships; Innovative strategies in the city, region and beyond; On-site case studies, themes and solutions, as well as access to exhibition stalls and stands & IHBC ‘Spotlights’ on current issues.
Training
Developing Appropriate Lime Specifications for Traditional Buildings with Dr William Napier
Date: Wednesday 9th May, 12.3pm – 1.30pm
Venue: Glasgow City Heritage Trust, 54 Bell Street, G1 1LQ
Lime mortar has been used with stone since Roman times for building in Scotland. Many of Scotland’s traditional buildings were constructed and finished using lime mortars, for bedding, pointing, harling and renders. In this lunchtime CPD session Dr William Napier will explore how the characteristics of lime need to be understood when undertaking conservation projects
Dr William Napier is a Chartered Building Surveyor, Accredited in Conservation, with thirty years’ experience in applying, specifying and reporting on lime based finishes. He began his career with a traditional decorative plastering apprenticeship with L. Grandison and Son in Peebles, before training as a building surveyor and completing a two-year post-graduate conservation fellowship with Historic Scotland. He is now a Director with Adams Napier Partnership, a Chartered Building Surveying Practice specialising in building conservation, research and training.
Architectural Pattern Making for Conservation and Restoration with Ruth Davies
Date: Thursday 14th June, 12.30pm – 1.30pm
Venue: Glasgow City Heritage Trust, 54 Bell Street, Glasgow, G1 1LQ
Ruth Davies is a pattern-maker and woodcarver supplying work to clients including architects and conservation and restoration specialists across the UK. She specialises in traditional wooden patterns for architectural cast iron and has worked on a number of award winning projects over the years. In her lunchtime talk Ruth will give an insight into the production of patterns and moulds with an emphasis on decorative cast iron and share some knowledge about and examples of what can be achieved with this material.
Vacancies
Scotland Community Land Advisor
We are looking for a Community Land Advisor to facilitate access to land for community use in Scotland, primarily through:
- Providing specialist advice, support and training to community groups and landowners, focusing on negotiating for sites, leases and licences, planning and associated matters such as allotments/land law.
- Working with local authorities, other public and private landowners and community groups and networks to identify appropriate sites and help bring under-used land into community use.
- Working with decision makers to influence future policies, funding and legislation (eg planning) that will further support community access to land.
The role of Community Land Advisor is wide-ranging in nature and as such the post-holder is required to be flexible and able to adapt to opportunities as they arise, weighing up evolving demands. We are seeking someone with a solid understanding of land transfer (leases, negotiation, legal and planning issues etc), knowledge of the community growing sector and experience of working with land owners.
Closing date: Midday Tuesday 1 May 2018.
Policy and Development Officer (x2)
The Carnegie UK Trust works to improve the wellbeing of people throughout the UK and Ireland by influencing policy and demonstrating innovative practice. We are looking to recruit two policy and development staff to join our busy Wellbeing and Towns team. We are looking for people who can work:
- across the UK and Ireland
- with different stakeholders, from practitioners to politicians
- across different themes (the team works on a wide range of topics covering aspects of place-making, public services, and understanding social progress)
- using a variety of methods from research to stakeholder engagement to supporting innovative practice development
Successful candidates will therefore have strong transferable skills on analysis, communications and project management. The Trust is strongly committed to diversity within its workforce and especially welcomes applications from all in the community who may contribute to the further diversification of ideas. The closing date for applications is 5pm on 1 May 2018.
Appointment of Chair to the Board (A&DS)
Scottish Ministers are looking to appoint a new Chair of the Board of Architecture and Design Scotland (A&DS). The Chair, along with the Company Board, will ensure the A&DS’s strategy and business plan continue to support and promote the value good architecture and sustainable design add to everyone’s lives. The Chair, will be expected to have a keen interest and understanding of the built environment; able to see the bigger picture, and have strong communication and influencing skills. You will be able to lead the Board and uphold good governance.
The closing date for applications is: Friday 4 May 2018.
Project Engagement and Monitoring Officer (Maternity Cover)
Edinburgh World Heritage is an independent charity with the aim of ensuring the city’s World Heritage status is a dynamic force for good that benefits everyone.
Sir Basil Spence’s Canongate Housing development is a category B listed complex of housing blocks located on Canongate in the Old Town of Edinburgh, built between 1967 and 1969. It is characterised by high energy use, low EPC rating, poor maintenance, high running costs and low community engagement. We have a vision to improve the energy efficiency of these buildings and consistently restore or repair features across the development, with the potential for this to serve as an exemplar in terms of its methodology of community engagement, and its energy outcomes. We are looking to appoint a Project Engagement and Monitoring Officer to support the delivery of this innovative project by building on Edinburgh World Heritage’s past engagement with the residents of the Canongate Housing development and by monitoring energy use before, during and after works.
The position is to cover maternity from 28th May for a minimum of five months, with the possibility of extension. To apply for this role, please send us your CV, together with a completed application from and covering letter in support of your application by 5PM, Wednesday 9th May 2018.
Administrator & Secretary to the Council
Unique opportunity to work at the centre of a Scottish architectural heritage charity. If you are passionate about the built environment, the post of Administrator and Secretary to the Council of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS) offers a responsible position which requires a high degree of self-motivation, administrative skills, and good communication abilities. The position offers the potential to help with the development of the Society, alongside the core requirements of administration, attracting and organising volunteers to assist in the head office, managing the Society’s IT, website and social media, and promoting national outreach and engagement.
To apply please send a CV and cover letter to the National Chair, Martin Robertson at nationaloffice@ahss.org.uk by 11th May 2018.
Could you be Chair of The Heritage Alliance?
The Heritage Alliance is looking for a new Chair, to be appointed at its Heritage Day and Annual General Meeting in December 2018. The Chair will be responsible for overseeing the work of the charity, and for convening meetings of the board of trustees. They will be a dynamic ambassador for the independent heritage sector, being a vocal advocate for the cause of the Alliance’s diverse membership of 120 separate heritage organisations. They will take the lead in driving the next phase of the Alliance’s development and ensuring its sustainability as one of England’s most prominent and recognisable advocates for heritage.
Closing date for applications Friday 18th May.
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 tel: BEFS Office on 0131 220 6241.
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Historic Environment Scotland, Archaeology Scotland and Northlight Heritage announce a call for contributions to Scotland’s Community Heritage Conference 2018.
The Engine Shed, Stirling – Saturday 10th November 2018
Call for Papers, Speakers, Displays and Contributions.
Archaeology Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and Northlight Heritage are delighted to announce the call for contributions to Scotland’s Community Heritage Conference 2018. This will be the seventh year of this event, an annual celebration of the richness and diversity of community heritage across the country. The Conference provides a stage for volunteers, community groups and professionals to network, share experiences and create future working partnerships.
This year it will be at The Engine Shed, Historic Environment Scotland’s dramatic new building conservation hub situated right next to Stirling’s railway station. The venue offers a vast flexible space, all on one level and fully accessible to those with disabilities. With your help, they will be creating an exciting and memorable day of talks, workshops and exhibitions, hearing from you about your involvement with community heritage. As usual, for the main presentations, volunteers and members of community groups have priority over heritage professionals, though professionals are of course welcome to contribute to other parts of the event.
To get an idea of the buzz generated at previous conferences, please have a look at some of our videos on YouTube.
They would like to hear from you if:
- a) You would like to offer a 20-minute talk/PowerPoint presentation to the conference on a community-based heritage project (priority given here to non-professional speakers);
- b) You have an idea for a workshop or discussion and would be willing to help lead or contribute towards a session (typically 45 minutes);
- c) You would like space for a display, showcasing your local community heritage project. Several formats are available – we can offer space for table displays, posters, and also for videos or slide shows. Please contact us to discuss possibilities;
- d) You would like to take part in ‘One Minute Mayhem’ – a 60-second ‘soap-box’ opportunity to share your news and views on any aspect of Scotland’s community heritage.
If any of the above is something you would like to be involved with, please send them your ideas (or any questions) by Thursday 31st May 2018, to chcscot@gmail.com. Please pass on this invitation to others who might be interested in sharing their experiences.
Scotland’s Community Heritage Conference is a partnership of Archaeology Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and Northlight Heritage, with contributions and support from heritage organisations across Scotland and beyond.
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