BEFS NEWS

Readers may have spotted that last week BEFS launched the first edition in a brand-new Blog series. Over the coming months we’ll be inviting a range of guest authors to explore a complex and changing policy landscape; how do we work together collectively across heritage and the built environment to address the issues of the day? how can strategic advocacy be amplified through joined-up thinking and cross-sector collaboration, towards legislation that delivers for our people and places? Read the blog by BEFS Director, setting the scene and joining the dots between interconnected policy areas.

A new Heritage Skills At Risk Register: Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the Institute of Conservation (Icon) are working with partners, through the heritage sector’s Skills Investment Plan, to develop a new risk register. The project will highlight the traditional building and heritage skills most at risk, such as thatching, traditional glass making, architectural blacksmithing, and stonemasonry. The project, which was announced during last week’s Scottish Apprenticeship Week, also aims to start a national conversation about wider skills shortages and emphasises the lack of training facilities for heritage skills.

New guidance to assist with engagement activities around community involvement in preparation of Local Development Plans has been published. How and when people can get involved in planning is set out in legislation; this guidance supports effective community engagement towards incorporating the views and experiences of local people in the plan making process.

At the end of last month broadcaster and journalist Stephen Jardine was appointed as President of The Cockburn Association. Taking over the reins from Sir Sandy Crombie, Stephen is a familiar figure in Scottish broadcasting, with the appointment marking a renewed commitment to public engagement in the association’s 150^th anniversary year.

BEFS Team have been out and about recently!
BEFS Director attended the Heritage Day Conference 2025 in London last week, organised and hosted by The Heritage Alliance. The sessions explored how ‘Heritage Creates’ – such as skills, solutions, homes and communities. Trailed at the event by Chair Carole Souter CBE, a newly published report ‘Heritage Creates: Heritage and the Creative Industries 2025’ explores the vital relationship between heritage and the creative industries through five key themes:

• Heritage as a Host: How heritage venues support creative activities
• Heritage as a Muse: How our history inspires creative outputs
• Heritage as a Creative Practice: The importance of heritage crafts and traditions
• Innovative Partnerships: Creative solutions to modern challenges
• Inclusive Partnerships: Broadening access and unveiling hidden stories

Last week, BEFS Head of Policy and Strategy attended the Scottish launch event for the UK Net Zero Carbon Building Standards (UKNZCBS) in Edinburgh. An industry-led, voluntary scheme promoted by partners including RIAS, RICS and ICE, UKNZCBS sets a wide range of embodied and operational carbon limits for retrofit and new-build projects. A pilot phase tracking 200 projects across the UK is underway. Learn more here.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions regarding RAAC, Just Transition, Energy Performance Certificates, Land Reform and Additional Dwellings.

CONSULTATIONS

Rural Delivery Plan: vision, strategic objectives and key performance indicators
Scottish Government
The Rural Delivery Plan will introduce, for the first time, a vision for rural Scotland, underpinned by a series of strategic objectives and key performance indicators which articulate where the government want to get to, how to plan to get there, and assess the impact of their ongoing efforts. The Scottish Government wants to work together with rural communities, businesses and stakeholders so that the vision, strategic objectives and indicators are informed by the views of those living and working in rural Scotland, to the greatest extent possible. The draft vision and strategic objectives have been built from previous work, such as the National Council of Rural Advisors (NCRA) recommendations and the outcomes from the Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament in 2021 and 2023. This survey gives everyone who has interest in rural Scotland a chance to share their views and to help shape the Rural Delivery Plan.
Closes 17 March 2025

Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [Lords]: call for evidence
UK Parliament
If you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (Transfer of Functions etc) Bill [Lords], which is currently passing through Parliament, you can submit your views in writing to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee which is going to consider this Bill. The bill would abolish the Institute for Apprenticeships and Technical Education (‘the Institute’), transfer functions from the Institute to the Secretary of State, and transfer property, rights, and liabilities from the Institute to the Secretary of State. The bill would also make additional changes to the current skills system concerning additional powers for the Secretary of State, remove certain requirements, and give Ofqual the discretion to exercise its accreditation power for technical education qualifications.
*NEW* Closes 20 March

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme – User survey
UK Government
This questionnaire is aimed at people responsible for looking after any place of worship that occupies a listed building. It is being conducted by Harlow Consulting on behalf of the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, as part of an evaluation of the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme. This grant scheme is funded by DCMS and enables listed places of worship to reclaim VAT paid on certain kinds of repair, maintenance and alteration works.
The questionnaire will ask you some basic information about your place of worship, its finances and its condition, then about whether your place of worship has benefited from the Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme.
*NEW* Closes 25 March

Industrial transition in Scotland
UK Parliament
The Scottish Affairs Committee is examining the socio-economic impact of industrial transition on communities. This inquiry examines the future of Scotland’s industrial landscape and the extent to which the UK Government’s forthcoming industrial strategy ‘Invest 2035’ is geared towards the challenges and opportunities facing Scotland today. The committee will also explore the future of Scotland’s industrial landscape and industrial change across a range of industries in Scotland, including growth-sectors like clean energy, carbon capture, space, data technology and gaming. The committee welcomes written evidence submissions on some or all of the questions which include: How can the UK Government achieve its objective of an industrial strategy with a ‘place-based approach’? How will the UK Government’s approach cohere with the Scottish Government’s economic plans, including its Green Industrial Strategy and National Strategy for Economic Transformation?
Closes 27 March 2025

Scottish Energy Performance Certificate Register Lodgement Fees and Penalty Charges
Scottish Government
This technical consultation builds upon previous Scottish Government consultations on EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) Reform in 2021 and 2023. The Scottish Government has issued its response to the 2023 consultation in January 2025, which sets out the final decisions on EPC Reform prior to laying new EPC Regulations in Parliament later during 2025. The Government plan to bring the new Regulations into force in the second half of 2026, to align with the introduction of the UK Home Energy Model Calculation Methodology. The consultation paper contains full background information for this consultation. You may find it useful to read or refer to while responding.
Closes 28 March 2025

Cities in Placemaking 2025-2026
Placemaking Europe
This programme is a peer-to-peer learning experience for cities, designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to Placemaking, its application in the context of urban governance, and its implications for long-term systemic change. The goal is to create a collaborative effort that benefits from a wide range of perspectives, through interactive, participatory, and experiential learning, with a practical focus on the importance of Placemaking as a city-level strategy.
Closes 31 March 2025

Giving Voices to Historic Property Owners
Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture & City of Edinburgh Council
This University of Edinburgh project aims to understand what specific aspects of the Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas planning guidance (Consultation Draft 2024) require further clarification, and to explore possible improvements that will make the guidance more practical and accessible for historic homeowners. This project focuses on improving the clarity of the guidance document and making the content more accessible to all and is currently recruiting focus group and workshop participants for the project. Participants must be owner-occupiers of listed buildings and properties in a conservation area in Edinburgh.
Closes May 2025

Climate change duties – draft statutory guidance for public bodies: consultation
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is gathering views to help inform new Statutory Guidance for public bodies, to support them in putting the climate change duties into practice. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (‘the 2009 Act’) places duties on relevant public bodies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contribute to delivery of the Scottish National Adaptation Plan, and to act in the most sustainable way. These duties are known as the climate change duties, or the public bodies climate change duties. Under the 2009 Act, Scottish Ministers are required to provide public bodies with guidance, to support them in putting their climate change duties into practice. Statutory guidance was originally published in 2011 and now requires to be updated. This consultation seeks your views on new draft Statutory Guidance which has been developed for this purpose, and which will replace the 2011 guidance. The consultation paper contains a full draft of the proposed Statutory Guidance. The questions in this consultation are intended to gather your feedback on the content of the guidance. Please read or refer to the guidance while responding.
Closes 23 May 2025

Building Standards Certification Customer Survey
Scottish Government
2025 marks 20 years of certification in Scotland. As part of the Futures Board Programme Building Standards Division are carrying out a survey of customers using certification to understand how the system is working. They are also looking for suggestions on how the system can be improved to help support a strengthened building standards system.

CONSULTATION RESPONSES

The Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) two years on – response to a call for views from the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, highlighting BEFS Members’ practical experiences with NPF4 (BEFS 07/03/25)

Review of Building Standards Relating to Fire Safety – response to a Scottish Government consultation concerning regulations in historic buildings that have been converted into hotels (BEFS 07/03/2025)

NEWS RELEASES

Introduction to the My Place Awards (Scottish Civic Trust February 2025)

SOWEC appoints new industry co-chair (Scottish Renewables 20/02/2025)

Passivhaus Trust launches new learning hub (Project Scotland 25/02/2025)

Inaugural meeting of SURF’s Expert Advisory Group (SURF 26/02/2025)

Risk Register in development to tackle heritage skills crisis (HES 05/03/2025)

Join the Inclusive European Heritage Residency 2025 (Europa Nostra 11/03/2025)

PUBLICATIONS

UK Arts, culture and young people (The British Council November 2024)

Housing the Economy (National Institute of Economic and Social Research February 2025)

Town Centre Health Checks 2024 (Aberdeenshire Council 04/02/2025)

Scottish Land Commission Urges Strong Role for Public Land Acquisition to Tackle Rural Housing Crisis (Scottish Land Commission 11/02/2025)

The Seventh Carbon Budget Report: Advice for the UK Government (Climate Change Committee 26/02/2025)

Decolonizing the Housing Studies Curriculum (University of Glasgow March 2025)

SCOTTISH & UK: GOVERNMENTAL & PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS

Scottish House Condition Survey: 2023 Key Findings (Scot Gov January 2025)

Cladding Remediation Programme: progress bulletins (Scot Gov 31/01/2025)

Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee Official Report and Minutes (Scot Parl 20/02/2025)

Climate change participation programme 2023-2024: review (Scot Gov 24/02/2025)

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee Minutes (Scot Parl 25/02/2025)

Correspondence between the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee and Rosemary Agnew regarding scrutiny of the Scottish Public Services Ombudsman’s Annual Report (Scot Parl 25/02/2025)

Budget Bill passed (Scot Gov 25/02/2025)

Professor Sir Ian Chapman appointed next CEO of UK Research and Innovation with renewed focus on economic growth (UK Gov 25/02/2025)

Tourism and Hospitality Industry Leadership Group minutes: October 2024 (Scot Gov 25/02/2025)

Government responds in full to Grenfell Tower Inquiry, setting out tough new reforms to fix building safety and strengthen accountability?(UK Gov 26/02/2025)

Grenfell Tower Inquiry Phase 2 Report: Government response (UK Gov 26/02/2025)

GDP Monthly Estimate: December 2024 (Scot Gov 26/02/2025)

GDP First Quarterly Estimate 2024 Q4 (October to December) (Scot Gov 26/02/2025)

Investing in nature: a plan to support investment in biodiversity and climate adaptation in Scotland (Scot Gov 26/02/2025)

Cultural Heritage: Training Questions (UK Gov 26/02/2025)

The cultural heritage of market towns research briefing (UK Parl 26/02/2025)

Future Planners Programme 2025: candidate guide (Scot Gov 27/02/2025)

Daily list of amendments for the Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 27/02/2025)

Households: Insulation – Written question (UK Parl 27/02/2025)

Future Planners Programme 2025: candidate guide (Scot Gov 27/02/2025)

List of ministers’ interests (Scot Gov 27/02/2025)

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee 7th meeting – Council Tax Inquiry public paper and minutes (Scot Gov 27/02/2025)

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee 7th meeting – Scrutiny of the Scottish Housing Regulator official report and minutes (Scot Gov 27/02/2025)

The Funding of Local Government in Scotland, 2025-2026 (Scot Gov 28/02/2025)

Development of Scope: Compliance Plan Manager (CPM) Role on High Risk Buildings in Scotland (Scot Gov 28/02/2025)

The Funding of Local Government in Scotland, 2025-2026 (Scot Gov 28/02/2025)

Local government finance circular 1/2025: settlement for 2025 to 2026 (Scot Gov 28/02/2025)

Culture Fair Work Taskforce minutes: February 2025 (Scot Gov 03/03/2025)

Daily list of amendments, Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 03/03/2025)

Correspondence between Stephen Boyle and the Convener for the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee regarding the Scottish Government Climate Change Plan (03/03/2025)

Correspondence between Mark Roberts and the Convener for the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee regarding the Scottish Government Climate Change Plan (03/03/2025)

Correspondence between John Ireland and the Convener for the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee regarding the Scottish Government Climate Change Plan (03/03/2025)

Correspondence between Emma Pinchbeck and the Convener for the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee regarding the Scottish Government Climate Change Plan (03/03/2025)

Correspondence between Edward Mountain and the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy regarding Heat in Buildings Capital Allocations (03/03/2025)

Correspondence between Edward Mountain and the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands regarding the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill (03/03/2025)

Wind turbine appeal decisions: statistics (Scot Gov 04/03/2025)

Scotland’s Renewable Future Debate (Scot Parl 04/03/2025)

Westminster Hall Debate – the cultural heritage of market towns (UK Parl 04/03/2025)

Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee: 4 March 2025 – Capacity of the Construction Sector – Oral evidence (UK Parl 04/03/2025)

Correspondence between Clare Adamson and the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture regarding the culture sector review (Scot Gov 04/03/2025)

Correspondence between Glasgow City Council and the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee regarding its response to the housing emergency (Scot Gov 04/03/2025)

Building and fire safety – ministerial working group: Grenfell inquiry phase 2 minutes: February 2025 (Scot Gov 05/03/2025)

Delivering on affordable homes (Scot Gov 06/03/2025)

OPINION & COMMENT

Glasgow targets owners of empty homes with new campaign (Scottish Housing News 03/02/2025)

Public asked to vote for new quotes on the Scottish Parliament’s Canongate Wall (19/02/2025)

Third of emissions cuts must come from consumers, says UK climate watchdog (The Financial Times 25/02/2025)

Tren?ín: Placemaking as a compass for city-wide cultural activation (Placemaking Europe 27/02/2025)

The architecture fan who compiled the ultimate list of 200 of Edinburgh’s best buildings (The Scotsman 01/03/2025)

Ramp ‘to nowhere’ in Edinburgh square criticised by heritage body (The Sunday Times 02/03/2025)

Land Matters Blog: Where now for the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill? (Andy Wightman 03/03/2025)

Council Tax reform: More bands possible says Shona Robison (The Herald 04/03/2025)

Scotland should spend more on building houses, says Nicola Sturgeon (STV News 04/03/2025)

‘I’ve been compared to Donald Trump’: how neighbour turned on neighbour over Scotland’s new national park (The Guardian 11/03/2025)

MOTIONS

S6M-16489
Submitted by: Ivan McKee, Glasgow Provan, Scottish National Party.
Date lodged: 25/02/2025
That the Parliament agrees that the Local Government Finance (Scotland) Order 2025 [draft] be approved.
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, 27 February 2025, 84 for, 1 against, 24 abstained, 20 did not vote. Vote passed.

S6M-16595
Submitted by: Kate Forbes, Skye, Lochaber and Badenoch, Scottish National Party.
Date lodged:  25/02/2025
That the Parliament agrees that increasing the level of investment in the Scottish economy is critical to delivering on the Scottish Government’s priorities of improving public services, supporting a thriving economy, tackling the climate emergency, and eradicating child poverty; recognises that the Scottish Government’s programme of public investment, particularly in the priority areas of net zero, housing and infrastructure, is vital for leveraging private investment across the Scottish economy, to stimulate growth in key sectors, improve productivity and create jobs; welcomes the annual EY survey, which shows that Scotland is outpacing the UK as a whole when it comes to securing Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) projects, and three Scottish cities ranked in the UK’s top 10 locations for FDI outside of London, and believes that Scotland’s strengths and expertise in areas such as technology, financial services, food and drink, tourism and the energy transition make Scotland the ideal place to invest and deliver projects that bring wider benefits to the Scottish economy.
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Thursday, 27 February 2025, 86 for, 28 against, 0 abstained, 15 did not vote. Vote passed.

EVENTS

 

HES/Engine Shed – Conserving Timberwork and Timber Windows
Date & Time: Tuesday 18 March 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
These morning talks will examine the wealth of timberwork in Scotland’s traditional buildings, from major structural features like joists and rafters, to delicate finishing details like skirting boards, mouldings, and panelling. The morning session will also look at how these features should be repaired, maintained, and conserved and focus part of the discussions on ways to repair traditional simple sash and case windows. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. In the afternoon, there will be guided tours of Stirling’s Church of the Holy Rude and the nearby Great Hall of Stirling Castle to inspect their remarkable timber roof structures – one being ancient and the other of recent construction. For those who cannot join in person, a virtual ticket is available for the morning only.

Scottish Community Councils Network – An Introduction to NPF4 for your Local Place Plan
Date & Time: Wednesday 19 March 2025; 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Online
A Local Place Plan is different from a Community Action Plan is several ways.  But one of the trickiest to understand is the requirement to offer reasons for (justify) your proposals in terms of the existing policy documents that control development in your area. NPF4 already shapes development in your area and will continue to do so for the lifetime of your Local Place Plan. This introduction will give you confidence in finding you way around this document and using its policies to show the importance, significant and compliance of the proposals you are submitting in your Local Place Plan with a Q&A at the end. All training sessions will be delivered by Imagine If.Space and Place at the Table.

SPAB – Lime Seamless Floor: an experimental approach
Date & Time: Wednesday 19 March 2025; 1-2pm
Location: Online
The third in a series of four lunchtime online CPD lectures addressing the theme ‘New Ideas for Old Buildings’. During this talk, Laura Morgante will discuss how an experimental approach was taken at the Royal Hospital Chelsea, supported by the NLHF, to create a lime seamless floor in the Stable Block. Drawing on an 18th-century Venetian tradition, itself first practiced in Ancient Rome, this beaten lime technique is known as ‘cocciopesto’.  It is made with crushed bricks, lime, sand and other stone aggregates to produce a floor that is beautiful, breathable and manages water effectively. This flooring is still produced in Venice today but is a relatively novel approach here in the UK and Laura’s lecture will explore how this could be a starting point for future developments in the field of sustainable seamless flooring.

Edinburgh Napier University/Pattiesmuir Ltd – Introduction to Carbon Management and Achieving Net Zero
Dates & Times: Wednesday 19 and 26 March 2025; 6-8pm
Location: Online
Following a successful pilot in 2024, Abi Truebig and Dr Keith Baker, directors of Pattiesmuir Ltd, will be delivering a second run of their Introduction to Carbon Management and Achieving Net Zero upskilling course for Edinburgh Napier University. The course is focussed on understanding the professional development needs of built environment and energy professionals and is designed specifically for adult learners. This year the course is being tailored towards housing, the built environment, and construction, and will include a guest session led by Magdalena Blazusiak, a chartered architectural technologist and a director of the Scottish Ecological Design Association. The course is being run online as four two-hour weekly evening sessions in March covering climate change, carbon accounting, and carbon management.

RIAS – Practice Essentials: A Round-up of Key Areas of Practice in 2025
Date & Time: Tuesday 25 March 20255; 10am-4:30pm
Location: CMS Edinburgh, Saltire Court, 20 Castle Terrace, Edinburgh EH1 2EN
The RIAS Practice Essentials Event is returning for the first time in six years.  Hear from a line-up of speakers covering topics on Fire and Life Safety, Environmental Sustainability and more. Lunch and refreshments with opportunities for networking and book sales included.

SPAB – Light Touch to Old Buildings: New Ideas at the Old House Project
Date & Time: Wednesday 26 March 2025; 1-2pm
Location: Online
The last in a series of four lunchtime online CPD lectures addressing the theme ‘New Ideas for Old Buildings’. As the Old House Project enters its final phase, join architect Mal Fryer and project manager Jonny Garlick to hear how environmental and other challenges have been tackled with sensitive new design.  Learn how the sustainable rammed earth wall oak walkway links the new garage with the oldest doorway in the building, while acting as an acoustic shield for the site. Hidden for many years behind an open fireplace, the discovery of this ornately-carved doorway presented a new set of challenges for the project, which will also be discussed in this talk.

C&BS – Board Matters | Introduction to being a Board Member
Date & Time: Wednesday 26 March 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Thorn House, 5 Rose Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PR
Do you have new trustees on your Board or have you taken on a trustee role yourself? C&BS Head of Board Development, Catriona Reynolds, takes new trustees and Board members through their paces in an information-packed, in-person course. During the day, you’ll explore: duties of charitable trustees/board members; different roles and responsibilities of board members and staff; meeting management and decision-making; advocacy and fundraising responsibilities; the trustee’s role in strategic planning; understanding the finances. A reading list, with all material available online, is provided in advance of the course to give you background information on different topics. Copies of any exercises will also be sent out in advance so that you can read them and, where appropriate, print them out before taking part.

RTPI – GIS training session
Date & Time: Wednesday 26 March 2025; 10am-5pm
Location: Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3  9EF
Join the Improvement Service, with support from RTPI and A&DS, for a free in-person GIS training session tailored for planners and planning technicians looking to enhance their skills in ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online. This hands-on training will cover GIS basics, data wrangling, map creation, and crafting StoryMaps, offering practical exercises led by expert coordinators. Suitable for those with basic GIS knowledge, the session provides a planning-focused introduction to GIS tools. Bookings will open shortly on the RTPI website. Note: Places will be limited – however, a second session is planned for Autumn 2025. For more details or to confirm suitability, contact aline.kirkland@improvementservice.org.uk.

HES/Engine Shed – Level 3 Qualification in Energy Efficiency Measures in Older and Traditional Buildings
Dates & Times:  Tuesday 25/Wednesday 26 March (booking closes 12 February); Wednesday 28/Thursday 29 May; Wednesday 10/Thursday 11 September; Wednesday 3/Thursday 4 December 2025
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
This 2-day course is accredited by the National Open College Network (NOCN) and delivered by experts leading the way in energy efficiency for traditional and older buildings. The programme includes three modules: recognise the age, nature, and characteristics of older and traditional buildings; evaluate the appropriate options for introducing energy efficiency measures to older and traditional buildings; make recommendations and give advice on introducing energy efficiency measures to older and traditional buildings. The cost of this is £495 for the two days.

GCHT – Structural Repairs to a Historic Townhouse
Date & Time: Thursday 27 March 2025; 1-2pm
Location: In-person at 54 Bell Street, Glasgow G1 1LQ and online via Zoom
Join GCHT for a CPD session exploring the complex structural repair of 8 Belhaven Terrace, a B-listed townhouse designed by James Thomson in the 1860s. The project architect, Bill Coltart of Coltart Earley Architecture, will discuss the severe structural failure which caused the rear elevation to bulge outward, ultimately requiring the wall to be completely rebuilt from the second floor up. Attendees will learn about the challenges of stabilising historic masonry, addressing water ingress and rot, and managing projects to allow residents to remain in-situ.

HES/Engine Shed – Vernacular Building Materials in Scotland
Date & Time:  Thursday 27 March 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
Vernacular building materials are items found and used locally by amateur builders. They can also be simple manufactured materials used for common or utilitarian buildings. In these morning talks, you will hear how and where these materials were used in Scotland over time. There will also be an exploration of the ways surviving examples are studied and catalogued. The day will also share initiatives taking place to enhance our understanding of the sustainable characteristics of these materials and their contribution to Scotland’s historic built environment. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. In the afternoon, there will be a tour of the unique collection of restored Nissen huts at the Cultybraggan PoW camp at Comrie, followed by a visit to the recent construction of a traditional turf hut at Comrie Croft.

SPAB – Maintaining Scottish Churches
Dates & Times: Tuesday 1 April 2025; 9:30am-3:45pm
Location: St Peter’s Episcopal Church, Parsonage Road, Galashiels, TD1 3HS
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. In this introductory one-day course, find out how historic faith building works and the practical steps you can take to look after it.

AHF/GBPT/Heritage Network – Sustainable Glasgow
Date & Time: Tuesday 29 April 2025; 9am-4pm
Location: Merchants House, 7 West George Street, Glasgow G2 1BA
Heritage Network, Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) are joining forces to deliver an event to explore how regeneration projects in the city are striving towards net zero and ideas for how you can do the same. This event will spotlight the work of Glasgow BPT and feature key speakers from across the city, exploring how local heritage can play a crucial role in this mission.  Everyone welcome!

VACANCIES

Dundee Historic Environment Trust – Information Co-ordinator
Salary: £22,010 – £23,622 (for 4-days) depending on experience
Status: Part-time, 4-day post, fixed term basis (12 months) with potential for extension, dependent on funding
Location: Dundee; office-based and occasionally attendance at off-site evening meetings and weekend events.
DHET requires an ambitious, experienced and talented Information Co-ordinator. This is a new role to promote the work of DHET through an active programme of communication initiatives, provide the office with administrative support and to work alongside other DHET team members to meet the objectives of Dundee Historic Environment Trust. The position will involve:

• Delivering the Communications Strategy for DHET and supporting its future development, in accordance with DHET’s objectives and strategic plan.
• Maintaining the effective running of the DHET office and providing the first line of contact to all callers.
• Providing administrative support to the Director and Community Engagement Adviser, including using IT skills, and maintaining hard and online filing systems.
• Supporting, along with the Director, the financial reporting requirements of DHET, including day to day expenditure and quarterly / annual reports.
• Collating and inputting data for monitoring and reporting on DHET grant funding on time and in the appropriate format, liaising with the Director and Community Engagement Adviser.
• Arranging and supporting meetings (various in-person and digital formats). Supporting the preparation and issuing of relevant papers for and from meetings. Providing support to assist the Chair and Trustees, as required.
• Maintaining with support, the IT and office equipment, including display and exhibition equipment and arranging supplies and repairs subject to budget. Maintaining the Trust’s website.
• Promoting DHET through a variety of mediums, (a) especially by leading on website and social media engagement; (b) at public facing events; (c) by the preparation of exhibition material; (d) by the preparation and/or distribution of information about the Trust, the historic environment, maintenance and conservation guidance and DHET grant schemes.
• Arranging for an ongoing programme of DHET events, liaising with the Director and Community Engagement Adviser, to include the organisation of public lectures, presentations, exhibitions, walks and other appropriate events.

DHET is an independent charity and is one of Scotland’s seven city heritage trusts, initiated in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and Dundee City Council (DCC). Its objectives are to promote and encourage the conservation, protection and improvement of the historic, architectural and physical environments of Dundee for the benefit of the general public and to further the study and educate the public. DHET’s vision is to support the improvement of the city’s historic environment, promoting understanding and enjoyment of it by the whole community. Their work is a catalyst for achieving environmental, cultural, economic and social change for the better. For further information please contact the Director.
Closing date: 5pm on Monday 24 March 2025

Dundee Historic Environment Trust – Community Engagement Adviser
Salary: £32,084 – £37,023 depending on experience
Status: Full-time, fixed term basis (12 months) with potential for extension, dependent on funding
Location: Dundee; office-based and expected to visit buildings and sites within the Dundee area and occasionally attend meetings out with Dundee including evenings and weekends.
DHET requires an ambitious, experienced and talented Community Engagement Adviser to promote the work of DHET and its programme. This is a new role and will involve developing and engaging in a range of community-based activities, interacting with people in the community and working alongside other DHET team members to meet the aims and objectives of Dundee Historic Environment Trust. The position will involve:

• Developing and leading on a community engagement strategy for areas and communities within Dundee for DHET and in partnership with other bodies as appropriate, in accordance with DHET’s objectives and strategic plan.
• Actively soliciting grant applications to DHET from priority areas and projects, including by door-to-door engagement, presentations to community forums (such as community councils) and by working with local community organisations.
• Supporting grant applicants through the application process, from the initial enquiry through to project completion.
• Meeting with and advising the general public, applicants and their agents on all aspects of the work of the Trust.
• Working alongside and liaising with other organisations that have an interest or involvement in historic environment interests for the benefit of DHET, to include Historic Environment Scotland, Dundee City Council and other national and local amenity organisations. Working with other City Heritage Trusts both in partnership and by leading on co-working wherever possible.
• Meeting and progressing the programme with the Director and Trustees, funders, statutory bodies, the general public, partner organisations and other stakeholders; to include seeking agreement on programmes, prioritisation, approvals, resources, partnership involvement and funding arrangements.
• Supporting the promotion of all aspects of DHET’s work whilst engaging with the general public, stakeholders, partners and the wider community.
• Deputising for the Director as required.

DHET is an independent charity and is one of Scotland’s seven city heritage trusts, initiated in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and Dundee City Council (DCC). Its objectives are to promote and encourage the conservation, protection and improvement of the historic, architectural and physical environments of Dundee for the benefit of the general public and to further the study and educate the public. DHET’s vision is to support the improvement of the city’s historic environment, promoting understanding and enjoyment of it by the whole community. Their work is a catalyst for achieving environmental, cultural, economic and social change for the better. For further information please contact the Director.
Closing date: 5pm on Monday 24 March 2025

BEFS NEWS

Yesterday Parliament approved the 2025-26 Scottish Budget. The SNP’s spending plans were supported by the Liberal Democrats, Scottish Greens, and Alba, with Labour abstaining. The budget includes more than £15 billion for local councils with a focus on affordable housing and the Heat in Buildings programme, as well as a commitment to increased support for the arts and culture.

The National Planning Improvement Team, working closely with 10 planning authorities from across Scotland, has completed the first cohort of the pilot of the National Planning Improvement Framework (NPIF), with each authority’s Improvement Action Plan and Performance Assessment Report sent to the authority’s Chief Executive and to Ministers. You can read the Improvement Action Plans and Performance Assessment Reports on the Improvement Service website.

In case you missed it – Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has launched a new resource, providing access to its collections, archives, images and information. Trove.scot unlocks millions of records online, spanning 5,000 years of history. Browse images of designated buildings, archive photography, objects held at HES Properties in Care – or explore the past of your local area!

Studies in Photography has issued a call for papers for their upcoming conference: Shifting Perspectives: Scotland’s Urban Architecture Through the Lens. The event will take place on 20 May 2025 in The Engine Shed, Stirling and is supported by Historic Environment Scotland, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and Scottish Council on Archives. Academics, students, architects, photographers, and cultural historians will gather to discuss how photography influences not only the perception of Scotland’s built environment but also the way our modern towns and cities are planned and designed. More information can be found here.

News from the BEFS desk – BEFS Team are delighted to formally welcome Derek Rankine, BEFS new Head of Policy and Strategy, into post – to say hello or to find out more about our strategic advocacy plans across the built environment policy landscape feel free to get in touch!

A reminder that BEFS is welcoming applications for BEFS Board of Trustees, with the deadline of Monday 10 March fast approaching! This is an exciting opportunity to contribute to BEFS development – applicants are not required to have previous board level experience but should have a passion for the historic and existing built environment. If you have any questions about the role BEFS Director will be very happy to have a chat! Contact hjohnson@befs.org.uk.

And finally, a flurry of online activity – BEFS Members RTPI Scotland and The Cockburn Association have recently set up a new presence on LinkedIn. For more information on BEFS Membership visit our website.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions regarding cladding remediation, the Land Reform Bill and energy efficiency.

CONSULTATIONS

Building regulations – proposed review of fire safety topics
Scottish Government
The purpose of this review is to consider changes to the standards and processes set within The Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (as amended) and other published guidance documents to improve provisions addressing fire safety. This consultation seeks to obtain the views and opinions of stakeholders on a review of building standards relating to the fire safety of historic buildings converted for hotel use and several other specific fire safety issues, to help ensure the safety of people in and around Scotland’s buildings. The Building and Fire Safety Expert Working Group was created to look at the long-term commitments outlined within the Cameron House Hotel SLWG Report and to review other aspects of Scottish Building Standards and fire safety guidance. This consultation reflects the outcomes and proposals of the Expert Working Group. Information on the review process to date, including minutes of the building and fire safety expert panel meetings, can be found here.
Closes 7 March 2025

Scottish Government’s Fourth National Planning Framework
Scottish Parliament
Following the Committee’s first annual review of NPF4, concerns were raised about local authority capacity to deliver the priorities set out in the spatial strategy and key policy goals. Since then, the Scottish Government has published a summary of responses to the consultation: Investing in Planning – A consultation on resourcing Scotland’s planning system. Ahead of their second annual progress review, the Committee is seeking views on the implementation of NPF4 and the progress made on this in the last year.
Closes 7 March 2025

Rural Delivery Plan: vision, strategic objectives and key performance indicators
Scottish Government
The Rural Delivery Plan will introduce, for the first time, a vision for rural Scotland, underpinned by a series of strategic objectives and key performance indicators which articulate where the government want to get to, how to plan to get there, and assess the impact of their ongoing efforts. The Scottish Government wants to work together with rural communities, businesses and stakeholders so that the vision, strategic objectives and indicators are informed by the views of those living and working in rural Scotland, to the greatest extent possible. The draft vision and strategic objectives have been built from previous work, such as the National Council of Rural Advisors (NCRA) recommendations and the outcomes from the Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament in 2021 and 2023. This survey gives everyone who has interest in rural Scotland a chance to share their views and to help shape the Rural Delivery Plan.
*NEW* Closes 17 March 2025

Industrial transition in Scotland
UK Parliament
The Scottish Affairs Committee is examining the socio-economic impact of industrial transition on communities. This inquiry examines the future of Scotland’s industrial landscape and the extent to which the UK Government’s forthcoming industrial strategy ‘Invest 2035’ is geared towards the challenges and opportunities facing Scotland today. The committee will also explore the future of Scotland’s industrial landscape and industrial change across a range of industries in Scotland, including growth-sectors like clean energy, carbon capture, space, data technology and gaming. The committee welcomes written evidence submissions on some or all of the questions which include: How can the UK Government achieve its objective of an industrial strategy with a ‘place-based approach’? How will the UK Government’s approach cohere with the Scottish Government’s economic plans, including its Green Industrial Strategy and National Strategy for Economic Transformation?
 *NEW* Closes 27 March 2025

Scottish Energy Performance Certificate Register Lodgement Fees and Penalty Charges
Scottish Government
This technical consultation builds upon previous Scottish Government consultations on EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) Reform in 2021 and 2023. The Scottish Government has issued its response to the 2023 consultation in January 2025, which sets out the final decisions on EPC Reform prior to laying new EPC Regulations in Parliament later during 2025. The Government plan to bring the new Regulations into force in the second half of 2026, to align with the introduction of the UK Home Energy Model Calculation Methodology. The consultation paper contains full background information for this consultation. You may find it useful to read or refer to while responding.
*NEW* Closes 28 March 2025

Cities in Placemaking 2025-2026
Placemaking Europe
This programme is a peer-to-peer learning experience for cities, designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to Placemaking, its application in the context of urban governance, and its implications for long-term systemic change. The goal is to create a collaborative effort that benefits from a wide range of perspectives, through interactive, participatory, and experiential learning, with a practical focus on the importance of Placemaking as a city-level strategy.
Closes 31 March 2025

Giving Voices to Historic Property Owners
Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture & City of Edinburgh Council
This University of Edinburgh project aims to understand what specific aspects of the Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas planning guidance (Consultation Draft 2024) require further clarification, and to explore possible improvements that will make the guidance more practical and accessible for historic homeowners. This project focuses on improving the clarity of the guidance document and making the content more accessible to all and is currently recruiting focus group and workshop participants for the project. Participants must be owner-occupiers of listed buildings and properties in a conservation area in Edinburgh.
Closes May 2025

Climate change duties – draft statutory guidance for public bodies: consultation
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is gathering views to help inform new Statutory Guidance for public bodies, to support them in putting the climate change duties into practice. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (‘the 2009 Act’) places duties on relevant public bodies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contribute to delivery of the Scottish National Adaptation Plan, and to act in the most sustainable way. These duties are known as the climate change duties, or the public bodies climate change duties. Under the 2009 Act, Scottish Ministers are required to provide public bodies with guidance, to support them in putting their climate change duties into practice. Statutory guidance was originally published in 2011 and now requires to be updated. This consultation seeks your views on new draft Statutory Guidance which has been developed for this purpose, and which will replace the 2011 guidance. The consultation paper contains a full draft of the proposed Statutory Guidance. The questions in this consultation are intended to gather your feedback on the content of the guidance. Please read or refer to the guidance while responding.
*NEW* Closes 23 May 2025

NEWS RELEASES

Unlock Scotland’s past with trove.scot (HES 13/02/2025)

Statement following confirmation of withdrawal of UK Levelling Up fund money (Perth & Kinross Council 18/02/2025)

Grants awarded to support projects by Heritage Development Trusts (AHF 20/02/2025)

PUBLICATIONS

SPAB Strategy 2025-2030 Summary (SPAB 20/01/2025)

Addressing the UK’s heritage skills crisis: why we must act now (The University of Manchester 23/01/2025)

IHBC Context 182: examines ‘heating and ventilation’ because ‘Is anything more important to historic building conservation’. (February 2025)

Institute for Public Policy Research: Strategic Planning for Green Prosperity (IPPR February 2025)

Land supply for housing in rural Scotland (CaCHE 11/02/2025)

Skills Mismatches in the UK’s Creative Industries Report (Creative Industries Evidence & Policy Centre 12/02/2025)

Scottish Budget: the overall fiscal and spending outlook (IFS 20/02/2025)

SCOTTISH & UK: GOVERNMENTAL & PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS

Public participation in policymaking: exploring and understanding impact (Scot Gov 10/02/2025)

Building and fire safety – ministerial working group: Grenfell inquiry phase 2 minutes: January 2025 (Scot Gov 11/02/2025)

Correspondence between Ian Murray and the Economy and Fair Work Committee regarding funding governance for the City Region and Growth Deal Programme in Scotland (UK Gov 11/02/2025)

Energy Performance Certificate reform – lodgement fees and penalty charges (Scot Gov 12/02/2025)

Energy Performance Certificate reform – lodgement fees and penalty charges: partial BRIA (Scot Gov 12/02/2025)

Planning, Infrastructure and Place Advisory Group: annual report 2024 (Scot Gov 13/02/2025)

Policy paper: Building new towns for the future (UK Gov 13/02/2025)

Government unveils plans for next generation of new towns (UK Gov 13/02/2025)

Climate adaption reporting fourth round: heritage (UK Gov 14/02/2025)

How is Scotland Performing? National Indicators in the National Performance Framework (SPICe 17/02/2025)

Understanding the Increase in Scotland’s Arts and Culture Budgets (SPICe 17/02/2025)

Correspondence between the John Muir Trust, Scottish Crofting Federation, the Foresight Group and Foresight Natural Capital division, Moray Estates, Scottish Environment LINK and Wildland and the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee regarding the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 17/02/2025)

UK Government to Invest £2.6 Million in V&A Dundee (UK Gov 17/02/2025)

Construction: Skilled Workers written question (House of Lords 18/02/2025)

Making improvements in Rent Pressure Zones: guidance for landlords (Scot Gov 18/02/2025)

Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics 2023-24 (Scot Gov 18/02/2025)

Daily list of amendments, Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 18/02/2025)

Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee Minutes (Scot Parl 18/02/2025)

Community Wealth Building Progress and Future Ambition Debate (Scot Parl 18/02/2025)

Local Government, Housing and Planning: Official Report and Minutes (Scot Parl 18/02/2025)

Campaign launched to highlight tenants’ rights (Scot Gov 19/02/2025)

Correspondence between the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee and Mairi Gougeon on issues related to the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill  (Scot Parl 19/02/2025)

Climate action: First Minister’s speech: Ensuring a just transition to net zero (Scot Gov 19/02/2025)

Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 19/02/2025)

Scotland’s Heat Network Fund: application guidance (Scot Gov 19/02/2025)

Economy and Fair Work Committee Official Report and Minutes (Scot Parl 19/02/2025)

Restoring Scotland’s natural environment (Scot Gov 20/02/2025)

Major investment to boost growth and cement Britain’s place as cultural powerhouse (UK Gov 20/02/2025)

Daily list of amendments, Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 21/02/2025)

OPINION & COMMENT

Navigating AI – Why Heritage Can’t Do This Alone (HES 10/02/2025)

Architecture, Empowerment, and Conservation (SPAB 12/02/2025)

A gathering of change in Scotland’s parliament (CaCHE 17/02/2025)

Biggest council tax rises in 20 years confirmed (BBC News 19/02/2025)

More than 40% of Scots want more action on empty homes (Scottish Housing News 24/02/2025)

EVENTS

 

ICHT – CPD: Leadwork Detailing & Practice
Date & Time: Wednesday 5 March 2025; 9am-4:30pm
Location: Inverness
This is an in-person, full day, technical CPD event aimed at contractors and professions involved in the specifying, detailing and installation of leadwork on traditional stone buildings of all sizes. The event will be delivered by the technical team from the Lead Sheet Training Academy and is provided with the support of Inverness City Heritage Trust and Highlands & Islands Traditional Building Forum. Cost: £50 per person. For further details and to book this event please email: c.maclean@maac-studio.com. Note: places for this event are limited.

Scottish Community Councils Network – Designing an Engagement Strategy for your Local Place Plan
Date & Time: Wednesday 5 March 2025; 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Online
At the heart of a Local Place Plan is hosting community conversations to enable good listening to diverse opinions before finding collaborative solutions. This session will look at some low-cost, simple to use tools for digital and face-to-face sessions that will help get the data you need in a format you can use. These questions will be considered during this session with a Q&A at the end. All training sessions will be delivered by Imagine If.Space and Place at the Table.

Edinburgh Napier University/Pattiesmuir Ltd – Introduction to Carbon Management and Achieving Net Zero
Dates & Times: Wednesday 5, 12, 19, 26 March 2025; 6-8pm
Location: Online
Following a successful pilot in 2024, Abi Truebig and Dr Keith Baker, directors of Pattiesmuir Ltd, will be delivering a second run of their Introduction to Carbon Management and Achieving Net Zero upskilling course for Edinburgh Napier University. The course is focussed on understanding the professional development needs of built environment and energy professionals and is designed specifically for adult learners. This year the course is being tailored towards housing, the built environment, and construction, and will include a guest session led by Magdalena Blazusiak, a chartered architectural technologist and a director of the Scottish Ecological Design Association. The course is being run online as four two-hour weekly evening sessions in March covering climate change, carbon accounting, and carbon management.

Edinburgh World Heritage – World Heritage & Climate Action webinar
Date & Time: Tuesday 11 March 2025; 7-8pm
Location: Online
Want to understand what the climate crisis means for World Heritage Sites? Sign up to World Heritage UK’s webinar on 11 March to hear Jenny Bruce, the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site Coordinator, and Yann Grandgirard, EWH Head of Climate Change, discuss the impact unusual weather has on our architectural heritage, and what measures we take to combat it.

HES/Engine Shed – Scottish Roofing: Materials and Practices
Date & Time:  Tuesday 11 March 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
Natural slate, lead and iron have been used to cover (and sometimes decorate) traditional Scottish buildings for generations. These morning talks will introduce you to the methods and materials traditionally used in Scotland for roofing and go on to discuss the prospects for reopening Scotland’s first working slate quarry since the 1950s. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. In the afternoon, the speakers will lead a walking tour around Stirling’s Old Town to discuss a wide range of roof repair and conservation issues. For those who cannot join in person, a virtual ticket is available for the morning only.

Scottish Community Councils Network – Processing the data you gather for your Local Place Plan
Date & Time: Wednesday 12 March 2025; 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Online
So, you’ve gathered stories, ideas and data from 2-300 people in your community?  That’s a lot of information! What to do with it now? How do you make sense of all this insight in a systematic way that can help your council be accountable to the community for the decisions taken as to what to include in the Local Place Plan? This session demonstrates simple approaches to analysing data for a Local Place Plan, covering coding (thematising) your data, using excel to enable you to sort through the options and thinking about how to re-present this data in a way that will be useful for further, deeper conversations and decisions. These questions will be considered during this session with a Q&A at the end. All training sessions will be delivered by Imagine If.Space and Place at the Table.

SLCT – On the behaviour of Lime Mortared Masonry Masterclass
Date & Time: Friday 14 March 2025; 10am-4pm
Location: Scottish Lime Centre Trust, Charlestown Workshops, 2 Rocks Road, Charlestown
Fife KY11 3EN
Join Conservation Engineer, David Wiggins talk about Lime Mortared Masonry. David is a CARE-accredited conservation engineer, whose work centres around the care and repair of historic buildings. He has a doctorate in technical masonry conservation, and current convener of the Building Limes Forum. This masterclass will marry up his research and professional practice, and is primarily aimed at engineers, but will also be of interest to masons, other crafts and anyone who wonders how historic masonry works.

HES/Engine Shed – Conserving Timberwork and Timber Windows
Date & Time:  Tuesday 18 March 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
These morning talks will examine the wealth of timberwork in Scotland’s traditional buildings, from major structural features like joists and rafters, to delicate finishing details like skirting boards, mouldings, and panelling. The morning session will also look at how these features should be repaired, maintained, and conserved and focus part of the discussions on ways to repair traditional simple sash and case windows. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. In the afternoon, there will be guided tours of Stirling’s Church of the Holy Rude and the nearby Great Hall of Stirling Castle to inspect their remarkable timber roof structures – one being ancient and the other of recent construction. For those who cannot join in person, a virtual ticket is available for the morning only.

Scottish Community Councils Network – An Introduction to NPF4 for your Local Place Plan
Date & Time: Wednesday 19 March 2025; 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Online
A Local Place Plan is different from a Community Action Plan is several ways.  But one of the trickiest to understand is the requirement to offer reasons for (justify) your proposals in terms of the existing policy documents that control development in your area. NPF4 already shapes development in your area and will continue to do so for the lifetime of your Local Place Plan. This introduction will give you confidence in finding you way around this document and using its policies to show the importance, significant and compliance of the proposals you are submitting in your Local Place Plan with a Q&A at the end. All training sessions will be delivered by Imagine If.Space and Place at the Table.

C&BS – Board Matters | Introduction to being a Board Member
Date & Time: Wednesday 26 March 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Thorn House, 5 Rose Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PR
Do you have new trustees on your Board or have you taken on a trustee role yourself? C&BS Head of Board Development, Catriona Reynolds, takes new trustees and Board members through their paces in an information-packed, in-person course. During the day, you’ll explore: duties of charitable trustees/board members; different roles and responsibilities of board members and staff; meeting management and decision-making; advocacy and fundraising responsibilities; the trustee’s role in strategic planning; understanding the finances. A reading list, with all material available online, is provided in advance of the course to give you background information on different topics. Copies of any exercises will also be sent out in advance so that you can read them and, where appropriate, print them out before taking part.

RTPI – GIS training session
Date & Time: Wednesday 26 March 2025; 10am-5pm
Location: Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3  9EF
Join the Improvement Service, with support from RTPI and A&DS, for a free in-person GIS training session tailored for planners and planning technicians looking to enhance their skills in ArcGIS Pro and ArcGIS Online. This hands-on training will cover GIS basics, data wrangling, map creation, and crafting StoryMaps, offering practical exercises led by expert coordinators. Suitable for those with basic GIS knowledge, the session provides a planning-focused introduction to GIS tools. Bookings will open shortly on the RTPI website. Note: Places will be limited – however, a second session is planned for Autumn 2025. For more details or to confirm suitability, contact aline.kirkland@improvementservice.org.uk.

HES/Engine Shed – Vernacular Building Materials in Scotland
Date & Time:  Thursday 27 March 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
Vernacular building materials are items found and used locally by amateur builders. They can also be simple manufactured materials used for common or utilitarian buildings. In these morning talks, you will hear how and where these materials were used in Scotland over time. There will also be an exploration of the ways surviving examples are studied and catalogued. The day will also share initiatives taking place to enhance our understanding of the sustainable characteristics of these materials and their contribution to Scotland’s historic built environment. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. In the afternoon, there will be a tour of the unique collection of restored Nissen huts at the Cultybraggan PoW camp at Comrie, followed by a visit to the recent construction of a traditional turf hut at Comrie Croft.

HES/Engine Shed – Level 3 Qualification in Energy Efficiency Measures in Older and Traditional Buildings
Dates and Times:  Tuesday25/Wednesday 26 March (booking closes 12 February); Wednesday 28/Thursday 29 May; Wednesday 10/Thursday 11 September; Wednesday 3 /Thursday 4 December 2025
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
This 2-day course is accredited by the National Open College Network (NOCN) and delivered by experts leading the way in energy efficiency for traditional and older buildings. The programme includes three modules: recognise the age, nature, and characteristics of older and traditional buildings; evaluate the appropriate options for introducing energy efficiency measures to older and traditional buildings; make recommendations and give advice on introducing energy efficiency measures to older and traditional buildings. The cost of this is £495 for the two days.

VACANCIES

Heritage Network – Trainee (Scotland)
Salary: £24,750
Status: Full-time (37.5 hours p/w)
Location: Working from home or from an agreed shared workspace anywhere in Scotland
Heritage Network, formerly Heritage Trust Network, is recruiting for the post of Heritage Trainee (Scotland). This exciting role has been designed to help someone with a demonstrable interest in grass roots heritage restoration and regeneration to develop the skills, knowledge and networks they need to gain access to the heritage sector. This post will be of interest to those with an interest in outreach work in Scotland. This post is for a fixed term of twelve months, from 1 April 2025. The role is funded by Historic Environment Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland. More information and application details can be found here
Closing date: 12pm on Monday 3 March 2025

Scottish Historic Buildings Trust – Project Officer (Edinburgh & Lothians)
Salary: £32,000 pro-rata
Status: Fixed-term; 24 hours per week until June 2026 with possible extension to full-time permanent thereafter depending on funding
Location: On site at the Tron Kirk, Edinburgh
The Scottish Historic Buildings Trust is looking for a project officer to be a key part of their team, assisting with the delivery of high-quality conservation and restoration projects on behalf of the Trust by deploying best practice in the adaptive re-use of old buildings. As Project Officer for the Trust’s activities in Edinburgh & the Lothians, you would be working with the Project Managers, to help co-ordinate the project underway at the Tron Kirk, Edinburgh – one of the city’s most iconic historic buildings – as well as supporting a range of consultancy projects working with community organisations, development trusts, and local authorities.
More information and how to apply can be found here.
Closing date: Midnight on Sunday 9 March 2025

Fife Council – Built Heritage Officer
Salary: FC8 £40,358.57 – £44,225.49
Status: Full-time, Permanent
Location: Fife House, North Street, Glenrothes, Fife, KY7 5LT
Whether a recent graduate, an early career professional, or a seasoned built heritage practitioner, if you’re looking to develop your career in conservation planning, then Fife’s rich, varied, and locally distinctive built historic environment has a lot to offer. Based within the Policy & Place Team (Planning Services) the successful candidate will work alongside a fellow Built Heritage Officer within a small team of environmental specialists (archaeology, ecology and trees), supplying specialist advice to planners, decision-makers and customers on the management of change in relation to listed buildings, conservation areas and the wider built historic environment. Fife Council are currently shaping their future workstyles and, in light of current advice, are introducing blended home/office working that will include office access days each week with homeworking for the remainder of your working time. For further information please contact: Douglas Speirs – Douglas.Speirs@fife.gov.uk. More information on the role and how to apply is available here
Closing Date: Sunday 9 March 2025

BEFS Board – Trustees
The role of our Board of Trustees is to support our work and ensure strategic oversight of our advocacy, events and other activities. Whilst you don’t need to have previous board level experience, participation in other types of collective / voluntary group work and working as a team would be beneficial; and you do need to have a passion for the built environment. BEFS can support and provide training if you are new to being a board member. As a BEFS Trustee, you will have the opportunity to make an impact on Scotland’s historic and existing built environment, bringing your professional expertise to bear on shaping the organisation as we enter a new phase of development. Trustees are appointed for a period of three years, which can be extended for up to two additional periods. Trustees are required to attend four Board meetings a year, plus the AGM in December; meetings will be a mix of online and in-person (Edinburgh). We are particularly keen to hear from candidates with experience of the following:

• Finance and fundraising;
• Communications, digital and marketing;
• Legal and contractual;
• Human Resources;
• Public Affairs;
• Sustainability & Net Zero

Alongside these key skills we are also inviting expressions of interest for the roles of Chair and Treasurer. To find out more, please visit our website. To apply, please send us your CV accompanied by a completed application form to info@befs.org.uk. We actively encourage applications from people who identify as trans, non-binary, and genderqueer, neurodiverse and disabled; people from BAME backgrounds; people from working-class backgrounds, and people from all religious backgrounds. Whilst Board positions are not paid, BEFS will reimburse travel and subsistence expenses and make any reasonable adjustments to support you to participate.
Closing date: Monday 10 March 2025