The Places of Worship Forum (POWF) is seeking views on the best mechanism for these special buildings – both in and outwith worshipful use – and invites readers to participate in a survey on Ecclesiastical Exemption.
The Places of Worship Forum (POWF) is seeking views on the best mechanism for these special buildings – both in and outwith worshipful use – and invites readers to participate in a survey on Ecclesiastical Exemption.
Why are we talking about Ecclesiastical Exemption?
Ecclesiastical Exemption in Scotland is a legal provision under the Planning (Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas) (Scotland) Act 1997. Listed buildings whose primary use is as a place of worship will normally have exemption from the need for listed building consent. Historic Environment Scotland’s Guidance on Ecclesiastical Exemption answers many frequently asked questions on this subject.
Ecclesiastical exemption is considered to end when the final closing service is held, or when no more services are scheduled. Local authorities administer listed building consents and are responsible for deciding whether consent is required.
Current context for places of worship
Built Environment Forum Scotland provides secretariat support for the Places of Worship Forum (POWF). POWF represents faith groups as well as national bodies with an interest in the ownership, funding, sustainability, and the future of places of worship. The aim of the group is to collectively seek sustainable future uses and transition pathways (both within and beyond worship) for Places of Worship in Scotland.
Change and adaptation is an important part of seeing these special buildings survive into the future.
The origins of this recent conversation about Ecclesiastical Exemption stem from the Places of Worship: Planning Forward conference back in October 2025, where discussions explored – amongst other topics – the changed context for places of worship since Ecclesiastical Exemption was put into place.
Questions were raised around how well Ecclesiastical Exemption is understood by congregations, communities, building owners, and decision makers, and highlighted a desire for better signposting and guidance on grey areas, such as when it should end, and how it applies to places of worship used for multiple purposes.
As HES’ Guidance notes: ‘Many congregations wish to use their buildings in a more diverse way. This means that there are an increasing number of situations that the existing legislation did not anticipate and to which there are no straightforward answers.’
This survey has been created on behalf of POWF and aims to gather views and information, to understand what is the most effective mechanism to enable protection and continued use of these buildings, within the planning system and consents process (ecclesiastical exception or otherwise) – both in and outside of ecclesiastical use.
POWF is seeking all views – from congregations; denominations and faith groups; communities; heritage organisations; building managers; developers; architects; planners; businesses and more.
To participate in the survey please follow this link. The deadline for submissions is the 1st of September 2026.
What happens next? BEFS Team will analyse the responses, with the findings forming the basis for recommended next steps by the Places of Worship Forum and stakeholders, as part of a continuing conversation.
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BEFS News
It has been a busy couple of weeks for BEFS team and the sector at large!
Last week Scotland’s heritage leaders gathered in Glasgow for Scotland’s Historic Environment Forum 2026 (SHEF), the principal annual gathering for organisations, practitioners, policymakers and funders working across the historic environment and adjacent sectors in Scotland. Jointly hosted by Historic Environment Scotland and the Scottish Government, SHEF is part of the ongoing and collective delivery of the national strategy for Scotland’s historic environment, Our Past, Our Future (OPOF). This year’s event reinforced the key message that the historic environment is a cross-cutting contributor to national policy objectives and explored where collaboration across sectors can unlock the greatest impact.
BEFS Team were pleased to support the delivery of the event, facilitating conversations on how the historic environment can – and is – contributing to tackling the national challenges that we highlight in our own manifesto, and must be leveraged to achieve national targets in housing, construction, skills and more!
BEFS Director, Hazel Johnson explored this in conversation with the Cabinet Secretary for Education, Culture, and Gaelic, Màiri McAllan – asking how past responsibilities for Net Zero and Housing can play a part in a holistic approach to their current Culture portfolio. We asked which specific SNP Manifesto commitments within the new Culture portfolio will most effectively support Scotland’s historic environment, and what outcomes might be expected from a wider public sector reform programme. We look forward to continuing the conversation with the Cabinet Secretary and supporting joined up policy approaches over the next parliamentary term. Read BEFS Manifesto here.
In case you missed it – Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is asking for views on the Historic Environment Policy for Scotland (HEPS) to inform an update to this national policy. The survey closes on 29 June – have your say here. The current version of HEPS was published in 2019 and is relevant whenever a decision will affect the historic environment. It can be used to inform policies, strategies and guidance as well as for decision making in the planning system. For background on the policy and its wider context you can read more on the HES website.
More from Historic Environment Scotland in this edition of the bulletin, as a recent report on what heritage means to people in Scotland reveals key findings about how members of communities across Scotland relate to heritage, and what they value about it. In 2025, HES launched Talking About Heritage, a national conversation in which more than 6,300 people participated, across in-person and online workshops, surveys, and social media. People spoke about what they consider their heritage to be, how they want to see it protected, and what matters most about it to them. These results are now available to read in the Talking About Heritage engagement report.
This week BEFS is asking a big question; how can we enable both the protection and continued use of Scotland’s many and varied places of worship, recognising that change and adaptation is an important part of seeing these special buildings survive into the future?
On behalf of The Places of Worship Forum (POWF) BEFS invites readers to participate in a survey on Ecclesiastical Exemption. The survey aims to gather views and information, exploring the most effective mechanism to enable protection and continued use of these buildings, within the planning system and consents process (be that ecclesiastical exception or otherwise) – both in and outside of ecclesiastical use. We hope readers will share this survey widely – with views sought from all stakeholders including congregations, denominations and faith groups, communities, heritage organisations, building managers, developers, architects, planners, businesses and more.
The 2026 SURF Awards are now open for applications! The awards are delivered each year by BEFS Member SURF, in partnership with the Scottish Government, to highlight, celebrate and share the achievements of initiatives that address physical, social and economic challenges in communities across Scotland. This year’s five thematic categories include: Removing Barriers to Employability, Creative Regeneration, Community Led Regeneration, Improving Scotland’s Places, and Housing and Regeneration. Do you know of a project that deserves recognition? The deadline for nominations is 7 September 2026.
One for the coffee break – a throwback to BEFS hustings in April and a short film exploring our policy aspirations for the next parliamentary term – with BEFS Members taking centre stage! Watch now on our Vimeo and YouTube channels.
And finally, a reminder that there is still time to apply to join BEFS team! We are currently recruiting for the post of Communications Officer, to lead on BEFS communication activities and strategic amplification of the sector’s policy interests, ensuring that BEFS role as a trusted and informed sector voice is reflected visibly across all our communications channels. Deadline for applications is 26 June. Spread the word!
Parliamentary Questions & Answers
Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions regarding Cladding Remediation, Planning, Fire Safety, and a New Housing Agency.
Consultations
Land Use and Nature
UK Parliament
This call for evidence is part of the Environment, Food and Rural Affairs Committee’s ongoing thematic work on land use and nature, and will inform the future of farming inquiry. MPs are seeking evidence on how effectively current policies are working in the uplands and what improvements may be needed. It also explores the broader impacts of land use change on rural communities, and how those communities can be beneficiaries of any change. The Committee will call for evidence on a regular basis and produce iterative and focused reports throughout the inquiry. Topics for scrutiny may include, but are not limited to: restoration of different habitats, such as heathland, wetlands and forest; protected sites; national parks and landscapes; the design and implementation of the Land Use Framework; rights of way; urban green spaces; and land use in the agricultural sector.
*NEW* Closes 26 June 2026
Heritage Resilience and Sector Collaboration Survey 2025-26
Historic Environment Forum
The Historic Environment Forum (HEF) is launching a new annual report that will take stock of how heritage organisations are taking action to strengthen sector resilience, and to understand the role of collective working and joined-up responses in delivering that work. To inform this report, they are inviting heritage organisations to share their experiences through a short annual survey. All responses to this survey will help build a picture of where resilience activities are happening across the four cornerstones of the Heritage Sector Resilience Plan 2025–35, the shared framework for supporting longer-term change. Through this survey they hope to get a deeper understanding of what activities related to these priorities are achieving in practice, and what more they can do together to support joined-up collaboration, and shared responses to the challenges and opportunities facing the heritage sector. Findings will be published later this year in an annual digest: a short, accessible publication that will share learning and good practice across the sector, note where collective effort is needed, and make recommendations for where the sector should focus attention in the year ahead.
*NEW* Closes 29 June 2026 (recently extended from 19 June)
Updating the Historic Environment Policy for Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is asking for your views on the Historic Environment Policy for Scotland (HEPS) to inform an update to this national policy. HEPS is relevant whenever a decision will affect the historic environment. It can be used to inform policies, strategies and guidance as well as for decision making in the planning system. They want to hear about how you use HEPS and how it can be improved to ensure good decision making for the historic environment. The current version of HEPS was published in 2019. HES recently completed the Talking About Heritage engagement project, which gathered views from people across Scotland about what heritage means to them and how it should be cared for. These insights will help shape the refreshed policy, and your views will take this work further. You can review the Talking About Heritage engagement report to inform your responses.
*NEW* Closes 29 June 2026
Permitted development rights: schools, assets of community value, defence and conservation
UK Government
This consultation contains proposed changes to the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015, as amended. It covers the following areas: extending the existing temporary permitted development right for schools affected by RAAC; removing assets of community value from the demolition permitted development right; changes to the permitted development right that allows development by the Crown on closed defence sites; and new permitted development flexibilities to enable the development of conservation measures within Environmental Delivery Plans. Applies to England only.
*NEW* Closes 5 August 2026
Call for Evidence: Strategy for the built environment professions, trades and occupations
UK Government
The UK Government Single Construction Regulator prospectus declared that a new strategy for the built environment professions, trades and occupations will be published in 2027. This call for evidence is an important route to gathering the information government needs to inform this strategy. Responses are encouraged from those involved across the whole building lifecycle. This includes: those directly employed in the full range of built environment professions, trades and occupations; clients (commercial, public sector and domestic); manufacturers; education providers; those working in adjacent sectors such as insurance, legal and financial services; and professional bodies, trade bodies, statutory regulators and consumer or representative organisations. Applies to England only.
*NEW* Closes 12 August 2026
Building Standards Scotland Certification Register
Scottish Government
Scottish Government Building Standards Division has commissioned an independent research contractor, Ember Technology, to review the requirements for a new Certification register. The Certification register holds details of Approved Certifiers of Design and Construction. The register can be used by members of the public looking to engage the services of companies and organisations who provide certification services for design and construction under the Building (Scotland) Act 2003. Local Authority Verifiers also use the register to confirm the validity of certificates of design and construction submitted as part of the building warrant application and completion certificate process. As part of this project, they would like to hear your opinion on the system and how this can be improved.
*NEW* No closing date provided
trove.scot feedback survey
Historic Environment Scotland
trove.scot is a platform which brings together Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) wealth of unique and diverse collections in one convenient place. It combines information from the Historic Environment Portal, Canmore, SCRAN, and Property in Care Collections. It’s a tool for everyone to find out about listed buildings and other designated places, see archive images and explore every corner of Scotland. HES want to hear your views and experiences of using trove.scot. Your feedback will inform future work on the website.
Closes 28 February 2027
News Releases
New resource hub for sharing climate guidance (Association of Independent Museums 20/05/2026)
Green space, clean air and community lead the wish list for new homes, with the surrounding landscape valued above how buildings look (Construction Industry Council 20/05/2026)
Libby Heathcote to be next RIAS President (RIAS 21/05/2026)
Young people get hands-on heritage experience (HES 29/05/2026)
Scottish architecture’s top ten: 2026 RIAS Award winners revealed (RIAS 29/05/2026)
Latest planning statistics highlight urgent need for clarity and pace on future planning reform (Homes for Scotland 29/05/2026)
Scottish Greens unveil new Shadow Cabinet and Spokespeople (Scottish Greens 03/06/2026)
Heritage Adapts launched: uniting heritage sector in climate adaptation action (Heritage Adapts 04/06/2026)
Accelerate to Zero Awards open for submissions (BE-ST 04/06/2026)
2026 SURF Awards open for applications (SURF 04/06/2026)
New report reveals how heritage matters to people in Scotland (HES 08/06/2026)
Scottish Greens call for public access to Edinburgh’s private gardens (Scottish Greens 08/06/2026)
Stronger partnerships to drive Scotland’s heritage future (HES 10/06/2026)
Architecture and Design Scotland: New partnership and business plan announced (A&DS 10/06/2026)
Councils face half billion budget gap (Audit Scotland 11/06/2026)
ESS launches investigation into the delivery of contaminated land duties in Scotland (Environment Standards Scotland 12/06/2026)
Publications
Built Environment Roadmap to Circularity (Zero Waste Scotland May 2026)
Energy Infrastructure Roadmap to Circularity (Zero Waste Scotland May 2026)
Creative Industries Skills Audits (Creative Industries Policies and Evidence Centre May 2026)
Report: Monitoring a just transition to a net zero and climate resilient Scotland (ClimateXchange 08/05/2026)
‘White Thinking’ and the failed promise of diversity in Scottish heritage (Museums Galleries Scotland 11/05/2026)
2025-2026 Reuse Consortium Annual Impact Report (Circular Communities Scotland 15/05/2026)
June Edition of Net Regs – monthly updates on new environmental legislation and guidance for businesses in Northern Ireland and Scotland (Net Regs June 2026)
Historic Environment Scotland: Organisational and Cultural Review (HES 02/06/2026)
Property Market Report 2025-26 (Registers of Scotland 09/06/2026)
Culture Spending Tracker, June 2026 Analysis (Culture Counts 09/06/2026)
Scottish & UK: Governmental & Parliamentary Publications
Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) accuracy research (UK Gov 26/05/2026)
Ambitious for Scotland: First Minister’s speech (Scot Gov 26/05/2026)
Housing: Energy written question (UK Parl 27/05/2026)
Carbon Emissions: written question (UK Parl 27/05/2026)
First Homes Fund open by end of June (Scot Gov 27/05/2026)
Cultural Heritage: Training written question (House of Lords 02/06/2026)
Glasgow City Region Economy Debate (UK Parl 02/06/2026)
Housing: Energy Net Zero written question (UK Parl 08/06/2026)
Housing: Energy Net Zero written question (UK Parl 08/06/2026)
Regeneration: Cultural Heritage written question (UK Parl 08/06/2026)
Construction: VAT written question (UK Parl 08/06/2026)
Construction: Training written question (House of Lords 08/06/2026)
Energy Costs (retrofit) Debate (UK Parl 09/06/2026)
New Towns: Laying the Foundations. Built Environment Committee Report (House of Lords 10/06/2026)
Glass: Health and Safety written question (UK Parl 11/06/2026)
Construction: Skilled Workers written question (UK Parl 15/06/2026)
Public appointment: Interim Co-Chairs appointed to the Crown Estate Scotland Board (Scot Gov 16/06/2026)
Scotland’s Cladding Remediation Programme monthly management information: March 2026 (Scot Gov 16/06/2026)
Motions
S7M-00269
Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 03/06/2026
Establishment of Committees
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday 4 June 2026
Opinion & Comments
Scotland’s houses are crumbling around us (Common Weal 27/05/2026)
National Gallery set for revamp to secure future of Edinburgh landmark (Herald 27/05/2026)
Architects call on government to rethink infrastructure investment (Urban Realm 27/05/2026)
The Scottish Government faces a fiscal reckoning – with spending cuts or tax rises on the way (IFS 27/05/2026)
3,000 businesses now driving Scotland’s net zero economy – analysis (ECIU 27/05/2026)
McArthur calls for fairer community benefit rules for renewable development (Scottish Liberal Democrats 28/05/2026)
Listing of Edinburgh block of flats a “vital step” (Deadline News 28/05/2026)
Podcast: Why are our homes and cities all so hot? (Guardian 29/05/2026)
RIAS Awards lean heavily on heritage in showcasing ten of the best (Urban Realm 29/05/2026)
Tenement law reform is one step closer (Broughton Spurtle June 2026)
Campaigners oppose £2bn rural data centre ‘monster’ (BBC News 02/06/2026)
Mystery £625,000 donation boosts Mackintosh conservation project (BBC News 04/06/2026)
Hands off the New Town’s trees! (Broughton Spurtle 08/06/2026)
Edinburgh councillors block Green bid for public-private garden scheme (The Herald 08/06/2026)
Abandoned Britain. The story of the UK in six empty buildings: Britain’s most expensive house (The Guardian 10/06/2026)
Demand for action to save Glasgow’s treasured heritage (The Herald 13/06/2026)
Events
For further listings, please see BEFS events calendar
Reviving the Trinity Stones – Exhibition
Dates & Times: Saturday 9 May – Sunday 28 June 2026; 10am-5pm
Location: Museum of Edinburgh, 142-146 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DD
Medieval Edinburgh’s Forgotten Royal Masterpiece. This exhibition tells the story of the Trinity Collegiate Church, medieval Edinburgh’s forgotten royal masterpiece. Founded over 560 years ago, by Queen Mary of Guelders, the church was the most sophisticated and beautiful example of gothic architecture in Scotland. Discover how it was celebrated, demolished, forgotten and revived. Located on the ground floor with no booking required.
GCHT – From Well to Wellspring
Dates & Times: Saturday 30 May until Friday 18 September 2026; 11am-5pm
Location: Glasgow City Heritage Trust, 54 Bell Street, Glasgow G1 1LQ
In October 2025 the Glasgow collective Aproxima Arts, in collaboration with Professor Stephen Driscoll (Glasgow University) and David Sneddon (Clyde Archaeology), excavated the thirteenth-century St Mungo’s Well in Glasgow Cathedral. This was part of the five-year ‘Glasgow Requiem’ project aimed at exploring artistic connections to Glasgow’s medieval and pre-industrial history. Following excavation, Aproxima and artist Joanna Kessel installed a coloured glass mosaic designed by James Johnson on the Well’s interior. This exhibition, hosted by Glasgow City Heritage Trust, will cover the history of the well and showcase artefacts, such as dice, coins, and rings, unearthed during the excavation. Open weekly every Wednesday & Friday until end date.
Under One Roof – Damp and mould in tenement flats webinar with East Lothian Council
Date & Time: Thursday 18 June 2026;12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Awaab’s Law is coming to Scotland, changing the way that social and private landlords deal with damp and mould in their flats. If you are a landlord in East Lothian, find out how you can tackle the problem of damp and mould at this free lunchtime webinar. Learn about updates to legislation, and expert information on how to deal with damp and mould in common areas of your building. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A, where you will have the chance to ask an expert about your own damp and mould issues.
Historic England – Digital Emissions – should heritage organisations worry about them, and how can we lower them?
Date & Time: Thursday 18 June 2026; 1-2pm
Location: Online
In this webinar, Claire Marchetti, Carbon and Sustainability Manager for Historic England will discuss how the organisation is addressing the environmental impact of its digital activity. The webinar will look at the challenges identified, the technical changes underway, how to use procurement to support ambitions, and how staff are engaged in reducing digital emissions. There will also be a look at practical steps heritage organisations can take to reduce their digital carbon footprint while embracing the benefits digital ways of working offer, helping the sector move toward a more sustainable, low carbon future.
AHF – 50th Conference: Heritage – Radical. Reimagined. Revitalised.
Date & Time: Thursday 18 June 2026; 2-8pm
Location: St Bartholomew’s Hospital, West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is celebrating 50 years of transforming historic buildings and supporting communities across the UK. Join real estate professionals, heritage practitioners, social enterprise developers, policymakers, funders, and researchers as together they consider the potential for heritage-led regeneration to improve our communities in the next 50 years and beyond. This afternoon and evening event will bring together diverse voices and approaches to consider how heritage can help transform local communities and economies, shining light on proven models from around the UK and exploring policy changes that could supercharge adaptive reuse in the UK.
IHBC – Annual School 2026 Newcastle I Adaptive Reuse
Date & Time: Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 June 2026
Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne (In Person and Online)
The IHBC Annual School in Newcastle explores the theme of Adaptive Reuse through inspiring tours, expert talks, and networking opportunities across this 3-day programme, starting on Thursday with CPD Study Tours of iconic sites including the Byker Wall and Ouseburn, followed by a Welcome Reception at the Baltic Centre. Friday’s Day School, available in-person or online features specialist speakers at the Grade II* listed Common Room, and an Exhibitor Hub. The weekend concludes with the Annual Dinner and Awards at the Royal Station Hotel, followed by study tours on the Saturday for Full School delegates.
Behind the Restoration – Meet the Architect & Engineer
Date & Time: Friday 19 June 2026; 9:30am-4pm
Location: Bannockburn House, Stirling FK7 8EY
This is a unique opportunity to step inside one of Scotland’s most ambitious community-led conservation projects and meet the professionals helping to save Bannockburn House. Throughout the day, guests will hear from the conservation architect, conservation structural engineer, and other specialists involved in the project. Each will share how they have approached the challenges of working with a fragile Category A listed building, the decisions that shape emergency conservation work, and what it is like to build a career in heritage, architecture, engineering, and traditional skills. The event is designed to be informal, engaging, and practical, with plenty of time for conversation, questions, and networking over coffee. Guests will also enjoy a guided Heritage Conservation Tour of Bannockburn House, exploring the building, its current condition, and the emergency works now underway. The tour will highlight how conservation professionals, volunteers, funders, and the wider community are working together to protect the house and bring its stories back to life. Courtesy of Stirling City Heritage Trust, the day will also include live traditional skills demonstrations, including stonemasonry and roofing, giving guests the chance to see conservation trades in action and understand the specialist craft skills needed to care for historic buildings.
DTAS – New Futures Workshop: Listed Building Consent
Date & Time: Tuesday 23 June 2026; 1-2:30pm
Location: Online
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship workshop series. This workshop will clarify the situations were Listed Building Consent may be required and will provide an overview of the application process, specifically relevant to community organisations looking to take a former place of worship into community ownership.
Under One Roof – Navigating common repairs in tenements with Aberdeenshire Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 23 June 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
If you own a flat in Aberdeenshire, and don’t know where to start with repairs and maintenance, join this free lunchtime webinar with Aberdeenshire Council, on managing common repairs. Under One Roof will be sharing expertise on how to identify problems in your tenement building, and explaining how to work with your neighbours to fix them. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with the Education and Training Officer, where you will have the chance to ask questions about your own tenement building.
Heritage Network – Sustainable Island Heritage
Date & Time: Friday 26 June 2026; 10am-4pm
Location: The St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands
Join the Heritage Network in Kirkwall for an inspiring gathering bringing together community groups, heritage professionals, and local changemakers from across the Orkney Islands. An ideal opportunity for networking, the day will celebrate the incredible work happening across the region – showcasing innovative heritage projects, grassroots initiatives, and collaborative efforts that are preserving, sharing and reimagining Orkney’s rich cultural story. Confirmed speakers include Heritage Network members, Boloquoy Victorian Farm & Watermill, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, who last year announced Orkney as the second place in Scotland to benefit from its ‘Heritage Place’ investment initiative.
Under One Roof – Understanding mandatory owners’ associations webinar with East Lothian Council
Date & Time: Thursday 2 July 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Working together with your neighbours to take care of your building can be challenging, but being part of an owners’ association can make the process much easier. At this free lunchtime webinar, learn about the benefits of joining an owners’ association, with expert advice on how to set one up in your own building, and explanation about the proposed changes to the law to introduce mandatory owners’ associations. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, where you will have the chance to ask an expert speaker your own questions about owners’ associations.
DTAS – New Futures Drop In: Involving Your Community
Date & Time: Thursday 2 July 2026; 1-2:30pm
Location: Online
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship workshop series. This event will provide a chance for community organisations looking to take ownership of a former place of worship to share their experiences of getting their community involved. The Churches Advisors of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship programme will share top tips on how to ensure meaningful community engagement.
SPAB – Maintaining Historic Places of Worship: Helensburgh
Date & Time: Friday 10 July 2026; 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: Rhu & Shandon Parish Church, Gareloch Road, Helensburgh G84 8RP
Are you involved in caring for and maintaining a place of worship in Scotland? Caring for a historic building can feel like a never-ending task, but thankfully there are some simple steps you can take to keep your building in good condition and reduce the likelihood of large repair projects further down the line. This series of one-day courses, supported by Historic Environment Scotland, will explore the practical steps you can take to look after your building. All dates and locations can be found here
Save the date/Early booking open now/Applications invited
Festival of Politics
Dates: Thursday 27 & Friday 28 August 2026
Location: Scottish Parliament Building, Horse Wynd, Edinburgh EH99 1SP
Come along to Holyrood for engaging discussions, lively debate and thought-provoking panels with expert speakers and inspiring voices debating the issues shaping Scotland, the UK and beyond. From AI, climate change and the manosphere to poverty, housing and free speech – events focus on some of the most pressing social, political and environmental topics of our time. Book your tickets now.
BE-ST Fest – 2026
For the past five years, industry leaders, policymakers, innovators and built environment professionals have travelled to Glasgow for BE-ST Fest. In 2026, the festival is coming to you. BE-ST is on the road, coming to communities across Scotland to focus on the real barriers and challenges you face.
BE-ST Fest East – International Retrofit Conference
Date: Wednesday 2 September 2026
Location: Royal College of Physicians, 11 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JQ
BE-ST Fest South
Date: Wednesday 23 September 2026
Location: The Crichton Trust, Grierson House, Bankend Rd, Dumfries DG1 4ZE
BE-ST Fest North
Date: Tuesday 6 October 2026
Location: Eden Court, Bishops Road, Inverness IV3 5SA
BE-ST Fest West
Date: Wednesday 4 November 2026
Location: Sir Jim McDonald Technology & Innovation Centre (TIC), 99 George Sreet, Glasgow G1 1RD
Doors Open Days Weekends for 2026
Dates: Saturday and Sunday from 5 – 27 September 2026
Locations: Regional variations
Heritage Network – Conference 2026
Date & Time: Sunday 27 September – Tuesday 29 September 2026
Locations: Belfast & Armagh
The conference emphasis is on the impact of community-led heritage on people and places, explored through the experience of heritage regeneration in the host towns and cities and beyond. As well as a day of compelling presentations, lively discussions and networking, Conference includes tours and visits to fascinating historic sites and ground-breaking projects.
SPAB – Repair of Old Buildings Course Autumn 2026
Date & Time: Monday 28 September – Friday 2 October 2026; 09:30am-5pm
Location: Museum of the Home, Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA
Presented by leading building conservation professionals, the course explores British and international approaches to the conservation of old buildings. The programme is underpinned by the SPAB philosophy of repair and maintenance, as set out in the SPAB Approach. Through a series of lectures and site visits, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the repair, maintenance and conservation of old buildings.
SPAB – Practical Flour Milling
Date & Time: Tuesday 20 October 2026; 9:30am-4pm
Location: Blair Atholl Water Mill, Ford Road, Blair Atholl, Pitlochry PH18 5SH
Join SPAB for practical experience of traditional flour milling in a small, friendly group environment. Blair Atholl Watermill is Scotland’s oldest working watermill. This course is supported by the North UK Mills Group. This event is perfect for mill volunteers and trainee millers. It may also be of interest to more experienced millers who wish to develop their skills.
SPAB – Understanding Your Old Building
Date: Saturday 14 November 2026; 12:30-2pm
Location: Online
Join SPAB for an introduction to the care and maintenance of period properties, ideal for homeowners and tenants of old buildings. This modular, self-paced online course features six pre-recorded presentations and a live Q&A session. It introduces the SPAB conservation approach and offers guidance on how best to tackle common problems and maintain the character and value of your home. If you live in or look after a period property, or are a professional who needs to brief their clients on understanding their old building, this course is ideal for you. The SPAB is an IHBC-recognised CPD provider and certificates of attendance are available on request. £115 ‘Early Bird’ rate until 10 August, then £135.
Save the Date for Heritage Debate 2026
Date & Time: Wednesday 18 November 2026; 11am-1pm
This event will take place online, via Zoom, and will be free to attend thanks to the generous support of Ecclesiastical Insurance. Further details will be shared over the coming months.
Training
Culture & Business Scotland – All things American Fundraising
Date & Time: Wednesday 24 June 2026; 10am-4pm
Location: The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2ND
Join Culture & Business Scotland for this essential workshop, designed to advance your practical knowledge of the American philanthropic landscape. In the session, three fundraising experts from Chapel & York will share their insights and perspectives. It is aimed at fundraisers and culture sector professionals keen to understand the intricacies of American fundraising.
SLCT – Introduction to Stonemasonry
Date & Time: Thursday 25 & Friday 26 June 2026; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Merryhill Training Centre, Charlestown, Dunfermline KY11 3DR
Taught by a time-served Stonemason, this course is suitable for all abilities and covers an introduction to tools, techniques and uses of basic stonemasonry. Learners can take away their practice stones at the end of the day. This practical course is designed for: those individuals with little or no experience in cutting and dressing natural stone; building contractor working on traditional stone buildings and structures and just want to learn the basic masonry skills for cutting and dressing sandstone; and/or a semi-skilled operative who needs to add to his skills set and be able to produce stone masonry units to plumb, level and plane with traditional tooling finishes.
SLCT – Introduction to Maintaining Traditional Buildings
Date & Time: Tuesday 28 July 2026; 10am-3pm
Location: Charlestown Workshops, 2 Rocks Road, Charlestown, Dunfermline KY11 3EN
This course provides the perfect starting point if you are considering undertaking some simple repairs yourself or will enable you to speak your builder’s language and be confident that you are being given the correct advice. The course will outline the maintenance that traditional buildings require and attendees will gain an understanding of traditional building techniques and the correct materials to use when undertaking repairs. This is also an excellent opportunity to speak to the SLCT’s expert tutors about your project; attendees are welcome to bring along photos and mortar samples for some specific advice.
Vacancies & Opportunities
BEFS – Communications Officer
Salary: £30,000 FTE
Status: Part Time; 30 hours per week. Permanent; subject to funding – organisation funding in place to April 2028
Location: Home-working based – the team all work remotely and are based in/around Edinburgh and Glasgow with regular face-to-face meetings expected.
Leading on the communication activities of the organisation, BEFS Communications Officer will work closely with BEFS team to strategically amplify the sector’s policy interests and ensure that BEFS role as a trusted and informed sector voice is reflected visibly across all our communications channels.
Working closely with the Board, Director, and team – as well as communicating with our Member organisations – the post holder will be responsible for managing the breadth of the organisation’s (digital) communications channels. Adopting a proactive cross-sectoral approach, the postholder will play a key role in maintaining and raising BEFS profile with policy makers, the sector and wider stakeholders. We are seeking the right individual – with an excellent turn of phrase, and an eye for detail – to fit into a small, friendly team. If invited to interview, you will be asked to demonstrate how your experience meets the requirements of the post. We will look for evidence of past experience, and your approach to the key responsibilities.
For full details on the role and to apply, see the full listing here.
Closing Date: 12 noon on Friday 26 June
Foundation for Jewish Heritage – Historic Synagogues Project Development Officer
Salary: £40,000 per annum
Status: Fixed term (one year), 30 hours per week, flexible working available
Location: Remote, with regular in-person meetings and travel to synagogues across the UK
The Foundation for Jewish Heritage is looking to appoint an experienced Project Development Officer to join their team as a pivotal element of a new National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported project. The project will significantly augment capacity to support UK synagogues in need of support to preserve their historic fabric and protect and make accessible the Jewish heritage they embody. The successful candidate will report to the Foundation’s Projects Director, leading on essential organisational development and project set-up in the year 1 Development Phase of the project. While a specialist consultant team will be recruited to implement this project during years 2-6 of the project subject to a successful Delivery Phase application, the Project Development Officer is integral to scoping and developing the delivery programme in the crucial initial planning of the project. Working with the Projects Director, the post-holder will lead on recruiting and managing consultants, establishing governance processes, carrying out baseline assessments of at-risk synagogues, and developing strategies for a Historic Synagogues Heritage Route, an oral history project, and a small grants scheme. Apply here.
Closing Date: Friday 3 July 2026
Planning Aid Scotland – Opportunities for chartered planners
Becoming chartered is a significant professional milestone, signalling competence and a commitment to public service. Planning Aid Scotland, the national charity working to widen access to planning, offers newly chartered planners a way to put these values into practice through its national planning Advice Service. Volunteers support members of the public with a wide range of planning questions, gaining direct experience that is often hard to find in day-to-day roles. The opportunity is flexible and open to all chartered planners. In return, volunteers receive professional training, access to a video archive, and ongoing support. Get in touch to find out more at volunteer@pas.org.uk.
Closing Date: Not applicable
Planning Democracy – Trustees
Planning Democracy are looking for new trustees to join their board. They are particularly interested in recruiting trustees who have skills in either Governance or Communications (social media, online resources, website management). They are also keen to hear from anyone who feels that Planning Democracy is an organisation they are interested in getting involved with. In return they are offering training opportunities, learning opportunities, experience in campaigning and advocacy, the opportunity to travel in Scotland and meet new people, as well as being part of a committed group of people. If you are interested, contact Chair, Helen Todd on info@planningdemocracy.org.uk and they can then send you an application form and/or have a chat.
Closing Date: Not specified
SHBT – St Ninian’s Manse
Location: Quayside Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6EJ
Size: 2,889 sq ft
Availability: March 2026
Tenure: Available as single tenancy or individual floors
With origins dating back to 1493, St Ninian’s Manse is thought to be the oldest building in Leith and is topped by Edinburgh’s sole surviving 17th century timber steeple. It formed part of the original entrance to St Ninian’s Chapel, which was mostly demolished during the 19th century when the site was converted to industrial use as a mill. From 1996 to 2002, SHBT restored both St Ninian’s Manse and the adjacent Quayside Mills, creating desirable waterfront office space whilst also preserving an important historic structure and a key part of Leith’s history. The manse now offers four floors of adaptable office space with period character, modern amenities, and five dedicated parking spaces. Brochure.
Enquiries: info@shbt.org.uk
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The Foundation for Jewish Heritage is looking to appoint an experienced Project Development Officer to join their team as a pivotal element of a new National Lottery Heritage Fund-supported project.
The project will significantly augment capacity to support UK synagogues in need of support to preserve their historic fabric and protect and make accessible the Jewish heritage they embody.
The successful candidate will report to the Foundation’s Projects Director, leading on essential organisational development and project set-up in the year 1 Development Phase of the project.
While a specialist consultant team will be recruited to implement this project during years 2-6 of the project subject to a successful Delivery Phase application, the Project Development Officer is integral to scoping and developing the delivery programme in the crucial initial planning of the project.
Working with the Projects Director, the post-holder will lead on recruiting and managing consultants, establishing governance processes, carrying out baseline assessments of at-risk synagogues, and developing strategies for a Historic Synagogues Heritage Route, an oral history project, and a small grants scheme. Apply here.
Salary: £40,000 per annum
Status: Fixed term (one year), 30 hours per week, flexible working available
Location: Remote, with regular in-person meetings and travel to synagogues across the UK
Closing Date: Friday 3 July 2026
BACK
BEFS are seeking to appoint a Communications Officer
Leading on the communication activities of the organisation, BEFS Communications Officer will work closely with BEFS team to strategically amplify the sector’s policy interests and ensure that BEFS role as a trusted and informed sector voice is reflected visibly across all our communications channels.
Working closely with the Board, Director, and team – as well as communicating with our Member organisations – the post holder will be responsible for managing the breadth of the organisation’s (digital) communications channels. Adopting a proactive cross-sectoral approach, the postholder will play a key role in maintaining and raising BEFS profile with policy makers, the sector and wider stakeholders.
We are seeking the right individual – with an excellent turn of phrase, and an eye for detail – to fit into a small, friendly team.
Key responsibilities
- Lead on drafting and publishing BEFS bi-monthly bulletin
- Managing and developing BEFS digital communications, including the website, social media and digital engagement platforms
- Horizon scanning: Monitor, amplify and engage with our Members’ communications and social media output
- Provide a consistent and informed voice for BEFS communications outputs across all channels
- Proactively maintain an outcome-led communications strategy consistent with BEFS organisational objectives and strategies (e.g. BEFS Manifesto)
- Ensuring the delivery of BEFS communications strategy enhances outputs; manage, monitor and report on the effectiveness of the communications strategy, including media relations
- Work with BEFS team to develop advocacy and communication toolkits supporting sector advocacy and climate advocacy specifically
- Work with BEFS team to proactively support the Membership through advocacy work on behalf of sector-wide and Member initiatives, including production of new advocacy documents
- Support BEFS team to develop advocacy campaigns and facilitating events
- Reporting: provide and contribute to regular reports to funders and BEFS Board
- Team: participate actively as part of a small and agile team, supporting and working with colleagues as necessary
- Undertaking other such duties as may be required
Key Relationships
Within BEFS: Director, Head of Policy and Strategy, Communications and Policy Officer, Net Zero Lead and Head of Operations
30+ BEFS Member and Associate representatives, BEFS Board members, media contacts, civil servants within Scottish Government, Historic Environment Scotland, and wider stakeholders.
Person Specification
Applicants should be confident communicators with strong written and inter-personal skills, and proven experience of using a wide range of (digital) communication methods including websites, social media, news releases, and press liaison.
Applicants should be able to demonstrate an understanding of the key issues affecting the existing and historic environment, with knowledge of the main players and lead organisations in the wider built environment sector.
This post will suit a communications professional with an interest in Scotland’s existing built environment.
If invited to interview, you will be asked to demonstrate how your experience meets the requirements of the post. We will look for evidence of past experience, and your approach to the key responsibilities outlined above.
Essential Skills
- A qualification in a communications discipline or relevant experience of 3+ years
- Experience of digital communications, content management systems for web, social media and other engagement channels
- Highly computer literate e.g. skilled use of Microsoft 365, WordPress, Mailchimp, Eventbrite
- Familiarity with image and design software, such as Adobe Creative Cloud (specifically Photoshop, Canva, Publisher, Illustrator) or similar
- Excellent command of the English language with exceptional writing, editing, proof-reading, and demonstrable attention to detail
- Experience of writing press releases
- Strong organisational and time management skills; ability to work autonomously
- Enthusiastic and positive team member, committed to organisational and personal development and training
- Confident and effective communicator
Desirable Skills
- Knowledge of public affairs landscape relating to the built environment (historic and contemporary) – Scottish Government, Scottish Parliament, voluntary sector, professional bodies
- Experience of preparing publicity material – artwork and graphic design
- Experience of working with committees and engaging with organisations and individuals remotely
- Experience of public affairs work
- Experience of working with the media
- Experience of working for a small, busy organisation
Pension: 5.5% company contribution of gross salary to a company scheme or properly constituted pension scheme of your choice with a minimum 2.5% additional employee contribution.
Annual Leave: Annual leave is pro rata the full-time allowance of leave and public holidays recognised by the organisation; full-time allowance is 30 days annual leave plus 5 public holidays (2 Christmas, 2 New Year, and 1 at Easter).
Location: The job is home-working based – the team all work remotely and are based in/around Edinburgh and Glasgow with regular face-to-face meetings expected. Very occasional event support may be required across Scotland, or in the evening.
Reporting to: BEFS Director
This role is funded by Historic Environment Scotland, as part of BEFS core funding through the Partnership Award Fund.
BEFS expects all applicants to support the values, ethos and objectives of BEFS, demonstrating credibility and integrity and proactively committed to championing equality, diversity and inclusion.
Applicants must be able to demonstrate the right to work in the UK.
BEFS is an equal opportunities employer.
To apply
Please complete the Application Form (in a Word document, CVs will not be accepted) and Equality and Diversity Form.
Send your application documents attached to an email to: info@befs.org.uk [The subject of the email should read: Confidential – Job Application – Comms Officer]
Interviews expected to be w/c 6 July. Interviews will be held in person, in central Edinburgh.
For an informal discussion about the post, please contact Hazel Johnson, BEFS Director: hjohnson@befs.org.uk
Salary: £30,000 FTE
Hours: Part Time; 30 hours per week
Term: Permanent; subject to funding – organisation funding in place to April 2028
Deadline for receipt of Applications: 12 noon on Friday 26 June
BACK
Get The Latest Built Environment News, Policy Developments, Publications & Consultations
BEFS News
The new Scottish Government has taken shape with the reappointment of John Swinney as First Minister, and confirmation of eight Cabinet Secretaries and 11 Ministers. The First Minister described the new administration as “a leaner, more agile government”, with its size reduced from 28 Ministerial posts in the previous term to 20. Notable Cabinet Secretary appointments for the existing built and historic environment include: Màiri McAllan for Education, Culture and Gaelic; Shirley-Anne Somerville for Social Justice and Housing; Stephen Flynn for Economy, Tourism and Transport; and Gillian Martin, who invited BEFS into Parliament ahead of the election to discuss the 2026 BEFS Manifesto, will continue to hold Cabinet responsibility for Climate Action. BEFS looks forward to working with relevant portfolio holders on progressing our Members’ policy aspirations.
Now showing! These policy aspirations were explored at a BEFS Built Environment Hustings event, which is the subject of a special short film produced by Channel 7A. The event, hosted by BEFS Member the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS) in Edinburgh in early April, brought stakeholders together to hear from, and pose questions to, representatives of the six main political parties on their built environment commitments. The five minute film combines event footage and interviews with participants representing the Chartered Institute of Building, RICS, the Royal Town Planning Institute, Scottish Historic Buildings Trust, and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. Watch now on our Vimeo and YouTube channels.
The big question of how the new Scottish Government will approach built environment policy-making over its five year term is the subject of a new blog for BEFS Joining the Dots series. Robert Toomey, Senior Public Affairs Manager in RICS and a BEFS Trustee, considers the Scottish National Party Manifesto plans and priorities in key areas including the green economy, conservation, housing, planning and skills. Robert’s crystal ball considers the realities of what might unfold given the current policy and funding landscape, and how the minority administration may approach cross-party agreements and compromises. Read his blog here.
Another future prediction, shared in the Places of Worship Forum facilitated by BEFS, is that the next five years will bring more closures and transitions of buildings in worshipful use. In a blog for the Places of Worship Forum newsletter, Louise Paterson, Churches Programme Officer with the Community Ownership Support Service, looks at the journey of church sales in Aberdeen and Shetland. With transition processes largely completed in the city and the archipelago, Louise asks: do they point to outcomes we might expect to see in wider Scotland?
The BEFS Manifesto highlights a very strong consensus in the BEFS network that policy-makers need to take more action to ensure we have the sufficient skills base to properly care for our heritage buildings. Tomorrow brings the welcome continuation of a traditional skills demonstration session for school pupils at Edinburgh Castle, providing valuable interactive exposure to built environment specialisms including stonemasonry and roofing. Historic Environment Scotland, which has calculated that 48,700 people will be needed in Scotland’s construction and built environment sector between now and 2031, also runs a wider Discover Heritage Careers support initiative.
… and in an exciting closing of this edition of BEFS News – BEFS is seeking a Communications Officer. Leading on the communication activities of the organisation, the successful applicant will work closely with the BEFS team to strategically amplify the sector’s policy interests. BEFS is looking for the right individual to be part of a small, friendly team, and ensure that BEFS role as a trusted and informed sector voice is reflected visibly across all our communications channels – including this bulletin. The role is home-based and the closing date for applications is Friday 26 June. Click here for more information and link to the application form.
Parliamentary Questions & Answers
Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions regarding Rural Communities, Housing, Planning, and Renewables.
Consultations
Heat networks – installation and maintenance licence
Scottish Government
This consultation is seeking views on proposals for an installation and maintenance licence for heat networks. It proposes an opt-in installation and maintenance license under the Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bills, replacing the mandatory licensing regime in the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021. Licences would grant rights and powers similar to other utilities (gas, electricity) such as carrying out road works, surveys and compulsory purchase of land. The proposals aim to improve the pace and scale of heat networks installation and maintenance to contribute to net zero targets and decarbonising heat in homes and buildings by 2045.
Closes 5 June 2026
HSDS User Needs Research
National Heritage Science Forum (NHSF)
This is the second year of a three-year user needs research programme, run by NHSF on behalf of the Heritage Science Data Service (HSDS). Year 1 established baseline data on audiences, awareness and priorities and this year’s survey is tracking how things are changing and gathering feedback on newly launched services, including the HSDS Catalogue of Services and Data Catalogue. All results are reported back to HSDS to inform development for the platform and supporting resources. This survey is aimed at anyone working with heritage science data and responses are invited from researchers and practitioners at all career stages. It will take around 15–20 minutes to complete. You can respond as an organisation or individual, and a PDF version of the survey is available via this Google link to support those coordinating an organisational response.
Closes 15 June 2026
trove.scot feedback survey
Historic Environment Scotland
trove.scot is a platform which brings together Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) wealth of unique and diverse collections in one convenient place. It combines information from the Historic Environment Portal, Canmore, SCRAN, and Property in Care Collections. It’s a tool for everyone to find out about listed buildings and other designated places, see archive images and explore every corner of Scotland. HES want to hear your views and experiences of using trove.scot. Your feedback will inform future work on the website.
Closes 28 February 2027
Consultation Responses
Tourism Inquiry
BEFS has responded to a tourism inquiry by the UK Parliament Committee for Culture, Media and Sport. Evidence was provided in three areas: maximising the tourism potential of cultural heritage, key issues facing the tourism workforce, and how tourism can better support regional growth and community prosperity. BEFS is observing a Committee request for respondents to refrain from publication prior to Committee review; we will share our full response in a future bulletin. (BEFS 18/05/2026)
Scottish Building Regulations: Fire Safety review and Compliance: Call for Evidence Published Responses (Scot Gov 20/05/2026)
News Releases
Residents across Edinburgh to choose how to spend Visitor Levy funds in their neighbourhoods (City of Edinburgh Council 15/05/2026)
Historic England reveals 20 historic sites with the potential to become new homes (Historic England 19/05/2026)
Scottish Futures Trust: Scotland’s construction pipeline tool continues to increase coverage and transparency (SFT 20/05/2026)
Homebuilding & Renovating: Supporting people with in-person planning advice (Planning Aid Scotland 21/05/2026)
Call for Nominations: proposals invited to join Cultivating Resilience a programme strengthening the ability of historic gardens and designed landscapes to adapt to the impacts of climate change (World Monuments Fund 25/05/2026)
A proactive approach to bringing ownerless land back into use in Scotland (Scottish Land Commission 26/05/2026)
Publications
Pathways to Productivity (BE-ST March 2026)
Scottish Planner Issue 204: Scotland’s Rural Future (RTPI Scotland May 2026)
Urban retrofit in Canadian cities: The adaptive reuse of offices into housing as a dual response to housing affordability and the climate crisis (Urban Retrofit 06/05/2026)
Governing multi-occupancy buildings: learning from the international evidence base (CaCHE 14/05/2026)
Scottish & UK: Governmental & Parliamentary Publications
Leaking church roofs to be fixed and heritage buildings revitalised as applications open for £48 million of heritage funding (UK Gov 20/05/2026)
Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report Update (UK Parl 20/05/2026)
Scottish Ministers Appointed (Scot Gov 20/05/2026)
Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 (stained glass): written question (UK Parl 21/05/2026)
Opinion & Comment
Blog: Dismantling gendered cities, one city at a time. This is how we started (Placemaking Europe 01/05/2026)
Why can’t we have both? (Urban Realm 11/05/2026)
Why do we keep building on land at risk of flooding? (The Guardian 14/05/2026)
Calls for ‘quality leadership’ for HES after Robertson exit (The Herald 14/05/2026)
Anna Ritchie obituary: archaeologist who led Orkney rescue work (The Times 19/05/2026)
What Glasgow’s Chinatown could look like after £160m redevelopment plan (Glasgow Live 19/05/2026)
Five-Year Partnership Reimagines the Future of Scotland’s Heritage at Caerlaverock Castle (Dumfries & Galloway What’s Going On 19/05/2026)
New training programme aims to extend use of timber across construction sector (Project Scotland 19/05/2026)
Built environment bodies to screen ‘People’s Emergency Briefing’ in Glasgow (Scottish Construction Now 20/05/2026)
Report shows urgent climate adaptation spells opportunity for construction (Construction Management 20/05/2026)
Architecture body elects Libby Heathcote as next president (Scottish Housing News 21/05/2026)
A hut or not a hut? Council seeks independent cabin size check (BBC News 21/05/2026)
Positive results belie struggling construction sector (Premier Construction News 21/05/2026)
Presiding Officer says ‘status quo not an option’ amid parliamentary shake-up (Holyrood 21/05/2026)
The first international football stadium in the world is in Glasgow – and it was just given “protected” status (Secret Glasgow 22/05/2026)
‘Nationally significant’ regeneration planned for Stranraer (BBC News 22/05/2026)
BE-ST Fest 2026 to hit the road with four regional events (Scottish Housing News 22/05/2026)
Revealed: Union Street vape shop not inspected for health and safety before fire (The Herald 24/05/2026)
Scottish Government will ‘undoubtedly’ need to make cuts – deputy first minister (STV 24/05/2026)
Green jobs contributing £10.2bn to Scotland’s economy, says CBI (BBC News 26/05/2026)
Events
For further listings, please see BEFS events calendar
Reviving the Trinity Stones – Exhibition
Dates & Times: Saturday 9 May – Sunday 28 June 2026; 10am-5pm
Location: Museum of Edinburgh, 142-146 Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DD
Medieval Edinburgh’s Forgotten Royal Masterpiece. This exhibition tells the story of the Trinity Collegiate Church, medieval Edinburgh’s forgotten royal masterpiece. Founded over 560 years ago, by Queen Mary of Guelders, the church was the most sophisticated and beautiful example of gothic architecture in Scotland. Discover how it was celebrated, demolished, forgotten and revived. Located on the ground floor with no booking required.
GCHT – From Well to Wellspring
Dates & Times: Saturday 30 May until Friday 18 September 2026; 11am-5pm
Location: Glasgow City Heritage Trust, 54 Bell Street, Glasgow G1 1LQ
In October 2025 the Glasgow collective Aproxima Arts, in collaboration with Professor Stephen Driscoll (Glasgow University) and David Sneddon (Clyde Archaeology), excavated the thirteenth-century St Mungo’s Well in Glasgow Cathedral. This was part of the five-year ‘Glasgow Requiem’ project aimed at exploring artistic connections to Glasgow’s medieval and pre-industrial history. Following excavation, Aproxima and artist Joanna Kessel installed a coloured glass mosaic designed by James Johnson on the Well’s interior. This exhibition, hosted by Glasgow City Heritage Trust, will cover the history of the well and showcase artefacts, such as dice, coins, and rings, unearthed during the excavation. Open weekly every Wednesday & Friday until end date.
New Future – The People’s Emergency Briefing: Glasgow and the Built Environment & Panel Discussion
Date & Time: Monday 1 June 2026; 6pm
Location: Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RB
New Future, in partnership with Glasgow Film Theatre, Atelier Ten, Architecture Fringe and Architects Declare, present this post-election public screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing, followed by facilitated discussion with local councillors, newly-elected MSPs, and representatives from Scotland’s built environment sector. In November 2025, more than 1,200 MPs, peers and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media gathered at Westminster Central Hall for a landmark national briefing delivered by leading UK experts. That briefing has now been adapted into a new public film, The People’s Emergency Briefing, designed for community screenings across the UK followed by structured local discussion. This post-election screening and panel discussion will be open to all, but with a specific focus on the implications for our built environment sector.
Under One Roof – Introduction to Tenement Maintenance
Date & Time: Tuesday 2 June 2026;12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Together with conservation experts at Mill Architects and Edinburgh World Heritage, Under One Roof will explore the importance of maintaining tenement buildings and the unique repair issues historic tenements can face, and share our knowledge of how to work with neighbours to organise and pay for repairs in the shared, or ‘common,’ areas of your building. Edinburgh World Heritage will also explain how they can support tenement property owners during the repairs process with funding guidance and opportunities.
DTAS – New Futures Drop In: Fundraising
Date & Time: Tuesday 2 June 2026; 12-1:30pm
Location: Online
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship workshop series. This event will provide a chance for community organisations looking to take ownership of a former place of worship to share their experiences of fundraising and learn about examples of different fundraising methods.
Chartered Institute for Archaeologists – Strategic Leadership Summit
Date & Time: Wednesday 3 June 2026; 9am–5pm
Location: The Kings Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0ES
CIfA will hold its first Strategic Leadership Summit with the aim of bringing together leaders from across the profession to discuss some of the biggest issues facing archaeology today. The summit’s theme will be Strategic Approaches to Archaeology, and contributors will reflect on the UK’s major strategic vehicles for advancing the archaeological profession’s practices and delivering benefit. The ticket price includes lunch and free access to the post event recordings.
SURF – 2026 Awards Launch
Date & Time: Thursday 4 June 2026; 1-1:45pm
Location: Online
At this event you will hear more about the 2026 SURF Awards process and the 5 Award categories. Attendees will hear from former SURF Award Winners with their top tips for a successful application. If you have ever considered entering (or re-entering) the Awards or want to know more about this year’s process and what is involved, or to hear directly from projects who have gone through the process, then this event is definitely for you.
Under One Roof – Managing common repairs: East Lothian Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 9 June 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Do you own a flat in East Lothian? Join this free lunchtime webinar! Learn about the proper procedure for managing common repairs in tenement building, with discussions about how to understand your titles and responsibilities, and how to work with your neighbours to organise and pay for repairs together. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, where you can ask an expert speaker about your own repair issues.
European Heritage Hub – Cultural heritage as a resource for energy-efficient and inclusive renovation & affordable housing policies
Date & Time: Thursday 11 June 2006; 9am-12pm
Location: Online
The European Heritage Hub are hosting an event in Brussels (also via livestream) during the Festival of the New European Bauhaus, exploring how heritage-led approaches contribute to sustainability, aesthetics and inclusion during a time when climate, energy and housing crises are converging. It will bring together EU institutions, local and regional authorities, civil society organisations, architects, heritage professionals, financial actors and practitioners to examine how heritage-led approaches can contribute to the transformation of Europe’s built environment in the context of climate, energy and housing challenges.
Heritage Network – North UK Mills June Meeting
Date & Time: Thursday 11 June 2026; 10-11:30am
Location: Online
The North UK Mills Group aims to connect and support people and organisations who preserve historic mills, millwrighting skills and milling culture for future generations. Join online for this talk by Graham Brooks, Chair of Warwick Bridge Community Benefit Society in Carlisle, as he asks, ‘Can a watermill be operated profitably?’ Graham will outline the history of Warwick Bridge, including its renovation in 2019 and the setting up of the Community Benefit Society, before diving into the challenges it has faced over the last six years and plans for moving forward in 2026 and beyond.
Under One Roof – Managing Common Repairs: Inverclyde Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 16 June 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
If you are an owner-occupier or a landlord in Inverclyde, join this free lunchtime webinar with Inverclyde Council, on managing common repairs. Under One Roof will be sharing expertise on how to identify problems in your tenement building, and explaining how to work with your neighbours to fix them. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with the Education and Training Officer, where you will have the chance to ask questions about your own tenement building.
Under One Roof – Damp and mould in tenement flats: East Lothian Council
Date & Time: Thursday 18 June 2026;12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Awaab’s Law is coming to Scotland, changing the way that social and private landlords deal with damp and mould in their flats. If you are a landlord in East Lothian, find out how you can tackle the problem of damp and mould at this free lunchtime webinar. Learn about updates to legislation, and expert information on how to deal with damp and mould in common areas of your building. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A, where you will have the chance to ask an expert about your own damp and mould issues.
Historic England – Digital Emissions – should heritage organisations worry about them, and how can we lower them?
Date & Time: Thursday 18 June 2026; 1-2pm
Location: Online
In this webinar, Claire Marchetti, Carbon and Sustainability Manager for Historic England will discuss how the organisation is addressing the environmental impact of its digital activity. The webinar will look at the challenges identified, the technical changes underway, how to use procurement to support ambitions, and how staff are engaged in reducing digital emissions. There will also be a look at practical steps heritage organisations can take to reduce their digital carbon footprint while embracing the benefits digital ways of working offer, helping the sector move toward a more sustainable, low carbon future.
AHF – 50th Conference: Heritage – Radical. Reimagined. Revitalised.
Date & Time: Thursday 18 June 2026; 2-8pm
Location: St Bartholomew’s Hospital, West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is celebrating 50 years of transforming historic buildings and supporting communities across the UK. Join real estate professionals, heritage practitioners, social enterprise developers, policymakers, funders, and researchers as together they consider the potential for heritage-led regeneration to improve our communities in the next 50 years and beyond. This afternoon and evening event will bring together diverse voices and approaches to consider how heritage can help transform local communities and economies, shining light on proven models from around the UK and exploring policy changes that could supercharge adaptive reuse in the UK.
IHBC – Annual School 2026 Newcastle I Adaptive Reuse
Date & Time: Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 June 2026
Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne (In Person and Online)
The IHBC Annual School in Newcastle explores the theme of Adaptive Reuse through inspiring tours, expert talks, and networking opportunities across this 3-day programme, starting on Thursday with CPD Study Tours of iconic sites including the Byker Wall and Ouseburn, followed by a Welcome Reception at the Baltic Centre. Friday’s Day School, available in-person or online features specialist speakers at the Grade II* listed Common Room, and an Exhibitor Hub. The weekend concludes with the Annual Dinner and Awards at the Royal Station Hotel, followed by study tours on the Saturday for Full School delegates.
Behind the Restoration – Meet the Architect & Engineer
Date & Time: Friday 19 June 2026; 9:30am-4pm
Location: Bannockburn House, Stirling FK7 8EY
This is a unique opportunity to step inside one of Scotland’s most ambitious community-led conservation projects and meet the professionals helping to save Bannockburn House. Throughout the day, guests will hear from the conservation architect, conservation structural engineer, and other specialists involved in the project. Each will share how they have approached the challenges of working with a fragile Category A listed building, the decisions that shape emergency conservation work, and what it is like to build a career in heritage, architecture, engineering, and traditional skills. The event is designed to be informal, engaging, and practical, with plenty of time for conversation, questions, and networking over coffee. Guests will also enjoy a guided Heritage Conservation Tour of Bannockburn House, exploring the building, its current condition, and the emergency works now underway. The tour will highlight how conservation professionals, volunteers, funders, and the wider community are working together to protect the house and bring its stories back to life. Courtesy of Stirling City Heritage Trust, the day will also include live traditional skills demonstrations, including stonemasonry and roofing, giving guests the chance to see conservation trades in action and understand the specialist craft skills needed to care for historic buildings.
DTAS – New Futures Workshop: Listed Building Consent
Date & Time: Tuesday 23 June 2026; 1-2:30pm
Location: Online
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship workshop series. This workshop will clarify the situations were Listed Building Consent may be required and will provide an overview of the application process, specifically relevant to community organisations looking to take a former place of worship into community ownership.
Under One Roof – Navigating common repairs in tenement: Aberdeenshire Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 23 June 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
If you own a flat in Aberdeenshire, and don’t know where to start with repairs and maintenance, join this free lunchtime webinar with Aberdeenshire Council, on managing common repairs. Under One Roof will be sharing expertise on how to identify problems in your tenement building, and explaining how to work with your neighbours to fix them. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with the Education and Training Officer, where you will have the chance to ask questions about your own tenement building.
Heritage Network – Sustainable Island Heritage
Date & Time: Friday 26 June 2026; 10am-4pm
Location: The St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands
Join the Heritage Network in Kirkwall for an inspiring gathering bringing together community groups, heritage professionals, and local changemakers from across the Orkney Islands. An ideal opportunity for networking, the day will celebrate the incredible work happening across the region —showcasing innovative heritage projects, grassroots initiatives, and collaborative efforts that are preserving, sharing and reimagining Orkney’s rich cultural story. Confirmed speakers include Heritage Network members, Boloquoy Victorian Farm & Watermill, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, who last year announced Orkney as the second place in Scotland to benefit from its ‘Heritage Place’ investment initiative.
Under One Roof – Understanding mandatory owners’ associations: East Lothian Council
Date & Time: Thursday 2 July 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Working together with your neighbours to take care of your building can be challenging, but being part of an owners’ association can make the process much easier. At this free lunchtime webinar, learn about the benefits of joining an owners’ association, with expert advice on how to set one up in your own building, and explanation about the proposed changes to the law to introduce mandatory owners’ associations. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, where you will have the chance to ask an expert speaker your own questions about owners’ associations.
DTAS – New Futures Drop In: Involving Your Community
Date & Time: Thursday 2 July 2026; 1-2:30pm
Location: Online
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship workshop series. This event will provide a chance for community organisations looking to take ownership of a former place of worship to share their experiences of getting their community involved. The Churches Advisors of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship programme will share top tips on how to ensure meaningful community engagement.
SPAB – Maintaining Scotland’s Historic Places of Worship
Date & Time: Friday 10 July 2026; 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: Rhu & Shandon Parish Church, Gareloch Road, Helensburgh G84 8RP
Are you involved in caring for and maintaining a place of worship in Scotland? Caring for a historic building can feel like a never-ending task, but thankfully there are some simple steps you can take to keep your building in good condition and reduce the likelihood of large repair projects further down the line. This series of one-day courses, supported by Historic Environment Scotland, will explore the practical steps you can take to look after your building. All dates and locations can be found here
Save the date/Early booking open now/Applications invited
Doors Open Day – Applications to participate: Edinburgh and East Lothian
Date and location: Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 September 2026; Edinburgh & East Lothian
Applications are invited to take part in Doors Open Day 20256. There are three criteria which need to be met for a venue to take part: The venue should be open on the regions designated weekend; the event must be free; and the event should include something different from your usual offering – common examples include a tour, talk, exhibition, workshop, or a simple colouring activity. You can use the annual theme to design your event/activity – this year’s theme is Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine. More details can be found here (use of the theme is not a requirement).
To take part please email EdinburghDoorsOpen@cockburnassociation.org.uk.
Deadline: Sunday 21 June 2026
BE-ST Fest – 2026
For the past five years, industry leaders, policymakers, innovators and built environment professionals have travelled to Glasgow for BE-ST Fest. In 2026, the festival is coming to you. BE-ST is on the road, coming to communities across Scotland to focus on the real barriers and challenges you face.
BE-ST Fest East – International Retrofit Conference
Date: Wednesday 2 September 2026
Location: Royal College of Physicians, 11 Queen Street, Edinburgh EH2 1JQ
BE-ST Fest South
Date: Wednesday 23 September 2026
Location: The Crichton Trust, Grierson House, Bankend Rd, Dumfries DG1 4ZE
BE-ST Fest North
Date: Tuesday 6 October 2026
Location: Eden Court, Bishops Road, Inverness IV3 5SA
BE-ST Fest West
Date: Wednesday 4 November 2026
Location: Sir Jim McDonald Technology & Innovation Centre (TIC), 99 George Sreet, Glasgow G1 1RD
Doors Open Days Weekends for 2026
Dates: Saturday and Sunday from 5 – 27 September 2026
Locations: Regional variations
Heritage Network – Conference 2026
Date & Time: Sunday 27 September – Tuesday 29 September 2026
Locations: Belfast & Armagh
The conference emphasis is on the impact of community-led heritage on people and places, explored through the experience of heritage regeneration in the host towns and cities and beyond. As well as a day of compelling presentations, lively discussions and networking, the conference includes tours and visits to fascinating historic sites and ground-breaking projects.
SPAB – Repair of Old Buildings Course Autumn 2026
Date & Time: Monday 28 September – Friday 2 October 2026; 09:30am-5pm
Location: Museum of the Home, Kingsland Road, London E2 8EA
Presented by leading building conservation professionals, the course explores British and international approaches to the conservation of old buildings. The programme is underpinned by the SPAB philosophy of repair and maintenance, as set out in the SPAB Approach. Through a series of lectures and site visits, you’ll gain an in-depth understanding of the repair, maintenance and conservation of old buildings.
SPAB – Practical Flour Milling
Date & Time: Tuesday 20 October 2026; 9:30am-4pm
Location: Blair Atholl Water Mill, Ford Road, Blair Atholl, Pitlochry PH18 5SH
Join SPAB for practical experience of traditional flour milling in a small, friendly group environment. Blair Atholl Watermill is Scotland’s oldest working watermill. This course is supported by the North UK Mills Group. This event is perfect for mill volunteers and trainee millers. It may also be of interest to more experienced millers who wish to develop their skills.
SPAB – Understanding Your Old Building
Date: Saturday 14 November 2026; 12:30-2pm
Location: Online
Join SPAB for an introduction to the care and maintenance of period properties, ideal for homeowners and tenants of old buildings. This modular, self-paced online course features six pre-recorded presentations and a live Q&A session. It introduces the SPAB conservation approach and offers guidance on how best to tackle common problems and maintain the character and value of your home. If you live in or look after a period property, or are a professional who needs to brief their clients on understanding their old building, this course is ideal for you. The SPAB is an IHBC-recognised CPD provider and certificates of attendance are available on request. £115 ‘Early Bird’ rate until 10 August, then £135.
Training
Culture & Business Scotland – An Introduction to Being a Board Member
Date & Time: Wednesday 10 June 2026; 9:30am-1:30pm
Location: Online
This essential course will give new trustees and Board members a comprehensive introduction to their roles and responsibilities or provide a governance skills refresher. Led by Catriona Reynolds, Head of Board Development at Culture & Business Scotland, this information-packed online session equips new trustees and Board members with the practical tools they need to succeed from day one.
Planning Aid Scotland – Community Engagement Skills Training Inverness
Date & Time: Wednesday 10 June 2026; 10am-3:30pm
Location: Highland Rugby Club, Canal Park, Clubhouse, Inverness IV3 5SS
This is an interactive workshop on community engagement and how to use the SP=EED framework. The trainers bring extensive community engagement and facilitation expertise to help develop your skills, knowledge, and confidence as a community engagement practitioner. Learn how to undertake meaningful engagement that achieves positive outcomes for communities and projects alike. Discover useful tips and practical tools to help you lead your engagement work with confidence and ease. Engage in a range of different learning techniques to think creatively about engagement. Connect with fellow engagement practitioners, share experiences, and learn from each other in a safe, collaborative setting.
SLCT – Working with Lime in Adverse Weather
Date & Time: Wednesday 10 June 2026; 9:30am-12:30pm
Location: Charlestown Workshops, 2 Rocks Road, Charlestown, Fife KY11 3EN
These hints, tips and practical advice will help you extend your season working with lime mortars successfully. The reality is that contracting is a 365 days a year business and you don’t have the luxury of picking your weather windows. This half day course is aimed at anyone who works with traditional buildings or structures, and will consist of a mixture of lecture and some practical demonstrations.
Culture & Business Scotland – All things American Fundraising
Date & Time: Wednesday 24 June 2026; 10am-4pm
Location: The Hub, Castlehill, Edinburgh EH1 2ND
Join Culture & Business Scotland for this essential workshop, designed to advance your practical knowledge of the American philanthropic landscape. In the session, three fundraising experts from Chapel & York will share their insights and perspectives. It is aimed at fundraisers and culture sector professionals keen to understand the intricacies of American fundraising.
SLCT – Introduction to Stonemasonry
Date & Time: Thursday 25 & Friday 26 June 2026; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Merryhill Training Centre, Charlestown, Dunfermline KY11 3DR
Taught by a time-served Stonemason, this course is suitable for all abilities and covers an introduction to tools, techniques and uses of basic stonemasonry. Learners can take away their practice stones at the end of the day. This practical course is designed for: those individuals with little or no experience in cutting and dressing natural stone; building contractor working on traditional stone buildings and structures and just want to learn the basic masonry skills for cutting and dressing sandstone; and/or a semi-skilled operative who needs to add to his skills set and be able to produce stone masonry units to plumb, level and plane with traditional tooling finishes.
Vacancies & Opportunities
Edinburgh World Heritage – Head of Advocacy and Communications
Salary: £42,299 per annum
Status: Full-time
Location: Edinburgh
Edinburgh World Heritage (EWH) is seeking an enthusiastic, insightful and forward-thinking individual to become their new Head of Advocacy and Communications. EWH is an independent charitable company. Working alongside City of Edinburgh Council and Historic Environment Scotland, they are charged with looking after Edinburgh’s UNESCO World Heritage Site; advising the City of Edinburgh Council on the impact of change on the Outstanding Universal Value (OUV) of the World Heritage Site. This relates to both the requirements of the World Heritage Convention and local plan policy ENV1. The Head of Advocacy and Communications will be responsible for the way they communicate the work and values of their organisation, and the importance of Edinburgh as a World Heritage Site.
Maximising the impact of their reputation, profile and engagement and articulating the social, economic and environment values that inscription brings to the city are key objectives of the role.
For further information and job description, please email Director@ewht.org.uk.
Closing Date: Friday 12 June 2026
Planning Aid Scotland – Opportunities for chartered planners
Becoming chartered is a significant professional milestone, signalling competence and a commitment to public service. Planning Aid Scotland, the national charity working to widen access to planning, offers newly chartered planners a way to put these values into practice through its national planning Advice Service. Volunteers support members of the public with a wide range of planning questions, gaining direct experience that is often hard to find in day-to-day roles. The opportunity is flexible and open to all chartered planners. In return, volunteers receive professional training, access to a video archive, and ongoing support. Get in touch to find out more at volunteer@pas.org.uk.
Closing Date: Not applicable
Planning Democracy – Trustees
Planning Democracy are looking for new trustees to join their board. They are particularly interested in recruiting trustees who have skills in the following areas:
- Governance
- Communications (social media, online resources, website management)
However, they are also keen to hear from anyone who feels that Planning Democracy is an organisation they are interested in getting involved with. In return they are offering training opportunities, learning opportunities, experience in campaigning and advocacy, the opportunity to travel in Scotland and meet new people, as well as being part of a committed group of people. If you are interested, contact Chair, Helen Todd on info@planningdemocracy.org.uk and they can then send you an application form and/or have a chat.
Closing Date: Not specified
SHBT – St Ninian’s Manse
Location: Quayside Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6EJ
Size: 2,889 sq ft
Availability: March 2026
Tenure: Available as single tenancy or individual floors
With origins dating back to 1493, St Ninian’s Manse is thought to be the oldest building in Leith and is topped by Edinburgh’s sole surviving 17th century timber steeple. It formed part of the original entrance to St Ninian’s Chapel, which was mostly demolished during the 19th century when the site was converted to industrial use as a mill. From 1996 to 2002, SHBT restored both St Ninian’s Manse and the adjacent Quayside Mills, creating desirable waterfront office space whilst also preserving an important historic structure and a key part of Leith’s history. The manse now offers four floors of adaptable office space with period character, modern amenities, and five dedicated parking spaces.
Enquiries: info@shbt.org.uk
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In the eighth edition of BEFS ‘Joining the Dots’ series exploring the interconnected nature of policy agendas for Scotland’s built environment, Robert Toomey, Senior Public Affairs Manager for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland, explores and analyses what the next parliamentary cycle of a minority SNP government may look like for the built environment in Scotland according to manifesto commitments as well as potential coalitions.
The battle for Bute House is over, with a Scottish National Party (SNP) victory with 58 seats, though no overall majority. Reform UK and Scottish Labour tied for second, with 17 seats each. The Greens did very well, with 15. The Lib Dems made gains, giving them 10 seats and the Conservatives lost 19, dropping down to 12 seats.
The headline from all of this is that the SNP remain in power, though they are somewhat diminished, missing out on their aim of securing a majority and with it a mandate for a second referendum (though with the Greens on 15 seats, there is a comfortable pro-independence majority in Holyrood). Elsewhere, the results show that there aren’t really any fringe parties anymore, with each having a sizeable representation, able to influence policy to a greater or lesser degree.
Given this political reality, this article will take a look at what the next 5 years of policy making in Scottish Government could look like in relation to the built and natural environment, looking at the SNP’ s manifesto commitments and how they could be shaped by the other parties in Holyrood.
The Built and Natural Environment under the SNP
The SNP’s manifesto sets out an ambitious agenda for Scotland’s built and natural environment over the next five years, with housing delivery, infrastructure investment and net zero central to its plans for economic growth and social development. Proposals including a £4.9 billion commitment to deliver 110,000 affordable homes, the creation of a new national housing agency – More Homes Scotland – and increased investment in infrastructure and renewable energy.
Planning reform, regeneration and land reform are also expected to play a major role during the next parliamentary term. Commitments to simplify planning processes, reform Compulsory Purchase Orders and tackle vacant and derelict land point towards a more interventionist approach to delivery. The heritage sector is also referenced, with proposed reforms to tenement law following the Scottish Law Commission’s report on compulsory owners’ associations.
Alongside this, the manifesto reinforces Scotland’s continued push towards net zero through support for renewable energy, clean heat and major infrastructure projects. The Heat in Buildings Bill is set to (finally) be reintroduced to parliament and it seems likely that previous policy areas such as EPC reform and the formation of the Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment (HEETSA) will continue.
With the recent announcement of Shirley-Anne Somerville MSP as the Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice and Housing (an area she started her career in at the Chartered Institute of Housing), the next five years could bring significant opportunities to help shape and deliver Scotland’s housing, infrastructure and sustainability ambitions, though housing delivery was notably absent from the SNP’s first 100 days in office pledge.[1]
However, as the SNP didn’t achieve a majority, the next section will look at how their manifesto ambitions could be tempered by some of the other major parties in Holyrood.
Coalition and compromise?
Without a majority, the SNP will be deciding how they wish to govern over the next five years. They could govern as a minority, making individual deals with relevant parties in order firm up support for their legislative agenda. This has the benefit of not being constrained by a formal arrangement but comes with a great deal of risk too, potentially exposing them to policy gridlock if the opposition parties unite against them. Alternatively, they could enter a deal (formal or informal) with an opposition party, as they did previously with the Greens (Bute House Agreement). This gave the government a firm legislative footing with an agreed upon agenda, as well as a formal pro-independence majority in Holyrood; however, the agreement ended in acrimony in 2024 after significant policy-divergence, with the First Minister at the time, Humza Yousaf saying the agreement has “run its course”.
A future arrangement between the SNP and the Scottish Greens, whether through a formal coalition or a confidence and supply agreement, could have a significant impact on Scotland’s built and natural environment over the next parliamentary term. This is perhaps a likely scenario, given that both parties are pro-independence, and there is considerable policy overlap between the two parties. Nevertheless, as nothing has been settled at this stage, we will turn to look at how Holyrood could reshape the pace, priorities and regulatory environment surrounding the SNP’s built and natural environment policy agenda. With an emphasis on the Greens, we will assess how the major parties’ manifesto commitments align or diverge from what the SNP have committed to delivering.
The housing emergency and the PRS
With the Scottish Government declaring a housing emergency in 2024[2] and housing starts and completions continuing to fall across Scotland[3], housing delivery should be a core component of the next parliament, however; it is also perhaps the clearest example of where the SNP and the Green Party align in principle but differ in emphasis. The SNP manifesto places strong focus on increasing housing supply across multiple tenures, backed by a £4.9 billion affordable housing commitment and the creation of a national housing agency, ‘More Homes Scotland’. The Greens, meanwhile, place greater emphasis on social housing, tenant protections and development standards, with less focus on market housing delivery and private sector investment.
As a result, a strengthened Green influence within government could shift the balance of housing policy further towards social housing delivery, stronger regulation and higher development standards, potentially at the expense of broader tenure diversification or accelerated private sector-led delivery. This may particularly affect large-scale speculative housing development, where additional sustainability, planning and infrastructure requirements could place further pressure on development viability.
Nevertheless, Scottish Labour, Reform UK and Scottish Liberal Democrats were all clear in their manifestos that housing delivery is a priority, with Scottish Labour committing to establishing a housing investment bank, which aligns closely with the SNP’s housing agency announcement. Scottish Liberal Democrats committed to delivering 25,000 homes built each year, and Thomas Kerr MSP, outlined that Reform agrees with Shelter Scotland, that 15,000 new homes a year is what’s needed. Support from any of these parties could help the SNP deliver on its more maximalist housing delivery pledges.
Another factor of the housing emergency is the Private Rented Sector (PRS). An agreement between the SNP and the Greens would see a more interventionist approach in this area. Both parties support rent controls, but the Greens have consistently advocated for a more interventionist approach, including expanded rent caps, longer eviction notice periods and stronger tenant protections. The continuation, or expansion, of rent controls could increase pressure on parts of the PRS, particularly smaller landlords and some institutional investors, at a time when supply constraints already exist in several Scottish cities. Supporters of these measures argue they are necessary to improve affordability and tenant security, while critics warn they could discourage investment and reduce rental supply over time.
Scotland’s land and future development
Planning and land reform is also likely to be a prominent policy area over the next 5 years. While the SNP is already proposing reforms to Compulsory Purchase Orders and targeted planning reform, policies shared by a number of parties in Holyrood, the Scottish Green Party manifesto goes further by prioritising brownfield development, discouraging land hoarding and supporting Compulsory Sale Orders. Combined with a continued land reform agenda and stronger support for community ownership, this could lead to increasingly complex land assembly, valuation and ownership structures across both urban and rural Scotland.
For developers and landowners, this may create greater uncertainty around viability and site acquisition, particularly where new levies, sustainability obligations or land-use restrictions are introduced. At the same time, it could also open the doors to an expansion of community ownership and development opportunities, opening land ownership in Scotland, which is said to have one of the most extreme concentrations of land ownership among developed countries.[4]
The Green Economy
Where several parties are most closely aligned is on decarbonisation and the transition to net zero. The SNP’s support for renewable energy, clean heat and industrial transition aligns strongly with the Greens’ ambition to accelerate building decarbonisation and reduce fossil fuel reliance. In turn this is supported by the Scottish Liberal Democrats and Scottish Labour, albeit Labour takes a more balanced when advocating for the future of Scotland’s energy mix with less emphasis on whole-house retrofit strategies. A future agreement between the parties could therefore result in faster movement on measures such as the Heat in Buildings Bill.
Nevertheless, while there’s close alignment between several parties in this area, both Reform UK and the Scottish Conservatives have made clear that there should be a sharp climbdown in net zero-focused policy, with Reform UK’s Scotland manifesto committing to ‘Scrap all SNP Net Zero related targets, subsidies and quangos’. Both parties will use their sizeable representations in Holyrood to frustrate the Government’s agenda on net zero.
Existing assets: Conservation, building safety and standards
Tenement maintenance was front and centre for many parties in regard to their ambitions on protecting Scotland’s existing assets, with the SNP, Liberal Democrats, Labour, and Greens explicitly mentioning supporting reforms to help tenement flat owners organise repairs in their manifestos. Given this level of cross-party consensus – with Graham Simpson MSP (Reform UK) convening the Tenement Maintenance Working Group in Parliament – it is hoped action can be taken during the lifetime of this parliament.
Elsewhere, the SNP and a number of other parties emphasised combining regulatory reform with targeted intervention, particularly around building safety and housing quality. The Greens’ manifesto stands out for its emphasis on stronger regulation, including the creation of a demolition levy[5], infrastructure levies and wider property tax reform, policies which could influence development behaviour by encouraging retrofit, reuse and circular economy approach over demolition-led redevelopment.
Prioritising skills
Skills and workforce policy is one area where there is significant opportunity for alignment across many parties in Holyrood, with most parties recognising the need to address skills shortages and support workforce development, particularly in construction and green jobs. All parties, bar the Scottish Conservatives and Reform UK, link skills policy to the net zero transition, with the Liberal Democrats, SNP and Labour specifically mentioning the construction sector. The Conservatives and Reform focus on broader education reform and addressing labour shortages, with a distinct focus on apprenticeships and adult re-skilling. We await further detail on the SNP’s national skills plan, which will hopefully have the built and natural environment as one of its central pillars.
Ultimately, the shape of Scotland’s built and natural environment over the next five years will depend not only on the SNP’s manifesto commitments, but on the political compromises required to govern without a majority. Housing delivery, planning reform, net zero, land reform and workforce development are all areas where there is varying degrees of alignment, and tension, across Holyrood.
A closer relationship with the Greens could accelerate policy on decarbonisation, retrofit, tenant protections and land reform, while potentially increasing regulatory pressures on development viability and the PRS. At the same time, support from parties such as Labour or the Liberal Democrats on housing delivery and infrastructure investment could help the SNP progress some of its more ambitious growth-focused commitments, while headaches will inevitably be caused by the Conservatives and more pointedly Reform UK and policies related to Net Zero.
What is clear is that the next parliamentary term is likely to be anything but, with policy divergence, resignations, defections and macro-economic shocks likely to be in abundance.
[1] First Minister John Swinney’s speech on the SNP’s plan for the first 100 days of the next parliament — Scottish National Party
[2] Scottish government declares national housing emergency – BBC News
[3] Affordable Housing Delivery in Scotland Falls Sharply as New Home Completions Drop 13% – Housing Industry Leaders
[4] Who Owns Scotland 2025 – Land Matters
[5] Scottish government urged to protect Scotland’s built environment from unnecessary and ‘cheap’ demolition | CIOB
Robert Toomey is a Senior Public Affairs Manager for the Royal Insitution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland. Robert has responsibility for RICS’ public affairs remit across the built environment, including residential, commercial and land & rural. He also has a UK-wide public affairs remit for sustainability. He holds an MSc in Global Environment, Politics and Society from the University Edinburgh and a BA (Hons) in Politics and Philosophy from the University of Liverpool. Robert is a BEFS Trustee.
This blog is part of BEFS ‘Joining the Dots’ series exploring interconnected policy areas. See the first blog for an introduction to the series.
Get in touch – to find out more about BEFS work or to discuss a particular topic or policy area email us at info@befs.org.uk or contact the Team.
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BEFS News
The big news this bulletin is the result of last week’s elections. Derek Rankine, BEFS Head of Policy and Strategy, provides his take on what may come:
“Getting more champions in Holyrood who really care about historic buildings and understand the built environment.” Talking at the BEFS hustings event in Edinburgh, Sam Gallacher of Scottish Historic Buildings Trust spoke for many BEFS Members on their hopes from the Scottish Parliament elections. With the dust starting to settle following last week’s results, and ahead of Parliament reconvening tomorrow, we can take a brief look at whether those wishes were fulfilled.
There is some room for optimism. Of the 65 returning MSPs, many have previously worked with BEFS on built environment issues and have been actively involved with exploring challenges and developing opportunities through relevant Bills, consultations, debates, Committees and working groups. Some of the 64 new MSPs talked up local heritage and visited projects and groups in their campaigning. At the BEFS hustings event, and in the party manifestos, there are valuable acknowledgements and commitments relating to the 15 BEFS Manifesto policy recommendations.
With six parties having at least 10 MSPs, there is a notable cross-party spread from what the Scottish Parliament Information Centre described as a “fragmented result”. The SNP, which won 58 seats, is expected to continue as minority government. Leader John Swinney has said he will this week invite four of the other five party leaders to talks on potential areas of cooperation. Over the next six months, BEFS will be delivering an MSP engagement plan to further raise awareness of Members’ built environment priorities and support cross-party action. We are hopeful of developing even more champions in Parliament from new and returning MSPs. We look forward to working closely with BEFS Members on making the case for the existing built environment!
Historic Environment Scotland has launched their Traditional Materials Framework (TMF), a new publication setting out a clear delivery framework to guide work on sustainable supply and best practice use of traditional building materials in Scotland. Access to essential materials can be fragile, especially in the current context of the aftermath of a global pandemic, disruption to supply chains, and growing impacts from climate change. The TMF sets out to update our understanding of the main challenges and opportunities facing traditional materials today.
In case you missed it, one for the coffee break: cross industry group Don’t Waste Buildings has called on the UK government to incentivise the reuse of empty buildings. The report The Reuse Dividend: Unlocking Economic Growth from Britain’s Existing Buildings presents a landmark international study showing how other countries are unlocking billions from building reuse – warning that Britain is missing out on billions of pounds of potential economic growth.
And finally, BEFS is a member of The Archaeology Forum, a UK-wide group of bodies that work together to champion the investigation, management, and interpretation of the historic environment. The Archaeology Forum has refreshed its web presence; hosted by the Council of British Archaeology, the webpages include informative resources, useful tools and signposting on the work and Membership of the Forum, the policy landscape, and the value of archaeology. We recommend a visit!
Parliamentary Questions & Answers
Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions.
Consultations
Scottish Law Commission’s Report on Section 53 of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003
Scottish Government
The Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003 provides detailed rules for the creation and content of real burdens on and after 28 November 2004. A real burden is an obligation on the owner of an area of land, either to do something in relation to that area of land, such as an obligation to erect a house, or an obligation not to do something such as an obligation not to use a house for business purposes. This consultation seeks general views on the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) report on section 53 of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003. The consultation paper contains full background information.
Closes 15 May 2026
Tourism Inquiry
UK Parliament
This inquiry, by the Culture, Media and Sport Committee, covers both domestic and international tourism, and explores how the UK promotes itself overseas, the role of culture and heritage in attracting visitors and how the UK competes with other destinations. With the Government setting an ambition for overseas visitor numbers to rise from 42.5 million in 2024 to 50 million by 2030, the inquiry will consider whether its current policies are supporting the growth, international competitiveness and long-term resilience of the sector. The inquiry will also examine the impact of policy changes, including the proposal to give mayors powers to charge an overnight levy, alongside wider challenges such as energy price inflation and rising employment costs. MPs will also investigate the sector’s recovery from the pandemic and the effectiveness of the DCMS’s work with VisitBritain, VisitEngland and devolved administrations.
Closes 18 May 2026
Intangible/Living Heritage
UK Heritage Pulse
This survey explores how heritage and cultural organisations across the UK engage with intangible cultural heritage and living heritage. Whether this is central to your work or something you encounter only occasionally, UK Heritage Pulse would love to hear about your experience. If these questions aren’t relevant to you, you’ll have the option to complete Pulse Monitor, an essential monthly tracker of individual and organisational resilience and ambition. This survey takes about ten minutes to complete. If you have any questions about the survey, please get in touch on info@baker-richards.com. The data collected is not anonymous, but your identity is kept completely confidential in all analysis and reporting.
*NEW* Closes 22 May 2026
The Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 exposure values and associated guidance
The Health and Safety Executive
The purpose of this consultation is to seek stakeholder views on proposals and to update, where necessary, the blood lead exposure levels in the Control of Lead at Work Regulations 2002 (CLAW) and the Approved Code of Practice (ACOP) and guidance for CLAW. The Health and Safety Executive (HSE) is also taking the opportunity to gather evidence on ‘lead in air’ monitoring. This consultation is relevant to employers and those directly involved in lead manufacturing and lead-use sectors. It is also relevant to those working in or connected to these areas such as facilities management or construction, specifically contract workers.
*NEW* Closes 24 May 2026
Heat networks – installation and maintenance licence
Scottish Government
This consultation is seeking views on proposals for an installation and maintenance licence for heat networks. It proposes an opt-in installation and maintenance license under the Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bills, replacing the mandatory licensing regime in the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021. Licences would grant rights and powers similar to other utilities (gas, electricity) such as carrying out road works, surveys and compulsory purchase of land. The proposals aim to improve the pace and scale of heat networks installation and maintenance to contribute to net zero targets and decarbonising heat in homes and buildings by 2045.
Closes 5 June 2026
HSDS User Needs Research
National Heritage Science Forum (NHSF)
This is the second year of a three-year user needs research programme, run by NHSF on behalf of the Heritage Science Data Service (HSDS). Year 1 established baseline data on audiences, awareness and priorities and this year’s survey is tracking how things are changing and gathering feedback on newly launched services, including the HSDS Catalogue of Services and Data Catalogue. All results are reported back to HSDS to inform development for the platform and supporting resources. This survey is aimed at anyone working with heritage science data and responses are invited from researchers and practitioners at all career stages. It will take around 15–20 minutes to complete. You can respond as an organisation or individual, and a PDF version of the survey is available via this Google link to support those coordinating an organisational response.
*NEW* Closes 15 June 2026
trove.scot feedback survey
Historic Environment Scotland
trove.scot is a platform which brings together Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) wealth of unique and diverse collections in one convenient place. It combines information from the Historic Environment Portal, Canmore, SCRAN, and Property in Care Collections. It’s a tool for everyone to find out about listed buildings and other designated places, see archive images and explore every corner of Scotland. HES want to hear your views and experiences of using trove.scot. Your feedback will inform future work on the website.
*NEW* Closes 28 February 2027
Consultation Responses
Draft Infrastructure Strategy 2027-37
BEFS responded to all set questions in the Scottish Government’s 2026 consultation on the planning and delivery of infrastructure. The purpose of the consultation is to inform the development of a ten year infrastructure framework, running from 2027-37, to deliver long-term public value with respect to public asset use, place-making support, and generating private investment. BEFS welcomed the Draft Infrastructure Strategy’s alignment with 2026 BEFS Manifesto themes but called for improvement in several thematic areas including building safety, collaboration, community engagement, local procurement and evaluation. (BEFS 05/05/2026)
Several BEFS Members also made submissions to this consultation:
Landscape Institute Scotland (LIS 05/05/2026)
SURF – Scotland’s Regeneration Forum (SURF 05/05/2026)
Accelerating Home-Building in Scotland
BEFS responded to selected questions concerning the introduction of fiscal measures to tackle inactivity or slow build-out. BEFS highlighted the need for a focus on reuse and adaptation of existing vacant buildings, avoiding a default to new-build, and that a system-wide reform of home-building in Scotland is needed beyond introducing individual levers to improve the existing system. BEFS also raised issues such as considerations on VAT, rates of exemptions corresponding to a hierarchy of reuse, and reuse as a mechanism for wide preventative spend for national wellbeing targets. (BEFS 30/04/2026)
News Releases
New report finds that nine in ten heritage workers would recommend their career (Historic Houses 20/04/2026)
Local Place Plans in Shetland: how communities are shaping the future of their areas (Planning Aid Scotland 30/04/2026)
Housing Regulator renews its commitment to including tenants and service users (Scottish Housing Regulator 30/04/2026)
Northern Ireland Heritage Delivers 2026 Report published (Heritage Delivers NI 01/05/2026)
New Business Plan sets out focus to accelerate investment and deliver sustainable infrastructure across Scotland (Scottish Futures Trust 12/05/2026)
Publications
Grant and loan funding for tenement retrofit with Loco Homes & Home Energy Scotland: Webinar Recording (Under One Roof 25/03/2026)
Retrofitting industrial parks: providing homes and neighbourhoods through intensification and diversification (Urban Retrofit 14/04/2026)
Circular construction policies for nature (The International Union for Conservation of Nature 14/04/2026)
A Seat at the Table: Embedding Commercial Thinking in the Cultural Sector (The Association for Cultural Enterprises May 2026)
Scottish & UK: Governmental & Parliamentary Publications
Updated: Land Use Framework (UK Gov 06/05/2026)
Opinion & Comment
Cladding in Scotland: What Every Tenement Owner Should Know (CityLets News 15/04/2026)
‘Unusual’ Brutalist bank building granted listed status (BBC News 16/04/2026)
Dr Simon Gilmour: Scotland’s lucrative heritage at ‘serious risk’ of being ‘squandered’ as funding crashes (The Scotsman 26/04/2026)
Regeneration Across the Political Spectrum: 2026 Manifesto Analysis (SURF 27/04/2026)
Offers being assessed for Rum’s derelict Kinloch Castle (BBC News 28/04/2026)
Amid a heritage skills crisis, St Paul’s wants to bring its craftspeople into the light (Building 28/04/2026)
Access approval paves way for long-awaited Mavisbank restoration (Scottish Construction Now 30/04/2026)
Uncovering Edinburgh’s forgotten lives, one stair at a time: 10 Picardy Place (Tenement Town 04/05/2026)
Four major parties make manifesto commitments on tenement reform (Scottish Housing News 05/05/2026)
5,000-year-old artificial island hidden in Scottish loch predates Stonehenge (Archaeology News 05/05/2026)
CITB urges offshore workers to start career in construction (Construction Management 06/05/2026)
Built environment raw material extraction poses nature risk, highlights report (Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining 06/05/2026)
Renewable energy hub planned for Scottish coal museum (BBC News 12/05/2026)
‘Secure the culture brief’: Swinney faces arts industry cabinet demand (Herald 12/05/2026)
Alliterative summer school takes Architecture Fringe from margins to mainstream (Urban Realm 12/05/2026)
World’s first international football stadium given protected status (BBC News 13/05/2026)
Events
For further listings, please see BEFS events calendar
The Architectural Heritage Fund – 50th Anniversary Exhibition
Date & Time: Thursday 30 April – Saturday 16 May 2026
Location: The Briggait, 141 Bridgegate Street, Glasgow G1 5HZ
Celebrating the AHS 50th anniversary, this exhibition presents 50 Years of Reimagining Heritage, telling the story of the difference heritage reuse can make in people’s lives and in communities. Across the year, the exhibition will travel to each part of the UK; Cardiff from 23 June to 11 July & London from 21 October to 4 November. By showcasing these extraordinary stories, the hope is to inspire more people to get involved in saving local historic buildings to improve places, empower people, and secure a sustainable future for built heritage.
SURF – Shared Learning Workshops
Dates & Times: Thursday 14, 21 & 28 May 2026; 10am-2pm
Location: Various; see individual events below
A series of SURF Award Shared Learning Workshops are taking place in May. At these events attendees will have the opportunity to learn from SURF Award winners and highly commended projects, before opening to a wider policy discussion with national partners. The remaining workshops are:
- Housing led regeneration initiatives (14 May, Edinburgh)
- Place-based regeneration approaches (21 May, Govan)
- Taking a creative approach to regeneration (28 May, Glasgow)
IHBC Scotland Branch – Exploring Historic Lime Finishes
Date & Time: Friday 15 May 2026
Location: Stirling City Centre
Join the IHBC to explore historic lime finishes evident around Stirling City Centre. The walking tour will look at evidence surviving for historic finishes such as harling and different pointing types to better understand how buildings were finished historically and how this can inform their future conservation. The tour will be led by expert Dr Tim Meek, former lime practitioner and co-author of HES Technical Papers 31 and 33. Check IHBC Scotland LinkedIn for future booking announcements.
Archaeology Scotland – 2026 Summer School
Date & Time: Tuesday 19 – Friday 22 May 2026
Location: Corran Esplanade, Oban, Argyll, PA34 5PZ
The 2026 Summer School will explore the archaeology of Lorn’s glens and coast. The event, open to members and non-members, features guided tours of Neolithic to Reformation sites.
DTAS – New Futures Workshop: Heritage and Contents
Date & Time: Thursday 21 May 2026; 1-2:30pm
Location: Online
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship workshop series. This workshop will focus on how communities may recognise the heritage importance of a former place of worship when considering community ownership. During this workshop you will hear presentations from Research in Action on Church Heritage (ReACH) and Keep Scotland Beautiful.
Archaeological Research in Progress Conference 2026
Date & Time: Saturday 23 May 2026; 9am-5pm
Location: Robert Burns Centre, Mill Road, Dumfries DG2 7BE (and online)
The event is being organised by Archaeology Scotland in partnership with the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Archaeology Service. It aims to cover archaeological research in progress from around Scotland covering all periods.
Legacies in Stone – Online Conference Celebrating Graveyard Friends
Date & Time: Sunday 24 May 2026; 12:30-3:30pm
Location: Online
Ever wondered what it takes to save a historic mausoleum or how folklore can bring a graveyard to life? Step “behind the scenes” of caring for historic graveyards with stories, insights, and practical lessons from Graveyard Friends across Scotland. Whether you are a dedicated volunteer or a local history enthusiast, this session offers something for everyone – exploring everything from digital tour apps and green burials to the technical “how-to” of gravestone repair. Talks will be delivered via Zoom and a conference link will be emailed to participants in advance.
HES – Managing Change on Place and Landscape: Early engagement workshops
Dates & Times: Tuesday 26 May 2026; 1-2pm & Wednesday 3 June 2026; 4-5pm
Location: Online
Historic Environment Scotland is starting work on a new Managing Change Guidance Note on Place and Landscape, and is inviting decision-makers, agencies, organisations and professionals working on place, landscape, planning, rural development, agriculture, forestry, and land use related issues to take part in early engagement workshops. The guidance will form part of HES’s Managing Change in the Historic Environment series, which provides practical advice to support good decision‑making about the historic environment. It responds to a growing demand for practical guidance on managing change that transforms whole places and landscapes, rather than individual sites or assets. It will promote a holistic approach to the environment, recognising the interrelationship between cultural and natural values.
SCVO – Creating community: village halls and community spaces conference
Date & Time: Wednesday 27 May 2026; 10am-4:30pm
Location: The Pyramid at Anderston, 759 Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8DS
Village halls are often the heart of a community; places for people to gather, learn, access services and have fun. This one-day conference will allow people running village and community halls across Scotland to do the same – to connect, share ideas, and inspire each other. At this conference, you’ll get to: connect with fellow hall workers and volunteers; share stories, tips, and experiences; and discuss difficulties you’ve faced or are facing, whilst inspiring others with creative solutions to common village hall issues.
European Cultural Heritage Summit 2026
Date & Time: Wednesday 27 to Saturday 30 May 2026
Location: Nicosia, Cyprus
The European Cultural Heritage Summit 2026 will be held from 27 to 30 May in Nicosia, Cyprus, under the patronage of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Summit is organised by Europa Nostra and the Hub in Nicosia with the support of the European Union, the Deputy Ministry of Culture of Cyprus, The A.G. Leventis Foundation and the Municipality of Nicosia. The Nicosia Summit will highlight the key role of cultural heritage for building much-needed bridges and synergies between Europe and the Middle East and the wider area of the Mediterranean.
DTAS – Dundee Gathering: New Futures: Former Places of Worship
Date & Time: Thursday 28 May 2026; 10am-4pm
Location: Glasite Hall, King Street, Dundee DD1 2JB
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship event series. This event aims to raise awareness of churches that are due to be sold in Dundee and surrounding areas. The day will bring various groups and support organisations together to discuss what needs to be considered when taking these significant heritage assets into community ownership and will provide an overview of the help available.
New Future – The People’s Emergency Briefing: Glasgow and the Built Environment & Panel Discussion
Date & Time: Monday 1 June 2026; 6pm
Location: Glasgow Film Theatre, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RB
New Future, in partnership with Glasgow Film Theatre, Atelier Ten, Architecture Fringe and Architects Declare, present this post-election public screening of The People’s Emergency Briefing, followed by facilitated discussion with local councillors, newly-elected MSPs, and representatives from Scotland’s built environment sector. In November 2025, more than 1,200 MPs, peers and leaders from business, culture, faith, sport and the media gathered at Westminster Central Hall for a landmark national briefing delivered by leading UK experts. That briefing has now been adapted into a new public film, The People’s Emergency Briefing, designed for community screenings across the UK followed by structured local discussion. This post-election screening and panel discussion will be open to all, but with a specific focus on the implications for our built environment sector.
Under One Roof – Introduction to Tenement Maintenance
Date & Time: Tuesday 2 June 2026;12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Together with conservation experts at Mill Architects and Edinburgh World Heritage, Under One Roof will explore the importance of maintaining tenement buildings and the unique repair issues historic tenements can face, and share our knowledge of how to work with neighbours to organise and pay for repairs in the shared, or ‘common,’ areas of your building. Edinburgh World Heritage will also explain how they can support tenement property owners during the repairs process with funding guidance and opportunities.
DTAS – New Futures Drop In: Fundraising
Date & Time: Tuesday 2 June 2026; 12-1:30pm
Location: Online
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship workshop series. This event will provide a chance for community organisations looking to take ownership of a former place of worship to share their experiences of fundraising and learn about examples of different fundraising methods.
Chartered Institute for Archaeologists – Strategic Leadership Summit
Date & Time: Wednesday 3 June 2026; 9am–5pm
Location: The Kings Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0ES
CIfA will hold its first Strategic Leadership Summit with the aim of bringing together leaders from across the profession to discuss some of the biggest issues facing archaeology today. The summit’s theme will be Strategic Approaches to Archaeology, and contributors will reflect on the UK’s major strategic vehicles for advancing the archaeological profession’s practices and delivering benefit. The ticket price includes lunch and free access to the post event recordings.
SURF – 2026 Awards Launch
Date & Time: Thursday 4 June 2026; 1-1:45pm
Location: Online
At this event you will hear more about the 2026 SURF Awards process and the 5 Award categories. Attendees will hear from former SURF Award Winners with their top tips for a successful application. If you have ever considered entering (or re-entering) the Awards or want to know more about this year’s process and what is involved, or to hear directly from projects who have gone through the process, then this event is definitely for you.
Under One Roof – Managing common repairs webinar with East Lothian Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 9 June 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Do you own a flat in East Lothian? Join this free lunchtime webinar! Learn about the proper procedure for managing common repairs in tenement building, with discussions about how to understand your titles and responsibilities, and how to work with your neighbours to organise and pay for repairs together. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, where you can ask an expert speaker about your own repair issues.
Heritage Network – North UK Mills June Meeting
Date & Time: Thursday 11 June 2026; 10-11:30am
Location: Online
The North UK Mills Group aims to connect and support people and organisations who preserve historic mills, millwrighting skills and milling culture for future generations. Join online for this talk by Graham Brooks, Chair of Warwick Bridge Community Benefit Society in Carlisle, as he asks, ‘Can a watermill be operated profitably?’ Graham will outline the history of Warwick Bridge, including its renovation in 2019 and the setting up of the Community Benefit Society, before diving into the challenges it has faced over the last six years and plans for moving forward in 2026 and beyond.
Under One Roof – Damp and mould in tenement flats webinar with East Lothian Council
Date & Time: Thursday 18 June 2026;12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Awaab’s Law is coming to Scotland, changing the way that social and private landlords deal with damp and mould in their flats. If you are a landlord in East Lothian, find out how you can tackle the problem of damp and mould at this free lunchtime webinar. Learn about updates to legislation, and expert information on how to deal with damp and mould in common areas of your building. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A, where you will have the chance to ask an expert about your own damp and mould issues.
Historic England – Digital Emissions – should heritage organisations worry about them, and how can we lower them?
Date & Time: Thursday 18 June 2026; 1-2pm
Location: Online
In this webinar, Claire Marchetti, Carbon and Sustainability Manager for Historic England will discuss how the organisation is addressing the environmental impact of its digital activity. The webinar will look at the challenges identified, the technical changes underway, how to use procurement to support ambitions, and how staff are engaged in reducing digital emissions. There will also be a look at practical steps heritage organisations can take to reduce their digital carbon footprint while embracing the benefits digital ways of working offer, helping the sector move toward a more sustainable, low carbon future.
AHF – 50th Conference: Heritage – Radical. Reimagined. Revitalised.
Date & Time: Thursday 18 June 2026; 2-8pm
Location: St Bartholomew’s Hospital, West Smithfield, London EC1A 7BE
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is celebrating 50 years of transforming historic buildings and supporting communities across the UK. Join real estate professionals, heritage practitioners, social enterprise developers, policymakers, funders, and researchers as together they consider the potential for heritage-led regeneration to improve our communities in the next 50 years and beyond. This afternoon and evening event will bring together diverse voices and approaches to consider how heritage can help transform local communities and economies, shining light on proven models from around the UK and exploring policy changes that could supercharge adaptive reuse in the UK.
IHBC – Annual School 2026 Newcastle I Adaptive Reuse
Date & Time: Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 June 2026
Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne (In Person and Online)
The IHBC Annual School in Newcastle explores the theme of Adaptive Reuse through inspiring tours, expert talks, and networking opportunities across this 3-day programme, starting on Thursday with CPD Study Tours of iconic sites including the Byker Wall and Ouseburn, followed by a Welcome Reception at the Baltic Centre. Friday’s Day School, available in-person or online features specialist speakers at the Grade II* listed Common Room, and an Exhibitor Hub. The weekend concludes with the Annual Dinner and Awards at the Royal Station Hotel, followed by study tours on the Saturday for Full School delegates.
DTAS – New Futures Workshop: Listed Building Consent
Date & Time: Tuesday 23 June 2026; 1-2:30pm
Location: Online
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship workshop series. This workshop will clarify the situations were Listed Building Consent may be required and will provide an overview of the application process, specifically relevant to community organisations looking to take a former place of worship into community ownership.
Heritage Network – Sustainable Island Heritage
Date & Time: Friday 26 June 2026; 10am-4pm
Location: The St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands
Join the Heritage Network in Kirkwall for an inspiring gathering bringing together community groups, heritage professionals, and local changemakers from across the Orkney Islands. An ideal opportunity for networking, the day will celebrate the incredible work happening across the region —showcasing innovative heritage projects, grassroots initiatives, and collaborative efforts that are preserving, sharing and reimagining Orkney’s rich cultural story. Confirmed speakers include Heritage Network members, Boloquoy Victorian Farm & Watermill, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, who last year announced Orkney as the second place in Scotland to benefit from its ‘Heritage Place’ investment initiative.
Under One Roof – Understanding mandatory owners’ associations webinar with East Lothian Council
Date & Time: Thursday 2 July 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Working together with your neighbours to take care of your building can be challenging, but being part of an owners’ association can make the process much easier. At this free lunchtime webinar, learn about the benefits of joining an owners’ association, with expert advice on how to set one up in your own building, and explanation about the proposed changes to the law to introduce mandatory owners’ associations. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, where you will have the chance to ask an expert speaker your own questions about owners’ associations.
DTAS – New Futures Drop In: Involving Your Community
Date & Time: Thursday 2 July 2026; 1-2:30pm
Location: Online
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship workshop series. This event will provide a chance for community organisations looking to take ownership of a former place of worship to share their experiences of getting their community involved. The Churches Advisors of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship programme will share top tips on how to ensure meaningful community engagement.
Save the date/Early booking open now/Applications invited
Doors Open Day – Applications to participate: Edinburgh and East Lothian
Date and location: Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 September 2026; Edinburgh & East Lothian
Applications are invited to take part in Doors Open Day 20256. There are three criteria which need to be met for a venue to take part: The venue should be open on the regions designated weekend; the event must be free; and the event should include something different from your usual offering – common examples include a tour, talk, exhibition, workshop, or a simple colouring activity. You can use the annual theme to design your event/activity – this year’s theme is Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine. more details can be found here (use of the theme is not a requirement).
To take part please email EdinburghDoorsOpen@cockburnassociation.org.uk.
Deadline: Sunday 21 June 2026
Doors Open Days Weekends for 2026
Dates: Saturday and Sunday from 5 – 27 September 2026
Locations: Regional variations
Heritage Network – Conference 2026
Date & Time: Sunday 27 September – Tuesday 29 September 2026
Locations: Belfast & Armagh
The conference emphasis is on the impact of community-led heritage on people and places, explored through the experience of heritage regeneration in the host towns and cities and beyond. As well as a day of compelling presentations, lively discussions and networking, Conference includes tours and visits to fascinating historic sites and ground-breaking projects.
SPAB – Practical Flour Milling
Date & Time: Tuesday 20 October 2026; 9:30am-4pm
Location: Blair Atholl Water Mill, Ford Road, Blair Atholl, Pitlochry PH18 5SH
Join SPAB for practical experience of traditional flour milling in a small, friendly group environment. Blair Atholl Watermill is Scotland’s oldest working watermill. This course is supported by the North UK Mills Group. This event is perfect for mill volunteers and trainee millers. It may also be of interest to more experienced millers who wish to develop their skills.
Training
Planning Aid Scotland – Community Engagement Skills Training Inverness
Date & Time: Wednesday 10 June 2026; 10am-3:30pm
Location: Highland Rugby Club, Canal Park, Clubhouse, Inverness IV3 5SS
This is an interactive workshop on community engagement and how to use the SP=EED framework. The trainers bring extensive community engagement and facilitation expertise to help develop your skills, knowledge, and confidence as a community engagement practitioner. Learn how to undertake meaningful engagement that achieves positive outcomes for communities and projects alike. Discover useful tips and practical tools to help you lead your engagement work with confidence and ease. Engage in a range of different learning techniques to think creatively about engagement. Connect with fellow engagement practitioners, share experiences, and learn from each other in a safe, collaborative setting.
SLCT – Introduction to Stonemasonry
Date & Time: Thursday 25 & Friday 26 June 2026; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Merryhill Training Centre, Charlestown, Dunfermline KY11 3DR
Taught by a time-served Stonemason, this course is suitable for all abilities and covers an introduction to tools, techniques and uses of basic stonemasonry. Learners can take away their practice stones at the end of the day. This practical course is designed for: those individuals with little or no experience in cutting and dressing natural stone; building contractor working on traditional stone buildings and structures and just want to learn the basic masonry skills for cutting and dressing sandstone; and/or a semi-skilled operative who needs to add to his skills set and be able to produce stone masonry units to plumb, level and plane with traditional tooling finishes.
Vacancies & Opportunities
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust – Development and Engagement Officer (Director’s Office)
Salary: £30,000 per annum
Status: Full-time; 35 hours per week
Location: Riddle’s Court, Edinburgh / Leith Custom House with flexible home working and workspace across SHBT properties
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT) is a Charity and Building Preservation Trust with over 40 years’ experience saving derelict and redundant buildings throughout the whole of Scotland. Everyone has driven or walked past a forlorn and unloved historic building at some time. You may have wondered why it isn’t being used or why no one does something with it? The answer is often complex, and the solutions equally so. It takes a special group of people to identify a way forward and restore these buildings to the benefit of the community. SHBT is a dynamic, ambitious and innovative charity that does just that. The Development and Engagement Officer is a role which will contribute to the fundraising strategy over the next five years; working to expand a newly established donor database through varied engagement work including lectures, conferences, events and publications, as well as managing new supporters’ scheme and corporate sponsorship offer. This role requires creativity, ambition, and initiative, helping SHBT to achieve realistic fundraising targets for both core support and across ongoing projects. This is an opportunity for someone keen to make a lasting contribution to one of Scotland’s leading heritage organisations. Reporting to and working closely with the Director of SHBT, you will provide executive assistance through diary and inbox management to coordinate a broad network of contacts. At the heart of your work is direct engagement with potential historic building projects and key stakeholders in support of the Director. Working closely with colleagues in Events, Projects, Communications and Marketing, you will maximise engagement with donors, private trusts and foundations, and voluntary income in support of our work as Scotland’s largest historic buildings preservation trust and our work across the country. View the Recruitment Brochure for this Appointment. To apply, please send your CV with an attached cover letter outlining why you would be a good fit for this role to recruitment@shbt.org.uk.
Closing Date: Sunday 24 May 2026
Fundraising Consultant – freelance opportunity
Thanks to funding from the Architectural Heritage Fund, Fife Historic Buildings Trust are seeking to appoint an experienced fundraiser who can work with them over time to develop an approach to generating income from a range of fundraising sources. This might be to support future projects, or to support FHBT’s work more generally. Please contact lorraine@fifehistoricbuildings.org.uk for a copy of the brief and to find out more.
Closing Date: Monday 25 May 2026
Planning Aid Scotland – Opportunities for chartered planners
Becoming chartered is a significant professional milestone, signalling competence and a commitment to public service. Planning Aid Scotland, the national charity working to widen access to planning, offers newly chartered planners a way to put these values into practice through its national planning Advice Service. Volunteers support members of the public with a wide range of planning questions, gaining direct experience that is often hard to find in day-to-day roles. The opportunity is flexible and open to all chartered planners. In return, volunteers receive professional training, access to a video archive, and ongoing support. Get in touch to find out more at volunteer@pas.org.uk.
Closing Date: Not applicable
Planning Democracy – Trustees
Planning Democracy are looking for new trustees to join their board. They are particularly interested in recruiting trustees who have skills in the following areas:
- Governance
- Communications (social media, online resources, website management)
However, they are also keen to hear from anyone who feels that Planning Democracy is an organisation they are interested in getting involved with. In return they are offering training opportunities, learning opportunities, experience in campaigning and advocacy, the opportunity to travel in Scotland and meet new people, as well as being part of a committed group of people. If you are interested, contact Chair, Helen Todd on info@planningdemocracy.org.uk and they can then send you an application form and/or have a chat.
Closing Date: Not specified
SHBT – St Ninian’s Manse
Location: Quayside Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6EJ
Size: 2,889 sq ft
Availability: March 2026
Tenure: Available as single tenancy or individual floors
With origins dating back to 1493, St Ninian’s Manse is thought to be the oldest building in Leith and is topped by Edinburgh’s sole surviving 17th century timber steeple. It formed part of the original entrance to St Ninian’s Chapel, which was mostly demolished during the 19th century when the site was converted to industrial use as a mill. From 1996 to 2002, SHBT restored both St Ninian’s Manse and the adjacent Quayside Mills, creating desirable waterfront office space whilst also preserving an important historic structure and a key part of Leith’s history. The manse now offers four floors of adaptable office space with period character, modern amenities, and five dedicated parking spaces. Brochure.
Enquiries: info@shbt.org.uk
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In this edition of the POWF Newsletter, Louise Paterson – Churches Programme Officer with Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) – shares a review of the journeys of churches sold in Shetland and Aberdeen, and what we might expect in other areas of Scotland where church sales are only just beginning.
As churches continue to be sold across Scotland, we are beginning to gain a picture of what happens to these buildings once they change hands and take on new uses. We’re also beginning to see some noticeable differences emerging between church sales in rural and urban areas. This is reflected in Shetland and Aberdeen City where the process of church sales is largely completed and where COSS has researched the change in ownership of recently sold church buildings. Shetland and Aberdeen City are covered by the same Presbytery (The Presbytery of the North East and the Northern Isles) however, the outcomes of recent church sales in these areas display very different characteristics. What stands out is the prevalence of community ownership, crowdfunding and residential conversion in Shetland and the high number of churches sold to faith groups as well as an absence of involvement from public institutions and the private sector in Aberdeen.
Shetland
In Shetland, nineteen church buildings were listed at risk of disposal in the ‘Presbytery of Aberdeen and Shetland Plan for the Presbytery 2020-2030’. Since then, the vast majority of these churches have been sold, six of which have found new lives as community owned assets. Today these buildings offer arts, events and exhibition venues for communities to enjoy.
Church buildings in Shetland, advertised for sale between 2020 and 2025 have been listed at asking prices between £10,000 and £68,000 and local crowdfunding has played an important role towards communities taking ownership of these buildings. Five out of the six community organisations that acquired a church building in Shetland used crowdfunding to raise funds to purchase the building or contribute to the funding package. Given the prevalence of crowdfunding among community organisations raising funds to purchase a former place of worship, the Community Ownership Support Service and Democratic Finance Scotland have recently published a Churches Crowdfunder Guide which gives practical guidance on how to run a successful crowdfunding campaign.
There has also been a high number of residential conversions of former church buildings in Shetland. A total of eleven recently sold church buildings in Shetland, some of which were not listed in the Presbytery Plan, have been sold to private buyers and eight of these have associated plans for conversion into residential properties, one also including a commercial space.
Aberdeen
Similarly, as in Shetland, the vast majority of churches at risk of disposal in Aberdeen City have now been sold with eight out of fifteen of these buildings sold to faith groups, one sold to a social enterprise and one into community ownership. Clearly there has not been the same prevalence of community ownership or residential conversion as there was in Shetland as the church typologies differ significantly between the urban and rural contexts. Most notably there has been an absence of private sector investment or involvement from public institutions stepping in to acquire church buildings for sale in Aberdeen.
At the time of writing St Marks Church, a prominent B-listed church in Aberdeen city centre which lies adjacent to Union Terrace Gardens and several civic buildings such as Aberdeen Central Library, is on the market for offers over £390,000. Buildings such as this which are significant architecturally and have a location of civic importance play a distinct role in the city and their potential owners must be able to ensure a sustainable future. What remains unclear in an urban context is what will happen to the at-risk church buildings that are perhaps too large or pose too much risk due to their condition or heritage value for a community group to take on.
Across Scotland
While the process of church sales in Shetland and Aberdeen City has for the most part concluded, it must be noted that other areas of Scotland are only just seeing church sales commence. A large proportion of the church buildings earmarked for sale are yet to be sold and so, the question of what might happen to this significant number of heritage buildings, remains one which will be unfolding for potentially several years.
The New Futures: Former Places of Worship programme offers advice and support to community organisations seeking to take ownership of a former place of worship. The programme is part of the Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) and was launched in January 2025 in direct response to the significant and unprecedented number of former places of worship that are due for disposal over the next several years. The team includes three Advisors and a Programme Officer. It has been enabled with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS). If you’re interested in finding out more about the programme, you can click here to go to their website.
Louise Paterson, Churches Programme Officer.
Image: St Marks Church, Aberdeen – DTAS.
This blog is part of the fifth edition of the Places of Worship Forum (POWF) Newsletter which was published on 6th May 2026. The newsletter aims to share the ongoing work of the group. Would you like to receive the next edition of the newsletter? Sign up here.
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Get The Latest Built Environment News, Policy Developments, Publications & Consultations
BEFS News
In the lead up to the 2026 Scottish Parliament election, all main parties have now published their manifestos. But what commitments and changes are they planning to make with regard to the existing built and historic environment? Some good news for readers that are struggling to keep up – BEFS has been tracking the policy positions that parties are setting, to support advocacy around our 2026 BEFS Manifesto for the Built Environment. In a new blog, Derek Rankine, BEFS Head of Policy and Strategy, presents a summary of the key party commitments relating to culture and heritage; net zero and the climate emergency; repair, maintenance and retrofit; training and skills; and planning and place-making. You’ll also find handy links to party manifestos. Read the full article on BEFS Website.
Earlier this month BEFS team took the Conservation Officers Group (COG) – a forum for those working in Scottish local government with a remit for heritage and conservation – on tour! The group visited Perth and learned about Perth & Kinross Council’s approach to heritage conservation, the work of Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust, and the redevelopment of Perth Town Hall to house Perth Museum and local archaeological case studies. You can find out more about COG and BEFS role in supporting local authority planning teams through knowledge sharing and good practice here. Our thanks to everyone that came along and contributed to the visit!
BEFS is delighted to welcome The Heritage Alliance as our newest Member! Bringing together over 200 independent organisations, The Heritage Alliance is England’s largest coalition of heritage interests, working to champion the needs, aspirations, and achievements of their members and the wider heritage sector, south of the border. We look forward to working with The Heritage Alliance to amplify our shared advocacy efforts, ensuring that the unique challenges and opportunities of the historic environment are recognised by both the Scottish and UK Governments. Want to know more about how to become a BEFS Member? Visit our website or get in touch!
Parliamentary Questions & Answers
Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions.
Consultations
Draft Infrastructure Strategy 2027-2037
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government wants Scotland’s infrastructure to be planned and delivered in a way that supports net zero and environmental sustainability, inclusive economic growth and resilient and sustainable places. The ambition is to create a system that makes best use of existing assets, embraces innovation, and ensures investment decisions deliver long-term public value. However, delivering infrastructure is not without challenges. To meet these challenges, the strategy focuses on three key enablers that can help turn strategic ambition into practical outcomes, ensuring investment choices deliver long-term public value: Public Assets, Place-Making and Private Investment. The consultation paper contains full background information for respondents.
Closes 5 May 2026
Scottish Law Commission’s Report on Section 53 of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003
Scottish Government
The Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003 provides detailed rules for the creation and content of real burdens on and after 28 November 2004. A real burden is an obligation on the owner of an area of land, either to do something in relation to that area of land, such as an obligation to erect a house, or an obligation not to do something such as an obligation not to use a house for business purposes. This consultation seeks general views on the Scottish Law Commission (SLC) report on section 53 of the Title Conditions (Scotland) Act 2003. The consultation paper contains full background information.
Closes 15 May 2026
Heat networks – installation and maintenance licence
Scottish Government
This consultation is seeking views on proposals for an installation and maintenance licence for heat networks. It proposes an opt-in installation and maintenance license under the Buildings (Heating and Energy Performance) and Heat Networks (Scotland) Bills, replacing the mandatory licensing regime in the Heat Networks (Scotland) Act 2021. Licences would grant rights and powers similar to other utilities (gas, electricity) such as carrying out road works, surveys and compulsory purchase of land. The proposals aim to improve the pace and scale of heat networks installation and maintenance to contribute to net zero targets and decarbonising heat in homes and buildings by 2045.
Closes 5 June 2026
News Releases
Key insights from studying Scotland’s standing stones (HES 12/03/2026)
Work In A Castle (Historic Houses April 2026)
Edinburgh College becomes first college in Scotland to fully decarbonise one of its campuses (Edinburgh College 01/04/2026)
EU long-term budget 2028–2034: Developments for culture (NEMO 14/04/2026)
Prehistoric Village Discovered in Glasgow by Community Volunteers and Schoolchildren (Heritage Network 14/04/2026)
Designating former Lads’ Institute, Ratcliffe Terrace, Edinburgh (HES 16/04/2026)
European Commission and Europa Nostra announce the winners of Europe’s top heritage awards 2026 (Europa Nostra 21/04/2026)
Revitalisation of Dunfermline’s Heritage to Support Growing Visitor Economy (AHF 22/04/2026)
Griff Rhys Jones launches the Victorian Society’s Top Ten Endangered Buildings list 2026 (The Victorian Society 22/04/2026)
Obituary: Oliver Barratt MBE (1941–2026): A Life in Service of Edinburgh (Cockburn Association 23/04/2026)
Publications
The Reuse Dividend: unlocking economic growth from Britain’s existing buildings (Don’t Waste Buildings April 2026)
STA Holyrood Election Manifesto (Scottish Tourism Alliance April 2026)
In Good Hands: Understanding careers in the heritage sector (Historic Houses April 2026)
Scottish National Party 2026 Manifesto (SNP 16/04/2026)
Heritage Network Impact 2026: Latest report on community-led heritage regeneration (Heritage Network 16/04/2026)
The Big Think: Place Report – March (UK Heritage Pulse 16/04/2026)
Scottish Liberal Democrats 2026 Manifesto (Scottish Lib Dems 21/04/2026)
Scottish & UK: Governmental & Parliamentary Publications
MPs launch inquiry into the future of UK’s tourism industry (UK Parl 09/04/2026)
Local museums receive £4 million to improve accessibility to arts and culture (UK Gov 10/04/2026)
Buildings VAT: Treasury written question (UK Parl 13/04/2026)
Warm Homes Plan: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero written question (UK Parl 17/04/2026)
Warm Homes Plan: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero written question (UK Parl 21/04/2026)
Scotland’s Cladding Remediation Programme monthly management information: February 2026 (Scot Gov 21/04/2026)
Energy – Buildings: Department for Energy Security and Net Zero written question (UK Parl 24/04/2026)
Opinion & Comment
Finalised MEES expected to cost social housing sector £16bn (Inside Housing 02/04/2026)
Decline in build-to-rent starts in Scotland largest in UK (The Herald 15/04/2026)
Contracts on two retrofit schemes referred to Serious Fraud Office (Inside Housing 15/04/2026)
Abandoned Britain. The story of the UK in six empty buildings (The Guardian 16/04/2026)
Inside the rescue of Bernat Klein’s forgotten modernist gem (The Times 16/04/2026)
Heritage is created, not inherited – as Korean pop culture shows (The Conversation 21/04/2026)
Petition to save home of one-of-a-kind Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre (Yahoo News 21/04/2026)
Sir Mark Jones ‘preparing to step down’ as HES chair (The Herald 22/04/2026)
North east debate: where does the region fit in the 2026 Holyrood election? (Prosper 22/04/2026)
Reporting of emergency hazards rises sharply as Awaab’s Law takes effect (Inside Housing 22/04/2026)
Scottish Government supports HES chair amid resignation reports (Deadline News 23/04/2026)
Campaigners urge for planning reform after Princes Street advert row (The National 23/04/2026)
Podcast: 2026 Scotland and Wales Election Analysis Ep 12: The Scottish Manifestos (Fraser of Allender Institute 27/04/2026)
Events
For further listings, please see BEFS events calendar
SCVO – Meet the Funder with the Architectural Heritage Fund
Date & Time: Tuesday 5 May 2026; 10-11:00am
Location: Online
During this free webinar, attendees will hear directly from Andres Hitches Davies, Investment Manager and Gordon Barr, Development Manager, from the Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF), about their funding programmes and how they support community‑led organisations to explore, develop, and bring new life to historic buildings across Scotland.
People, Planet, Pint – Dear Grey Place: How to uncover the nature hiding on your doorstep
Date & Time: Tuesday 5 May 2026; 6-8pm
Location: Committee Room No.9, 18 John Street, Glasgow G1 1JQ
Join this People, Planet, Pint, Present event in Glasgow to learn more about urban biodiversity. This event is your chance to learn more about weird and wonderful topics related to sustainability, by taking big ideas and serving them up as pint-sized knowledge in the relaxed setting of a local pub. Hear from inspiring individuals and experts on topics you might never have discovered otherwise. At this session, discover exciting ways to record nature and monitor biodiversity on a local and national level, with Aimée Moretti, who works for The Conversation Volunteers and delivers citizen science engagement across Scotland.
The Architectural Heritage Fund – 50th Anniversary Exhibition
Date & Time: Thursday 30 April – Saturday 16 May 2026
Location: The Briggait, 141 Bridgegate Street, Glasgow G1 5HZ
Celebrating the AHS 50th anniversary, this exhibition presents 50 Years of Reimagining Heritage, telling the story of the difference heritage reuse can make in people’s lives and in communities. Across the year, the exhibition will travel to each part of the UK; Cardiff from 23 June to 11 July & London from 21 October to 4 November. By showcasing these extraordinary stories, the hope is to inspire more people to get involved in saving local historic buildings to improve places, empower people, and secure a sustainable future for built heritage.
SURF – Shared Learning Workshops
Dates & Times: Thursday 7 – Thursday 28 May 2026; 10am-2pm
Location: Various; see individual events below
A series of SURF Award Shared Learning Workshops will take place in May. At these events attendees will have the opportunity to learn from SURF Award winners and highly commended projects, before opening to a wider policy discussion with national partners. The 4 workshops are:
- Removing barriers to employability (7 May, Edinburgh)
- Housing led regeneration initiatives (14 May, Edinburgh)
- Place-based regeneration approaches (21 May, Govan)
- Taking a creative approach to regeneration (28 May, Glasgow)
SPAB – Scotland Social: Meet the Scholars
Date & Time: Friday 8 May 2026; 7pm
Location: Bennet’s Bar, 8 Leven Street, Edinburgh EH3 9LG
Meet the current cohort of SPAB Scholars and have a relaxed catch up with members, volunteers and friends. Space has been reserved in the historic Bennet’s Bar on Leven Street and the SPAB Scholars hope to see you there!
IHBC Scotland Branch – Exploring Historic Lime Finishes
Date & Time: Friday 15 May 2026
Location: Stirling City Centre
Join the IHBC to explore historic lime finishes evident around Stirling City Centre. The walking tour will look at evidence surviving for historic finishes such as harling and different pointing types to better understand how buildings were finished historically and how this can inform their future conservation. The tour will be led by expert Dr Tim Meek, former lime practitioner and co-author of HES Technical Papers 31 and 33. Check IHBC Scotland LinkedIn for future booking announcements
Archaeology Scotland – 2026 Summer School
Date & Time: Tuesday 19 – Friday 22 May 2026
Location: Corran Esplanade, Oban, Argyll, PA34 5PZ
The 2026 Summer School will explore the archaeology of Lorn’s glens and coast. The event, open to members and non-members, features guided tours of Neolithic to Reformation sites.
Archaeological Research in Progress Conference 2026
Date & Time: Saturday 23 May 2026
Location: Robert Burns Centre, Mill Road, Dumfries DG2 7BE (and online)
The event is being organised by Archaeology Scotland in partnership with the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Archaeology Service. It aims to cover archaeological research in progress from around Scotland covering all periods. Tickets and a full programme coming soon.
SCVO – Creating community: village halls and community spaces conference
Date & Time: Wednesday 27 May 2026; 10am-4:30pm
Location: The Pyramid at Anderston, 759 Argyle Street, Glasgow G3 8DS
Village halls are often the heart of a community; places for people to gather, learn, access services and have fun. This one-day conference will allow people running village and community halls across Scotland to do the same – to connect, share ideas, and inspire each other. At this conference, you’ll get to: connect with fellow hall workers and volunteers; share stories, tips, and experiences; and discuss difficulties you’ve faced or are facing, whilst inspiring others with creative solutions to common village hall issues.
European Cultural Heritage Summit 2026
Date & Time: Wednesday 27 to Saturday 30 May 2026
Location: Nicosia, Cyprus
The European Cultural Heritage Summit 2026 will be held from 27 to 30 May in Nicosia, Cyprus, under the patronage of the Cyprus Presidency of the Council of the European Union. The Summit is organised by Europa Nostra and the Hub in Nicosia with the support of the European Union, the Deputy Ministry of Culture of Cyprus, The A.G. Leventis Foundation and the Municipality of Nicosia. The Nicosia Summit will highlight the key role of cultural heritage for building much-needed bridges and synergies between Europe and the Middle East and the wider area of the Mediterranean.
Under One Roof – Introduction to Tenement Maintenance
Date & Time: Tuesday 2 June 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Together with conservation experts at Mill Architects and Edinburgh World Heritage, Under One Roof will explore the importance of maintaining tenement buildings and the unique repair issues historic tenements can face, and share our knowledge of how to work with neighbours to organise and pay for repairs in the shared, or ‘common,’ areas of your building. Edinburgh World Heritage will also explain how they can support tenement property owners during the repairs process with funding guidance and opportunities.
Chartered Institute for Archaeologists – Strategic Leadership Summit
Date & Time: Wednesday 3 June 2026; 9am–5pm
Location: The Kings Centre, Osney Mead, Oxford OX2 0ES
CIfA will hold its first Strategic Leadership Summit with the aim of bringing together leaders from across the profession to discuss some of the biggest issues facing archaeology today. The summit’s theme will be Strategic Approaches to Archaeology, and contributors will reflect on the UK’s major strategic vehicles for advancing the archaeological profession’s practices and delivering benefit. The ticket price includes lunch and free access to the post event recordings.
Under One Roof – Managing common repairs webinar with East Lothian Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 9 June 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Do you own a flat in East Lothian? Join this free lunchtime webinar! Learn about the proper procedure for managing common repairs in tenement building, with discussions about how to understand your titles and responsibilities, and how to work with your neighbours to organise and pay for repairs together. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, where you can ask an expert speaker about your own repair issues.
Heritage Network – North UK Mills June Meeting
Date & Time: Thursday 11 June 2026; 10-11:30am
Location: Online
The North UK Mills Group aims to connect and support people and organisations who preserve historic mills, millwrighting skills and milling culture for future generations. Join online for this talk by Graham Brooks, Chair of Warwick Bridge Community Benefit Society in Carlisle, as he asks, ‘Can a watermill be operated profitably?’ Graham will outline the history of Warwick Bridge, including its renovation in 2019 and the setting up of the Community Benefit Society, before diving into the challenges it has faced over the last 6 years and plans for moving forward in 2026 and beyond.
Under One Roof – Damp and mould in tenement flats webinar with East Lothian Council
Date & Time: Thursday 18 June 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Awaab’s Law is coming to Scotland, changing the way that social and private landlords deal with damp and mould in their flats. If you are a landlord in East Lothian, find out how you can tackle the problem of damp and mould at this free lunchtime webinar. Learn about updates to legislation, and expert information on how to deal with damp and mould in common areas of your building. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A, where you will have the chance to ask an expert about your own damp and mould issues.
IHBC – Annual School 2026 Newcastle I Adaptive Reuse
Date & Time: Thursday 18 – Saturday 20 June 2026
Location: Newcastle-upon-Tyne (In Person and Online)
The IHBC Annual School in Newcastle explores the theme of Adaptive Reuse through inspiring tours, expert talks, and networking opportunities across this 3-day programme, starting on Thursday with CPD Study Tours of iconic sites including the Byker Wall and Ouseburn, followed by a Welcome Reception at the Baltic Centre. Friday’s Day School, available in-person or online features specialist speakers at the Grade II* listed Common Room, and an Exhibitor Hub. The weekend concludes with the Annual Dinner and Awards at the Royal Station Hotel, followed by study tours on the Saturday for Full School delegates.
Heritage Network – Sustainable Island Heritage
Date & Time: Friday 26 June 2026; 10am-4pm
Location: The St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall, Orkney Islands
Join the Heritage Network in Kirkwall for an inspiring gathering bringing together community groups, heritage professionals, and local changemakers from across the Orkney Islands. An ideal opportunity for networking, the day will celebrate the incredible work happening across the region —showcasing innovative heritage projects, grassroots initiatives, and collaborative efforts that are preserving, sharing and reimagining Orkney’s rich cultural story. Confirmed speakers include Heritage Network members, Boloquoy Victorian Farm & Watermill, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund, who last year announced Orkney as the second place in Scotland to benefit from its ‘Heritage Place’ investment initiative.
Under One Roof – Understanding mandatory owners’ associations webinar with East Lothian Council
Date & Time: Thursday 2 July 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
Working together with your neighbours to take care of your building can be challenging, but being part of an owners’ association can make the process much easier. At this free lunchtime webinar, learn about the benefits of joining an owners’ association, with expert advice on how to set one up in your own building, and explanation about the proposed changes to the law to introduce mandatory owners’ associations. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session, where you will have the chance to ask an expert speaker your own questions about owners’ associations.
Save the date/Early booking open now/Applications invited
Open Call: Inclusive European Heritage Residency 2026
Location & Dates: Online then Malta in September 2026
Europa Nostra, the leading European heritage civil society network, and INTO – the International National Trusts Organisation are organising the second edition of the Inclusive European Heritage Residencies from 13 to 19 September 2026, in collaboration with the National Trust for Malta. Around 10 heritage professionals will be selected to gather in Malta to exchange best practices, discuss key challenges, and explore strategies for building strong and resilient heritage organisations.
Deadline: Friday 15 May 2026
Doors Open Day – Applications to participate: Edinburgh and East Lothian
Date and location: Saturday 26 & Sunday 27 September 2026; Edinburgh & East Lothian
Applications are invited to take part in Doors Open Day 20256. There are three criteria which need to be met for a venue to take part: The venue should be open on the regions designated weekend; the event must be free; and the event should include something different from your usual offering – common examples include a tour, talk, exhibition, workshop, or a simple colouring activity. You can use the annual theme to design your event/activity – this year’s theme is Heritage at Risk: Revive, Resist, Reimagine. more details can be found here (use of the theme is not a requirement).
To take part please email EdinburghDoorsOpen@cockburnassociation.org.uk.
Deadline: Sunday 21 June 2026
Doors Open Days Weekends for 2026
Dates: Saturday and Sunday from 5 – 27 September 2026
Locations: Regional variations
Heritage Network – Conference 2026
Date & Time: Sunday 27 September – Tuesday 29 September 2026
Locations: Belfast & Armagh
The conference emphasis is on the impact of community-led heritage on people and places, explored through the experience of heritage regeneration in the host towns and cities and beyond. As well as a day of compelling presentations, lively discussions and networking, Conference includes tours and visits to fascinating historic sites and ground-breaking projects.
SPAB – Practical Flour Milling
Date & Time: Tuesday 20 October 2026; 9:30am-4pm
Location: Blair Athol Water Mill, Ford Road, Blair Atholl, Pitlochry PH18 5SH
Join SPAB for practical experience of traditional flour milling in a small, friendly group environment. Blair Atholl Watermill is Scotland’s oldest working watermill. This course is supported by the North UK Mills Group. This event is perfect for mill volunteers and trainee millers. It may also be of interest to more experienced millers who wish to develop their skills.
Training
Planning Aid Scotland – Community Engagement Skills Training Inverness
Date & Time: Wednesday 10 June 2026; 10am-3:30pm
Location: Highland Rugby Club, Canal Park, Clubhouse, Inverness IV3 5SS
This is an interactive workshop on community engagement and how to use the SP=EED framework. The trainers bring extensive community engagement and facilitation expertise to help develop your skills, knowledge, and confidence as a community engagement practitioner. Learn how to undertake meaningful engagement that achieves positive outcomes for communities and projects alike. Discover useful tips and practical tools to help you lead your engagement work with confidence and ease. Engage in a range of different learning techniques to think creatively about engagement. Connect with fellow engagement practitioners, share experiences, and learn from each other in a safe, collaborative setting.
Scottish Lime Centre Trust – Introduction to Stonemasonry
Date & Time: Thursday 25 & Friday 26 June 2026; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Merryhill Training Centre, Charlestown, Dunfermline KY11 3DR
Taught by a time-served Stonemason, this course is suitable for all abilities and covers an introduction to tools, techniques and uses of basic stonemasonry. Learners can take away their practice stones at the end of the day. This practical course is designed for: those individuals with little or no experience in cutting and dressing natural stone; building contractor working on traditional stone buildings and structures and just want to learn the basic masonry skills for cutting and dressing sandstone; and/or a semi-skilled operative who needs to add to his skills set and be able to produce stone masonry units to plumb, level and plane with traditional tooling finishes.
Vacancies & Opportunities
Icon Scotland – Committee Roles
Remuneration: Unpaid volunteer roles (expenses will be covered to attend in person meetings or events)
Status: Approx 6 meetings per year and a couple of hours per month
Location: Remote except for a yearly meeting/away day and AGM.
The Icon Scotland Group is now recruiting new committee members for the roles of Treasurer, Vice Treasurer and Events Officer. The Icon Scotland Group is a national sub-group of The Institute of Conservation and represents professional conservators across all disciplines, as well as conservation scientists, preservation managers and other conservation professionals working in Scotland. This is an opportunity to work closely with Scottish Conservators from across the sector. The Treasurer and Vice-Treasurer will manage invoices and receipts, put together a yearly budget, and provide accounts updates during committee meetings and a yearly AGM. The Events Officers will organise 1 or 2 events a year, support the events team in the delivery of events, and provide updates on the events they organise during committee meetings. You can view the full role descriptions by clicking on this link. For enquiries and expressions of interest, please contact Hana Bristow (Secretary) at admin@iconscotland.org.
Closing Date: Sunday 3 May 2026
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland – ReACH Research Officer
Salary: £29,200
Status: Full-time, fixed term 14 months
Location: Hybrid working – Edinburgh office two days per week (pro rata)
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is looking to hire a new member of staff to help deliver the Research in Action on Church Heritage (ReACH) project. Working closely with Scotland’s Churches Trust, this role will work with the Research Manager and Community Officer to collate and maintain country-wide information on both the heritage and social value of Scotland’s churches. This role will focus on the collection and organisation of existing information in the project database and conducting additional research where knowledge gaps are identified. The role will also assist with heritage and social value surveys and working with and supporting a network of key stakeholders – the Heritage Action Group.
Closing Date: Sunday 3 May 2026
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust – Head of Finance
Salary: c. £54,000, pro-rata
Status: Part-time (between 21 and 28 hours per week)
Location: Initially based within the Trust’s property at Custom House, 67 Commercial Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6LH. Hybrid and flexible working arrangements are available.
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust (SHBT) are seeking to appoint a Head of Finance. SHBT is a charitable Building Preservation Trust active across Scotland. The Trust is dedicated to regenerating significant historic buildings which are at risk, for the benefit of others, through conservation and sustainable re-use. This is a senior and strategically important role within SHBT and will be part of the Senior Management Team, reporting to the Director. The role carries a high level of autonomy and covers a broad remit including budgeting, forecasting, financial performance reporting and the preparation of annual charity accounts and working with the Trust’s external auditors. The Head of Finance is responsible for the day-to-day management of finances for the charity (and its subsidiary trading arm) and will ensure the efficient management of the accounting functions and delivery of all aspects of financial administration operating with high levels of personal integrity. The company secretarial responsibilities require the appointee to ensure that all statutory reporting and compliance required for the limited companies are fulfilled in a timely and efficient manner. View the Recruitment Brochure for this Appointment. How to Apply: Interested parties should submit their cover letter outlining their suitability for the job including motivation for applying and CV to sam@shbt.org.uk. Please note interviews will be in person on Wednesday 27 May 2026 at Riddle’s Court, Edinburgh. Ideal starting date for the successful candidate will be early September 2026, or earlier if possible.
Closing Date: 12am on Monday 11 May 2026
Fundraising Consultant – freelance opportunity
Thanks to funding from the Architectural Heritage Fund, Fife Historic Buildings Trust are seeking to appoint an experienced fundraiser who can work with them over time to develop an approach to generating income from a range of fundraising sources. This might be to support future projects, or to support FHBT’s work more generally. Please contact lorraine@fifehistoricbuildings.org.uk for a copy of the brief and to find out more.
Closing Date: Monday 25 May 2026
Planning Aid Scotland – Opportunities for chartered planners
Becoming chartered is a significant professional milestone, signalling competence and a commitment to public service. Planning Aid Scotland, the national charity working to widen access to planning, offers newly chartered planners a way to put these values into practice through its national planning Advice Service. Volunteers support members of the public with a wide range of planning questions, gaining direct experience that is often hard to find in day-to-day roles. The opportunity is flexible and open to all chartered planners. In return, volunteers receive professional training, access to a video archive, and ongoing support. Get in touch to find out more at volunteer@pas.org.uk.
Closing Date: Not applicable
Planning Democracy – Trustees
Planning Democracy are looking for new trustees to join their board. They are particularly interested in recruiting trustees who have skills in the following areas:
- Governance
- Communications (social media, online resources, website management)
However, they are also keen to hear from anyone who feels that Planning Democracy is an organisation they are interested in getting involved with. In return they are offering training opportunities, learning opportunities, experience in campaigning and advocacy, the opportunity to travel in Scotland and meet new people, as well as being part of a committed group of people. If you are interested, contact Chair, Helen Todd on info@planningdemocracy.org.uk and they can then send you an application form and/or have a chat.
Closing Date: Not specified
SHBT – St Ninian’s Manse
Location: Quayside Street, Leith, Edinburgh EH6 6EJ
Size: 2,889 sq ft
Availability: March 2026
Tenure: Available as single tenancy or individual floors
With origins dating back to 1493, St Ninian’s Manse is thought to be the oldest building in Leith and is topped by Edinburgh’s sole surviving 17th century timber steeple. It formed part of the original entrance to St Ninian’s Chapel, which was mostly demolished during the 19th century when the site was converted to industrial use as a mill. From 1996 to 2002, SHBT restored both St Ninian’s Manse and the adjacent Quayside Mills, creating desirable waterfront office space whilst also preserving an important historic structure and a key part of Leith’s history. The manse now offers four floors of adaptable office space with period character, modern amenities, and five dedicated parking spaces.
Enquiries: info@shbt.org.uk
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What built environment commitments are the main parties making in the run-up to next month’s Scottish Parliament elections?
The 2026 Scottish Parliament election is fast approaching. If elected to form the next Scottish Government, what changes are the main parties planning to make with regard to the existing built and historic environment?
To support advocacy around the 2026 BEFS Manifesto for the Built Environment, we are actively tracking the built environment policy commitments and positions that political parties are setting out in the lead up to next month’s elections.
This blog is a selection of key party commitments which relate to the five core themes of the BEFS Manifesto: culture and heritage; net zero and the climate emergency; repair, maintenance and retrofit; training and skills; and planning and place-making.
It directly quotes from party manifestos, and is far from exhaustive; readers may wish to review relevant sections of the six party manifestos for full details and additional commitments. You can also find direct links to party manifestos at the end of the blog.
BEFS Hustings and Next Steps:
Representatives of the six main parties appearing in national opinion polls, including former Scottish Ministers Paul McLennan MSP and Patrick Harvie MSP, joined the BEFS Built Environment Hustings Event on 7 April in Edinburgh (pictured). The panel’s engagement with BEFS Member questions indicated good levels of cross-party support for exploring a number of BEFS Manifesto policy recommendations.
BEFS will be working hard across the next term of Parliament to continue to advocate for the policy changes Members and stakeholders told us they would like to see. The BEFS Manifesto will inform the consultations and Committee business we engage with, as well as the relationships we will build with new and existing MSPs across parties, and the messages we will be sharing with policy-makers at every opportunity we get!
For more on BEFS policy influencing, please:
- Read the 2026 BEFS Manifesto, which is available in three versions: the full document, an executive summary, and an accessible edition;
- Visit the consultations page of this website for briefings and evidence submissions by BEFS;
- Sign-up to the fortnightly BEFS bulletin for regular news on policy developments.
The following party manifesto extracts are ordered a-z by party name. We hope you find the summary useful – and you can contact Derek or Jonna if you would like to get involved in amplifying BEFS Manifesto recommendations to policy-makers.
BEFS Manifesto Theme 1: Culture & Heritage
Reform UK: “Scotland is blessed with a number of business sectors where we are genuinely world class owing to our geography, science and people. These 10 natural clusters of excellence comprise: Financial Services, Advanced Manufacturing, Energy, Food & Drink, Tourism & Hospitality, Creative Industries, Life Sciences, Agriculture, Fisheries and Marine. It’s time now to focus our resources in education, skills and training around these 10 clusters to get our young people and our adults tooled up for this new, modern economy.” (p15)
Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party: “We will: Support our thriving culture sector with a new Culture Act that guarantees multi-year funding for cultural bodies… Amalgamate some of Scotland’s culture quangos so that funds are directed towards the frontline rather than spent on back-office costs… Overhaul the SNP’s scandal-ridden heritage quango so that it can do the job it’s supposed to – look after our historic buildings.” (p31)
Scottish Greens: “We want to… Bring forward a Culture Bill… to rebuild our cultural sector, including provision of ongoing and long term multi-year funding… Invest in our grassroots venues and community spaces by introducing a stadium tax… Support greater community involvement in the management of Scotland’s historic and cultural sites, through the creation of community oversight boards, particularly in rural and island communities.” (p160)
Scottish Labour Party: “Scottish Labour will… Reform Creative Scotland, improving transparency and accountability… Designate a creative capital fund, to deliver financial support to upgrade and protect venues across the country.” (p54) “Scottish Labour is determined to deliver excellence for visitors, working in partnership to build a tourism strategy that …Protects Scotland’s historic assets, reforming Historic Environment Scotland so it is fit for purpose and ensuring funding is properly used to maintain Scottish sites.” (p84-85)
Scottish Liberal Democrats: “We will… Promote creative industries and culture by: Taking away the needless bureaucracy faced by those applying for funding through Creative Scotland and taking forward the recommendations of the Leitch Review… Tackling the big city bias that exists in how culture money is distributed… Maintaining free access to national museums and galleries…. Champion responsible and sustainable tourism, recognising it as a key industry and incorporate it into our industrial and skills strategies.” (p22)
Scottish National Party: “By the end of the next parliament, we will consult to develop a Culture and Arts Bill, learning lessons from other European countries with similar legislation… We will continue to deliver a long-term funding settlement for the arts of an additional £100 million annually for culture by 2028-29… In addition, we will ensure that at least a further £50 million is delivered for culture investment by the end of the next parliament… we will review the structures of Historic Environment Scotland and take any necessary steps to ensure that the recent work of the new Chair is supported.” (p44-5)
BEFS Manifesto Theme 2: Climate Emergency & Net Zero
Reform UK: “Reform will: Scrap all SNP Net Zero related targets, subsidies and quangos… Revise and simplify the planning system to fast-track permissions for hydro, micro-hydro, geothermal, open-cast coal mining, and electrical network infrastructure, especially on brownfield or industrial sites, while retaining protections for Scotland’s invaluable natural beauty, and taking into account local communities… Require every related policy decision to include an Energy Price Impact Statement so that there is transparency for the public about the effect on their energy bills.” (p13)
Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party: “We will: Redirect the SNP’s budget they spend to meet their net zero targets and put this funding towards building new houses and upgrading our infrastructure instead (p42)… Overhaul Scottish Government energy policy so that its main objective is to lower costs for households and businesses, rather than reaching arbitrary net zero targets… Abolish the SNP’s unaffordable target for reaching net zero by 2045.” (p46)
Scottish Greens: “…our top priorities [include]… Get Scotland back on track to deliver net zero by 2045, launching a coordinated climate action delivery programme to drive down emissions from transport, energy, farming and housing… Protect communities from floods, storms, heatwaves and coastal erosion by taking preventative actions now, and establish a Climate Adaptation Fund with sufficient financial resources … Drive down emissions from Scotland’s land use by introducing a well-designed Carbon Emissions Land Tax.” (p4) “…managing freshwater resources will become an increasingly important part of our adaptation to climate change.” (p143)
Scottish Labour Party: “Scottish Labour will… [promote] nature-based mitigations which restore freshwater habitats and reduce the impact of flooding… take the action needed to achieve our net zero by 2045 ambitions… We will: Create a national warm homes programme, with one-stop centres in communities to advise on new technologies, access to domestic solar, energy efficiency measures, financing, and trusted local installers to help support local jobs… Expand the use of community heat and power networks, working with local authorities, communities and local developers… Support the expansion of renewable energy generation in Scotland.” (p75/76)
Scottish Liberal Democrats: “We will… Unlock the potential of renewable power… by: Quadrupling the amount of energy generated from solar in this Parliament, unlocking investment that will roll it out across rooftops… Take the action needed now for Scotland to achieve net zero by 2045, including: Setting out a clear, detailed and stable roadmap to net zero … Expanding the market for climate-friendly products and services with steadily higher criteria in public procurement policy…. Putting tackling climate change and delivering a just transition at the heart of a new skills strategy.” (p71) “…rainproof communities and slow the flow of water… to reduce sewage and flooding.” (p77)
Scottish National Party: “Our Climate Change Plan sets out actions from now until 2040 to reduce emissions, seize the opportunities of net zero for new jobs and economic growth, improve our infrastructure and, improve our energy security. It will deliver warmer homes, cleaner air and a more resilient energy system… We will deliver on the £500 million Just Transition Fund to support workers and businesses making the change to a sustainable future… We will expand the Community and Renewable Energy Scheme (CARES) to £15 million.” (p23) “We will allocate additional investment of £15 million in flood mitigation and prevention.” (p63)
BEFS Manifesto Theme 3: Repair, Maintenance & Retrofit
Reform UK: “The SNP have saddled the private rental sector with regulation after regulation, driving down supply and driving up rents. The shortage has been stark for smaller properties essential for young people, with the proportion of 25-34 year-olds forced to live with their parents having increased by almost 40% since the SNP came to power… Reform UK will repeal the SNP’s regulations for all new tenancies, while keeping the terms of existing tenancies unchanged, making homes both plentiful and more affordable for the Scots who need them most.” (p17)
Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party: “Substantial sums of public money are currently being spent on providing loans and grants for heat pumps… We would protect funding for energy efficiency upgrades but redirect the cash spent on heat pumps and put it towards building homes and infrastructure instead. Other savings would be achieved by halting expensive green upgrades that are being planned to public buildings. At a time of stretched budgets we should not be asking the taxpayer to cough up for expensive net zero upgrades to our buildings and instead urge public sector bodies to look at cheaper alternatives so that we can invest the saved cash in infrastructure that needs fixing.” (p41)
Scottish Greens: “We want to… Bring back the Heat in Buildings (Scotland) Bill to set a clear routemap for decarbonising Scotland’s homes and buildings by 2045; to include a Clean Heat Standard and target dates for compliance… Pay for people to install heat pumps, solar panels with linked battery storage and other green heating technologies on their homes, with help available for homeowners to remove fossil fuel boilers.” (p12) “… Make it easier for people who live in tenements and other housing blocks to handle repairs, maintenance and energy efficiency improvements by reviewing tenement housing laws; making owners’ associations a legal requirement.” (p138)
Scottish Labour Party: “Scottish Labour will improve the quality of Scotland’s existing housing stock by: Improving tenement maintenance arrangements, expediting progress on reform recommendations… Speeding up cladding remediation, expediating a workable “Responsible Developers’ Scheme”, reviewing the Building Safety Levy, and setting clear targets and legal requirements for delivery of remediation… Widen eligibility for energy-efficiency support, dropping the age threshold for the Warmer Homes Scotland scheme to 70 and increasing rural grant uplifts by £500.” (p72)
Scottish Liberal Democrats: “We will… Set a timescale and milestones to remove dangerous Grenfell-style cladding from all Scottish buildings.”(p54) “Cut energy bills and emissions, and tackle fuel poverty, by: Bringing forward a Fairer Heating Bill, accelerating the rollout of smart climate-friendly heating systems, and taking a fabric first approach to retrofitting… Making it easier for people in shared buildings to agree to upgrades and improvements, adopting… proposals for every tenement to have an owners’ association, reserve fund for repairs and periodic building quality inspections… Promoting alternative financial models for retrofitting and expanding the financial products available.” (p70)
Scottish National Party: “We will invest at least £10 billion in capital spending – funding new and renewed buildings and equipment – over the next ten years.” (p17) “…We are committed to reforming the Tenement (Scotland) Act 2004 and Property Factors (Scotland) Act 2011 by the end of the next parliament, to better meet the needs of relevant owners and tenants to enable repairs, maintenance and enhancement of such properties… We have shown clear leadership in the heat in buildings sector, demonstrated not least by our grant and loan schemes. We will take forward our Heat in Building Bill to support homeowners, landlords and tenants to transition to clean heating in a fair and affordable way.” (p33)
BEFS Manifesto Theme 4: Training & Skills
Reform UK: “Reform will re-allocate funding from the bloated welfare budget to create a joined up Scottish Skills Strategy which will: Reboot the Apprenticeship Levy funding model and guarantee every penny is invested into apprenticeships linked to colleges… Establish a First Job Passport to ensure every young person moves seamlessly from school into further education or apprenticeship or vocational training or employment… Examine a new pathway for S3/S4 students into alternative, technical education based on the successful Newlands Junior College.” (p15)
Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party: “We would introduce a new Skills Bill that would establish a permanent framework for cooperation between businesses and our further and higher educational establishments, so that skills gaps can be swiftly identified by companies. Our colleges and universities can then adapt their courses to meet demand, meaning these skills gaps are quickly addressed. For colleges, this would mean providing them with extra support to deliver the courses our economy requires.” (p69)
Scottish Greens: “The Scottish Greens will deliver a Green Industrial Mission… Plan the workforce transition into Green Jobs by improving data gathering and publishing an annual Green Jobs and Skills Outlook, linking infrastructure investment to workforce planning and inclusion… Establish regional Green Skills Hubs linking colleges, employers and unions to guaranteed routes into low-carbon work… Double Just Transition funding to £1bn… Streamline Scotland’s apprenticeship system… to deliver modern and graduate apprenticeships in key sectors.” (p36-38)
Scottish Labour Party: “Scottish Labour will give colleges a clear purpose by… Reforming college funding so that it delivers stable multi-year funding which is linked to employment outcomes and apprenticeships… Creating Apprenticeship Centres of Excellence in colleges around the country, so that key industries have the pipeline of cutting-edge skills they need to grow (p41).We will… Train the construction workforce needed to build homes, prioritising construction skills in our new apprenticeships, and within new Skills Accelerators so that each region has the workers needed to deliver local housing targets.” (p68).
Scottish Liberal Democrats: “We will… Establish a new skills strategy, mapping where the gaps are and will be, and fitting training and education systems around it, so that the country secures the skills it needs… [including in] engineering and construction… Inspire people to do apprenticeships as a route to high-wage high-skill jobs by: Ensuring pupils can do structured work experience, summer placements or foundation apprenticeships… Matching apprenticeships to labour market demand and local economic priorities…” (p19/20) “…Securely funding colleges, building on the extra £70m secured by Scottish Liberal Democrats in the 2026/27 Budget.” (p42)
Scottish National Party: “We will deliver a single national skills plan for Scotland, aligned to economic need and designed to drive productivity and support the green and digital transitions… We will deliver the two reviews we have promised with the [Colleges and Universities] sector on the Shape of Future Funding Framework for universities and the College Sector of the Future Programme… We will increase the number of apprenticeships to deliver 150,000 over the Parliament… We will introduce an Apprenticeship Accelerator Grant, backed by the Apprenticeship Levy.” (p58-59)
BEFS Manifesto Theme 5: Planning & Place-making
Reform UK: “We will build on the concept of Local Place Plans to allow local people more say in the design and form of their communities, even down to street level, through a review of current planning laws. We will cease any new building regulation and stop local planners getting in the way of sensible local development. These policies will ensure that our town and city centres come alive again, buzzing with families, pensioners, workers and visitors combined.” (p17)
Scottish Conservative & Unionist Party: “We will: Establish new specialist planning hubs across the country in order to reduce waiting times for planning applications by sharing knowledge on how to deal with different projects (p28)… Scrap the SNP’s planning framework, with councils setting their own planning strategies so that they can build the homes they need.” (p42) “… Stop Scottish Government ministers from overturning planning decisions made by local people.” (p74)
Scottish Greens: “The Scottish Greens will… Strengthen compulsory purchase and compulsory sale powers so councils and communities can bring vacant and derelict land and buildings back into use… Support councils to revive town centres by repurposing empty commercial property into workspace, cultural and community uses… Require Local Place Plans to be honoured by local planning authorities… and support communities to develop plans where none exist… Introduce a community right of appeal in planning where decisions depart from agreed plans or officer recommendations.” (p118)
Scottish Labour Party: “Scottish Labour will… [support] development across the country by… Overhauling the planning system, reforming NPF4 so that decision-makers can take account of the economic potential of projects, designating housing as critical infrastructure … Speeding up planning decisions, transforming the planning hub into a national planning agency, with expertise and specialist teams that local authorities can draw on.” (p31) “… ensure local people can create good places to live by: Delivering fair funding for local services, agreeing a new funding formula for local government… Passing a Local Democracy Act.” (p52)
Scottish Liberal Democrats: “We will… [be] Developing a programme for a new generation of net zero new towns, prioritising from the outset features such as rail links, biodiversity, district heating, and the 20-minute neighbourhood… Reforming planning to make it simpler to redevelop long-term derelict buildings.” (p52) “…Modernise the planning system, making it less arduous and delivering badly-needed infrastructure and economic growth, including by investing in digital tools that help speed up decision-making.” (p56) “…Piloting and launching a major project to integrate AI into all local authority planning departments.” (p59)
Scottish National Party: “We will continue to take a strategic approach to delivering our regeneration ambitions, including revitalising town centres and encouraging town centre living, addressing the blight of vacant and derelict land.” (p38) “…We will further simplify regulation and reform the planning system, speeding up decision making, including reforming Compulsory Purchase Orders and exploring Compulsory Sales orders… We will also take steps to reverse the decline in professional planners working in public authorities.” (p40) “… we will explore: Rural planning reform, improving permitted development rights.” (p41)
Party Manifestos: Direct Links
(a-z by title)
Change With Fairness At Its Heart: Scottish Liberal Democrats Manifesto 2026
Get Scotland Working: The Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Manifesto 2026
Let’s Demand Better: 2026 Scottish Greens Manifesto
On Scotland’s Side: SNP Manifesto 2026
Reform UK: Manifesto for Scotland 2026
Scotland Needs Change: 2026 Scottish Labour Manifesto
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