BEFS NEWS

Scottish House Condition Survey 2015 has now been published. Key findings include that 52% of all of Scotland’s homes have disrepair to critical elements, 68% of all of Scotland’s traditionally built homes (pre-1919) have disrepair to critical elements, and just under 44% (43.8%) of all dwellings failed to meet the SHQS. These findings suggest a small improvement in house conditions on the previous year.

A Member’s debate on Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site is taking place in the Chamber today at 12.45 pm: S5M-02445 Gordon Lindhurst: The Future of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site. You can watch the debate live over lunch on Parliament TV.

Do you want to make the next Scottish planning system more community-friendly? Tell the Scottish Government how by completing this short survey for research into barriers to engagement. The research results will feed into the Scottish Government’s Planning Review:

The Scottish Government is also seeking views on a proposed new maximum fee for major planning applications in a consultation on raising planning fees.

The Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017 was launched last week by Cabinet Secretary, Fiona Hyslop MSP, at Mary King’s Close in Edinburgh. Nine events supported by a £300,000 Signature Events Fund have been announced with more to be revealed in the coming weeks. A Great Roman Bake-Off, large scale projections of Viking imagery, a live archaeological dig of St Kilda in Minecraft and an international weaving festival are among the events lined up for 2017.

CONSULTATIONS

Consultation on proposed ‘banning order offences’ under the Housing and Planning Act 2016 (DCLG 13/12/16)
Invites views and comments on which offences should constitute ‘banning order offences’ as defined in the Housing and Planning Act 2016.

Consultation on Raising Planning Fees (SG 05/12/16)
The Scottish Government recognises the importance of planning in supporting economic growth, in the delivery of quality homes and in community empowerment. We have committed to consulting on enhanced fees, following the independent review of planning recommendation that fees for major applications should be increased substantially so that the service moves towards full cost recovery.
Opened 5 Dec 2016 and Closes 27 Feb 2017.

PUBLICATIONS

SB 16-96 Housing Subject Profile (SP 05/12/16)
This briefing provides an overview of housing policy in Scotland.  It describes recent trends in housing tenure and the housing market and provides information on the legislative and administrative background.

SB 16-97 Implications of Leaving the EU – Environment (SP 05/12/16)
This briefing highlights the EU framework that relates to environment policy and explores the implications that leaving the EU may have on Scotland’s approaches to the environment. The briefing also sets out some views on how alternatives to EU membership may impact on Scotland’s approaches to environmental protection and some of the challenges associated with untangling EU, UK and Scottish environmental law.

Architectural Heritage Fund Celebrates Successful Year (AHF 01/12/16)
Successful historic building restoration projects across the UK are celebrated in the Architectural Heritage Fund’s annual report published on 1 December 2016. As well as showcasing award winning buildings and completed regeneration projects, the AHF’s first impact measurement survey reveals the indirect outcomes for local communities and highlights a number of issues relating to the health of the sector.

Climate Change Adaptation for Traditional Buildings (HES 10/16)
This Short Guide describes the key aspects of the external envelope of a traditional building that provide protection against the elements, and considers how these can be improved or adapted to increase a building’s resilience to extreme weather events.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT NEWS RELEASES

Planning decision times published (SG 14/12/16)
An Official Statistics Publication for Scotland. Latest quarterly statistics on planning applications decided in July to September 2016 show that the average decision time for local developments was faster than the equivalent quarter in the previous year, but that the average decision time for major developments was slower.

New build housing completions up by 4% on last year (SG 13/12/16)
A National Statistics Publication for Scotland. There were 15,991 new build homes completed in the 12 months to June 2016, an increase of 591 homes, or 4%, on the 15,400 homes completed in the previous year.

Changes to Modern Apprenticeships (SG 08/12/16)
New measures to boost access. New changes to Modern Apprenticeships will provide more flexibility for employers, including those in the public sector, while also widening access for rural communities, people with disabilities and experience of care.

80 affordable homes for Dumfries (SG 08/12/16)
£6.8m investment in charitable bonds. 80 affordable homes will be built in Dumfries as a result of the Scottish Government investing £6.8 million in charitable bonds.

Designing with the experts (SG 06/12/16)
£300k for local projects. Communities across Scotland have the opportunity to map out the future of their areas alongside design experts following the awarding of Charrette grants from the Scottish Government. Charrettes bring together the public, stakeholders and designers over a number of days to draw up proposals to make their towns and villages better places to live.

NEWS RELEASES

Napier’s timber technology research hub (FCS 08/12/16)
Edinburgh Napier University announced that it will be investing £3 million into a new research hub that will support the construction of sustainable housing in the UK. The University says that the facility will be open in the Spring 2017 and that it will work with the industry to “accelerate the development of a range of timber technologies.”

New national plan and funding brings bigger boost to estate regeneration (DCLG 08/12/16)
A new government strategy and additional funding will breathe new life into rundown estates Communities Secretary Sajid Javid announced today (8 December 2016).

A different way of addressing fuel poverty (STBF 07/12/16)
For properties to be energy efficient, the Scottish Traditional Building Forum believes the condition of Scotland’s properties needs to be urgently addressed by undertaking repairs to failed critical elements then ongoing maintenance to ensure they do no reoccur. Particular attention should be paid to traditional homes (pre 1919) due to highest level of disrepair and fuel poverty.

Europa Nostra supports nomination of Rosia Montana for UNESCO World Heritage status (EN 06/12/16)
Europa Nostra and its President Plácido Domingo welcome the landmark decision by the Romanian Government to nominate the ancient mining landscape of Ro?ia Montan? for UNESCO World Heritage status.

First year of Land and Buildings Transaction Tax “operationally successful” but too early for conclusions says Committee (SP 05/12/16)
Scotland’s transition to the new Land & Buildings Transaction Tax (LBTT) was ‘operationally successful’, says the Scottish Parliament’s Finance and Constitution Committee.

Data protection – how secure are you? (SCVO 05/02/16)
Exploring the seventh data protection principle: organisational and technological measures.

Edinburgh set to take increased action on climate change (HES 01/12/16)
City wide climate change vision set out in new action plan. A shared action plan and vision to improve Edinburgh’s resilience to climate change has been unveiled today – Thursday 1st December – at Holyrood Park. Edinburgh Adapts 2016-2020 is a city wide climate change action plan, the first of its kind, aiming to help the Scottish capital prepare for and adapt to the effects and challenges of a changing climate.

New Data Uncovers Surge in Heritage Interest in England (Historic England xx/12/16)
Visits to historic sites are growing, membership of heritage organisations is increasing and participation in heritage is becoming more inclusive, according to this year’s Heritage Counts reports. The reports have been published today by Historic England on behalf of England’s leading heritage organisations which make up the Historic Environment Forum.

Heritage Counts (Historic England xx/12/16)
Heritage Counts is the annual audit of England’s heritage, first produced in 2002. It is produced by Historic England on behalf of the Historic Environment Forum. The Historic Environment Forum is the high level cross-sectoral committee for England, bringing together chief executives and policy officers from public and non-government heritage bodies to co-ordinate initiatives and strengthen advocacy work and communications.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.

S5W-05424 Graham Simpson: To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) where vacant and derelict town centre buildings have been brought back into use as affordable housing through the Town Centre Housing Fund.(08/12/16)

S5W-05288 Mark Ruskell: To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to ensure that new fish farms do not undermine the conservation objectives of the marine protected area network. (SP 05/12/16)

S5W-05289 Mark Ruskell: To ask the Scottish Government how the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 supports participatory planning for coastal communities in relation to the development of fish farms, and what impact the proposals in the Islands Bill would have. (SP 05/12/16)

S5W-05277 Graham Simpson: To ask the Scottish Government what its assessment is of the move toward e-building standards by local authorities and how this has impacted the delivery of building standards warrants (SP 05/12/16)

S5W-05282 Graham Simpson: To ask the Scottish Government how much local authorities have invested in technology specifically in advance of the e-building standards portal roll out. (SP 05/12/16)

S5W-05283 Graham Simpson: To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the uptake by local authorities of e-building standards. (SP 05/12/16)

(S5O-00438) Alison Harris: To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on what action it is taking in response to the findings of the Independent Review of the Scottish Planning System. (SP 01/12/16)

(S5O-00432) Mary Fee: To ask the Scottish Government when it last received an update from COSLA or the Association of Local Authority Chief Housing Officers regarding the enforcement of minimum standards for Gypsy/Traveller sites. (SP 01/12/16)

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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

Question S5W-05010: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 24/11/2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many units were proposed in the Strategic Housing Investment Plans that were submitted to its More Homes Division (a) in total and (b) from each local authority.
Answered by Angela Constance (06/12/2016)

Question S5W-05008: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 24/11/2016
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Strategic Housing Investment Plans that were submitted to its More Homes Division.
Answered by Angela Constance (06/12/2016)

Question S5W-05007: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 24/11/2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allow Housing Infrastructure Fund loans to be used from 2017-18 to support the provision of community infrastructure, such as schools, that is required as a result of new housing development.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (05/12/2016)

Question S5W-05150: Murdo Fraser, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29/11/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of delays in obtaining building control consent on (a) the industry and (b) its housing targets.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (12/12/2016)

Question S5W-05149: Murdo Fraser, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29/11/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether local authorities have improved the quality of the building standards verification service since 2011.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (12/12/2016)

Question S5W-05147: Murdo Fraser, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29/11/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether local authorities are sufficiently resourced to provide the building standards verification service.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (12/12/2016)

Question S5W-05145: Murdo Fraser, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 29/11/2016
To ask the Scottish Government (a) when and (b) how it will consult on the appointment of building standards verifiers.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (12/12/2016)

OTHER PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITY

The Parliament has agreed the following parliamentary recess dates:
•    24 December 2016 to 8 January 2017 (inclusive)
•    11 to 19 February 2017 (inclusive)

EVENTS

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

Hard hat tours of Riddle’s Court
When: Saturday 17th December, 2016, 10.00-16.00.
Where: Riddle’s Court – enter at 6 Victoria Terrace.
SHBT are opening Riddle’s Court as part of Edinburgh’s Christmas Advent Doors Open programme. This will be the final opportunity for the public to tour the site works. Our project team, including architects from LDN, will be guiding groups around the building. The tours are free but must be booked in advance.

Heritage and Conservation Seminar
When: Wednesday 25 January 2017 from 1.50pm to 6pm followed by a wine reception.
Where: University of Stirling.
Leading practitioners will explore current issues in heritage and conservation, supported by concrete examples. The aim is to encapsulate: different types of heritage (cultural and natural landscapes, buildings, monuments, intangible, collections); different aspects of heritage work (knowledge and understanding, understanding value, managing change, protection and conservation, engagement and enjoyment); different types of organisations (central and local government; heritage bodies; umbrella organisations, etc.); strategic and coal-face activities. Places are free for CIfA members only.

CIfA2017 Archaeology: A Global Profession
When: Wednesday 19 – Friday 21 April 2017
Where: Newcastle University.
The Chartered Institute for Archaeologists annual conference will provide an opportunity for heritage professionals to discuss, consider and learn about archaeological practice on a world stage through three broad themes of professionalism, protection and discovery. There will be half-day sessions within traditional paper format, discussion/panel seminars and CPD workshops, these themes will accommodate an exciting programme.

Training

GIS workshop 
When: Thursday 9 February 2017 from 10am to 4pm.
Where: High Life Highland, Highland Archive Centre, Inverness.
The course will provide basic instruction on using QGIS, an Open Source GIS programme. Students will learn how to add GPS data, background maps and images and to create point, polyline and polygon GIS files.

Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage is delivering a series of training courses and events across Scotland.
Our training is best suited to registered charities and constituted community groups. Take a walk through our simple question and answer page to determine which course is right for you. We have two main training courses and a series of ‘In Focus’ events. If you are interested in any particular event or fundraising topic, please do get in touch – we may be able to bring an event to your area info@scotheritage.org.

Traditional Building Skills Training
Scottish Lime Centre Trust offer a wide range of vocational and professional courses combining theory and practical working sessions designed to ensure that there are courses to suit everyone.

VACANCIES

The Scottish Historic Buildings Trust has a number of Job Vacancies:

Project Manager
SHBT is seeking an experienced Project Manager to take responsibility for initiating and executing high quality conservation and restoration projects on behalf of the Trust, demonstrating best practice in adaptive re-use of old buildings. This post is full-time.A Job Description is available by emailing recruitment@shbt.org.uk or visiting www.shbt.org.uk.
Closing Date 20th January 2017.

Building/Events Managers
SHBT is seeking two experienced Building/Events Manager to take on the overall management of two of its Edinburgh properties – Custom House in Leith and Riddle’s Court in the Lawnmarket.  The Manager will be responsible for the day to day running of each property including management of all tenants as well as development and management of all events held within the public spaces.   A proven track record of running a mixed use venue is essential. Evening and weekend working is an essential requirement of this job. A Job Description is available by emailing recruitment@shbt.org.uk or visiting www.shbt.org.uk.
Closing Date 27th January 2017.

Audience Development Officer – Patrick Geddes Centre
SHBT is undertaking a major capital project to restore Riddle’s Court and give it new life as the Patrick Geddes Centre for Learning.  The construction phase is nearing completion and the Trust is seeking an experienced Audience Development Officer to develop new audiences in line with the Audience Development Plan to support the range of activities which will be delivered in the Centre when it opens in autumn 2017 and promote the Centre as a venue for hire. This post is part-time (currently 21 hours per week) and is part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. Evening and weekend working is an essential requirement of this job. A Job Description is available by emailing recruitment@shbt.org.uk or visiting www.shbt.org.uk.
Closing Date 3rd February 2017.

Director – Patrick Geddes Centre
SHBT is undertaking a major capital project to restore Riddle’s Court and give it new life as the Patrick Geddes Centre for Learning.  The construction phase is nearing completion and the Trust is seeking to appoint a Centre Director who will be responsible for the strategic vision and direction of the Centre for Learning, overseeing the development and delivery of Learning Activities, delivering an interdisciplinary learning community and building an international reputation for the Patrick Geddes Centre in line with Patrick Geddes’ holistic approach to learning highlighted in the gateway to Riddle’s Court – ‘Vivendo Discimus’ – by living we learn. High level knowledge and understanding of the work of Patrick Geddes including a proven track record in delivering a range of learning activities and community programmes direct experience of managing Advisory Groups, teams of staff and volunteers and management of an educational or multi-purpose venue.  This post is full-time and is part funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund. A Job Description is available by emailing recruitment@shbt.org.uk or visiting www.shbt.org.uk.
Closing Date 3rd February 2017.

MEMBERS’ NEWS

Shaping Place – An Introduction to Landscape Assessment (PAS 12/12/16)
PAS volunteer, Alastair Smith, shares his thoughts on a recent volunteer training event on landscape assessment hosted by Doug Harman.

Trust announces senior appointments (NTS 08/12/16)
Heritage and conservation charity the National Trust for Scotland, which has lately been undergoing a major change programme, has announced appointments to important new leadership roles.

IHBC consultation response: Managing Heritage Assets – A Guide for Local Government (07/12/16)
Historic England consulted on this document with a selected group of stakeholders, including the IHBC, with the IHBC Consultation Panel findings including that the document should refer to BS 7913: 2013 and better reflect the English Heritage advice on Disposal of Heritage Assets: Guidance note for government departments and non-departmental public bodies.

IHBC Jobs etc – the service that helps careers, employers and heritage (IHBC 02/12/16)
The IHBC has just released some internal employment data from our sector-wide IHBC Jobs etc service, which to date this year has advertised posts with a combined maximum of more than £6million of stated salaries, for posts from property heads to facilities managers, and with 69% postings recommending IHBC membership or more.

Repositioning Planning – A vision for a reformed planning system (RTPI Scotland xx/12/16)
Kate Houghton outlines RTPI Scotland’s ambitions for coming planning reform.

Poor building maintenance – a threat to Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site (EWH 01/12/16)
Edinburgh World Heritage, together with the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings, has announced that complacency and lack of attention to basic building maintenance now represents a significant threat to the city’s World Heritage Site.

Information in the Bulletin is extracted from a number of websites including the Scottish Government (SG); the Scottish Parliament (SP); Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS); Historic Environment Scotland (HES); Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH); Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO); English Heritage (EH); Design Council (DC); Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG); Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); Department of Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); National Assembly for Wales (NAW); Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS); Scottish Government Building Standards  (SGBS); Europa Nostra (EN); Historic England (HE).

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

BACK

BEFS NEWS

Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has announced an ambitious national campaign to find out what heritage really means to the people of Scotland as part of the 2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology. ‘What’s Your Heritage?’ is a multi-channel project that asks members of the public to reveal which of Scotland’s places, buildings and monuments they want to see recognised and celebrated.

In light of the HES campaign, Euan Leitch, Director of BEFS, reflects on how it complements other research on the understanding of social value, how it can be incorporated within built environment policy and what it means for the role of experts, in the first of two blogs this week.

The Heritage Index 2016 has now been launched. The index covers 120 indicators, with local data available for all 390 local authority areas in the UK’s four nations. It aims to give people a richer understanding of their place, so that they are inspired to get involved in shaping their place into the future.

We would also like to draw your attention to BEFS member RTPI Scotland’s publication Repositioning Planning: Building a Successful and Sustainable Scotland, which outlines 14 “gamechangers” they have suggested to the Scottish Government for inclusion in the Planning White Paper.

Bill Pagan, Board member of BEFS and founding Board member of Cupar Development Trust, reports on progress following Cupar’s CharrettePlus, in the second of our blogs.

CONSULTATIONS

Digital Transformation: Next Steps (SG 30/11/16)

Registers of Scotland (RoS) is developing a variety of new digital services. Part One of the consultation sets out detailed proposals for the introduction of these new services and the necessary changes to the Land Register Rules that would be required to facilitate them.
Runs from 30 Nov 2016 to 22 Feb 2017

Building Warrant Fees (SG 15/11/16)
The purpose of this consultation is to seek views on increasing building warrant and other associated fees to make the building standards system achieve full cost recovery and place it on a sustainable footing for the future.
Runs from 15 Nov 2016 to 9 Jan 2017

Improving transparency in land ownership in Scotland: a consultation on controlling interests in land (SG 11/09/16)
A consultation on proposals for regulations to require the disclosure of persons with controlling interest in landowners and tenants in a register to be held by the Registers of Scotland.
Consultation closes on 5 Dec 2016!

PUBLICATIONS

Repositioning Planning: Building a Successful and Sustainable Scotland (RTPI 24/11/16)
Fourteen “gamechangers” the RTPI Scotland has suggested to the Scottish Government for inclusion in the White Paper.

Small Housing Developers in Scotland: Views on outputs & future prospects; obstacles and solutions to building and Help to Buy Schemes (SG 21/11/16)
This is a report on a survey of small and medium sized enterprises in the building trade. It sets out their expectations for business in the future which are optimistic and the barriers they expect to face and how these could be addressed.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT NEWS RELEASES

Call for reassurance over European City of Culture (SG 29/11/16)
Brexit must not harm Dundee’s opportunity to host 2023 title. The UK Government must give urgent reassurance that its Brexit plans will not harm Dundee’s opportunity to bid to become the 2023 European Capital of Culture, Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said today.

Discretionary Housing Payments – over 86,000 awards support housing costs during April to September 2016 (SG 29/11/16)
An Official Statistics Publication for Scotland. Statistics released today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician show that during the period 1 April to 30 September 2016, Local Authorities in Scotland made over 86,000 Discretionary Housing Payment (DHP) awards. The average award value was £512, typically to cover shortfalls in housing costs through to 31 March 2017.

Brexit impact on research discussed (SG 24/11/16)
Roseanna Cunningham meets research institutes to discuss concerns. Discussions were held today over the possible consequences of Brexit on the Scottish Government’s main rural, agricultural and environmental research institutes. Roseanna Cunningham, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Land Reform, met with directors and chairs from Scotland’s Main Research Providers to address how Brexit may impact non-UK EU employees and future access to EU funding.

Backing for city deal (SG 21/11/16)
UK Government should commit to City Region Deals. Economy Secretary Keith Brown has called on the UK Government to commit to a Tay Cities and Stirling and Clackmannanshire City Region Deal in the Autumn Statement. The Scottish Government has been working with local authorities to develop proposals for the city region deals which would stimulate economic growth in the area.

£250m Aberdeen City Region Deal (SG 21/11/16)
Signing completes agreement. The Aberdeen City Region Deal was launched today with the official signing of the £250million agreement. The terms of the deal commit both the UK Government and Scottish Government to jointly investing up to £250m while Aberdeen City Council, Aberdeenshire Council and local partners are committed to investing up to £44m over the next decade.

NEWS RELEASES

Stirling Castle crowned winner at new awards initiative (HES 30/11/16)
Stirling Castle has claimed the title of Scotland’s Best Visitor Attraction at the inaugural 2016 Scottish and Outdoor Leisure Awards. The centuries-old stronghold, which welcomes around 460,000 visitors through its iconic gates each year, was voted for by members of the public and visitors alike before being fully researched and reviewed by an independent judging panel.

The pros and cons of crowdfunding architectural projects (IHBC 25/11/16)
A CLAD magazine feature discusses how crowdfunding can help get projects started and allow architects to be proactive. The article gives advice on choosing the right crowdsourcing platform, raising the full amount needed and reaching out to the right audience.

Make planners statutory consultees in strategic local decisions, Scottish Government told (RTPI 24/11/16)
Strategic decisions by local authorities in areas such as economic development or education are often taken in isolation from planning departments and this needs to change, RTPI Scotland has told the Scottish Government.

Protecting the Stones of Worship (FCS 24/11/16)
Damage caused by a Pagan bonfire to the stone circle of Na Clachan Aoraidh – set high on the limestone ridge of Cnoc na Craoibhe above Loch Tummel in Tay Forest District – was turned into an opportunity to investigate and record the site in detail.

Every city in Scotland to share in multi-billion pound rebuild programme after Stirling award (Herald Scotland 24/11/16)
EVERY city in Scotland has now been awarded a City Deal with the announcement in the Autumn Statement that Stirling and Clackmannanshire are to receive the multi-million pound building boost.

Homeless village to be built in Edinburgh (BBC 24/11/16)
Scotland’s first village for homeless people is to be built in Edinburgh next year. Social Bite said 10 homes would be built in Granton to provide a low cost, safe environment for up to 20 people. The social enterprise said it wanted to create a model to end the “vicious cycle” of homelessness. Work on the village is expected to begin in early 2017, with the first residents expected to move into their homes by the summer.

Historic Environment Scotland Apprentices Scoop UK Awards (HES 24/11/16)
Two Scottish stonemasonry apprentices have taken Gold and Bronze respectively, in a UK-wide competition to find the country’s most talented construction apprentices. The SkillBuild Final – organised by the Construction Industry Training Board (CITB) – saw 78 competitors from across the UK, compete across 10 different trades, including bricklaying, wall and floor tiling, and painting and decorating.

Scottish councils spent £750m on temporary housing in last five years (Scottish Housing News 21/11/16)
Local authorities is Scotland have spent more than £750 million on temporary accommodation for homeless families in the last five years, according to new statistics. The data was obtained by the BBC as part of a wider investigation which found that the amount spent on temporary accommodation by councils across Britain was over £3.5 billion over the same period.

Local authorities praised for response to Syrian refugee crisis (Scottish Housing News 18/11/16)
Scotland has welcomed more than 1,200 Syrian refugees since the first flight arrived in Glasgow one year ago, according to the Scottish Government. With 29 local authorities receiving Syrian refugees to date, equalities secretary Angela Constance praised the country’s quick response to the humanitarian crisis as “phenomenal”.

Who is using Place Standard and for what? (A&DS 11/16)
Throughout November we have published a series of articles where we explore ways in which Architecture and Design Scotland has helped organisations to test, develop and apply the Place Standard. This has been part of our partnership work in jointly leading development of the tool with Scottish Government and NHS Health Scotland.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.

S5W-05145 Murdo Fraser: To ask the Scottish Government (a) when and (b) how it will consult on the appointment of building standards verifiers. (SP 30/11/16)

S5W-05147 Murdo Fraser: To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether local authorities are sufficiently resourced to provide the building standards verification service. (SP 30/11/16)

S5W-05149 Murdo Fraser: To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on whether local authorities have improved the quality of the building standards verification service since 2011. (SP 30/11/16)

S5W-05150 Murdo Fraser: To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the impact of delays in obtaining building control consent on (a) the industry and (b) its housing targets. (SP 30/11/16)

S5W-05007 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government whether it will allow Housing Infrastructure Fund loans to be used from 2017-18 to support the provision of community infrastructure, such as schools, that is required as a result of new housing development. (SP 25/11/16)

S5W-05008 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the Strategic Housing Investment Plans that were submitted to its More Homes Division. (SP 25/11/16)

S5W-05010 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government how many units were proposed in the Strategic Housing Investment Plans that were submitted to its More Homes Division (a) in total and (b) from each local authority. (SP 25/11/16)

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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

Question S5O-00344: Gordon Lindhurst, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 09/11/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what impact Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site status, and the built heritage within it, has on visitor numbers to the city.
Answered by Fiona Hyslop (16/11/2016)

Question S5W-04642: Bruce Crawford, Stirling, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 10/11/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the (a) housing needs of older people and (b) demand for retirement housing.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (18/11/2016)

Question S5W-04641: Bruce Crawford, Stirling, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 10/11/2016
To ask the Scottish Government how its forthcoming white paper on planning will take account of the housing needs of older people.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (22/11/2016)

OTHER PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITY

The Parliament has agreed the following parliamentary recess dates:

• 24 December 2016 to 8 January 2017 (inclusive)
• 11 to 19 February 2017 (inclusive)

EVENTS

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

Workshop: Stained Glass 
When: 3rd December 2016 from 10am – 4pm.
Where: 54 Bell Street, Glasgow.
Discover the art and craft of stained glass through a practical exploration of the techniques and materials used. Learn about the history and development of the craft along with the challenges facing conservation and restoration for the future. Then put what you’ve learnt into practice by developing and making a stained-glass panel which you can take home at the end of the day.

Furnishing the Tower House
When: Monday 5th December, 6.30pm.
Where: St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, Edinburgh, £5.
Michael Pearce talks to us about the nobles, lairds, merchants and craftsmen who designed the interiors of Scotland’s Tower Houses.
AHSS Forth & Borders Group Winter Lecture Series.

Mapping the City: a new approach for the Digital Age – Edinburgh
When: Monday December 12 from 6:00 pm – 7:00 pm.
Where: Auditorium National Museum Scotland, Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF.
Richard Roger, Professor of Economic and Social History, and Project Director MESH – Mapping Edinburgh’s Social History, University of Edinburgh, presents “Mapping the City: a new approach for the Digital Age”. The lecture considers how space is often overlooked when considering the nature of cities. (The lecture is repeated the evening afterwards in Aberdeen).

Christmas Party in the Advocates’ Reading Room
When: Tuesday 13th December, 7pm.
Where: Parliament House, Edinburgh, £15.
Members and Non-members are invited to join the AHSS Forth & Borders Group Christmas Party. Booking required.

Selling Scotland: The Kelvingrove Exhibitions 1888, 1901 & 1911
When: Thursday 19th January 2017.
Where: Adelaides, Glasgow, £4.
Fergus Sutherland discusses the impact of the Great Exhibition.
AHSS Strathclyde Group Winter Lecture Series.

TRAINING

Making and Using Traditional Mortars C1-Contractor Level 1
When: 24 – 25 January 2017 from 09.30 – 16.30.
Where: Merryhill Training Centre, Fife
Our most popular two-day introductory course – this practical workshop will provide attendees with a strong understanding of lime technology. The reasons for using traditional mortars on solid walls will also be explained, to allow you to better advise clients. The course will guide participants to be able to complete pointing work to traditional buildings to a high standard.
The content of this workshop provides the underpinning knowledge required for assessment and accreditation of SQA National Unit 1 – ‘Preparing and Using Basic Lime Mixes’.

Mortar Analysis Explained
When: 9 March 2017 from 09.30 – 12.30.
Where: Charlestown Workshops, Fife
The Mortar Analysis Explained seminar will help you gain an understanding the component parts of historic mortars, plasters, renders and harling through a variety of analysis techniques – key information to developing a repair specification that will perform as a compatible replacement. Choosing the wrong mortar could endanger the very fabric of the building that you are trying to conserve. For just £ 15 plus VAT (£ 18 in total) gain 2.5 hours of CPD and get to talk to our expert Building Materials Analysts.

Stone Analysis Explained
When: 9 March 2017 from 13.30 – 16.30.
Where: Charlestown Workshops, Fife
Top up your CPD hours and come and learn something crucial for prolonging the life of our built heritage environment. The vast majority of our heritage buildings are built with natural stone, some more durable than others. So understanding the importance of the variety of analysis techniques at our disposal for revealing the nature of our building stones and how they might be replicated with currently operating quarries is a vital step in the building conservation process. Choosing the wrong stone could accelerate the decay of surrounding historic masonry, the very opposite of what we want to achieve. For just £ 15 plus VAT (£ 18 in total) gain 2.5 hours of CPD and be better informed for your building conservation projects.

VACANCIES

PAS Volunteer opportunity 2017
PAS is planning a school project in Galashiels from February to October 2017, which will involve our IMBY, YEP and Young Placemakers programmes.  If you are interested in volunteering for this please contact Robert Pickles.

PAS project “In the Footsteps of Geddes”
PAS project “In the Footsteps of Geddes” is gearing up for workshops in Glasgow as the next part of its project.  These are likely to take place on Wednesdays and Fridays, in school time. Volunteers interested and able to get involved, please contact Robert Pickles.

MEMBERS’ NEWS

Call for nominations (SCT 11/16)
Scottish Civic Trust is calling for community groups to nominate favourite new buildings, conservation projects and people in annual Scottish Civic Trust My Place Awards.

IHBC supports members in crisis: 1 year IHBC fee-free and fuss-free, if you’ve lost your job or face serious sudden troubles! (IHBC 25/11/16)
Lost your job and problems finding new work?  Or are you facing a crisis that seriously affects your conservation career or income?  IHBC is here to help, with our ‘fee-free year’ supporting you in your time of need. Just let us know and we’ll sort out your fee for a year, free of fuss and bother.  You can then focus on getting back on your feet, knowing that your professional body is still there for you.

IHBC’s Conservation Area anniversary celebrations fund update: Check out some of the ideas already coming in from civic trusts! (IHBC 23/11/16)
Take a look at some of the great ideas already received from local Civic Trusts on they can use the IHBC’s £2500 allocation to help local communities celebrate the 50th anniversary of Conservation Areas in 2017.

“Scotland’s Royal Collection” at Brodick Castle Awarded National Significance (NTS 23/11/16)
The unique collection at the National Trust for Scotland’s Brodick Castle on Arran has been Recognised as Nationally Significant to Scotland. Tucked away on the island of Arran in Brodick Castle is a collection that gives a unique insight into the social and private lives of one of Scotland’s leading noble families. The award is made by Museums Galleries Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. This announcement brings the total of Recognised Collections in Scotland to 47.

Summary of recent PAS projects (PAS 11/16)
PAS has produced a number of short summaries from recent projects. These range from community-led charrettes and community land use plans to development plan engagement and youth engagement.

Information in the Bulletin is extracted from a number of websites including the Scottish Government (SG); the Scottish Parliament (SP); Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS); Historic Environment Scotland (HES); Scottish Natural Heritage(SNH); Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO); English Heritage (EH); Design Council (DC); Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG);Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); Department of Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); National Assembly for Wales (NAW); Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS); Scottish Government Building Standards  (SGBS); Europa Nostra (EN); Historic England (HE).

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

BACK

BEFS Director, Euan Leitch, reflects on the consequences and potential opportunities for the built environment presented by Police Scotland’s office closures and the MoD’s site closures in Scotland, in the  first of two blogs this week.

In BEFS second blog, Annie Flint, author of the acclaimed Tenement Handbook and creator of www.underoneroof.scot, tells us about the motivation behind the Under One Roof initiative and how BEFS members and friends can use the website to help support the maintenance of the built environment.

The Scottish Civic Trust is calling for nominations from local civic trusts, community councils and other heritage or community groups for new buildings, restoration projects, landscape designs and other placemaking projects for the annual My Place Awards. The trust is also looking for nominations for a winner of the My Place Civic Champion award.

Landscape Institute Scotland is inviting entries to participate in an exhibition at Dundas Street Gallery in Edinburgh, in parallel with the finale of the Festival of Architecture 2016. The focus of the exhibition will be architecture in the context of landscape. Further details and how to apply.

There are still places available for ‘People and Places: Supporting Communities to Make the Most of Local Heritage’ at Glasgow City Heritage Trust this evening from 7pm. Sara Crofts, Head of Historic Environment at HLF, will be discussing the ways that heritage can deliver tangible benefits for people and communities. Dr Alan Leslie Managing Director of Northlight Heritage will demonstrate how to help people appreciate and engage with their past and use heritage to change lives for the better. Book your ticket now!

We would like to congratulate BEFS Board Member, Julia Frost,Operations Manager at PAS, for making the judging panel for the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2017. The awards are the most established and respected awards in the planning industry.

CONSULTATIONS

Consultation on listing of famed Leith ‘banana flats’, featured in Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting (HES 11/11/16)
The Edinburgh flats made famous as the home of one of the main characters in Irvine Welsh’s ‘Trainspotting’, could be in line to become the latest iconic capital building to receive ‘listed’ status.

CONSULTATION RESPONSES

Consultation on a Review of the Scottish Social Housing Charter: An Analysis of Responses (SG 15/11/16)
Analysis of responses to the 2016 consultation on a Review of the Scottish Social Housing Charter.

Consultation on the Scottish Government Response to the Introduction of the UK Apprenticeship Levy (SG 14/11/16)
This report presents the findings of an analysis of responses to a consultation on the Scottish Government response to the introduction of the UK Apprenticeship Levy.

PUBLICATIONS

Housing supply: net additional dwellings (DCLG 15/11/16)
This collection brings together all documents on housing supply: net additional dwellings (formerly known as ‘net supply of housing’).

Planning Performance Framework Annual Report 2015-16 (SG 11/11/16)
The annual performance report and improvement plan for Planning and Architecture Division.

Quarterly National Accounts Scotland 2016 Quarter 2 (SG 09/11/16)

The built environment: government response to the Select Committee report (DCLG 08/11/16)
A response by the government to the House of Lords Select Committee report on the built environment.

Private Sector Rent Statistics, Scotland, 2010 to 2016 (SG 08/11/16)
This publication presents statistics on private sector rent levels in Scotland over the years 2010 to 2016 (years to end-September) using data from the Rent Service Scotland market evidence database.

Warmer Homes Scotland – First annual review (SG 03/11/16)
The first annual review of the Scottish Government’s Warmer Homes Scotland scheme, looking at delivery from September 2016 to March 2015.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT NEWS RELEASES

Three down, one to go… (SG 15/11/16)
Queensferry Crossing now stretches from Fife to south shores. 105 of 110 deck units lifted leaves 52 metres, just over the length of an Olympic swimming pool, to complete the new bridge deck. Engineers working on the Queensferry Crossing have lifted the remaining piece of deck between the north and centre tower deck spans. This means the deck on the new bridge now stretches from Fife right across to the end of the south fan.

Appointments to Scottish Land Commission (SG 11/11/16)
In a significant milestone in Scotland’s land reform journey, five Land Commissioners and the Tenant Farming Commissioner have been selected for the first Scottish Land Commission.

Average 2 bedroom private rents up by 1% (SG 08/11/16)
Between 2015 and 2016, 17 out of 18 areas of Scotland saw increases in average rent levels for 2 bedroom private rental properties, ranging from 4.6% in West Dunbartonshire to 0.1% in Dumfries and Galloway.

600 houses for Aberdeen (SG 04/11/16)
First loan granted from £50m Housing Infrastructure Fund. More than 600 houses will be built in Aberdeen by the Grandhome Trust following a £7.9 million loan from the Scottish Government.

NEWS RELEASES

Sustrans: Community Links PLUS design competition (A&DS 14/11/16)
Now in its second year, Community Links PLUS seeks big, bold and innovative projects which will restore the balance of Scotland’s streets in favour of people walking and cycling. Previous successful entries have demonstrated an integrated approach to place-making, integrating community engagement, urban design, and promotion of walking and cycling to generate projects on a scale not yet seen in Scotland.

New £18 million fund to accelerate house building (11/11/16 DCLG)
A new £18 million fund to speed up house building on large sites and that will provide thousands of new homes where people want to live, is announced today (11 November 2016) by the Housing Minister Gavin Barwell.

Material of the Month – November 2016, Recycled Glass Flooring (A&DS 07/11/16)

Helping museums become better advocates (MGS 08/11/16)
Exploring and improving our approach to advocacy has been central to MGS’s work in 2016. Our approach this year has been developed to help museums to better understand, approach, and work with, the decision makers who have the most influence in their areas, and to open up new and better opportunities for your museum to share your story.

Over £55,000 granted to repair war memorials across Scotland (HES 08/11/16)
Twelve war memorials across Scotland are set to be conserved and repaired after being awarded a share of £55,000 worth of grant funding by War Memorials Trust, through the Centenary Memorials Restoration Fund.

Scottish Parliament first parliament in world to achieve Carbon Trust triple standard (04/11/16)
The Scottish Parliament has become the first parliament in the world to be awarded triple certification to the Carbon Trust Standard in recognition of achievements in reducing carbon, waste and water use.

Official Launch of Heritage Times (EN 03/11/16)
During Denkmal 2016, the largest European Trade Fair in the field of heritage, the Secretary General of Europa Nostra, and Bert Ludwig, Director of European Heritage Volunteers, officially launched the “Heritage Times” (http://heritagetimes.eu/), the online platform of “Social Media Volunteers for Heritage programme”, developed by Europa Nostra in partnership with the European Heritage Volunteers, with the support of the EU Creative Europe programme.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.

S5W-04641 Bruce Crawford: To ask the Scottish Government how its forthcoming white paper on planning will take account of the housing needs of older people. (SP 11/11/16)

S5W-04642 Bruce Crawford: To ask the Scottish Government what recent assessment it has made of the (a) housing needs of older people and (b) demand for retirement housing. (SP 11/11/16)

S5O-00344 Gordon Lindhurst: To ask the Scottish Government what impact Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site status, and the built heritage within it, has on visitor numbers to the city. (SP 10/11/16)

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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

Question S5W-03928: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 21/10/2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether all of the £50 million that has been made available to the Housing Infrastructure Fund for 2016-17 will be allocated for developments by the end of that financial year and, if not, whether the unallocated funds will be carried forward to 2017-18.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (03/11/2016)

Question S5W-03925: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 21/10/2016
To ask the Scottish Government which non-public sector organisations have made applications to the Housing Infrastructure Fund.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (03/11/2016)

Question S5W-03924: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 21/10/2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) loans and (b) grants from the Housing Infrastructure Fund have been agreed and what the total value of these are, also broken down by how much each payment will be.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (03/11/2016)

Question S5W-03923: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 21/10/2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the Housing Infrastructure Fund and what the total value of these are, also broken down by how much each application was for.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (03/11/2016)

Question S5W-03922: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 21/10/2016
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the £50 million that has been made available to the Housing Infrastructure Fund for 2016-17 is reliant on the local authority strategic housing investment plans for 2017-18 to 2021-22 that are due for submission by 30 November 2016.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (03/11/2016)

Question S5O-00256: Daniel Johnson, Edinburgh Southern, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 19/10/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is meaningful and inclusive community engagement in the planning system.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (26/10/2016)

MOTIONS

*S5M-02445 Gordon Lindhurst: The Future of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site—That the Parliament recognises the significance of the contrast between Edinburgh’s medieval Old Town and its Georgian New Town and its designation as a World Heritage Site in 1995 by UNESCO, recognising both its historical and architectural importance and efforts to conserve it since 1970; notes that the site is one of five across Scotland; understands that, according to Invest Edinburgh, the city attracts around four million visitors per year, many of whom visit the historic attractions within the World Heritage Site, such as Edinburgh Castle, St Giles Cathedral and the Real Mary King’s Close; further understands that the site is a major factor behind the £1.32 billion that is generated through tourism for the local economy each year; recognises that a World Heritage Site is selected based on it having cultural, historical, scientific or other significance and its future  preservation is seen to be in the collective interests of humanity; notes the prevailing development plans within Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site, such as the decision over the old Royal High School at Calton Hill, and the need to develop Scotland’s capital city for the future in order to enhance the performance of its economy; recognises that Edinburgh City Council, Edinburgh World Heritage and Historic Environment Scotland are involved in reviewing the Management Plan for the World Heritage Site (2017-2022), which aims to co-ordinate action to protect and enhance the outstanding universal values of the site and to promote its harmonious adaption to the needs of contemporary life; further recognises that members of the public were recently consulted on the review through a survey, the results of which were published on 1 November 2016; understands that the results show that, while awareness of the World Heritage Site was rated highly, there was a lack of understanding regarding what it meant and its associated benefits; notes the calls for action at all levels to raise awareness and custodianship of the site and the protection of the historic built environment for current and future generations, and further notes the calls on all those with influence over Edinburgh’s current and future planning developments to fully recognise the importance of Edinburgh’s World Heritage Site.
Supported by: Douglas Ross*, Margaret Mitchell*, Dean Lockhart*, Miles Briggs*, Alexander Stewart*, Jeremy Balfour*, Edward Mountain*, Peter Chapman*, Alison Harris*, Donald Cameron*, Maurice Corry*, Jamie Greene*, Murdo Fraser*, John Lamont*, Richard Lyle*, Andy Wightman*, Alex Cole-Hamilton* (SP 11/11/16)

*S5M-02386 Ash Denham: Edinburgh, the Best Place to Live in Scotland—That the Parliament acknowledges that the 2016 Good Growth for Cities index has named Edinburgh as the best place to live in Scotland for the fourth year in a row and one of the top three in the UK, along with Oxford and Reading, and appreciates that, in compiling this, the index takes into account various factors, including employment, health and income statistics.
Supported by: Colin Beattie*, Clare Haughey*, Stuart McMillan*, Ruth Maguire*, Jeremy Balfour*,
Tom Arthur*, Alex Cole-Hamilton*, Richard Lyle*, Miles Briggs*, Gordon Lindhurst*, David
Torrance* (SP 09/11/16)

*S5M-02376 Monica Lennon: World Town Planning Day—That the Parliament welcomes World Town Planning Day (WTPD), which is celebrated on 8 November 2016; notes that this year’s theme is “Cities and Climate Change, local responses to a global challenge”; recognises that WTPD is an international day of awareness about the accomplishments of planners and the importance of planning in communities; acknowledges that more than 30 countries around the world, and professional planning institutes, including the Royal Town Planning Institute, annually participate and celebrate in WTPD activities, including an online conference that is open to all; accepts the significance of this year’s WTPD following international agreement on the outcomes from Habitat III, which was the biggest UN conference on housing and sustainable development in 20 years, and believes that there are many benefits to local communities from good planning. R
Supported by: Colin Beattie*, Iain Gray*, Ash Denham*, Ruth Maguire*, Alex Rowley*, Liam
McArthur*, Bill Kidd*, Stuart McMillan*, Richard Lyle*, Andy Wightman*, Neil Findlay*, David
Torrance* (SP 09/11/16)

EVENTS

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

People & Places: Why Heritage Matters & Supporting communities make the most of local heritage
When: 17th November 2016, from 19:00 pm to 21:00 pm.
Where: 54 Bell Street, Glasgow.
Sara Crofts, Head of Historic Environment at the Heritage Lottery Fund, will be discussing the ways that heritage can deliver tangible benefits for people and communities. She will explore Scottish HLF funded projects to demonstrate how the HLF outcomes framework can deliver lasting difference. Dr Alan Leslie co-founded Northlight Heritage in 2011 and is its managing director. Alan will use examples from Northlight Heritage’s extensive body of work to demonstrate how Northlight fulfils its overarching aim which is to help people appreciate and engage with their past and use this as a force for common good, a practice rooted in the belief that heritage can change lives for the better.

PAS Parliament Reception 2016
When: Wed. 23 November from 6pm-8pm.
Where: The Scottish Parliament.
This event is kindly sponsored by Andy Wightman MSP, and with the participation of Kevin Stewart MSP, Minister for Local Government & Housing. In light of the increased interest in place through the Independent Review of the Planning System, the forthcoming planning reforms and the ambitious target to deliver 50,000 affordable homes over the next five years, this is a timely event. It will be a chance to consider what opportunities are on the horizon for communities and young people through the new Community Empowerment and Land Reform Acts – and with the forthcoming planning reforms.

The Art of Historic Building Maintenance
When: Fri 25 November 2016 from 12:00 – 14:00.
Where: Acheson House, 5, Bakehouse Close 146, Canongate, Edinburgh EH8 8DD.
Did you know that lack of attention to basic building maintenance now represents a significant threat to the city’s World Heritage site? According to figures released by Edinburgh World Heritage, up to 60% of the buildings in the historic city centre are judged to be in need of some form of repair, the majority being privately owned historic tenements with multiple owners and tenants. This two-hour special event, jointly hosted by Edinburgh World Heritage and SPAB Scotland, will help you get your historic property ready for winter and avoid leaking gutters, damp patches, and costly repairs. Meet the experts, see live demonstrations, and take away useful information and leaflets. You’ll also be able to find out whether you are eligible for an Edinburgh World Heritage Conservation Programme grant to help with the cost of any more substantial conservation work.

TRAINING

CPD: Care and Maintenance of Historic Brick
When: 22nd November 2016, 12-1pm.
Where: 54 Bell Street, Glasgow.
Scottish traditional buildings often utilise brick in various elements of their construction and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. These bricks will deteriorate and decay if not correctly maintained. Moses Jenkins from Historic Environment Scotland is coming to GCHT to discuss the factors undermining the integrity of Scotland’s historic brickwork. He will detail the appropriate steps necessary to care and maintain for heritage brickwork.

Low Carbon, resilient design with concrete and masonry
When: 29 Nov. 2016, from 10:00 – 13:00
Where: Gallery 2, Level 2, The Lighthouse, 11 Mitchell Lane, Glasgow, G1 3NU.
This morning seminar from The Concrete Centre and the Modern Masonry Alliance will provide the latest guidance on the design and delivery of long-lasting, resilient homes. Practical guidance will also be given on broader sustainability issues relating to the use and specification of concrete and masonry.

Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage is delivering a series of training courses and events across Scotland. The venues for each of the events will be based on demand for the courses and travel bursaries are available to support your attendance.
Are you ready to take part in a Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage training course? Our training is best suited to registered charities and constituted community groups. Take a walk through our simple question and answer page to determine which course is right for you. We have two main training courses and a series of ‘In Focus’ events. If you are interested in any particular event or fundraising topic, please do get in touch – we may be able to bring an event to your area info@scotheritage.org.

Traditional Building Skills Training
Scottish Lime Centre Trust offer a wide range of vocational and professional courses combining theory and practical working sessions designed to ensure that there are courses to suit everyone.

VACANCIES

AHF Business Administrator (London)
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) are currently seeking to appoint a Business Administrator to help ensure the smooth running of the organisation. You will ideally have some proficiency in accounting and financial administration to support the work of the AHF’s Investment and Operation teams and to provide day-to-day assistance to the Chief Executive. You will apply excellent organisational and customer support skills to help ensure the office runs smoothly and to meet the requirements of our clients and funders. You will also possess some particular experience in financial administration, ideally having previously worked in a grant-giving, bank and/or investment organisation, as well as more general office administration experience. In return, you will enjoy undertaking a pivotal supporting role within an organisation that strives to impact small organisations in the voluntary sector.
The deadline for applications is 5 p.m. on 21st November 2016.

MEMBERS’ NEWS

Architecture in the Context of Landscape Exhibition – An invitation to participate (LIS 13/11/16)

The Committee of the Landscape Institute Scotland is pleased to announce an exhibition at the Dundas Street Gallery in Edinburgh which will run at the same time as the finale of the Festival of Architecture 2016. The purpose is to showcase Landscape Institute Scotland’s members’ work by celebrating the balance between architecture and landscape, underlining the links between the disciplines. The emphasis is on architecture in the context of landscape. Material for the exhibition can be historical or contemporary, completed, projected or theoretical. Media can be painting, drawing, photography or mixed media. Entries may be freshly prepared or past work, chosen by you to demonstrate what is important, relevant or of interest as a combination of architecture and landscape. The brief can be downloaded here.

Film updates and more on IHBC co-sponsored Heritage Trust Network’s conference ‘No.1’: Extraordinary People, Extraordinary Projects (IHBC 12/11/16)
The Heritage Trust Network, successor to the UK Association of Preservation Trusts (UKAPT) – has launched reports and updates on its first conference on its event website, with presentations, film, photos and a warm thanks to sponsors that include the IHBC.

Call for community groups to nominate favourite new buildings, conservation projects and people in annual Scottish Civic Trust My Place Awards (SCT 11/11/16)
The Scottish Civic Trust is calling for nominations from local civic trusts, amenity societies, community councils and other heritage or community groups around Scotland for new buildings, restoration projects, landscape designs and other placemaking projects for the annual My Place Awards. The trust is also looking for nominations for a winner of the My Place Civic Champion award.

Information in the Bulletin is extracted from a number of websites including the Scottish Government (SG); the Scottish Parliament (SP); Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS); Historic Environment Scotland (HES); Scottish Natural Heritage(SNH); Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO); English Heritage (EH); Design Council (DC); Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG);Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); Department of Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); National Assembly for Wales (NAW); Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS); Scottish Government Building Standards  (SGBS); Europa Nostra (EN); Historic England (HE).

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

BACK

BEFS NEWS

Scottish Ministers have designated the wreck of the Iona I paddle steamer in the Clyde as a Historic Marine Protected Area (HMPA). Coming into effect on 9th November, this protection will preserve the wreck of a 19th century paddle steamer, Iona I, which was built in 1862 for use in the American Civil War, but sank shortly after launch in the Firth of Clyde.

Following the retirement of two long-serving trustees, the Scottish Redundant Churches Trust (SRCT) are looking to expand their board of six trustees, appointing additional members who will help shape the organisation, bring new skills, ideas and connections. More here.

There’s still time to book a place at the Community Heritage Conference in Aberdeen on the 12th November and for the Scottish Civic Trust’s Conference 2016: Celebrating Civic Pride in Linlithgow on 15th November.

Pauline Radcliffe, Project Manager of Twin Towns UK, shares with us the Carnegie Trusts’ fresh approach to the well-established ‘twinning’ concept in our latest blog.

Congratulations to this year’s RIAS Andrew Doolan Award Winner, The Saunders Centre in Glasgow by PagePark Architects.

CONSULTATIONS

The Future of Forestry in Scotland 

The Scottish forestry sector contributes substantially to our rural economy and a number of social and environmental outcomes, including climate change mitigation, biodiversity, natural flood management, recreation and people’s health and wellbeing. This consultation is primarily about completing the devolution of forestry to make the management of forestry directly accountable to Scottish Ministers.
Consultation closes on 9 November 2016.

Consultation on Special Protection Areas (SG 25/10/16)
Views sought over proposals for five new offshore SPAs. The Scottish Government has launched a consultation, led by Scottish Natural Heritage, on establishing five new offshore Special Protection Areas (SPAs). The proposals cover more than 18,000 square kilometres (7,000 square miles) of sea and furthers existing protection for unique and iconic seabirds and their habitats.

CONSULTATION RESPONSES

Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site Consultation Feedback October 2016

PUBLICATIONS

Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) – results – Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design (SG 31/10/16)
Equality Impact Assessment (EQIA) – results – for the 2016 Year of Innovation, Architecture and Design (YIAD). A full EQIA was undertaken to help boost the celebration of YIAD.

Local Authority Housing Income and Expenditure (SG 31/10/16)
Housing Revenue Acccount: Housing Income and Expenditure Statsitics.

Key Scottish Environment Statistics 2016 (SG 25/10/16)
This publication aims to provide an easily accessible reference document which offers information on a wide range of environmental topics. It covers key datasets on the state of the environment in Scotland, with an emphasis on the trends over time wherever possible.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT NEWS RELEASES

Scottish Council Housing Income and Expenditure Statistics (2015-16) (SG 31/10/16)
An Official Statistics Publication for Scotland. Statistics published today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician show that in 2015-16 Scottish councils spent over £930m on the day-to-day management and maintenance of council housing.

Support for apprenticeships (SG 31/10/16)
Industry endorsement for 30,000 Modern Apprenticeship target. Scotland’s share of funding from the UK Government’s apprenticeship levy should be used to support the delivery of 30,000 Modern Apprenticeships starts by 2020, responses to a consultation have found.

New protected marine areas announced (SG 27/10/16)
Two new Marine Protection Areas for Fair Isle and Firth of Clyde. Environment Secretary Roseanna Cunningham will today (26 October) designate two new Marine Protection Areas (MPAs) around the Fair Isle and in the Firth of Clyde. The announcement will be made at the Marine Conservation Society Annual Conference in Edinburgh.

NEWS RELEASES

Battle for Britain’s best high street: vote by 18 Nov (IHBC 02/11/16)
The Great British High Street competition has revealed the nation’s best high streets, and between now and 18 November you can cast your vote for free via thegreatbritishhighstreet.co.uk.

Half a million pounds to improve access to Wales’ Great Outdoors (WG 28/10/16)
Visitors and local communities will now be able to enjoy even more of Wales’ great outdoors thanks to over half a million pounds of access funding, announced by Environment Secretary Lesley Griffiths today.

Tackling the Housing Challenge – Blog by Jim MacDonald (A&DS 27/10/16)
In this blog Jim MacDonald, Chief Executive of Architecture and Design Scotland, reflects on delivering housing for Scotland.

Scottish Land Fund leads to community ownership of Eyemouth ‘Cat. B’ Listed Building (IHBC 26/10/16)
Eyemouth in the Scottish Borders is the latest community to benefit from funding from the Scottish Land Fund, with an eco-innovation centre being established in the former Town Hall, a ‘Category B’ Listed Building.

IHBC launches £2500 fund to help local Civic Trusts celebrate 50 Years of Conservation Areas in 2017 – the process could not be more simple, so APPLY NOW! (IHBC 22/10/16)
The IHBC has launched a fund allocation of up to £2500 for Civic Trusts in England Scotland and Wales seeking help on local celebrations of the 50th anniversary of the introduction of Conservation Areas, with a prize of a place at the IHBC’s Annual School on offer for the most effective project.

Heritage at Risk 2016 (HE 21/10/16)
Historic England’s Heritage at Risk Register 2016 is published today, providing the annual insight into the state of England’s most valued historic places. The Register brings attention to the sites across England that are at risk of being lost as a result of neglect, decay or inappropriate development.

CIC reveals brand refresh with a new logo and strapline (CIC 21/10/16)
At the 101st Meeting of Construction Industry Council (CIC) Members held yesterday at the London offices of the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) in Kingsway, CIC’s new logo, together with its new strapline: BUILT ENVIRONMENT PROFESSIONS TOGETHER, was officially launched.

Cabinet Secretary says strong Welsh budget for housing will help provide 20,000 homes (WG 20/10/16)
Communities Secretary Carl Sargeant said the strong Welsh budget for housing would help the Welsh Government meet their target to deliver an extra 20,000 affordable homes over the lifetime of this government.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.

S5O-00243 Colin Smyth: To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting town centre regeneration in South Scotland. (SP 24/10/16)

S5O-00251 Neil Bibby: To ask the Scottish Government what progress it is making towards the full implementation of the Town Centre Action Plan. (SP 24/10/16)

S5O-00256 Daniel Johnson: To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that there is meaningful and inclusive community engagement in the planning system. (SP 24/10/16)

S5W-03922 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the £50 million that has been made available to the Housing Infrastructure Fund for 2016-17 is reliant on the local
authority strategic housing investment plans for 2017-18 to 2021-22 that are due for submission by 30 November 2016. (SP 24/10/16)

S5W-03923 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government how many applications have been made to the Housing Infrastructure Fund and what the total value of these are, also broken down by how much each application was for. (SP 24/10/16)

S5W-03924 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government how many (a) loans and (b) grants from the Housing Infrastructure Fund have been agreed and what the total value of these are, also broken down by how much each payment will be. (SP 24/10/16)

S5W-03925 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government which non-public sector
organisations have made applications to the Housing Infrastructure Fund. (SP 24/10/16)

S5W-03928 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government whether all of the £50 million that has been made available to the Housing Infrastructure Fund for 2016-17 will be allocated for developments by the end of that financial year and, if not, whether the unallocated funds will be carried forward to 2017-18. (SP 24/10/16)

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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

Question S5W-03377: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 30/09/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to encourage the private sector to build more homes to alleviate housing shortages.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (13/10/2016)

Question S5W-03378: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 30/09/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending the Scottish Housing Quality Standard to (a) the private rented sector and (b) tied housing.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (12/10/2016)

MOTIONS

*S5M-02041 Liam McArthur: Orkney Scottish Heritage Angel Awards Success—That the Parliament congratulates the Orkney Heritage Society volunteers who recently won a Scottish Heritage Angel Award; notes that these awards are funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation and that the Orkney volunteers were selected from a 12-strong shortlist from across Scotland; understands that the award was in recognition of the society’s work in restoring the Kitchener Memorial Tower, which included engraving the bricks in the wall of the tower with the names of each of the men who died on HMS Hampshire, which sank in 1916; recognises that the monument was built by in 1926 to honour Lord Kitchener, who also died on the ship, and to create a memorial in recognition of all those who lost their lives; notes that, to carry out this work, Neil Kermode and his team raised £165,000 through a mix of Orkney Council funding, private donors and donations from the public; believes that Neil and everyone involved with the project are worthy winners, and thanks them for their work, which, it understands, is encouraging more and more people to visit the memorial.
Supported by: Douglas Ross*, Richard Lyle*, John Finnie*, Graeme Dey*, Gordon Lindhurst*, Donald Cameron*, Kenneth Gibson* (SP 24/10/16)

*S5M-02027 Angus MacDonald: Friends of Kinneil Wins a Scottish Heritage Angel Award—That the Parliament congratulates the Friends of Kinneil on winning the award for Sharing and Celebrating at the Scottish Heritage Angel Awards, which were presented at the Assembly Rooms in Edinburgh on 18 October 2016; notes that the awards, which were established in 2014, support the historic environment strategy, Our Place In Time, and community participation in heritage; further notes that they are presented in partnership with the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation, Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Civic Trust, the Scottish Government and Archaeology Scotland, and recognise the work of volunteer-led charities and organisations that protect and promote heritage; understands that, for over a decade, the Bo’nessbased group has worked tirelessly to protect the heritage of Kinneil House, and its estate and museum, and promote its historic significance to the surrounding area and across the globe; notes that the estate is part of Frontiers of the Roman Empire world heritage site, which includes the Antonine Wall and a Roman fortlet, and also has other sites of major significance, including James Watt’s cottage, where Watt developed one of most important innovations of the industrial revolution, the separate condenser, which helped lead to the steam engine; considers the group an exceptional force in ensuring that all of this is protected for the world, and wishes it continued
success.
Supported by: Sandra White*, James Dornan*, Ben Macpherson*, Graeme Dey*, Alison Harris*, Stuart McMillan*, Ash Denham*, Fulton MacGregor*, Tom Arthur*, Richard Lyle*, David Torrance*, Ivan McKee*, Bill Kidd*, Ruth Maguire* (SP 24/10/16)

EVENTS

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

Community Heritage Conference – Aberdeen
When: Saturday 12th November 2016, from 10am.
Where: Town House in Aberdeen.
Why not come along to the third of this year’s Scotland’s Community Heritage Conferences celebrating community-led projects across Scotland and supporting people as they explore their connection to the past. The event is open to anyone with an interest in history, heritage or archaeology, and includes interactive workshops, inspirational displays and stimulating networking opportunities. Come and hear from the volunteers what’s been happening locally and nationally.

SCT Annual Conference 2016: Celebrating Civic Pride
When: 15 November 2016, 10am – 4pm.
Where: Linlithgow Burgh Halls.
The next Scottish Civic Trust annual conference will showcase and celebrate the work of local civic trusts, amenity societies and heritage volunteers. The people that make up these groups work tirelessly to promote and protect local heritage, places and spaces. The conference will provide them with a platform to show what they have achieved, explain why they do it and set out the challenges and difficulties they face. The conference will feature representatives from voluntary organisations and practitioners behind some of the projects recognised in the annual Scottish Civic Trust My Place Awards and Scottish Heritage Angel Awards.

TRAINING

Traditional Building Skills Training
Scottish Lime Centre Trust offer a wide range of vocational and professional courses combining theory and practical working sessions designed to ensure that there are courses to suit everyone:

Repairing Traditional Masonry P1 – Professional Level 1  – 9.30 – 4.30
21 – 22 November 2016 at Charlestown Workshops, Fife KY11 3EN
This 2 day workshop aims to provide an introductory guide to the use of a range of lime and other traditional binders for the effective conservation and repair of traditional masonry.

Winter Working – 9.30 – 12.30
2 December 2016 at Charlestown Workshops, Fife KY11 3EN
Our definitive guide to winter working with lime mortars with hints, tips and practical advice to help you extend your working season successfully.

Lime Pointing – 9.30 – 4.30
21 January 2017 at Merryhill Training Centre, Fife KY11 3DR
Learn the skills to help you carry out your own mortar pointing repairs.

Making & Using Traditional Mortars C1 – Contractor Level 1 – 09.30 – 16.30
24 – 25 January 2017 at Merryhill Training Centre, Fife KY11 3DR
Our most popular two day introductory course – this practical workshop will provide attendees with a strong understanding of lime technology

CE1 Intro to Lime Based Mortars and Traditional Materials for the Repair of Civil Engineering Structures – 09.30 – 16.30
27 January 2017 at Charlestown Workshops, Fife KY11 3EN
This workshop introduces the range of lime and early patented cement based mortars that have been used in the past for the construction of masonry arch bridges, culverts, tunnels, light houses, viaducts, canals, harbours, retaining walls, piers and other masonry structures which contribute so much to the richness of our built heritage.

1 Day Rendering with Lime – 09.30 – 16.30
17 February 2017 at Merryhill Training Centre, Fife KY11 3DR
This course will enable you to apply a variety of lime render finishes to a wide range of backgrounds including matching to existing finishes.

Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage is delivering a series of training courses and events across Scotland. The venues for each of the events will be based on demand for the courses and travel bursaries are available to support your attendance.
Are you ready to take part in a Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage training course? Our training is best suited to registered charities and constituted community groups. Take a walk through our simple question and answer page to determine which course is right for you (http://www.resourcingscotlandsheritage.org/training-and-events/areyoureadytofundraise-2/). We have two main training courses and a series of ‘In Focus’ events.  For further information on the courses please read our full course descriptions for ‘Fundraising: Make it Happen’, ‘Fundraising: Planning to Progress’  and the ‘In Focus’ sessions.
If you are interested in any particular event or fundraising topic please do get in touch – we may be able to bring an event to your area info@scotheritage.org.

VACANCIES

Head of External Relations
Edinburgh World Heritage is seeking to appoint a Head of External Relations.
This new role is critical to the ongoing success of our organisation. Key responsibilities will include forming strategies for and leading EWH’s communications, advocacy and learning / interpretation programmes;  building public awareness of EWH, its work and the values that set our World Heritage Site apart; and managing and growing EWH’s membership base and programme.

RPTI Scotland – Intern Project Officer
These are important and exciting times for planning in Scotland. The planning review is advancing. A White Paper is expected by the end of the year that will change how planning works at all scales. RTPI Scotland is heavily involved in this review, looking to provide evidence and solutions to support Scottish Government in making the coming reforms as successful as possible. We are looking for a motivated person who can use evidence gathering and analytical skills to support our research into new ways for the planning system to work in Scotland. You will be organised, have a degree level qualification in a relevant social science subject and have strong communication skills and an understanding of the current issues facing planners and the planning system.

Call for new SRCT Board Members
A charity caring for nationally important churches is looking for dynamic new trustees to join the board at an exciting time of change for the organisation. Many of Scotland’s historic places of worship face an uncertain future and the SRCT is gearing up to respond to the challenge. We are seeking additional board members to play a vital role in the transition of the SRCT to a more entrepreneurial and financially resilient organisation: achieving our objective of safeguarding Scotland’s religious heritage by working with local people to conserve, regenerate, and put historic churches back at the heart of communities.

The Scottish Redundant Churches Trust (SRCT) is a charitable trust (SC024407) founded in 1996. Having acquired 7 former churches of national significance and won awards for our conservation work, we are breaking new ground with an innovative £2.4 million project at the A-listed ‘at-risk’ St Margaret’s Church, Braemar.

New Trustees will assist in driving forward the transition process and the shaping and resourcing of the organisation to meet the changing needs of the religious heritage sector. They will also support the raising of the profile of the sector and its cultural and social value. We’re looking for people who support the objectives of the Trust and can offer skills or experience in some of the following areas:
finance or business; property management; tourism or arts; marketing, PR or media; fundraising; law; And who think strategically, enjoy working collaboratively with colleagues and are interested in the heritage sector.

Applications should be by CV and a covering letter explaining why you are interested in the role and how you think your skills and experience relate to our work. If you would like to know more please contact our Director, Victoria Collison-Owen on victoria@srct.org.uk or 0131 563 5135. Scottish Redundant Churches Trust, 15 North Bank Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2LP.  www.srct.org.uk.

MEMBERS’ NEWS

Dig It! TV team of volunteers awarded commendation (SoAoS 24/10/16)
Thanks to the dedicated Dig It! TV team of volunteers spending hours researching, writing, presenting, directing, filming and editing each video Dig It! TV was shortlisted for the ‘Sharing and Celebrating’ category, along with the fantastic Maryhill Burgh Halls Trust and The Friends of Kinneil, in this year’s Scottish Heritage Angel Awards.

2016 Rhind Lectures now online! (SoAoS 24/10/16)
The 2016 Rhind Lectures by Professor Roey Sweet are now available to view from our Resources section of the website.  Head there now and enter “Rhind” into the search box! “Antiquaries, archaeologists and the invention of the historic town c.1700-1860” was presented by Professor Roey Sweet, University of Leicester, Centre for Urban History.

BACK

BEFS NEWS

The Scottish Government are now looking to pilot 3-4 Simplified Planning Zones (SPZ) for housing in response to the Planning Review and the prospectus is now available. SPZs offer a streamlined and simplified planning process but cannot include development, which would require an Environmental Assessment, be within conservation areas, National Scenic Areas, SSSIs or approved green belts.

A report summarising the discussions held by the six planning review working groups on 12 and 13 September 2016, has now been published.

The second annual Scottish Heritage Angel Awards last night saw a project to collect and record bricks, the restoration of a WWI memorial in Orkney, and a television channel run by young people to highlight an archaeological dig, amongst the winners. You can read more about who scooped the prizes here.

Dig It! 2017 is looking for events across Scotland for their printed programme (running from January to December 2017), with the deadline set as Friday 4 November 2016. They have a very broad definition of ‘archaeology’, and events can include anything from cookery courses to theatre performances. If anyone would like more information, they should contact info@digit2017.com.

Dr Loyd Grossman CBE, NADFAS President and Heritage Alliance Chairman, is giving a lecture on culture and heritage in November at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. Tickets are still available.

Chelsea Charles, Communications Manager Scotland’s Themed Years, VisitScotland Events Directorate, shares some top tips on how to get involved in Scotland’s 2017 Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology in BEFS latest blog.

CONSULTATIONS

Consultation on Transposition of Environmental Impact Assessment Directive EU2014/52
Closes on 31 October 2016.

Consultation on the Relaxation of Planning Controls for Digital Communications Infrastructure
Closes on 4 November 2016.

PUBLICATIONS

Planning Review Working Groups Workshop
Report arising from the Planning Review Working Groups workshop in September 2016.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT NEWS RELEASES

Scottish Land Commission (SG 14/10/16)
Key land reform body to bring around 20 new jobs to Inverness. The Scottish Land Commission, including five Land Commissioners, the Tenant Farming Commissioner and support staff, will be based in Inverness, Land Reform Secretary Roseanna Cunningham will announce. Hilary Pearce has also been appointed interim Chief Executive Officer and will take up her position shortly. She will work to establish and support the work of the Commission until summer 2017.

Funding for housing in Govanhill (SG 12/10/16)
More homes in Govanhill will be improved after a further £2.5m in funding was granted to continue a successful pilot project. Within its first year the South-West Govanhill Property Acquisition and Repair Programme has already exceeded its two year target of bringing 80 houses into the social rented sector – they have recently purchased their 100th house.This enables Govanhill Housing Association (GHHA) to take more control of the houses and make necessary improvements.

World class bridge breaks world record (SG 11/10/16)
The Queensferry Crossing’s centre tower deck has been recognised by Guinness World Records as the largest freestanding balanced cantilever in the world. The bridge’s central deck is now complete but still free standing and this 644 metre cantilever itself won’t last long. Soon, it will be connected to the flanking towers and viaducts to form the final superstructure.

NEWS RELEASES

Battle for Britain’s best high street (DCLG 18/10/16)
The Great British High Street competition has today (18 October 2016) revealed the nation’s best high streets. Twenty-seven finalists now have the chance to impress an expert judging panel and battle it out in a public vote to be crowned Britain’s best.

Call for papers: 4th Heritage Forum of Central Europe (ICON 18/10/16)
The Heritage Forum of Central Europe is a biennial event organised by the International Cultural Centre in Kraków. The fourth edition of the Heritage Forum will be held on 1st-3rd June 2017 and will analyse the relationship between heritage and society. What is society’s attitude to heritage and its meaningful but often difficult past? How does heritage shape communities? Who owns heritage and why? What are the social functions of heritage? What do we want to remember and what do we often forget? These are just some of the questions that the Forum wishes to address.

5 new Case Studies focusing on materials (A&DS 17/10/16)
Material Considerations: A Library of Sustainable Building Materials presents 5 new case studies which showcase a variety of sustainable materials.

Help Protect England’s Heritage (English Heritage 17/10/16)
At English Heritage conserving our sites for the future is one of our biggest responsibilities. Since we became a charity in 2015 we’ve been working hard to look after the 400 historic places and 500,000 objects in our care – but we need your help. We’ve therefore launched our Conservation Appeal to help support this vital work and safeguard our historic places for future generations.

Have Your Say: A&DS Corporate Strategy 2017-2020 – Consultation (A&DS 16/10/16)
Well-designed buildings and places add to people’s wellbeing and support a sustainable future for our country. They make best use of our finite resources, offer choice and opportunity and provide a sense of identity to our communities. As Scotland’s design champion, our purpose is to promote the value of good architecture and sustainable places. We are inviting comments from individuals, groups and organisations. Please look through the A&DS Corporate Strategy Consultation Document  – throughout the document there are sections highlighted, reflecting the questions asked in the online consultation. We would like to receive your submissions by 31st October 2016.

A Place to Explore your Built Heritage – New Website from the Engine Shed (Engine Shed 10/16)
Our built heritage tells countless stories: of the people who built them, lived in them and used them. We passionately believe our built heritage should be explored, understood and looked after to ensure they last for future generations. On our website you will find everything from advice on how to look after traditional buildings to details of upcoming events being planned by the Engine Shed team.

Do you have an idea for improving an aspect of your town? (STP 14/10/16)
Enter your idea into the Future Town Design Competition by 22nd October, and your entry will get featured by the Scotsman online and listed on the Scotland’s Towns Partnership website, where the public can vote for the winning entry. Shortlisted entries will also be displayed at Scotland’s Towns Conference, where 200 key town practitioners can view the idea for your town. The winning idea, decided by a public online vote, will be featured in the Scotsman newspaper, across the National Towns Portal throughout the year and at the Cross Party Group for Towns and Town Centres where you’ll have the opportunity to present your design to the group.

Communities and Children Secretary welcomes figures that show how homes are improving lives (WG 13/10/16)
Communities and Children Secretary Carl Sargeant today welcomed figures that show that 79% of all social housing dwellings met the Welsh Housing Quality Standard (WHQS) at March 31st 2016, which is a rise of 8 percentage points on the previous year.

Twin Towns UK – Call for Applications (Carnegie Trust 10/10/16)
Towns are critical to the future economic prospects of the UK. Twin Towns UK takes a fresh approach to the well-established ‘twinning’ concept, by pairing towns across the UK with similar characteristics or socio-economic challenges, to consider how to make positive change happen in their communities. Twin Towns UK will support up to 10 towns to trial bilateral ‘twinning’ arrangements over an 18-month period.  Applications are invited until 25 November 2016 from interested organisations that represent their town in some capacity.

Search to find the most inspiring built schemes begins (RICS 10/16)
A four-month search to find each region’s most inspirational built projects in the land, property and construction sectors is now on, following the opening of entries for the 2017 RICS Awards. Our popular annual awards celebrate each region’s top built initiatives and developments that provide significant value to the communities they serve. Every year, each regional RICS Awards ceremony attracts hundreds of entries, from small scale pioneering schemes to large multi-million pound developments. The deadline for entries is 16 January.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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

Question S5W-01924: Alex Cole-Hamilton, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 12/08/2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce legislation that would allow builders who carry out substandard work and cause properties to become dangerous to be charged with a criminal offence.
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse (21/09/2016)

Question S5W-01923: Alex Cole-Hamilton, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 12/08/2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce regulations to introduce licensing for companies carrying out building works.
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse (21/09/2016)

Question S5W-01922: Alex Cole-Hamilton, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 12/08/2016
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to introduce greater regulation in the building trade.
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse (21/09/2016)

Question S5W-02268: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 01/09/2016
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the suggestion in the Scottish Housing Condition Survey 2014 that the main cause of failing to meet the standard in all tenures relates to poor energy efficiency, what measures it plans or has introduced to improve energy efficiency in (a) social housing and (b) the private sector.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (29/09/2016)

Question S5W-03171: Mark Ruskell, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Green Party, Date Lodged: 26/09/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to overcome barriers in (a) getting agreement and (b) securing finances for communal work on multi-tenanted properties.
Answered by Annabelle Ewing (05/10/2016)

MOTIONS

*S5M-01869 Fiona Hyslop: Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill – UK Legislation—That the Parliament agrees that the Cultural Property (Armed Conflicts) Bill, introduced to the House of Lords on 19 May 2016, which provides for the introduction of measures to enable the ratification by the United Kingdom of the Hague Convention for the Protection of Cultural Property in the Event of Armed Conflict of 1954 and the Protocols to that Convention of 1954 and 1999 and which, so far as applying to Scotland, is within the legislative competence of the Scottish Parliament, should be considered by the UK Parliament.

Supported by: Alasdair Allan (SP 07/10/16)

OTHER PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITY

The Parliament has agreed the following parliamentary recess dates in 2016:

• 8 to 23 October 2016 (inclusive)
• 24 December 2016 to 8 January 2017 (inclusive)

EVENTS

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

Bringing Back the MACK
When: 20th October 2016 at 18:00pm.
Where: GCHT Office, 54 Bell Street, Glasgow.
Devastated by fire in May 2014, the Glasgow School of Art is now being painstakingly restored by a team of experts. Rachael Purse, the former Glasgow City Heritage Trust Monuments Officer, was awarded the ‘Bringing Back the Mack’ PhD Scholarship to record this effort. Over the next three years, Rachael will be providing a critical reflection on the project, as well as investigating spatial changes and creating case studies on the material conservation and reconstruction. Rachael will be giving us an early look into her work, talking about the research she has done so far, providing insights into what it’s like to be a part of this huge conservation project, and highlighting new discoveries.

The Best Ways to Enhance Edinburgh as a Place
When: 27 Oct 2016 from 6.00 – 8.00 pm.
Where: Broughton St Mary’s Church, 12 Bellevue Cres, Edinburgh EH3 6NE.
This will be a talk by the recently-appointed Chairman of the Cockburn Association, Cliff Hague. He will return to Lord Cockburn’s famous letter, “Letter to the Lord Provost on the Best Ways of Spoiling the Beauty of Edinburgh”, and will suggest it still has remarkable relevance for us today at a time when the city is developing and changing rapidly. He will consider ways in which Edinburgh could be enhanced as a place to live, work and visit; how to meet the needs and expectations of different people and groups in the city; and how to balance continuity and change in the creation and renewal of a modern city. Tickets are free for members but please rsvp admin@cockburnassociation.org.uk – for non-members there will be a charge at the door of £5.

The City Talks: Glasgows Changing Skyline
When: 2nd November 2016 at 18:00pm.
Where: Cottiers Theater, 93 Hyndland Street, Glasgow, G11 5PU.
Glasgow is a city which never sleeps! A cultural and economic hub with an ever-changing skyline; but is this constant evolution the sign of an exciting city, or is Glasgow losing the unique historic built environment at the heart of its soul? Our panel of speakers will discuss the pros and cons of becoming a modern metropolis, and the challenges faced when incorporating the old with the new. This event will start with a tribute to Gareth Hoskins life and work by Chris Colman-Smith, director at Hoskins Architects.

Politicians in Planning Annual Conference
When: Saturday, 19 November 2016 at 9:30AM – 4:30PM.
Where: Friends Meeting House, 6 Mount St, Manchester, M2 5NS.
Overcoming Common Challenges across the UK and Ireland through Planning. Planning powers are devolved within the United Kingdom. But the challenges of delivering housing, infrastructure and enhancing the environment are common challenges faced by decision makers in each of the countries. For the first time, the annual PIPA conference will open up to politicians in all countries of the United Kingdom and Ireland to explore common themes faced by local elected decision makers, to learn from each other and take back with them the tools to help them make the most of their planning decision making powers. To be eligible to attend this conference you must be a politician.

TRAINING

CPD at Glasgow City Heritage Trust, 54 Bell Street, Glasgow, this autumn:

• Scaffold for Heritage Projects
• Traditional Window Maintenance and Repair
• Care and Maintenance of Historic Brick.

Full details available here.

Training for PAS volunteers this autumn: 

• Enhance Your Presentation Skills – few places left!
  Thursday 20 October, 6pm – 8pm, Edinburgh. Learn how to prepare and give more effective presentations.
• Enhance Your Facilitation Skills and volunteering for Charretteplus®
  Wednesday 26 October, 6pm – 8.30pm, Edinburgh. Learn how to lead more effective workshops and discussion groups at PAS Charretteplus® exercises and other community events.
• Enhance your Youth Engagement Skills
  Thursday 10 November, 6pm – 8pm, Edinburgh. Learn how to engage more effectively with children and young people in schools settings.

Please email PAS to book your place for any or all of these events and remember to specify which event(s) you wish to attend.

VACANCIES

Project Officer (Fraserburgh 2021) Fixed Term
To assist the Project Manager with the delivery of the Fraserburgh 2021 Townscape Heritage/CARS scheme with the aim of securing lasting high quality physical improvements to the historic built environment of the town. There is a responsibility for the post holder to demonstrate a commitment to quality service delivery through continuous improvement for the benefit of the Service and the organisation.

Engagement Officer Fraserburgh 2021 (Fixed Term)
To undertake engagement and liaison work to raise awareness of, stimulate interest in, understand and promote the Fraserburgh 2021 Townscape Heritage/CARS scheme. This will be achieved by working with key partners including building owners, local communities, special interest groups and contractors to tell the story of Fraserburgh town centre. There is a responsibility for the post holder to demonstrate a commitment to quality service delivery through continuous improvement for the benefit of the Service and the organisation.

PAS Volunteer Intern Opportunity 
1 day per week, research and writing relating to sponsorship of new PAS project for 2017 as well as trusts and foundations, based at PAS office: contact Robert Pickles (robert@pas.org.uk) for more information.

MEMBERS’ NEWS

CIfA initial response to AQA withdrawal of A-level Archaeology (CIfA 13/10/16)
On 12 October, the AQA exam board announced that it would be dropping the A-level Archaeology course as of next year. This decision, which comes out of the blue, is extremely damaging for the sector, particularly as there is a noted shortage of archaeologists to meet demand created by the growth in national infrastructure projects and the sector has been pouring resources into diversifying routes into the profession.

IHBC’s 2016 School reports in Context, with new perspectives on power, people, place (IHBC 12/10/16)
IHBC’s new issue of its celebrated membership journal, Context, is now out, offering diverse reports and perspectives on the institute’s 2016 Annual School, including Loyd Grossman’s keynote presentation, alongside the essential IHBC officer updates as well as added critical insights to wider practice such as charging options in listing and the challenges of conserving a purpose-designed ruin.

New Support Officers Join The AHF (AHF 07/10/16)
At the start of October, we welcomed five new Support Officers to the team, thanks to additional funding from the UK Treasury and Historic England. At grass roots level the Support Officers at the Architectural Heritage Fund are often the first point of call in the initial stages of a project starting up and becoming viable. They help community organisations to apply to the fund for grants for early development work and project planning, through to loans for acquisition and as working capital for project delivery.

National Trust for Scotland moves ahead with big changes (NTS 04/10/16)
Trustees of Scotland’s largest conservation charity, the 350,000-member National Trust for Scotland, have unanimously agreed to move forward with a transformational programme of change. The changes see the Trust moving from seven directorates and departments down to four, with HQ functions streamlined to support a new regional properties structure – there will be six regional groupings of built heritage properties and one nationwide grouping of natural heritage properties.

Information in the Bulletin is extracted from a number of websites including the Scottish Government (SG); the Scottish Parliament (SP); Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS); Historic Environment Scotland (HES); Scottish Natural Heritage(SNH); Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO); English Heritage (EH); Design Council (DC); Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG);Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); Department of Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); National Assembly for Wales (NAW); Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS); Scottish Government Building Standards  (SGBS); Europa Nostra (EN); Historic England (HE).

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

BACK

BEFS NEWS

Stakeholders provided feedback on the draft 2016 Scottish Historic Environment Audit (SHEA) headline statistics at a workshop organised by BEFS and HES. Stakeholders valued the impartial reporting of the SHEA as a factual description of the amount and state of the historic environment, which complements current efforts to measure its benefits in terms of people’s wellbeing. Stakeholders were keen to see greater consistency in data sources, additional contextual information supporting the data and use of digital opportunities. Read the full SHEA workshop report.

The name and remit of the Scottish Parliament’s European and External Relations Committee has changed to include culture and tourism matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Relations. The committee’s new name is Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee.

The Scottish Household Survey 2015 statistics have been released and report that visits to historical or archaeological places are up 5 percentage points (28% to 33%) on 2012.

The Scottish Government held a two-day workshop in mid-September as part of the planning reform agenda and a list of participants in the 6 working groups is now available. A summary of the outcomes is yet to be published.

Ross Martin, Chief Executive of Scottish Council for Development and Industry, reflects on the connection between place and productivity in BEFS latest thought-provoking blog.

Good to see the launch of Under One Roof, the new free website designed to help the half million plus private flat owners in Scotland with the complex and important task of carrying out repairs to their shared properties.

CONSULTATIONS

Consultation on proposals for regulations and policy supporting the Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016. (SG 03/10/16)
The Private Housing (Tenancies) (Scotland) Act 2016 creates the new private residential tenancy which will replace current assured and short assured tenancies. The purpose of the new tenancy is to improve security of tenure for tenants balanced with appropriate safeguards for landlords, lenders and investors.
Runs from 3 Oct 2016 to 25 Dec 2016

Brexit impact on creative industries, tourism and digital market examined (BP 09/16)
The Culture Media and Sport Parliamentary (CMS) Committee is calling for written submissions on creative industries, tourism and the digital markets, with a deadline of Friday 28 October 2016.

PUBLICATIONS

The Economic Implications of Brexit (SP 06/10/16)
The Fraser of Allander Institute (FAI) were commissioned by the Scottish Parliament’s European and External Relations Committee to undertake economic modelling work to explore the long-term implications of Brexit for Scotland. This briefing summarises the results of this economic modelling.

Planning Performance Statistics, 2016/17, Q1 (SG 05/10/16)
This report presents the latest summary statistics on planning decision-making and timescales for April to June 2016 (Quarter 1), as well as historic data going back to quarter one of 2012/13. It is based on data collected by the Scottish Government from Local and Planning Authorities as part of the Planning Performance Framework (introduced in 2012).

DCMS Statistical Handbook (DCMS 28/09/16)
This release summarises Official Statistics relevant to the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS).

Scotland’s People Annual Report: Results from the 2015 Scottish Household Survey (SG 27/09/16)

Heritage Counts 2016: Heritage and the Economy
This fact sheet provides a summary of the key figures available from existing research which show the economic benefits of the historic environment. The document describes how heritage drives growth by attracting international tourism, boosting local economies and providing thousands of jobs. It also introduces new research: the Heritage Economic Impact Indicator Workbook 2016.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT NEWS RELEASES

Planning decision times published (SG 05/10/16)
Latest quarterly statistics show faster average decision times for local developments but slower average decision times for major developments compared to the previous quarter and previous year. Statistics on quarterly planning performance in Scotland have been released today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician.

Green Space Funding (SG 03/10/16)
£8.25 million EU green infrastructure fund announced. A multi-million-pound fund to develop green spaces in some of Scotland’s most deprived areas has been announced by Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Jobs and Fair Work Keith Brown. The money – which comes from EU funding – will support projects like new nature reserves and parks and green spaces in urban areas, benefiting communities across Scotland.

Reassurance for registered social landlords (SG 29/09/16)
Housing Bill to be introduced. Legislation which will help support the delivery of 50,000 new affordable homes is to be introduced by the Scottish Government. By ensuring Registered Social Landlords (RSLs) can be classified as private bodies, the bill will ensure that RSLs can borrow money privately in addition to the Scottish Government’s committed investment of £3 billion in affordable housing.

Life for people in Scotland in 2015 (SG 27/09/16)
The majority of people in Scotland rate their neighbourhood as a good place to live and have a strong sense of belonging to their neighbourhood. Most people also participated in sport and exercise and engaged in some type of cultural activity in 2015, whilst around a quarter volunteered. Around a half of households were positive about their finances. These are just some of the findings from the wide-ranging 2015 Scottish Household Survey.

Loans to help make warmer homes (SG 21/09/16)
More people will be able to make their homes warm and water-tight through a new £10 million fund. The pilot scheme in Glasgow, Argyll and Bute and Perthshire will provide equity loans of up to £40,000 to home owners on low incomes to help them make essential repairs to leaking roofs and building structures. This work is often necessary before energy efficiency measures like solid-wall insulation can be installed.

NEWS RELEASES

Scotland’s Towns Week 2016 (STP 06/10/16)
Scotland’s Towns Week officially launched in the Scottish Parliament yesterday (5th October 2016) during an evening reception which celebrated the diversity of Scotland’s small and rural towns, ahead of Towns Week which runs 7th – 13th November, Scotland-wide.

‘Queer histories’ recognised by Historic England (IHBC 01/10/16)
The Pride of Place project being conducted by Historic England has led to new listings and a greater recognition of the importance of LGBTQ heritage.

Scotland’s thatched buildings recorded for the first time (HES 29/09/16)
All 305 of Scotland’s historic, traditional thatched buildings have been recorded for the very first time as part of a unique field work project, which lasted 18 months.

SNH pledges commitment to empowering communities (SNH 29/09/16)
A set of good practice principles designed to improve the way organisations and groups engage with local communities has been firmly backed by Scottish Natural Heritage. SNH has added its support to the National Standards for Community Engagement, launched today (Thursday) by Kevin Stewart, Minister for Local Government and Housing.

Progress on the creation of Historic Wales (WG 29/09/16)
Ken Skates, the Cabinet Secretary with responsibility for Culture, has reiterated his commitment to the creation of new body, Historic Wales and announced he has asked the Director of the National Trust Wales to chair a steering group to progress the next phase of this work.

New Site Could Save Owners “Hundreds of Millions!” (RIAS 21/09/16)
Under One Roof, a major new free website designed to help the half million plus private flat owners in Scotland with the complex and important task of carrying out repairs to their shared properties, has been launched by Scottish Government Housing Minister, Kevin Stewart MSP at an event in Glasgow. Written by Annie Flint and John Gilbert, the authors of the acclaimed Tenement Handbook originally published by the RIAS over 20 years ago, the site contains over 100 articles on flat owners’ legal responsibilities towards their co-owners and over 70 technical information articles that enable owners to identify repair problems and understand quotations from builders. The site has over 100, specially commissioned, drawings, 200 photographs and a Repair Symptoms Checker to help owners pin down what is affecting their building’s health. Downloadable model letters will make the whole process easier for owners. Advice on dealing with owners who refuse to participate in critical repairs is also provided.

WG introduce Land Transaction Tax: 1st Wales’ own in 800 years (IHBC 21/09/16)
The Land Transaction Tax and Anti-avoidance of Devolved Taxes (Wales) Bill is to be introduced in the latest legislative programme of the Welsh Government (WG), and its first Welsh tax in almost 800 years.

European Year of Cultural Heritage proposed for 2018 (EC 20/09/16)
The European Commission has published its long-awaited proposal for the European Year of Cultural Heritage in 2018, which includes a ‘Call for ideas’.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.

S5W-03377 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to
encourage the private sector to build more homes to alleviate housing shortages. (SP 03/10/16)

S5W-03378 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on extending the Scottish Housing Quality Standard to (a) the private rented sector and (b) tied housing. (SP03/10/16)

S5W-03171 Mark Ruskell: To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to overcome barriers in (a) getting agreement and (b) securing finances for communal work on multi-tenanted properties (SP 27/09/16)

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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

Question S5W-02272: Liam McArthur, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 01/09/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the call on 30 August 2016 from the Existing Homes Alliance for the forthcoming programme for government to set an objective for a national infrastructure programme that supports every home to reach at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C by 2025.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (20/09/2016)

Question S5W-02271: Liam McArthur, Orkney Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 01/09/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the call on 30 August 2016 from the Existing Homes Alliance for the forthcoming budget to significantly increase public investment in home energy efficiency measures.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (15/09/2016)

Question S5W-02270: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 01/09/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the provision of maintenance and repairs for social housing.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (20/09/2016)

Question S5W-02267: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 01/09/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the condition of the current housing stock.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (20/09/2016)

Question S5W-02263: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 01/09/2016
To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have received support from the Rural Poverty Task Force.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (15/09/2016)

Question S5W-02262: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 01/09/2016
To ask the Scottish Government how it is using its powers under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 to improve the standard of private sector housing.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (20/09/2016)

Question S5W-02438: Oliver Mundell, Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 08/09/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per unit was for new social housing built by local authorities for (a) one-, (b) two- and (c) three-bedroom properties in each year since 2007.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (20/09/2016)

OTHER PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITY

S5M-01693 Joe FitzPatrick on behalf of the Parliamentary Bureau: Names and Remits of Mandatory Committees—That the Parliament agrees, under Rule 6.1, that the names and remits of the following mandatory committees be amended—

Name of Committee: European and External Relations Committee
New name: Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee
Remit: To the remit set out in Rule 6.8 shall be added—
Culture and tourism matters falling within the responsibility of the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Relations. (SP 29/09/16)

EVENTS

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

When: 27 October 2016 from 9am – 4.30pm.
Where: Haddo House, Methlick, Ellon, Aberdeenshire
Through a combination of inspiring case studies and expert testimony, this conference celebrates how opportunities have been identified in the creative re-use of Aberdeenshire’s built heritage; sharing knowledge and ideas on how projects can be funded, solutions found and challenges overcome. Conference Chairman: Andrew P K Wright OBE. Speakers: Richard Murphy OBE, Tom Duff, Paul Higson, David Narro, David Chouman, Ian Davidson, David W Walker and Alan Marshall.
There is also an evening event on Thursday 27th October, and site visits planned for Friday 28th October. Tickets can be purchased for the various elements of the conference, and a student discount is offered.
Contact: info@nespt.org Twitter: @NESPTconference #CastlestoClockTowers.
For more information and to book tickets visit the .

Scotland’s Towns Conference
When: 9th November.
Where: Kirkcaldy.
Bookings are open for the Annual Scotland’s Towns Conference. The Conference will centre around how we can further unlock the potential of Scotland’s towns. Book before 14th October to be in with a chance to attend for free! All bookings made before 14th October, 5pm will be entered into the draw. Scotland’s Towns Conference 2016 comes at a key moment for Scotland’s towns. The hosting of the first ever World Towns Leadership Summit in Edinburgh this summer highlighted that Scotland is leading the way in town transformation and partnership working across sectors – and even borders. Join leading practitioners, policy-makers, and other key stakeholders to discuss how our towns can flourish through local strategies with partnership and innovation at their core.

Celebrating Civic Pride – Booking Open!
When: Tuesday 15th November 2016, 10am – 4pm.
Where: Linlithgow Burgh Halls.
The next Scottish Civic Trust annual conference will showcase and celebrate the work of local civic trusts, amenity societies and heritage volunteers. The people that make up these groups work tirelessly to promote and protect local heritage, places and spaces. The conference will provide them with a platform to show what they have achieved, explain why they do it and set out the challenges and difficulties they face.

19th Annual Plenderleith Lecture: “Antiquities trafficking – 21st century developments”
When: 24th November 2016. Lecture: 6-7pm/Icon Scotland Group AGM: 5.15-5.45pm/Drinks reception: 7-8.30pm.
Where: St Mungo Museum of Religious Life and Art, Castle St, Glasgow G4 0RH.
The Scottish Conservation sector’s keynote annual Plenderleith lecture for 2016 will address a controversial and highly topical subject – the global trafficking of antiquities and other cultural objects. Icon Scotland Group is pleased to welcome this year’s speaker – Doctor Neil Brodie, Senior Research Fellow, Endangered Archaeology in the Middle East and North Africa Project at the University of Oxford. A separate free CPD event is being planned for the afternoon of the day, from 2-4pm based around the GSA Mackintosh fire recovery project.

TRAINING

Measuring Performance: Evidence to inform strategy in your place
Date: 12 October 2016. Time: 2pm – 4.30pm.
Location: Architecture and Design Scotland, Edinburgh.
Learn more about Understanding Scottish Places Toolkit, the Place Standard Tool and the Town Centre Toolkit in this very practical half day workshop. Experts will guide you to use, connect and develop these tools for your own place and to build an evidence base to inform strategy.

Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage: training
There are places available on upcoming fundraising training, including a brand new ‘in focus’ event ‘Storytelling using media’ which will help you articulate your case for support using film. Also a dedicated seminar for Trustees – ‘the Role of the Board in Fundraising’, and an in focus session on applying to Trusts and Foundations, with a one-to-one fundraising surgeries as part of the event as well. All events cost just £25 + VAT for small organisations (or £50 + VAT for larger organisations). There are also travel bursaries available.

VACANCIES

Call for new SRCT Board Members
A charity caring for nationally important churches is looking for dynamic new trustees to join the board at an exciting time of change for the organisation. Many of Scotland’s historic places of worship face an uncertain future and the SRCT is gearing up to respond to the challenge. We are seeking additional board members to play a vital role in the transition of the SRCT to a more entrepreneurial and financially resilient organisation: achieving our objective of safeguarding Scotland’s religious heritage by working with local people to conserve, regenerate, and put historic churches back at the heart of communities.

The Scottish Redundant Churches Trust (SRCT) is a charitable trust (SC024407) founded in 1996. Having acquired 7 former churches of national significance and won awards for our conservation work, we are breaking new ground with an innovative £2.4 million project at the A-listed ‘at-risk’ St Margaret’s Church, Braemar.

New Trustees will assist in driving forward the transition process and the shaping and resourcing of the organisation to meet the changing needs of the religious heritage sector. They will also support the raising of the profile of the sector and its cultural and social value. We’re looking for people who support the objectives of the Trust and can offer skills or experience in some of the following areas:
finance or business; property management; tourism or arts; marketing, PR or media; fundraising; law; And who think strategically, enjoy working collaboratively with colleagues and are interested in the heritage sector.

Applications should be by CV and a covering letter explaining why you are interested in the role and how you think your skills and experience relate to our work. If you would like to know more please contact our Director, Victoria Collison-Owen on victoria@srct.org.uk or 0131 563 5135. Scottish Redundant Churches Trust, 15 North Bank Street, Edinburgh, EH1 2LP.  www.srct.org.uk. Scottish Charity SC024407. A Charitable Company Limited by Guarantee SC162884

Scottish Civic Trust are recruiting National Casework Volunteers
National Casework Volunteers assist with SCT planning casework across Scotland. Specific tasks would include:
1.    Planning applications monitoring: This would involve reviewing lists of planning applications across Scotland to identify appropriate cases for SCT to comment on. This would also include inputting the details of applications into the SCT casework database.
2.    Case review: This would involve reviewing case details/drawings, and drafting responses to planning applications from SCT in consultation with the Director.
Further details can be found here.

MEMBERS’ NEWS

IHBC welcomes its first Vice President: Mike Brown IHBC (IHBC 23/09/16)
Following formal agreement by IHBC trustees in April to extend capacity at the highest levels of the organization, the Board is delighted to announce the election of its first Vice President, Mike Brown, who takes up this annual, renewable, portfolio-led post linked first to ongoing sector discussions with England’s Historic Environment Forum, HEF.

Information in the Bulletin is extracted from a number of websites including the Scottish Government (SG); the Scottish Parliament (SP); Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS); Historic Environment Scotland (HES); Scottish Natural Heritage(SNH); Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO); English Heritage (EH); Design Council (DC); Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG);Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); Department of Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); National Assembly for Wales (NAW); Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS); Scottish Government Building Standards  (SGBS); Europa Nostra (EN); Historic England (HE).

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

BACK

BEFS NEWS

BEFS welcomes a grant from Historic Environment Scotland to fund the running and coordination of the Scottish Traditional Building Forum (STBF). STBF is made up of a network of local traditional building forums with local representation who work together to highlight specific issues relating to traditional buildings and building practices. Read more about STBF and BEFS here.

BEFS aims to raise the profile of STBF and provide guidance and support for the regional forums. This will be achieved with the help of John McKinney, who has been appointed STBF’s Coordinator. John introduces us to the invaluable work of STBF in BEFS latest blog.

BEFS has submitted evidence to the Scottish Parliament’s Europe and External Relations Committee on Scotland’s relationship with the EU. Evidence gave a flavour of members’ involvement with the EU in terms of the relevant EU Directives, funding relationships, networks and projects, training and movement of people with specialist skills. You can read the submission here.

CONSULTATIONS

Have Your Say: Your Invitation to Contribute to A&DS Corporate Strategy 2017-2020 (A&DS 15/09/16)
A&DS is currently preparing its new corporate plan for 2017-2020, and we are opening up our ideas to our wider stakeholders.  As part of this we would like to hear from you.
The closing deadline for contributions is 31st October 2016.

Improving transparency in land ownership in Scotland: a consultation on controlling interests in land (SG 11/09/16)
A consultation on proposals for regulations to require the disclosure of persons with controlling interest in landowners and tenants in a register to be held by the Registers of Scotland.
Consultation runs from 11 Sep 2016 to 5 Dec 2016.

CONSULTATION RESPONSES

Consultation on secondary legislation proposals relating to Part 3A of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 – the community right to buy abandoned, neglected or detrimental land as introduced by the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 (SG 15/19/16)
Analysis of the recent consultation on the Community Right to Buy Abandoned, Neglected or Detrimental Land (also known as Part 3A).

Implementation of planning changes: technical consultation (DCLG 02/09/16)
Summary of responses and the government response to the neighbourhood planning chapter of the technical consultation on planning.

Consultation on proposals relating to secondary legislation for Part 3 of the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003 – the crofting community right to buy as amended by the Community Empowerment (Scotland) Act 2015 – Analysis of consultation responses

PUBLICATIONS

Housing Statistics for Scotland 2016 – Key Trends Summary (SG 13/09/16)
This annual publication presents statistics on housing supply and public sector housing in Scotland up to 31st March 2016, based on information collected from local authorities, housing associations and the Scottish Government affordable housing supply programme.

A Plan For Scotland: The Scottish Government’s Programme For Scotland 2016-17 (SG 06/09/16)
The Scottish Government’s Programme for Government 2016-17 sets out the actions the Government will take in the forthcoming year and beyond.

SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT NEWS RELEASES

Scotland’s future in Europe (SG 14/09/16)
Scotland must remain in the EU single market. The importance of Scotland remaining part of the European Union’s single market was a key theme during the first in a series of parliamentary debates on the implications of Brexit.

Council ward boundaries agreed (SG 14/09/16)
Ministers decide on council ward boundaries. Council ward boundaries across Scotland have been agreed, following Ministers’ decisions on recommendations from the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland. The Commission published recommendations for changes to councillor numbers and ward boundaries in May, following completion of its fifth periodic review of local government electoral arrangements.

More affordable housing approved (SG 13/09/16)
Continued commitment to delivering more homes. The number of affordable homes approved over the year to the end of June 2016 has increased by 26% on the previous year, bringing the total number of approvals over the year to 8,067.

Stability in new housing supply (SG 13/19/16)
Two sets of housing statistics have been released today by Scotland’s Chief Statistician. The Annual Housing Statistics update includes information on total housing supply, local authority house sales, lettings and evictions, stock and vacancy rates, supported housing, housing lists, scheme of assistance and houses in multiple occupation. The Quarterly Housing Statistics update includes information on new house building, affordable housing supply and right to buy applications and sales.

Community right to buy (SG 08/09/16)
More communities across Scotland are benefitting from the ownership of land. Cabinet Secretary for Land Reform Roseanna Cunningham has announced that more than 500,000 acres in Scotland are now in community ownership – breaking the half way mark on the million acres target set in 2013.

eBuildingStandards service launches (SG 01/09/16)
eBuildingStandards follows the launch of the improved ePlanning service in January, and signals the latest development in streamlining public services in the digital age. This new service makes it quicker and easier to apply for building work both on individual home improvement projects and for larger commercial developments.

NEWS RELEASES

Views Sought on Local Government and Housing Budgets (SP 19/09/16)
The impact of budget reductions on council services is to be scrutinised by the Local Government and Communities Committee as it starts its annual budget examination.

‘Future of LG Archaeology Services’ report out: HER funding, training support; archives development, and much more (IHBC 16/09/16)
The long-awaited 2014 report on ‘The Future of Local Government ((LG) Archaeology Services Report’, to which IHBC contributed, has been published by the All Party Parliamentary Archaeology Group (APPAG), and includes recommendations to ‘develop a voluntary developer contribution which would establish a ring-fenced national fund which will help financially secure local authority HER services’.

Scotland’s heritage volunteers named in nationwide shortlist (HES 15/09/16)
Shortlist for second annual Scottish Heritage Angel Awards announced. ‘Angels’ behind the restoration of a memorial tower on Orkney, the safeguarding of a Victorian-built community hall in Glasgow and a Borders-based project that has recorded Scotland’s industrial brick makers are amongst those to have been chosen to go through to the finals of the 2016 Scottish Heritage Angel Awards.

Parliament says: Health should be a ‘material consideration’ in planning (IHBC 14/09/16)
MPs have urged ministers to stipulate that health should be a material consideration in both planning and licensing law, as the Commons Health Committee has recommended in its report on public health, warning of widening health inequalities now councils have taken over more responsibility in this area at a time of cuts to budgets and front-line services.

The European Union Prize for Cultural Heritage – Call for Entries (EN 13/09/16)
Europa Nostra Awards is Europe’s highest honour in the heritage field. It recognises the best restoration projects; the most impressive research; the most dedicated heritage professionals and volunteers; and the finest awareness raising, training and educational programmes. Architects, craftsmen, cultural heritage experts, professionals and volunteers, public and private institutions, and local communities: this is your chance to win the top heritage award in Europe!

Historic Environment Scotland welcomes new CEO (HES 12/09/16)
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is pleased to announce that Alex Paterson has taken up his new role of Chief Executive Officer as of Monday 12 September 2016.

Landscape Research Group 50th Anniversary Research Fund (LRG 08/19/16)
In 2017, the LRG celebrates its 50th Anniversary and we have created a 50th Anniversary Research Fund.  This fund will be used to support a small number of high-quality projects which align strongly with our Research Strategy. More specifically, the LRG 50th Anniversary Research Fund will be targeted to support projects dealing with the theme of landscape justice.

New Bill will boost growth and housebuilding (DCLG 07/09/16)
The Bill will speed up and strengthen the popular neighbourhood planning process. Measures in the new Neighbourhood Planning Bill will support more housebuilding and provide more local say over developments the Housing and Planning Minister announced today.

Making Space 2016: Design spaces where children can be spontaneous and independent (A&DS 01/09/16) 
Architects and planners must do more to ensure public and private spaces are designed in a way that respect children’s rights to play, according to award-winning Japanese architect Professor Takaharu Tezuka. Professor Tezuka will visit Glasgow in November as keynote speaker at Making Space 2016 – an international award and conference focusing on architecture and design for children.

Call for papers – Heritage and Well-being Conference 2017 (CCT 09/16)
We are seeking papers and proposals for practical workshops for our biennial international heritage conference from 22-24 March 2017. The conference will explore the powerful relationship between conserving the built environment and healthy productive communities and mental well-bring. The deadline for proposals is 3rd October.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament. Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.

S5W-02438 Oliver Mundell: To ask the Scottish Government what the average cost per unit was for new social housing built by local authorities for (a) one-, (b) two- and (c) three-bedroom properties in each year since 2007. (SP 09/09/16)

S5W-02262 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government how it is using its powers under the Housing (Scotland) Act 2006 to improve the standard of private sector housing. (SP 05/09/16)

S5W-02263 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have received support from the Rural Poverty Task Force. (SP 05/09/16)

S5W-02267 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the condition of the current housing stock. (SP 05/09/16)

S5W-02268 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the suggestion in the Scottish Housing Condition Survey 2014 that the main cause of failing to meet the standard in all tenures relates to poor energy efficiency, what measures it plans or has introduced to improve energy efficiency in (a) social housing and (b) the private sector. (SP 05/09/16)

S5W-02270 Pauline McNeill: To ask the Scottish Government what steps it is taking to improve the provision of maintenance and repairs for social housing. (SP 05/09/16)

S5W-02271 Liam McArthur: To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the call on 30 August 2016 from the Existing Homes Alliance for the forthcoming budget to significantly increase public investment in home energy efficiency measures. (SP 05/09/16)

S5W-02272 Liam McArthur: To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the call on 30 August 2016 from the Existing Homes Alliance for the forthcoming programme for government to set an objective for a national infrastructure programme that supports every home to reach at least an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) band C by 2025. (SP 05/09/16)

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

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

Question S5W-01891: Oliver Mundell, Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 11/08/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to encourage businesses to adapt older properties to make them fully accessible for disabled people.
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse (06/09/2016)

Question S5W-02066: Adam Tomkins, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 19/08/2016
To ask the Scottish Government when it will respond to the recommendations of the Local Government Boundary Commission for Scotland, which were submitted in May 2016.
Answered by Joe FitzPatrick (08/09/2016)

Question S5W-02130: David Stewart, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 24/08/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what consultation it (a) has had and (b) plans with local authorities regarding the Land Scotland organisation that was referred to on page 18 of the 2016 SNP manifesto.
Answered by Fergus Ewing (09/09/2016)

Question S5W-02129: David Stewart, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 24/08/2016
To ask the Scottish Government by what date it will introduce the mandatory public register of land and how the register will be implemented.
Answered by Keith Brown (08/09/2016)

Question S5W-02090: Donald Cameron, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 22/08/2016
To ask the Scottish Government when the descriptors for each of the 42 wild land areas identified in Scottish Natural Heritage’s map of wild land areas from June 2014 will be published and for what reason they have not been published.
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham (09/09/2016)

Question S5W-02048: Claudia Beamish, South Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 23/08/2016
To ask the Scottish Government what (a) discussions it has had with the UK Government and (b) action it can take to match the funding provide by the EU for rural and environmental initiatives through the (i) LEADER, (ii) LIFE and (iii) other programmes if the UK leaves the EU.
Answered by Derek Mackay (08/09/2016)

MOTIONS

Motion S5M-01297: Alison Johnstone, Lothian, Scottish Green Party, Date Lodged: 06/09/2016
Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival
That the Parliament welcomes the fifth Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival events, as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, hosted by Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Architecture & Design Scotland, Scottish Historic Buildings Trust and Historic Environment Scotland, and sponsored by the Construction Industry Training Board and Stone Federation GB; notes that the festival featured demonstrations of traditional building skills, including masonry, slate roofing, lead roofing, lime mortars, plastering and painting and decorating, sash and case windows and architectural cast iron, as well as a series of talks and tours; recognises that the event was a collaboration organised through the Edinburgh Traditional Building Forum; further notes that the event was open to members of the public to offer advice, with the aim of highlighting the importance of the appropriate building skills in the repair and maintenance of traditional buildings, and believes that practical demonstrations of traditional building skills provide a platform to promote these key skills.
Supported by: Colin Beattie, Liam McArthur, Ross Greer, Alexander Burnett, Richard Lyle, Miles Briggs, Monica Lennon, David Torrance, Andy Wightman, Clare Adamson, Stuart McMillan, Jackie Baillie, John Finnie

Motion S5M-01298: Alison Johnstone, Lothian, Scottish Green Party, Date Lodged: 06/09/2016
Edinburgh Traditional Building Mini-golf Course
That the Parliament welcomes the traditional building mini-golf course, which was part of a wide range of events coordinated by Essential Edinburgh throughout the Edinburgh Festival Fringe; understands that the mini-golf, which was on George Street, showcased a range of traditional building skills and materials in an innovative and interactive way; notes that it was a collaboration that was organised through the Edinburgh Traditional Building Forum and was open to the public for enjoyment and advice; understands that it aimed to highlight the importance of having skills in the repair and maintenance of traditional buildings, and believes that the course encouraged interaction with such skills that promoted them to a younger audience.
Supported by: Tavish Scott, Alexander Burnett, Neil Findlay, Richard Lyle, Miles Briggs, Ben Macpherson, Ivan McKee, David Torrance, Finlay Carson, Bill Kidd, Clare Adamson, Stuart McMillan, Jackie Baillie, Ross Greer, John Finnie

EVENTS

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

PR and Communications: Connecting with your local audience
When: September 28, 2016 at 2pm – 4:30pm.
Where: WG13, Kilmarnock.
Looking for some practical advice and inspiration for your PR and Communications strategy? An exciting new event, running for the second time, from STP in partnership with East Ayrshire Council that will leave you feeling inspired to find your towns’ USP, grab the headlines and to make a cutting edge film to deliver your messages.

Scotland’s Thatched Buildings – Current Condition and Future Protection 
When: Thursday 29th September, 10.00am – 4.00pm.
Where: Culloden Baptist Church.
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (Scotland) and Historic Environment Scotland, in collaboration with the National Trust for Scotland, and the Scottish Vernacular Buildings Working Group welcomes you to join us for a day of celebrating Thatched Buildings in Scotland.

The 7th Annual Place-Making Symposium: Streets Beyond: Beyond Streets – The Changing Role and Purpose of Public Space
When: 11th November 2016.
Where: Dalhousie Building, University of Dundee.
A landmark collaborative event that marks the 10th birthdays of The Academy of Urbanism and Architecture & Design Scotland, set within the Scottish Government’s Year of Innovation. Streets and other urban spaces need to respond to the demands of modern life, including vehicle access and human walkability, safety and well-being, local business needs and shifts in arts and culture. There has been a progressive shift from utilitarian corridors to ‘positive’ streets where people want to be where they feel comfortable, safe and even inspired by their surroundings.

SCT Conference 2016: Celebrating Civic Pride
When: 15 November 2016
Where: Linlithgow Burgh Halls
The next Scottish Civic Trust annual conference will showcase and celebrate the work of local civic trusts, amenity societies and heritage volunteers. The people that make up these groups work tirelessly to promote and protect local heritage, places and spaces. The conference will provide them with a platform to show what they have achieved, explain why they do it and set out the challenges and difficulties they face.

Scottish Empty Homes Conference 2016
When: 15th November 2016
Where: Macdonald Holyrood Hotel, Edinburgh
Join us for the sixth annual Scottish Empty Homes Conference, chaired by Tony Cain, Policy Manger, ALACHO.  With featured speakers including; Kevin Stewart MSP, Minister for Local Government and Housing, and John Maher, Photographer & Brian Whitington, Project Manager, Tighean Innse Gall. This conference is invaluable for Empty Home Practicioners, Elected Members, Housing Development Staff, Community Groups and others with an interest in private sector empty homes work.

TRAINING

Expand your skills, gain CPD and try something new?
The Volunteer Welcome is a chance to hear about PAS as an organisation, the volunteering opportunities we offer and how we operate – as well as meeting other volunteers.  One of our existing volunteers will attend at each event as well and will speak about their involvement in PAS.
• 6pm – 8pm, Wednesday 5 October, Edinburgh
• 6pm – 8pm, Thursday 6 October, Glasgow
Contact Robert Pickles (robert@pas.org.uk) for more details. Book your place at events@pas.org.uk.

Conservation Challenges – RIAS Autumn Seminar
This seminar will constitute excellent CPD and we anticipate that places will sell out fast. Members are advised that a Conservation Autumn seminar has been organised for the afternoon of Tuesday 11th October 2016. It is aimed at all RIAS accredited architects as well as members who wish to apply for accreditation. The topics covered will include funding and fund-raising (including for small projects), project business plans and listing. The technical component will examine stonework and will range from selecting the quarry and Supplier, specification writing for architects and advice on key points for site inspections.

VACANCIES

Call for nominations for CIfA Advisory Council and the Board of Directors (CIfA 02/09/16)

The formal call for nominations for CIfA Advisory Council and the Board of Directors has now been issued. Candidate forms must arrive at the CIfA office by Friday 9 September 2016. Accredited members will be invited to vote for candidates in a postal ballot if the number of candidates exceeds the number of vacancies. Ballot papers, accompanied by information and an election statement of the candidates, will be distributed to members and the ballot will run from 19 September to 4 October 2016 inclusive.

Information in the Bulletin is extracted from a number of websites including the Scottish Government (SG); the Scottish Parliament (SP); Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS); Historic Environment Scotland (HES); Scottish Natural Heritage(SNH); Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO); English Heritage (EH); Design Council (DC); Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG);Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); Department of Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); National Assembly for Wales (NAW); Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS); Scottish Government Building Standards  (SGBS); Europa Nostra (EN); Historic England (HE).

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

BACK