BEFS News

The second Heritage Pulse survey is now open. This is a collaborative data and insight project for the UK’s heritage sector, enabling the sector to inform policy, recovery, and reinvention post-Covid. BEFS, NatureScot and HES are supporting NLHF with this initiative within Scotland, and are keen to raise the levels of engagement from Scottish organisations. Heritage Pulse Wave 2 closes Friday 9 September. 
 
The National Lottery Heritage Fund are also seeking views on their own strategy. They want feedback on issues including: place-based investment, approaches to funding, partnerships, and their approach to environmental sustainability. Survey closes 5 September. 
 
BEFS are pleased to see Members PAS release news of their new Chief Executive, and we look forward to working Johanna Boyd in due course.

Tenements are never far from BEFS minds, and we note that there is a webinar series from the Scottish Law Commission in September 2022 as part of their project relating to Tenement law: compulsory owners’ associations. Sign up to hear about the law relating to flat maintenance and management in different countries, from experts in the field and ask: what can we learn from this? (It’s also encouraging to read more about the potential Comprehensive Tenement Improvement Scheme in Paisley.) 
 
Continuing from the articles and news brought to you in the last BEFS Bulletin around the Properties in Care: here Andrew Burnet from HES’ Interpretation Team takes a behind-the-scenes look at their work adding interpretation to the sites affected by the high-level masonry inspections.
 
HES has also published Planning for the future – their response to the next National Planning Framework. HES’ Planning, Consents and Advice Service (PCAS) led on co-ordinating HES’ response, talking with colleagues from across the organisation to inform the response, as well as engaging with external bodies including the heritage sector, planning authorities and other Key Agencies.

Last year BEFS Director was invited to Chair a session in relation to a review of a specific battlefield site. A completed report on battlefield planning best practice undertaken by Lichfields UK has now been published.
There is also an open consultation seeking comments on the recommendations made in the report. The consultation is open for comment until 3 November 2022.
 
August is an exceptionally busy time for the BEFS team this year due to our series of sector wide Our Place in Time (OPiT) engagement events. We hope that those from across many parts of the sector have had the opportunity to be involved and we look forward to representing what we’ve heard during the refreshed OPiT drafting process, as well as highlighting the full public consultation in the Autumn when it is released. We’re sure more workshops (and stickynotes!) will follow. Thanks to all those currently sharing their views and expertise. 
 
And finally, BEFS Director was pleased to attend the launch of the Green Home Festival, hosted by RICS, where the emphasis was on the need to re-use and maintain existing building stock to support reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change. Patrick Harvie’s opening address didn’t shy away from the scale of the task! 

Consultations 

Views on the impact of budgetary decisions including the Resource Spending Review on the culture sector in Scotland
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Closes 19 August 2022

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: a consultation on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill
Scottish Government
Closes 22 August 2022

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: A Route Map to 2025 and beyond
Scottish Government
Closes 22 August 2022

TEG Survey on Scottish Apprenticeships: Design & Contracting in Construction
Skills Development Scotland
*new* Closes 2 September 2022

Heritage Fund Strategy Refresh
National Lottery Heritage Fund
*new* Closes 5 September 2022

Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation
Scottish Government
Closes 25 September 2022

New Build Heat Standard: consultation – part two
Scottish Government
Closes 20 October 2022

Battlefields: Planning Best Practice 
Historic Environment Scotland
*new* Closes 3 November 2022

Publications

Main report for the Participation Survey (Department for Media, Culture and Sport, UK Government July 2022)
Estimates on participation in the digital, culture, media, and sport sectors (DCMS) reported during the period of October 2021 to March 2022. The Participation Survey is a nationally representative annual survey of adults (16+) in England that aims to track the latest trends in engagement in DCMS sectors.

Green Building Passports: a review for Scotland (Climate Exchange July 2022)
This report aims to provide policy makers with an understanding of the purpose, structure and use of Green Building Passports, along with the main barriers and opportunities when considering their possible introduction in Scotland.

Skills needs in selected occupations over the next 5 to 10 years (Department for Education, UK Government August 2022)
Report on the changing skills needs within a select group of occupations over the next 5 to 10 years.

Responsible Natural Capital and Carbon Management (Scottish Land Commission August 2022)
Protocol setting out practical expectations to ensure that approaches to natural capital and carbon management recognise responsibilities, as well as rights, in relation to land.

A Look Back at 2021-22 (Museums Galleries Scotland August 2022)
Museums Galleries Scotland’s Year in Review.

Understanding the Sustainable Development Goals and targets (Curating Tomorrow August 2022)
A guide on the UN Sustainable Development Goals for galleries, libraries, archives and museums.

Law project promotes climate-aligned contracts (RICS Construction Journal August 2022)
Article describing a legal initiative which is drafting open-access clauses to make progress towards net-zero carbon at the contractual level.

Levelling the playing field, not Scotland’s built environment: A case for retrofit over demolition? (CIOB August 2022)
This report considers the question of VAT on retrofit, making a case for the positive impact a demolition levy could have in reprioritising retrofit projects, which proffer wide benefits such as local job creation, reduced construction and development waste, and lowered carbon emissions.

Scottish Retail Sales Monitor July 2022 (Scottish Retail Consortium August 2022)
Scottish Retail Consortium reveals footfall fell by 16.5 per cent in July compared with the same period in 2019, before the pandemic.

Scottish Government Publications

Energy Efficient Scotland Transition Programme Survey Evaluation (08/08/22)
This report presents the social evaluation of the Energy Efficient Scotland Transition Programme, which aimed to support local authorities’ engagement with households and businesses expected to self-fund energy efficiency improvements.

Building Standards National Annual Verification Performance Report 2021-22 (08/08/22)
This report provides aggregated information on the national level of performance of verifiers on the Key Performance Outcomes of the Building Standards Performance Framework for Verifiers Publication 2021

Delivering a Greener, Fairer, Independent Scotland – One Year On (17/08/22)
Delivering a Greener, Fairer, Independent Scotland – One Year On provides an update on the progress made since the Bute House Agreement was reached between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party.

News Releases

Scottish Government urged to protect built environment from unnecessary and ‘cheap’ demolition 
Summary of the CIOB report ‘Levelling the playing field, not Scotland’s built environment: A case for retrofit over demolition?’

Scotland facing ‘monumental task’ on eco housing, Patrick Harvie tells Green Home Festival
Overview of speech at the launch of the Green Home Festival 2022.

Glasgow continues trend in reduction of vacant and derelict land
A Glasgow City Council committee has learned about the continued fall in the amount of Vacant and Derelict Land in the city and approved the acceptance of the 2022/23 Vacant and Derelict Land Fund award to the city from the Scottish Government.

Future of closed historic castle to be discussed
A public meeting is to be held on the future of Barra’s Kisimul Castle.

Glasgow trails ‘People First Zone’ to put city on the front foot
Glasgow City Council, supported by Sustrans, has launched plans to re-engineer the city centre from the Clyde to Cowcaddens to favour pedestrians.

Major step forward for regeneration of Paisley town centre tenements
A multi-million-pound project to transform a row of historic Paisley town centre tenements into new modern energy-efficient homes for social rent is set to move forward.

Opinion & Comment

Key historic buildings remain closed with safety checks to take a ‘couple of years’ (The Scotsman 07/08/22)

Don’t rebuild, retrofit to meet net zero goals (The Scotsman 08/08/22)

Historic 200-year-old Scots kirk faces closure over ‘falling number of ministers’ (Daily Record 09/08/22)

More than 30 historic church buildings could be closed under plans (STV 09/08/22)

Heritage Fund moots investment in ‘places of need’ (Arts Professional 10/08/22)

Highlands and Moray churches at risk of closure (BBC 10/08/22)

Top six modern archaeological sites and discoveries in Scotland (DigIt Scotland 11/08/22)

Scottish Government urged to protect built environment from unnecessary and ‘cheap’ demolition (Scottish Housing News 11/08/22)

Déjà brew: Review of planning decision highlights gulf between policy and ambition (Brodies 12/08/22)

Katie Graham: Helping our elected members to support our communities (RTPI 12/08/22)

Mace CEO demands national retrofit strategy (Construction News 12/08/22)

RICS calls for industry and government to futureproof UK construction (RICS 15/08/22)

Parliamentary Questions

Scottish Parliament is in recess until 4th September.
 
Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament. Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.  
 
S6W-10119: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 1 August 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have benefitted from the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund as of 30 July 2022, and what the average cost per property is. Answer expected 29 August 2022

S6W-10165:  Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 3 August 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, whether it will prepare a medium-rise inventory, in light of the Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022, which ban combustible cladding on buildings with any storey at a height of more than 11 metres above the ground.
Answer expected 31 August 2022

Parliamentary Questions and Answers

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

S6W-09620: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 5 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many times and (b) on what dates it has met with stakeholders that are concerned with cladding remediation, including (i) insurers, (ii) mortgage lenders, (iii) the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and (iv) homeowners, regarding the cladding remediation programme, since the Single Building Assessment pilot began.
Answered on 4 August 2022

S6W-09959: Monica Lennon, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 25 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to support the introduction of planning apprenticeship schemes in order to encourage people into town planning careers.
Answered on 11 August 2022

S6W-09932: Donald Cameron, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 25 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many projects have (a) applied for and (b) received funding from the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme since it was created, broken down by (i) local authority area and (ii) the value of each project award.
Answered on 22 August 2022

S6W-10001: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 26 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what skills strategy it has in place to ensure that Scotland has sufficient professionals to advise homeowners on their transition to clean energy and carry out installation and maintenance.
Answered on 2 August 2022

S6W-10164: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 4 August 2022
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the draft Bill regarding tenement maintenance will not be introduced until 2026, and whether it will ask the Scottish Law Commission to review its timetable.
Answered on 16 August 2022  

Events

For the full list of BEFS Members’ upcoming events see our events calendar.
 
STBF – Festival of Traditional Buildings
Date & Time: Monday 22 to Friday 26 August 2022
Location: Edinburgh
Immerse yourself in the beauty and romance of Scotland’s old buildings as we celebrate the Festival of Traditional Buildings! To mark our landmark 10th year, we’re bringing you a week long series of immersive, hands on, and interesting events for building enthusiasts of all backgrounds and ages. Located at the Education Centre at Holyrood Park, there is something for everyone including hands-on activities, talks, workshops, and historic building inspired mini golf and a family day as well! All events are free, but ticketing is required.

Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations – Youth Action
Date & Time: Wednesday 24 August 2022 5.30-7.30pm
Location: Online
This event will explore how we might develop our youth audience and participation further and discuss the visible and invisible barriers that block participation and engagement for young people in the Culture, Heritage and the Arts. We will invite our younger audience to lead in the development of our presentations and overall themes for the event. Community Heritage Conversations are being delivered through a partnership of Archaeology Scotland, The Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, Historic Environment Scotland, Northlight Heritage, the Scottish Community Heritage Alliance and the Scottish Council on Archives.

Scotland’s Towns Partnership – TCAP2 Roadshows
Date & Time: 24 August to 17 September 2022
Location: Various across Scotland
The TCAP2 Roadshow Series will illustrate how a place-based holistic approach can help revitalise towns across Scotland. Ambition, collaboration and leadership are key to aligning and delivering on TCAP2.  The series aims to encourage stakeholders to embrace and commit to the place agenda and to understand their roles in the approach to regenerating places. The events share policy context and exemplars based around TCAP2 themes, including planning, town centre first principle, town centre living, digital, enterprising communities and vibrant local economies and climate action.

SURF – From Slogans to Sound Strategy? The 2022 SURF Annual Conference
Date & Time: Thursday 25 August 2022 10am-3pm
Location: COSLA Conference Centre, Edinburgh
Anyone involved with the regeneration of Scottish places, is very likely to have heard repeated references to Community Wealth Building and Levelling Up in recent times. SURF’s 2022 Annual Conference will critically examine policy and practice developments associated with both concepts, with particular reference to the Argyll & Bute town of Dunoon.

Archaeology Scotland – Camas nan Geall Archaeological Excavation
Date & Time: 26 August to 7 September 2022 10am-4pm
Location: Camas nan Geall, Ardnamurchan
Archaeology Scotland and the Ardnamurchan History and Heritage Association are about to commence another season of archaeological investigations at Camas nan Geall, as part of the European Regional Development Fund and Historic Environment supported Adopt-a-Monument programme on Ardnamurchan. Over the course of two weeks, from the 26th of August until the 7th of September, volunteers and members of the local community will investigate some of the prehistoric remains of this beautiful bay.

Doors Open Days 2022
Date & Time: Weekends in September 2022
Location: Various across Scotland
Doors Open Days, the popular festival that sees hundreds of sites across Scotland offer free access to buildings and events, will return in September! The full programme of events will be released in mid-August, but in the meantime be sure to head to the Doors Open Days website to mark your diary for the 2022 weekends, and subscribe to the Doors Open Days e-newsletter to be notified when the programme goes live!

Heritage Trust Network – Growing Your Community – Carluke High Mill
Date & Time: Tuesday 6 September 2022 9.30am-2.30pm
Location: Carluke High Mill, Carluke
Hear from a fantastic team who have made huge progress in connecting with their community, whilst progressing towards a major heritage regeneration project. There will also be plenty of time to get to know other attendees, hear from projects across the country and chat with funders.

GCHT – Architecture and Health in Historic Buildings
Date & Time: Thursday 8 September 2022 12.30-1.30pm
Location: Online
Dr Richard Hobday will discuss what historic buildings can teach us about managing airborne infections through a mix of passive ventilation, material characteristics, and quality of internal space. He will also look at how retaining these characteristics is key when refurbishing historic buildings, and demonstrate how past approaches to combatting infection in buildings remain relevant for creating healthy internal environments.

AHSS – Miller, Marbles and MacRae: Walking Tour of Craigentinny and Restalrig
Date & Time: Thursday 8 September 2022 6pm
Location: Craigentinny and Restalrig
On this walk, Steven Robb, Deputy Head of Historic Buildings at Historic Environment Scotland, explores the early history of two of Edinburgh’s north-eastern suburbs, represented by Restalrig Parish Church, Craigentinny House and the Miller family. Along the way he looks at the considerable interventions made by the City Council in the area in the 1930s, including schools, the Craigentinny housing estate, and the use of Craigentinny House as, arguably, Scotland’s first community centre.

Nesta – Future gazing: homes in 2050
Date & Time: Thursday 8 September 2022 12-1pm
Location: Online
Dr Rosenow will share his expert insights on how we can decarbonise homes, drawing from extensive experience in the energy sector, his research at the Environmental Change Institute and his role advising the House of Commons. We’ll be discussing the flexibility of our energy systems and alternative methods for better heating homes; from heat pumps, to retrofitting and hydrogen.

A&BS – The power of creative partnerships in Edinburgh and the Lothians: sharing and networking event
Date & Time: 15 September 2022 6.30-8pm
Location: Edinburgh, Princes Exchange
Arts & Business Scotland are hosting a reception for business/public sector professionals in Edinburgh and the Lothians to share some exciting news, as we present a new service we’re developing: the Culture & Business Marketplace. The Marketplace is the result of research, looking at the changing needs of the business and public sectors. It will be a unique online platform, providing creative solutions to challenges. This event is ideal if you’re looking for opportunities relating to:

• Staff retention, wellbeing & productivity
• creative development
• community engagement
• meeting ESG targets

We’ll share exciting local examples of businesses who have worked with the culture sector to address the above needs.

SoAoS – Summer Excursion: Dunfermline Abbey & Palace and Broomhall House
Date & Time: Saturday 17 September 2022 8:30am-6pm
Location: Dunfermline, Fife
Join SocAntScot for an exciting day excursion in and around Dunfermline, Fife, visiting two important sites of interest. In the morning we will visit Dunfermline Abbey and Palace with a private tour by expert guides. Dunfermline Abbey is one of the oldest in Scotland and the history of the Abbey is entwined with that of Scotland itself. We will then visit Broomhall House after lunch, complete with a private group tour in the company of Lord Bruce. Broomhall House, built over 300 years ago, is recognised for its unique place at the heart of Scotland’s history as the home of the Family of Bruce.

Training

Scottish Lime Centre Trust: The Structural Repair of Historic Buildings
Date & Time: Friday 26 August 2022
Location: Charlestown Workshops, Charlestown, Fife
This masterclass led by Ian Hume, aims to provide professionals with a sound understanding of the philosophy of conservation.
Participants will gain a better understanding of the relationship between structural engineering and conservation, of safety issues and of the aesthetics of conservation based structural repairs.

Heritage Trust Network: Dealing with Rising Energy Costs
Date & Time: Wednesday 14 September 2022 10.30-11.30am
Location: Online
Is your historic building or site being affected by rising energy costs? Are you worried about the predicted rises in Winter? Join Paul Clark from Heritage Trust Network partner member Citrus Energy for insight and advice on this worrying topic.

Heritage Trust Network: Saving buildings, while saving the climate
Date & Time: Wednesday 14 September 2022 2-3.30pm
Location: Online
Hear from speakers on how to environmentally manage old and listed buildings and learn how to make them more self-sustainable and eco. Also, you will hear new facts and figures on why reusing buildings are more environmentally and sustainability friendly.

PAS: SP=EED Community Engagement Skills training
Date & Time: Thursday 15 September 2022 10am-3pm
Location: Online
Want to brush up on your community engagement skills? Join PAS next live ‘SP=EED’ training. SP=EED is a unique development programme designed to develop your skills and confidence in designing, delivering and evaluating effective community engagement.  
 
HES/AHSS/BEFS: Conservation Areas Seminar
Date & Time: Thursday 29 September 2022 10am-4:30pm
Location: Engine Shed, Stirling
Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS) and BEFS will host a day of discussions focussing on Conservation Areas, their management, designation, and exploring their role in creating good places. This event is aimed at anyone with a role in decision making within a Conservation Area, Local Authority officers and policy makers.
 
STBA and SPAB: Annual Conference – Sustaining Buildings 2022
Date & Time: 12 October 2022 9.30am-5pm
Location: Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh
The popular STBA / SPAB annual conference returns in-person this autumn for a full day of presentations and Q&A sessions by UK experts in the field. With retrofit and the green agenda firmly in the eye of the public, SPAB Scotland and STBA bring you a selection of speakers who will dive deeper into these topics and provide expert analysis of WUFI, embodied carbon analysis, training opportunities, and much more. 

SPAB: Repair of Old Buildings Course
Date & Time: 17 to 21 October 2022
Location: Online
The Repair of Old Buildings course delivers an extensive programme of lectures and recorded site visits demonstrating building repair projects, accompanied by a series of live online Q&A sessions with speakers and site hosts. Presented by leading building conservation professionals, the Repair Course considers British and international approaches to the conservation of old buildings.  The SPAB philosophy of repair and maintenance – established by William Morris in 1877 – underpins the course programme of case studies, presentations and site visits.
The SPAB has a small fund to allow it to award bursaries to individuals who might not otherwise be able to afford a place on the Repair Course.

Vacancies

 NTS Project Director: Hill House Conservation Project
Salary: £43,050-£47,667
Status: Full time, permanent
Location: Flexible within South & West Region
The National Trust for Scotland is now seeking an exceptional individual to lead the Hill House Conservation Project on behalf of the Trust.  The Hill House Conservation Project will embrace all heritage assets contained by the Hill House site in Helensburgh.  You will have a relevant degree and experience of managing similar multi-heritage projects at large scale.  You will be a confident leader with the highest of standards.  A collaborator and a consummate communicator able to take on a wide-ranging challenge and deliver excellence.
The Conservation of the fabric of the House is at the heart of the Project but restoring the garden, conserving the collection and interiors, interpretation, research and providing the best visitor experience are all key to success.  Fundraising will be required and outreach and engagement will be vital pillars of the Project, as will engaging with the many and varied stakeholder groups will be essential to success.
Closing date: Wednesday 7 September 2022

NTS Conservation Maintenance Surveyor
Salary: £36,523-£40,238
Status: Full time, permanent
Location: North East Scotland 
The National Trust for Scotland is looking for strong team players who are committed to conserving and sharing Scotland’s heritage.  Join the NTS Building Surveying Team and you will work with Scotland’s largest and most diverse portfolio of historic buildings and structures. This is a new role and you will be instrumental in shaping the way the Trust manages the conservation maintenance of its buildings, helping to build maintenance plans for each building and dealing with backlog maintenance projects.  
Closing date: 10am, Friday 9 September 2022

The Auchindrain Trust Conservation and Maintenance Supervisor/ Urras Achadh an Droighinn
Salary: £27,300
Status: Full time, permanent
Location: Auchindrain Historic Township, Argyll
As a result of the retirement of a long-serving member of staff, we are seeking to recruit a suitably-skilled and experienced person as Conservation & Maintenance Supervisor for the museum at Auchindrain Historic Township in Argyll. The post represents a rare opportunity for someone who would like to develop a career in the care, conservation and management of Scotland’s historic environment, with a strong emphasis on the use of traditional building skills in the modern world. Over time, the post-holder could expect to develop into being one of the quite small group of specialists and experts who give a lead to the traditional building skills sector in Scotland.
Closing date: 12 noon, Friday 7 October 2022
 

BEFS News

The high-level masonry assessments and work ongoing across many HES sites is a topic that’s received a lot of attention from the sector and general public. BEFS were pleased to see both a detailed blog piece from HES Director of Operations, Craig Mearns; and a short film addressing the actions being taken, and the challenges faced in this process. (Craig has also welcomed the invitation to BEFS Members’ Historic Environment Working Group (HEWG) meeting at the end of August.)

BEFS, along Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS) are really looking forward to hosting a seminar day in September, focussing on Conservation Areas, their management, designation, and exploring their role in creating good places. This event is aimed at anyone with a role in decision making within a Conservation Area, Local Authority officers and policy makers. We would love to see you there!
Thinking of Conservation, Edinburgh World Heritage are looking for a Conservation Programmes Officer. Do have a look at the Vacancies section below for more information.

RIAS have announced their shortlist for the prestigious Andrew Doolan Prize for Best Scottish Building. We’d never pick favourites, but we are pleased to see a restoration project included – High Sunderland – a 1957 Category A-listed modernist icon whose future was uncertain following a fire in 2017.

Six organisations, including a number of BEFS members, have recently signed up to a three year, 45 point action plan to jointly improve Equality, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) across the sector. These actions could have a positive impact on over 350,000 members across the sector organisations in question. BEFS look forward to seeing the outcomes of this plan.

BEFS would also like to congratulate Scotland’s new Chief Reporter, Scott Ferrie, whose appointment was confirmed last Thursday.

Next month (September) will bring us Doors Open Day, the popular festival that sees hundreds of sites across Scotland offer free access to buildings and events. The full programme of events will be released in mid-August, but in the meantime be sure to head to the Doors Open Days website to mark your diary for the 2022 weekends, and subscribe to the Doors Open Days newsletter to be notified when the programme goes live.

And finally:
BEFS, working closely with HES and the Scottish Government, will be holding a series of engagement events (online and in person) across August in relation to refreshing Our Place in Time, the national strategy for the historic environment. Invitations were sent out last week, and places are limited, so do please book via the related Eventbrite links should you wish to attend. As soon as the report from the Scottish Historic Environment Forum (SHEF) event is available we’ll be sharing the links via the Bulletin and our twitter feed.

Thinking of future OPiT – whilst the KPIs may change, the good work being done across the sector always needs to be captured. Due to Covid we haven’t been actively seeking new case studies for a wee while, but it’s essential we can illustrate a refreshed OPiT with excellent examples. The current case studies can all be found here – and you can submit new ones via this online form.  We look forward to seeing the fantastic activity taking place over the last few years.

Consultations 

Buildings at Risk Register (BARR)
Historic Environment Scotland
Closes 5 August 2022

Views on the impact of budgetary decisions including the Resource Spending Review on the culture sector in Scotland
Scottish Parliament Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Closes 19 August 2022

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: a consultation on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill
Scottish Government
Closes 22 August 2022

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: A Route Map to 2025 and beyond
Scottish Government
Closes 22 August 2022

Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation
Scottish Government
Closes 25 September 2022

New Build Heat Standard: consultation – part two
Scottish Government
**new** Closes 20 October 2022

Consultation Responses

Onshore wind policy statement refresh – draft: consultation analysis
Scottish Government

Local development planning – regulations and guidance: consultation responses
Scottish Government

Publications

A Wellbeing and Heritage Strategy for Historic England (Historic England May 2022)
Strategy document showing how HE aims to improve delivery, enhance the social impact of programmes, highlight inequities that heritage can challenge, and communicate the value of heritage. 

National Lottery Heritage Fund Annual Report and Accounts 2021-22
The 2021-22 Annual Report and Accounts for the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Toolkit for recording archaeological materials (CIfA July 2022)
Toolkit intended for use by anyone engaged in organising, managing or monitoring the records created during initial processing of archaeological materials recovered during an archaeological project.

Levelling Up and Sustainable Place Making (RICS July 2022)
RICS 10-point plan, ‘Levelling Up and Sustainable Placemaking’ sets out the overarching policy recommendations for the UK Government.

RIBA Construction Contacts and Law Report (RIBA July 2022)
The RIBA Construction Contracts and Law Report 2022 report details the findings of a survey of 950+ construction professionals on their experience of legal and contractual practice over the past twelve months, complemented by a series of articles from cross-sector experts.

Making a house a home: Why policy must focus on the ownership and distribution of housing (JRF July 2022)
Briefing setting out the argument underpinning a new area of work at JRF, around ownership and distribution of homes in the English housing market. It suggests proposals for reform, and highlights areas JRF want to explore.

A population-based retrospective study of the modifying effect of urban blue space on the impact of socioeconomic deprivation on mental health (Nature July 2022)
Findings from a study using population primary care health data in the North of Glasgow exploring whether living near blue space modifies the negative effect of socio-economic deprivation on mental health during the regeneration of an urban blue space (canal) from complete dereliction and closure.

Scottish Government Publications

Letter to Convener, Local Government, Housing & Planning Committee (11/07/22)
Correspondence from Tom Arthur, Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth, to Ariane Burgess on the estimated timescale for the final version of National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) being laid before the Parliament, and for the Committee’s scrutiny.

Controlling short-term lets (01/08/2022)
Statement outlining how Edinburgh will become Scotland’s first designated Short-Term Let Control Area after the Scottish Government approved the City of Edinburgh Council’s proposed change to planning requirements.

New Releases

Celebrating a growing relationship with the Council for British Archaeology
Elia McQueen celebrates a strengthening relationship between Archaeology Scotland and the Council for British Archaeology.
 
New Bill proposed to prevent local planning decisions being overruled
Conservative MSP Miles Briggs is to bring forward new legislation that will ensure no planning decisions made locally would be overturned after highlighting new figures local authorities were overruled on almost half of all planning appeals in the last year.

Celebrating excellence in retrofit and reuse in the built environment
The 2023 AJ Retrofit Awards, brought to you by The Architects’ Journal, are looking for entrants. The awards recognise and celebrate the design expertise behind the vital renewal and repurposing of existing buildings, setting a precedent for ways to slash the industry’s carbon footprint in the process. 
 
New partnership to help tackle empty homes in Scotland’s rural and island communities
Tighean Innse Gall (TIG) and the Scottish Empty Homes Partnership (SEHP) have launched a joint project to tackle the issue of empty homes in Outer Hebrides.

Creating a more diverse, equitable and inclusive built environment sector – Action plan
Six built environment bodies jointly commit to a three-year action plan to improve equity, diversity and inclusion. 

A subterranean secret
Forestry and Land Scotland blog on surveying the remote Iron Age souterrain (or cellar) of Cracknie in Borgie Forest in Sutherland using laser scanning techniques.  

Funding for 57 New Projects Across England That Will Tell the Untold Stories of Our Nation’s Working-Class Heritage
These new projects will reveal and celebrate untold stories from across England: from the distinct history of the Dunston Staiths – a coal drop for ships in Gateshead, to the stories of the colliers, iron workers, and traveller communities that used tin chapels in the Forest of Dean. 

Oh we do like to be beside the seaside! Funding awarded to revitalise historic Scottish harbour buildings
The Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) is delighted to have awarded two new grants to projects aiming to revitalise historic harbour buildings in both Portsoy and Annan.

Opinion & Comment

Scots Gov is accused of ignoring experts after overturning almost half of all appealed planning decisions (The Herald 24/07/22)
 
Reducing embodied carbon in building products for a sustainable future (PBC today 26/07/22)

Homes for Scotland questions quality of local planning decisions (Scottish Housing News 27/07/22)

Architects and designers must embrace the circular economy (Project Scotland 27/07/22)

Climate change: Huge public demand for eco-friendly homes means council planning departments need proper funding (Edinburgh Evening News 28/07/22)

Why urban design needs to integrate nature (RICS Built Environment Journal 28/07/22)

Why the mysterious Scottish broch is making a return (BBC 28/07/2022)
 
Dereliction threat to Scotland’s canals from financial restrictions hampering regeneration (The Scotsman 31/07/22)

Behind the scenes: a monumental challenge (HES Blog 01/08/2022)

Catherine Cartmell: Scotland’s built heritage highlights why it’s so important to invest in skills (Press & Journal 02/08/2022)

Parliamentary Questions 

Scottish Parliament is in recess until 4th September.
 
Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament. Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.  
 
S6W-09932: Donald Cameron, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 25 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many projects have (a) applied for and (b) received funding from the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme since it was created, broken down by (i) local authority area and (ii) the value of each project award. Answer expected on 22 August 2022

S6W-10002: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 26 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what its strategy is to deliver public advice and messaging regarding a transition to renewable heat sources in order to ensure that homeowners can access comprehensive advice in relation to the decarbonisation of homes. Answer expected on 23 August 2022

S6W-10119: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 1 August 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have benefitted from the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund as of 30 July 2022, and what the average cost per property is. Answer expected on 29 August 2022

Parliamentary Questions and Answers

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament. Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.   
 
S6W-09251: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the average day rate is of the contractors in its Cladding Remediation Unit.
Answered on 21 July 2022

S6W-09252: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many contractors have worked and (b) what the expenditure has been on contractors, in its Cladding Remediation Unit in each of the last 12 months.
Answered on 21 July 2022

S6W-09628: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 5 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many community-run retrofit organisations does it fund.
Answered on 27 July 2022

S6W-10001: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 26 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what skills strategy it has in place to ensure that Scotland has sufficient professionals to advise homeowners on their transition to clean energy and carry out installation and maintenance.
Answered on 2 August 2022

Events

For the full list of BEFS Members’ upcoming events see our events calendar.
 
Green Home Festival 2022
Date & Time: 8-12 August 2022
Location: Online and in person 
Running from 8-12 August, the Green Home Festival will feature 12 shows, which are all free to attend. Some will be in-person and hosted at the offices of RICS in Edinburgh, others will be delivered online via webinar or on-site at other locations around the city. The climate emergency, net zero and soaring energy prices are the driving factors behind the Green Home Festival. Explore events such as, Retrofitting a Traditional Tenement or Transforming a Listed Museum.
 
Whose Town Is It Anyway? (Part of Festival of Politics)
Date & Time: Thursday 11 August 2022 12.30-1.30pm
Location: Online 
Who holds the power in town centres – is it the developer, the chain stores, or the investors? Do they really have the town centre interest at heart or does the profit margin supersede community? How can the community and independent retailers take control and does free parking at out-of- town centres trump local community any day? Join the debate on how we build in climate, social inclusion and health and well-being to every town centre in Scotland.
Supported by the Cross-Party Group on Towns and Town Centres.
 
Understanding Ghost Signs: Ghost Signs of Glasgow Tour and Sign Writing Workshop with Women’s Type Foundry
Date & Time:  Saturday 20 August 2022 10.30am-5pm
Location: George Square, Glasgow and GCHT office, Bell Street
Ghost Signs of Glasgow is a project which unearths the stories behind old signs and shopfronts of the city by researching and documenting them. These ghost signs, the fading remains of old painted signs on buildings, provide an invaluable insight into Glasgow’s architectural, social and cultural history. Many ghost signs hide in plain sight in the urban landscape around them, leaving a tangible part of Glasgow’s heritage vulnerable to being lost forever. In the afternoon you’ll get to participate in a sign painting workshop with Women’s Type Foundry, a female-led design, research and typography studio based in Glasgow.
 
Live podcast recording: “Preserving historic hospitals: the Royal Infirmary”- Friends of Glasgow Royal Infirmary in conversation with Niall Murphy
Date & Time: Wednesday 24th August 2022 7-8.30pm
Join us for an exclusive live recording event of a new episode of GCHT’s very own podcast. ‘If Glasgow’s Walls Could Talk’ explores the relationships between the city’s historic buildings and places and its communities. Each episode focuses on a specific area or type of building, not only from a historical and architectural point of view, but also from the perspective of the community. Here you will have the chance to listen to GCHT Deputy Director Niall Murphy interviewing Dr Hilary Wilson and Dr Kate Stevens, both Trustees of Friends of Glasgow Royal Infirmary.
 
STBF – Festival of Traditional Buildings
Date & Time: Monday 22 – Friday 26 August 2022
Location: Edinburgh and online (hybrid)
This will be the 10th Festival of Traditional Buildings, with a rebranding from Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival. In the last two years the event has been hosted online due to the pandemic, creating a truly global audience. Whilst the team are delighted to be back delivering the festival in-person, this will be a hybrid event so those unable to attend in person are still able to participate in the events.
 
From Slogans to Sound Strategy? The 2022 SURF Annual Conference
Date & Time: Thursday 25 August 2022 10am-3pm
Location: COSLA Conference Centre, Edinburgh
Anyone involved with the regeneration of Scottish places, is very likely to have heard repeated references to Community Wealth Building and Levelling Up in recent times. SURF’s 2022 Annual Conference will critically examine policy and practice developments associated with both concepts, with particular reference to the Argyll & Bute town of Dunoon.
 
Broomhall House, Charlestown and the Lime Kilns
Date & Time: Saturday 27 August 2022 9am-6pm
Join AHSS on a tour of Broomhall House, the home of the Bruce family for more than 300 years. It continues to be lived in, and cared for, by the descendants of King Robert the Bruce. This will be followed by a visit to the historic “planned” village of Charlestown, which pre-dates New Lanark, and sits on the Broomhall Estate. The tour of Broomhall will end with a visit to the Charlestown Lime Kilns, which are regarded as one of the most important Industrial Revolution remains in the UK.
 
Doors Open Days
Date & Time: Weekends in September
Location: Various across Scotland
Doors Open Days, the popular festival that sees hundreds of sites across Scotland offer free access to buildings and events, will return in September! The full programme of events will be released in mid-August, but in the meantime be sure to head to the Doors Open Days website to mark your diary for the 2022 weekends, and subscribe to the Doors Open Days e-newsletter to be notified when the programme goes live!
 
Scottish Archaeology Fair 2022
Date & Time: Sunday 4 September 2022
Location: Castle Douglas Town Hall and the Carlingwark Park and Activity Centre
Archaeology Scotland and Galloway Glens are bringing the Scottish Archaeology Fair back this year after a two-year pause following Covid restrictions. The event will officially launch this year’s Scottish Archaeology Month and the celebration of the conclusion of the outstanding Can You Dig It? community archaeology project.  Archaeology Scotland and Galloway Glens aim to raise the profile of Scottish Archaeology and provide a space for everyone to connect with, learn from and enjoy their local heritage and archaeology.  

Training

Practising ethical competence in archaeology
Date & Time: Wednesday, 24 August 2022
Location: Online
Ethical behaviour is not innate: it is learned and practiced in the real world – or in a safe environment like this workshop. Using case studies developed from real-life experiences in archaeological practice, scenarios in this workshop allow participants to explore what happens when different roles in commercial fieldwork have conflicting motivations and the ethical dimensions of going beyond the contract when that happens.
 
The Structural Repair of Historic Buildings
Date & Time: Friday 26 August 2022
Location: Charlestown Workshops, Charlestown, Fife
This masterclass led by Ian Hume, aims to provide professionals with a sound understanding of the philosophy of conservation.
Participants will gain a better understanding of the relationship between structural engineering and conservation, of safety issues and of the aesthetics of conservation based structural repairs.
 
PAS, SP=EED Community Engagement Skills training
Date & Time: Thursday 15 September 2022 10am-3pm
Location: Online
Want to brush up on your community engagement skills? Join PAS next live ‘SP=EED’ training. SP=EED is a unique development programme designed to develop your skills and confidence in designing, delivering and evaluating effective community engagement.  
 
Conservation Areas Seminar
Date & Time: Thursday 29 September 2022 10am-4:30pm
Location: Engine Shed, Stirling
Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS) and BEFS will host a day of discussions focussing on Conservation Areas, their management, designation, and exploring their role in creating good places. This event is aimed at anyone with a role in decision making within a Conservation Area, Local Authority officers and policy makers.
 
STBA and SPAB Annual Conference – Sustaining Buildings 20222
Date & Time: 12 October 2022 9.30am-5pm
Location: Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh
The popular STBA / SPAB annual conference returns in-person this autumn for a full day of presentations and Q&A sessions by UK experts in the field. With retrofit and the green agenda firmly in the eye of the public, SPAB Scotland and STBA bring you a selection of speakers who will dive deeper into these topics and provide expert analysis of WUFI, embodied carbon analysis, training opportunities, and much more. 

Vacancies

Development Officer
Salary: £29,500 pro rata
Status: 0.8FTE (with potential for full-time if preferred)
Location: Glasgow or home-based
This is an exciting opportunity to join a small but busy team – supporting aspiring and post-purchase community landowners, building networks and raising awareness of community landownership. The postholder will provide support to communities in South, Central and Eastern Scotland.
Closing date: 5pm, Monday 8 August 2022

Edinburgh World Heritage – Conservation Programmes Officer
Salary: £28,840-£30,900
Status: Full time, permanent 
Location: Edinburgh
EWH are looking for a Conservation Programmes Officer to support the conservation and enhancement of the built heritage and public spaces across the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site, working with stakeholders and communities to deliver meaningful projects. Experienced in the delivery of best practice conservation repair and maintenance projects and bringing exceptional organisational and planning skills, you will help to conserve the city through the investment of approximately £1.75m per year from Historic Environment Scotland.
Closing date: 10am, Monday 15 August 2022
 
NTS Conservation Maintenance Surveyor
Salary: £36,523-£40,238
Status: Full time, permanent
Location: North East Scotland 
The National Trust for Scotland is looking for strong team players who are committed to conserving and sharing Scotland’s heritage.  Join the NTS Building Surveying Team and you will work with Scotland’s largest and most diverse portfolio of historic buildings and structures. This is a new role and you will be instrumental in shaping the way the Trust manages the conservation maintenance of its buildings, helping to build maintenance plans for each building and dealing with backlog maintenance projects.  
Closing date: 10am, Friday 9 September 2022 

BEFS News

BEFS are delighted to welcome our new Communications Manager, Kelda McLean. Kelda joins us from (and continues with) Glasgow Centre for Population Health. Her experience and interests, as well as considerable skill, are a fantastic addition to the team.

As we consider flicking through the various Edinburgh Festivals programmes for August, BEFS would like to champion the multiple events for the 10^th Anniversary of Festival of Traditional Buildings. This festival is coordinated by the Scottish Traditional Buildings Forum, free to attend, and features an amazing variety of traditional skills, hands-on demonstrations, fascinating talks, and supports maintaining our traditionally built homes and buildings for a sustainable future.

With traditional buildings in mind, BEFS are also delighted to see the expansion of the Traditional Building Health Check scheme into Dunblane and Blairlogie.

BEFS congratulates all three winners of the IHBC Marsh Awards. We’re enormously proud that Jess Burrows (recently ‘of this parish’ – as Communications Manager) was one of the recipients for her insightful and considered work on Conservation Area Regeneration Schemes.

HES need your views:
There are surveys out in relation to the reimagining of the Buildings at Risk Register (BARR) where HES need to know what would be most useful for its future – closing 5th August. And, views are sought on MyCanmore, and how the restrictions of Covid19 changed the use of this site, this closes 31st July.

The annual SURF Awards are now open and full details on how to nominate, and the categories, can be found here. These Awards celebrate the best of community regeneration across Scotland. SPAB have also opened the Philip Webb Award, this is for early-stage career architects. The brief is to devise a scheme which sympathetically revitalises a historic building for reuse through careful repair of existing fabric and a significant element of new construction in a contemporary design. (Closing date 12^th September). For those who can’t wait on seeing the shortlists for those awards, announced today (21st July) the shortlist for the RIBA Stirling Prize has just been released.

The National Lottery Heritage Fund has launched a new heritage Innovation fund. The initiative is intended to involve three phases: Explore: defining the problem and developing potential solutions; Test: putting promising prototypes into practice and gathering evidence of what works; and Grow: implementing findings more widely within organisations and across the sector. Applications are now open for the initial Explore phase with grants of up to £25,000.

Following from a recent survey of local civic and heritage across Scotland, the Scottish Civic Trust have begun to develop a suite of inclusive heritage resources to support local groups in reaching new and more diverse audiences.

And finally, there’s a great opportunity to see heritage from around Europe through the series of short films of this year’s winners of the European Heritage Awards from Europa Nostra – congratulations to all winners and nominees.

Consultations 

Proposed Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill: Consultation by Alex Rowley MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Region
Closes 27 July 

Review of permitted development rights – phase 2 consultation
Scottish Government
Closes 3 August

Buildings at Risk Register (BARR): HES
Survey focusing on the reimagining of the BARR
**NEW Closes 5 August**

Views on the impact of budgetary decisions including the Resource Spending Review on the culture sector in Scotland
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Closes 19 August

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: a consultation on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill
Scottish Government
Closes 22 August 

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: A Route Map to 2025 and beyond
Scottish Government
Closes 22 August

Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation
Scottish Government
Closes 25 September

Publications

Cultural Policy Tracker (Encatc April 2022)
Five new articles from the European network on cultural management and policy, Encatc, Cultural Policy Tracker, which is a quarterly publication gathering contributions from the members of their Culture Post Covid-19 Think Tank.

Scottish Third Sector Tracker Wave 3 Findings (SCVO Spring 2022)
Update on the health of the sector, and issues being faced, based on a survey of 457 third sector organisations based or operating in Scotland.

The facade of power and the power of the facade: memory and meaning in Victorian cities (Richard Rodger, Urban History Journal June 2022)
This article is a contribution the buildings bring to the sense of making places. It seeks to bring the social history of urban spaces into sharper focus by exploring what memory does to places and what places do to memory.  Leicester and Edinburgh provide the two detailed, comparative studies.

Future Planners Project Report (RTPI July 2022)
Key findings on the promotion, recruitment retention of Planners in Scotland with recommendations, including the need to introduce new initiatives to increase the number of planners working in Scotland.

Scotland’s Colleges 2022 (Audit Scotland July 2022)
An assessment on the performance of Scotland’s colleges during the period 2020-21.

Why EPCs need to accommodate measured input (Luke Smith, RICS Built Environment Journal 2022)
Regulatory reliance on energy performance certification fails to acknowledge that the process itself depends on a range of assumptions that skew our understanding of building performance.

Managing sustainable impact: A tool for calculating carbon (Built Environment – Smarter Transformation July 2022)
BE-ST resource for calculating carbon for industry on its journey to zero carbon.

How to scale a highly skilled heat pump industry (Nesta July 2022)
The current state of the heat pump market from a skills, training and productivity perspective and ways of increasing the supply chain’s capacity to install heat pumps.

Historic Environment (Wales) Bill (Senedd Cymru July 2022)
The Bill includes provision to consolidate legislation relating to the historic environment in Wales. It provides for the protection of monuments, buildings and conservation areas by bringing together and restating already-existing legislation (both primary and secondary) in one place.

Happy Homes: Cooperation, Community and the Edinburgh Colonies (Richard Rodger July 2022)
An exploration of the history of Edinburgh’s ‘Colonies’ housing – what they are, their enduring appeal and the role of women in their construction through the Edinburgh Cooperative Building Company.

Leading the Change Together – A National Impact Agenda for the Preservation Movement (US National Trust for Historic Preservation July 2022)
Contains seven goals that aspire to represent end-state positive outcomes for the preservation field.

SAIR 99: Two Iron Age duns in western Scotland: excavations at Barnluasgan and Balure, North Knapdale, Argyll (Roddy Regan and Ewan Campbell, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland July 2022)
This report discusses the excavation of two stone-walled duns situated in North Knapdale, Argyll and Bute, led by Kilmartin Museum.

Scottish Government Publications

How is Scotland Performing? (11/07/22)
This blog provides a snapshot of the current performance of the National Performance Framework (NPF) 81 National Indicators.

Edinburgh Declaration on post-2020 global biodiversity framework (15/07/22)
Setting out the aspirations and commitments of the Scottish Government, Edinburgh Process partners, and the wider subnational constituency of the Convention on Biological Diversity, in delivering for nature over the coming decade.

News Releases

Victoria Hospital in Kirkcaldy recognised with listing status
Significant examples of Modernist post-war hospital design celebrated for architectural and historic interest.

Peter Reekie: Help us transform Scotland’s construction sector
Peter Reekie, CEO of the Scottish Futures Trust and chair of the executive group of the Scottish Construction Leadership Forum (CLF), calls on the construction sector to embrace transformation.

TBHC Scheme now open to properties in Dunblane and Blairlogie
After the successful trial expansion to Bridge of Allan, the Traditional Buildings Health Check scheme is extending the expansion trial to Dunblane and Blairlogie.

RIBA unveils shortlist for 2022 Stirling Prize
Mæ and Panter Hudspith join veterans Hopkins, Reiach and Hall, Niall McLaughlin and Henley Halebrown in final fray for UK’s highest architecture accolade.

Opinion & Comment

Edinburgh council’s tenement repairs app is copied by other Scottish councils (Edinburgh News 19/07/22)

‘It’s like an oven’: Life in Britain’s hottest neighbourhoods (BBC 18/07/22)

Climate-wrecking air conditioning units aren’t the only way to survive a heatwave (The Guardian 15/07/22)

Uncovering the Secrets of Scotland’s Only Industrial Ghost Town in Galloway (Dumfries and Galloway What’s Going On 13/07/22)

Housebuilder goes to court over planning refusal (Inverclyde Now 13/07/22)

Former hospital in Dumfries to become £15m cultural site (Arts Professional 12/07/22)

New sketches released of how a redesigned George Square in Glasgow could look (Evening Times 11/07/22)

Big Read: Is Edinburgh beating Glasgow in race to save built heritage? (The Herald 09/07/22)

St Andrews Cathedral reopens graves of world famous golfers to the public (The National 08/07/22)

What Is the Environmental Impact of Each Building Material? (Arch Daily 07/07/22)

Clandon Park: National Trust reveals ‘laid-bare’ design for fire-hit house (BBC 06/07/22)

National Lottery: DCMS predicts £65m boost for good causes (Arts Professional 05/07/22)

Parliamentary Questions and Answers

Scottish Parliament is in recess until 4^th September 
Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament. Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.

S6W-08710: Maurice Golden, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 26 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a breakdown, by local authority area, of the area of green space currently being created and/or restored through projects funded by (a) the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme and (b) the Nature Restoration Fund. Answered on 14/06/2022

S6W-09404: Brian Whittle, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 28 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when it will submit the final draft of the fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) to the Parliament. Answered on 06/07/2022

S6W-09368: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 27 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish the updated draft fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4), and whether it will consult on the updated draft NPF4 once it is published. Answered on 06/07/2022

S6W-09579: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 4 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-01292 by Patrick Harvie on 29 June 2022, whether it will publish the referenced data on heat pumps. Answered on 08/07/2022

S6W-09263: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether the estimated £33 billion required to decarbonise heating in Scotland’s homes, as set out in the Heat in Buildings Strategy, is still currently an accurate assessment of the cost, and, if not, what the revised estimate is.
Answered on 08/07/2022

S6W-09262: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what percentage of homes available for social rent it estimates currently have an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) rating of band C or above. Answered on 08/07/2022

S6W-09298: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) encourage applications and (b) make an application itself for Scottish sites to feature on a new tentative list of natural, cultural and mixed sites for potential nomination for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List. Answered on 08/07/22

S6W-09270: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what consideration it has given to the NESTA report, Estimating the willingness to pay for a heat pump, in determining the level of financial support that it will provide to householders, and the contribution of heat pumps, to meet its target for the rate of zero carbon heating system installations in new and existing homes and buildings to double every year from the current baseline to at least 64,000 installations in 2025. Answered on 12/07/2022

S6W-09621: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 5 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what work it is doing to enable digital surveys to take place on buildings suspected of having combustible cladding. Answered on 19/07/2022

S6W-09643: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 6 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what information it holds on how many empty homes there have been in each local authority area in each year since 1999. Answered on 19/07/2022

S6W-09618: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 5 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many and (b) what the value is of tenders for the Single Building Assessment service that have been placed through Public Contract Scotland (i) to date and (ii) are expected in the next year of the programme. Answered on 19/07/2022

S6W-09722: Stephen Kerr, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 12 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment, including calculations, it undertakes to understand any additional cost burden that is expected to fall on local authorities when new policy requirements that are to be delivered at local authority level are introduced. Answered on 19/07/2022 

S6W-09723: Stephen Kerr, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 12 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what proportion of new policies introduced for roll-out by local authorities in the last two years have had additional local authority capacity resource attached to them to ensure delivery. Answered on 19/07/2022

S6W-09593: Craig Hoy, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 5 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-00751 by Tom Arthur on 5 July 2021, whether it will provide an update on how many empty commercial properties there have been in each local authority area in the South Scotland parliamentary region, in each year since 2007. Answered on 19/07/2022

S6W-09619: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 5 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what data and information it collects on (a) remediation and (b) removal of combustible cladding from affected householders and property factors outside of the Single Building Assessment programme. Answered on 19/07/2022

S6W-09248: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many surveyors and fire engineers it has procured to carry out single building assessments. Answered on 20/07/2022

S6W-09249: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many single building assessments it has offered directly to date. Answered on 20/07/2022

S6W-09250: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 80 unique blocks that submitted an expression of interest in the single building assessment it has written to. Answered on 20/07/2022

Events

For the full list of BEFS Members’ upcoming events see our events calendar.

STBF – Festival of Traditional Buildings
Date & Time: Monday 22 – Friday 26 August
Location: Edinburgh and online (hybrid)
This will be the 10th Scottish Traditional Buildings Forum Festival of Traditional Buildings, with a rebranding from Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival. In the last two years the event has been hosted online due to the pandemic, creating a truly global audience. Whilst the team are delighted to be back delivering the festival in-person, this will be a hybrid event so those unable to attend in person are still able to participate in the events.
Full details also available here.

From Slogans to Sound Strategy? The 2022 SURF Annual Conference
Date & Time: Thursday 25 August 10am-3pm
Location: COSLA Conference Centre, Edinburgh
Anyone involved with the regeneration of Scottish places, is very likely to have heard repeated references to Community Wealth Building and Levelling Up in recent times. SURF’s 2022 Annual Conference will critically examine policy and practice developments associated with both concepts, with particular reference to the Argyll & Bute town of Dunoon.
Participants will learn about national policy developments associated with the new regeneration context from the Scottish and UK Governments, and hear emerging lessons on the ground from Dunoon and elsewhere in Scotland.

Growing Your Community – Carluke High Mill
Date & Time: Tuesday 6 September 9.30am-2.30pm
Location: Carluke High Mill, Carluke
Join Heritage Trust Network on 6^th September for a visit to Carluke High Mill.
Hear from a fantastic team who have made huge progress in connecting with their community, whilst progressing towards a major heritage regeneration project. There will also be plenty of time to get to know other attendees, hear from projects across the country and chat with funders.

Study Day: The Hill House and Hermitage Park, Helensburgh
Date & Time: Saturday 10 September
Location: Hill House and Heritage Park, Helensburgh
Scotland’s Garden and Landscape Heritage are hosting a study day at Mackintosh’s Hill House and nearby Heritage Park. It will start with a walk along the Hill House Box gantries, with an opportunity to meet the NTS gardener and lunch provided at The Hill House on the roof-top cafe comprising soup, sandwich, tea, coffee and a sweet treat.  After lunch there is a guided tour of the town’s recently restored Hermitage Park led by project landscape architect Jon Simmons, CMLI between 1.30-2.30pm

Walk & Talk: Maintenance in Edinburgh’s Old Town (Part of Doors Open Day 2022)
Date & Time: Sunday 25 September 10.30am
This tour will be presented by Estelle Meyer, architectural historian and tour guide from Cobbletales.  She will be joined by Nic Boyes, SPAB Scotland Guardian and stone conservation expert. Between them, you will hear some history of the buildings, but also be encouraged to look up, so spot the maintenance issues, to discuss past and possible future repairs.  We hope this will be a lively and interesting roving debate!

Training

Arts & Business Scotland Heritage Chairs Knowledge Exchange
Date & Time: Various sessions from Tuesday 26 July onwards
Location:  Both online and at Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh
Arts & Business Scotland’s Building Capacity: Developing Skills programme is providing a limited number of fantastic opportunities for Chairs of heritage organisations or mixed arts/heritage organisations to network and learn from governance experts and peers.

Finzean Watermills Working Party
Date & Time: 14-18 September
Location: Finzean, Aberdeenshire
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) Scotland Working Party is at Finzean, Aberdeenshire this year. The work you will be undertaking will be to repair various parts of these largely timber mill buildings.  We will be repairing wooden guttering, mending broken or missing sections of the timber lade which brings water to the mill, creating a stock of paddles for the water wheels, doing a small amount of masonry / lime mortar work, and other small repair works. No prior experience in any aspect is necessary.  All we ask is an enthusiasm to learn, and a willingness to try your hand at new skills under instruction!

The Point by Dandara – Site Visit
Date & Time: 15 September 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Schoolhill, Aberdeen
The Point by Dandara is a Built to Rent development of 342 fully furnished studios, 1-bedroom apartments and co-living suites which are designed to offer a fuss-free way to live and rent. Its development has transformed a vacant derelict brownfield site in the heart of Aberdeen and brought housing back into the city centre. In addition to this, its development has also enabled refurbishment of the Category C listed Spire that sits in the heart of the site. Please join the RTPI for a fascinating tour of this development led by Dandara’s Austin McGuire.

Planning Aid Scotland, SP=EED Community Engagement Skills training
Date & Time: Thursday 15 September, 10am-3pm
Location: Online
Want to brush up on your community engagement skills? Join our next live ‘SP=EED’ training, Thursday 15 September 2022. SP=EED is a unique development programme designed to develop your skills and confidence in designing, delivering and evaluating effective community engagement.  Web link for booking/more information.

Conservation Areas Seminar
Date & Time: Thursday 29 September 10am-4:30pm
Location: Engine Shed, Stirling
Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS) and BEFS will host a day of discussions focussing on Conservation Areas, their management, designation, and exploring their role in creating good places. This event is aimed at anyone with a role in decision making within a Conservation Area, Local Authority officers and policy makers.

STBA and SPAB Annual Conference – Sustaining Buildings 2022
Date & Time: 12 October 9.30am-5pm
Location: Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh
This is an in-person only event.
The popular STBA / SPAB annual conference returns in-person this autumn for a full day of presentations and Q&A sessions by UK experts in the field. With retrofit and the green agenda firmly in the eye of the public, SPAB Scotland and STBA bring you a selection of speakers who will dive deeper into these topics and provide expert analysis of WUFI, embodied carbon analysis, training opportunities, and much more.

Vacancies

Glasgow City Heritage Trust Heritage Officer – Activities
Salary: £21,000
Status: Temp (Maternity cover)
Location: Glasgow
An exciting opportunity has become available for an Activities Officer to support the implementation of the Trust’s new Historic Built Environment Activities programme for the benefit of all people living, working in and visiting Glasgow. As part of our Activities Team, this will involve the planning and co-ordination of a range of events, including talks and debates, tours, practical workshops and training opportunities for both a professional audience and the general public. You will also assist with a number of other projects designed to achieve our strategic objectives, such as community engagement workshops.
Closing date: 12 noon, Friday 29 July 2022

Stirling City Heritage Trust Part-time Office Manager
Salary: £28,000 – £30,000 (FTE)
Status: Fixed Term until 31 March 2023 (with possibility of extension subject to funding)
Stirling City Heritage Trust are seeking an enthusiastic Office Manager to join their small team in Stirling.  Set up in 2004, it is one of 7 City Heritage Trusts operating in Scotland.
We are seeking an enthusiastic Office Manager to join our small team based at The Barracks in Stirling.
Closing date: 12 noon, Thursday 4 August 2022 

BEFS News

Professor Douglas Robertson, and BEFS Director briefly gave comment within Why Buildings Collapse highlighting the importance of building maintenance, and robust building data. Further information on activity within Scotland on this topic can be found here.

BEFS Director was also asked to contribute to a panel session on shaping the future direction of Scotland’s heritage sector, at the recent Scottish Historic Environment Forum (SHEF) conference. BEFS will be working with HES on engagement across the sector to inform the updated Our Place in Time national strategy, helping ensure it is fit for the future.

Looking to the future, Scottish Civic Trust have just released their findings from a survey of local civic and heritage groups. They recently discussed the initial findings, and highlighted a range of inclusive resources on their website.

In strategic news, leading heritage organisations have partnered to create a UK-wide Climate Hazards Group. And, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Scotland has announced £2million funding to help the heritage sector build back after the pandemic.

In awards news, Europa Nostra have announced the 2022 winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards, funded by the EU Creative Europe programme. The winners of the inaugural RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence have been announced. And, two buildings, selected from the Scotland regional heat, have been shortlisted for the national RIBA awards.

Congratulations to Chris Stewart who has been elected RIAS president. And a warm welcome to: Samantha McCabe and Dr Georgiana Varna who have been appointed to the board of Architecture and Design Scotland (AD&S).

BEFS are pleased to welcome Under One Roof as our latest member. They undertake vital work providing impartial advice on repairs and maintenance for flat owners across Scotland.

And finally: BEFS Member SPAB have the following offer this month – 20% off membership throughout July. From cottages to castles and from churches to cathedrals, SPAB help buildings and the people who care for them. For a limited time only get 20% off your first year of membership using discount code JULY20.

Consultations

Proposed Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill:
Consultation by Alex Rowley MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Region
Closes 27 July

Review of permitted development rights – phase 2 consultation
Scottish Government
Closes 3 August

Views on the impact of budgetary decisions including the Resource Spending Review on the culture sector in Scotland
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
*new* Closes 19 August

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: a consultation on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill
Scottish Government
Closes 22 August

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: A Route Map to 2025 and beyond
Scottish Government
Closes 22 August

Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation
Scottish Government
*new* Closes 25 Sep 2022

Consultation Responses

The Architects Registration Board: Report on Consultation regarding Draft Guidance for Professional Indemnity Insurance.
RIAS

Analysis of responses to 2021 public consultation on a review of building standards relating to energy standards and associated topics, including ventilation, overheating and electric vehicle charging infrastructure.
Scottish Government

Publications

Rural Planning in the 2020s (RTPI July 2022)
A report detailing the changing face of rural areas across the UK and Ireland.

How to combine action on housing retrofit with tackling health inequalities and other injustices (CaCHE June 2022)
A briefing paper on the interconnected policy priorities that retrofitting homes can contribute to, whilst taking a Whole Systems Approach to retrofitting as a public health issue

Heritage Sector Resilience Plan 2022-24 (Historic Environment Forum June 2022)
Plan to provide a clear roadmap to a robust and resilient heritage sector, via a collaborative approach in which everyone with an interest plays their part.

Historic Environment Overview (HE, June 2022)
The Historic Environment Overview forms part of Heritage Counts, the annual audit of England’s heritage since 2002.

Culture Budget Tracker – Comparing 10 Years of Scottish Government Budgets (Culture Counts June 2022)
An interactive data visualisation to explore past Scottish Government culture budgets

Rethinking Heritage for Sustainable Development (Sophia Labadi June 2022)
A substantial and original assessment of whether and how heritage has contributed to three key dimensions of sustainable development

Scottish Government Publications

Stakeholders Update (01/07/22)
Planning Minister Tom Arthur and Chief Planner Fiona Simpson’s letter to update stakeholders on aspects of the work programme, heading into the summer recess period.

Building Standards Workforce Data Analysis Report 2021 (24/06/22)
Report providing a national-level view of the challenges facing the building standards profession in relation to resourcing, development of competencies and levels of turnover.

Planning Circular (30/06/22)
Providing guidance on the Town and Country Planning (Fees for Applications) (Scotland) Regulations 2022

Wellbeing Economy Monitor (24/06/22)
Monitor of a range of indicators providing a baseline for assessing progress towards the development of a wellbeing economy in Scotland.

Resource Spending Review and Pre-Budget Scrutiny (22/06/22)
Summary analysis of some of the key issues arising from the recent Scottish Government Resource Spending Review (RSR)

NPF4 (22/06/22)
Response to Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee on an update on final version of NPF4

Building a Net Zero Future (15/06/22)
New regulations to cut emissions of all new-build homes by nearly a third.

News Releases

Launch of the first National Survey for Scotland’s museums and galleries in 20 years.
The survey will help to capture where the strengths are in the sector, and the areas where Scotland’s museums and galleries most need support.

Hands on Experience of Traditional Building Skills for young people in Paisley
Pupils in Renfrewshire get to grips with traditional building skills at a career-building event

Glencoe turf house keeps heritage building skills alive
The recreation 17th-century turf house was created using traditional materials, tools and techniques.

Successful Heritage Regeneration Programme Has Revived Historic Towns Across England
From Weston-super-Mare to Sunderland, 10 Historic England-funded Heritage Action Zones have been a powerful catalyst for regeneration.

Designing Buildings celebrates 10 years offering a free, open access wiki site for the construction industry
Practitioners share knowledge about things they know and find knowledge about things they don’t.

Spotlight on Britain’s rich heritage of traditional crafts
A new series from Sky Arts, The Prince’s Master Crafters: The Next Generation, will be airing later this year.

Opinion & Comment

Eiffel Tower riddled with rust and in need of repair (Guardian 04/02/22)

Over 100,000 homes in Scotland have nobody living in them – with some lying empty for decades (Daily Record 03/07/22)

Staffing crisis hits top Scottish tourist attractions (The Herald 01/07/22)

Who’s betting on Lottery funding? (Arts Professional 30/06/22)

Data provides opportunity for tourism and environment (The Scotsman 30/06/22)

Call to re-open Fife’s historic buildings as soon as possible after inspections (Fife Today 30/06/22)

Challenges on every front, but tourism will deliver for Scotland this summer (The Herald 28/06/22)

Andy Wightman: In modern Scotland, power is becoming more centralised (Holyrood Magazine 23/06/22)

The Greenest Building is the One Already Built (IHBC 19/06/22)

Departing Stores and Place Vandalism (Leigh Sparks 15/06/22)

Emma Dickson: Why the construction industry needs to investigate alternative paths to entry to address ongoing pain of skills shortages (Scottish Construction Now 14/06/22)

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”.

S6W-09248: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many surveyors and fire engineers it has procured to carry out single building assessments.
Answer expected on 21 July 2022

S6W-09249: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many single building assessments it has offered directly to date.
Answer expected on 21 July 2022

S6W-09250: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many of the 80 unique blocks that submitted an expression of interest in the single building assessment it has written to.
Answer expected on 21 July 2022

S6W-09251: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what the average day rate is of the contractors in its Cladding Remediation Unit.
Answer expected on 21 July 2022

S6W-09252: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many contractors have worked and (b) what the expenditure has been on contractors, in its Cladding Remediation Unit in each of the last 12 months.
Answer expected on 21 July 2022

S6W-09298: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 23 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to (a) encourage applications and (b) make an application itself for Scottish sites to feature on a new tentative list of natural, cultural and mixed sites for potential nomination for inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage List
Answer expected on 21 July 2022

Parliamentary Questions & Answers

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

S6O-01231: Annabelle Ewing, Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party Date Lodged: 8 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what recent discussions it has had with Historic Environment Scotland about the reopening of assets in the Cowdenbeath constituency.
Taken in the Chamber on 16 June 2022.

S6O-01292: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 22 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what range of heating systems it anticipates will replace gas boilers in the near future.
Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022

S6O-01295: Edward Mountain, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 22 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what level of grant per property will be made available to assist homeowners to achieve an EPC rating of band C or better by 2025.
Taken in the Chamber on 29 June 2022

S6W-08961: Fulton MacGregor, Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party Date lodged: 9 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) review legislation that allows property factor companies to own 50% or more of residential buildings and (b) introduce legislation to ensure that residents retain decision-making rights for their homes rather than property factor companies.
Answered on 21 June 2022

S6W-08983: Dean Lockhart, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: 9 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government by which date in Autumn 2022 it will publish its previously delayed, updated Energy Strategy.
Answered on 23 June 2022

S6W-09092: Kaukab Stewart, Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party Date lodged: 10 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to respond to the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce report, Achieving net zero in social housing, in order to provide registered social landlords with as much certainty as possible as they plan to retrofit their stock of tenement accommodation to meet its climate targets, including in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency where the stock is reportedly extensive.
Answered on 21 June 2022

Events

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

Discovering Dumfries – Walking tour of Dumfries
Date & Time: Thursday 21 July 5-7pm
Location: Armstrong Watson, Dumfries
An on-foot, after-work blend of learning, competition and refreshment with the opportunity to seek out nationally and locally important places and people, facts and features with colleagues and friends in the planning world. Members from other Scottish chapters, and wider, would be welcome.
Dumfries is on the train line between Newcastle and Glasgow, via Kilmarnock.
 
Scottish Young Planners’ Network Summer Social
Date & Time: Thursday 28 July, 5:30-10pm
Location: 3 Waverley Bridge, Edinburgh
Come and join the RTPI for the Scottish Young Planners’ Network summer social. Back in Edinburgh and soaking up the city atmosphere.

STBF – Festival of Traditional Buildings
Date & Time: Monday 22 – Friday 26 August
Location: Edinburgh and online (hybrid)
This will be the 10th Festival of Traditional Buildings, with a rebranding from Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival. In the last two years the event has been hosted online due to the pandemic, creating a truly global audience. Whilst the team are delighted to be back delivering the festival in-person, this will be a hybrid event so those unable to attend in person are still able to participate in the events. Full details also available here.

From Slogans to Sound Strategy? The 2022 SURF Annual Conference
Date & Time: Thursday 25 August 10am-3pm
Location: COSLA Conference Centre, Edinburgh
Anyone involved with the regeneration of Scottish places, is very likely to have heard repeated references to Community Wealth Building and Levelling Up in recent times. SURF’s 2022 Annual Conference will critically examine policy and practice developments associated with both concepts, with particular reference to the Argyll & Bute town of Dunoon.
Participants will learn about national policy developments associated with the new regeneration context from the Scottish and UK Governments, and hear emerging lessons on the ground from Dunoon and elsewhere in Scotland. Those attending will also have the opportunity to share their local experiences, and question leading practitioners, policy-makers and academics in interactive panel sessions.

Training

Online CPD: Upgrading a Traditional Tenement Building
Date & Time: Thursday 14 July 12:30-1:30pm
Location: Online
In this CPD, Chris Morgan of John Gilbert Architects will be discussing the current works being done to upgrade a traditional Glaswegian tenement building on Niddrie Road to meet the EnerPHit standard. The project, commissioned by Southside Housing Association, aims to demonstrate an approach that rigorously tackles energy efficiency and fuel poverty whilst also addressing issues related to health and well-being as well as heritage, building maintenance and management.
Attendees will get to learn about the works being undertaken, explore the innovative monitoring and 3D scans the team has been doing, and hear what the project means for helping Scotland’s historic housing stock tackle the climate crisis.

Vacancies

Historic Environment Scotland: Grants Managers
Salary: £26,341-£32,669
Status: Full time; one permanent role and one fixed term to 31 March 2023
Location: Edinburgh and the Lothians
Successful candidates will provide advice to potential grant applicants, assess grant applications and make recommendations to decision makers. They will also manage a caseload of grants in delivery, processing grant payment requests in a timely manner and effectively monitoring any risks to HES investment. They will have knowledge of grants management, experience of managing multiple projects and excellent communication skills.
Closing date: 12 noon, Monday 11 July 2022

BEFS News

Released yesterday (14/06/2022) Independence in the Modern World  is the first in what is promised to be a suite of documents in relation to the proposed referendum on Scottish Independence. As one would expect, the initial focus is on economics and comparative assessments.  At first glance, we can see that Heritage does get a reference: “Our natural heritage and capital – providing exceptional opportunities for tourism and underpinning a unique and recognised brand;” (p25), as does Culture, (more obliquely in relation to the factors from the National Performance Framework which have not been the focus of this paper) “Scotland has unique and widely recognised potential, such as culture and the environment.”  (p27) And, whilst Net Zero is mentioned, the prominence is less than might be expected. The document stating, there is; “A strong commitment to building a wellbeing economy and a world-leading approach to Net Zero – no longer seen as barriers to sustainable economic growth, these are increasingly regarded as markers of any nation serious about long-term economic development.” (p26) Further developments will undoubtedly follow in coming months.

HES has awarded £140,000 of funding to 11 heritage projects as part of the Historic Environment Support Fund. In addition, the newly formed Partnership Fund will also be open for expressions of interest at the end of this month. Full details can be found here.

The Residency artists for 2022 have been announced in the partnership between Craft Scotland and HES, bringing makers in residence to some of Scotland’s finest historical buildings.

Glasgow City Heritage Trust welcomes the announcement of £250,000 of funding from Glasgow City Council for repairs to some of the city’s heritage buildings.

BEFS appreciates the conclusions of the recent CaCHE Publication ‘Policy choices for Glasgow traditional tenements retrofitting for sustainable and affordable carbon reduction’.

Congratulations to the winners of the Scottish Civic Trust 2022 My Place Awards and My Place Photography Competition. The awards demonstrate the determination of Scotland’s communities and the passion of young people for the future of our built environment. The Scottish Civic Trust is also welcoming the return of Doors Open Days, Scotland’s largest free festival celebrating heritage and the built environment. The Festival returns to Edinburgh and East Lothian on 24 and 25 September with an in-person and online programme. For the first time, the programme will be guest-curated by Under One Roof, Scotland’s charity for supporting tenement owners.

In other Awards news, 2022 SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration launched at a special event marking the Year of Stories in the Britannia Panopticon in Glasgow. You can download Award application materials or find out more about the Awards here: SURF Awards.

RIAS have announced the winners of Scotland’s Best Building of the Year 2022. The winners will now form the ‘longlist’ for the RIAS Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award, to be announced in November.

BEFS are delighted to note that, Under One Roof founder and consultant, Annie Flint, has been named as one of those made an Honorary Fellow by the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS).  Honorary Fellowships are awarded to individuals who have made significant contributions to Scotland’s cultural, academic, business or political life and Annie’s dedication to keeping Scottish tenement buildings standing strong is unparalleled.

Congratulations also go to Nicholas Groves-Raines, co-director of Edinburgh’s Groves-Raines Architects Studios, who was recognised for services to architecture, heritage and conservation with an MBE in the Queen’s Birthday Honours – and has used his platform to urge changes to VAT in relation to retrofit.

The Scottish Law Commission work on Tenement Maintenance legislation continues and interested parties can sign-up to follow their progress. Further details can be found here.

And finally, BEFS would like to wish Petra Biberbach all the best with her new ventures as she departs BEFS Members, PAS, and we applaud her 17 years of service to people and planning.

Consultations

Built Environment Carbon Database
Phase 1 consultation, looking at the data structure of the entity-level section
Closes 24 June

Proposed Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill: Consultation by Alex Rowley MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Region
Closes 27 July

Review of permitted development rights – phase 2 consultation
Scottish Government
Closes 3 August

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: a consultation on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill
Scottish Government
Closes 22 August 

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: A Route Map to 2025 and beyond
Closes 22 August

Publications

Empire, Slavery & Scotland’s Museums (Museums Galleries Scotland, June 2022)
A set of recommendations for the Scottish Government from the Project Steering Group. In developing the recommendations, the Steering Group looked broadly at potential mechanisms for addressing the legacies of empire, colonialism, and historic slavery in museum spaces and through collections.
 
Technical Paper 36: Architecture and Health in Traditional Buildings (HES, May 2022)
Details how different building features were designed to enable the proper ventilation of buildings and considers how good ventilation can help to prevent airborne diseases, build-up of chemical compounds and CO2 and overheating.

Policy Choices for Glasgow Traditional Tenements Retrofitting for Sustainable and Affordable Carbon Reduction (People Place and Policy, 24 May 2022)
Addressing the sustainability of Scotland’s older tenemental housing stock.

Value Toolkit (Construction Innovation Hub, May 2022)
The Value Toolkit enables value-based decision making focused on driving better social, environmental and economic outcomes, improving industry’s impact on current and future generations.

Culture in Crisis: Recommendations for Policy Makers (Culture Commons & the Centre for Cultural Value, May 2022)
New policy recommendations, to support the creative and cultural sector recover and rebuild in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Sustaining Historic Churches: what does recent research tell us? (Historic Buildings Alliance, April 2022)
Charlotte Dodgeon summaries nine recent reports bearing on the future of historic churches, and puts the reports in context in a short introduction.

A Practical Guide to Permitted Changes of Use (4th ed)
A definitive, comprehensive practical guide to permitted changes of use within the The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (England) Order 2015

The Environment Act: A Guide for Planners & Developers
A Guide for Planners on the Environment Act, England’s new framework of environmental protection since December 2021.

BRE Report 209 Guidance: Fundamental Changes to Daylight and Sunlight Assessments
Advice on site layout planning in England & NI to achieve good sunlighting and daylighting, both within buildings and in the open spaces between them and can be used to support right to light planning.

Scottish Government Publications

NPF4 (08/06/22)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee request an update on final version of NPF4

Investing in Scotland’s Future: Resource Spending Review Framework (08/06/22)
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee responds to the Resource Spending Review

National Transport Strategy (NTS2) – Second Delivery Plan – 2022-2023 (08/06/22)
The second NTS2 Delivery Plan to embed the Sustainable Transport Hierarchy and guide decision making and investment priorities.

UK Government Publications

How to Improve Energy Efficiency in Historic Buildings in Wales: Technical Guidance (CADW, April 2022)
Guidance from the Welsh Government on improving the energy efficiency of a traditional or historic building.

News Releases

Now in its 10^th year, Europa Nostra’s 7 Most Endangered Programme is a civil society campaign to save Europe’s endangered heritage. Nominations are welcomed for sites, one of which will be eligible for an EIB Heritage Grant of up to €10,000 to start the implementation of actions, studies or assistance measures for the threatened site.

The Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO) has warned that third sector groups have been let down by a lack of multi-year funding commitments in the Scottish Government’s Spending Review.

RICS was delighted to open its new Scotland office, situated at 10 Charlotte Square, on 9 June. It will act as a hub for members and cross-industry collaboration, with remote working capabilities, member support, and in-person events and CPD.

Opinion & Comment

Sir Geoff Palmer: Scotland’s economy was built on the British Empire and slavery. Now our museums are facing up to that (Herald 13/06/22)

Scottish Housing News: Dangerous cladding costs expected to top £1bn in Scotland (13/06/22)

Stephen Norris: Remains of Dumfries and Galloway port designated a national monument (Daily Record 09/06/22)

Kirsteen Paterson: Home from Home: The housing tensions in Scotland’s tourist hotspots (Holyrood Magazine 08/06/22)

Francesca Osowska: The Age of Crises: The Nature-Climate Emergency in Scotland (Holyrood Magazine 08/06/22)

Andrew Yule: Adaptive reuse breathing new life into Scotland’s forgotten buildings (The Scotsman 07/06/22)

Charlotte Mullins: Ukraine’s heritage is under direct attack: why Russia is looting the country’s museums (The Guardian 27/05/22)

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”.

S6W-08983: Dean Lockhart, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: 9 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government by which date in Autumn 2022 it will publish its previously delayed, updated Energy Strategy.
Answer expected on 23 June 2022

S6W-08961: Fulton MacGregor, Coatbridge and Chryston, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 9 June 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to (a) review legislation that allows property factor companies to own 50% or more of residential buildings and (b) introduce legislation to ensure that residents retain decision-making rights for their homes rather than property factor companies.
Answer expected on 23 June 2022

S6W-09092: Kaukab Stewart, Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party
Date lodged: 10/06/2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on its plans to respond to the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce report, Achieving net zero in social housing, in order to provide registered social landlords with as much certainty as possible as they plan to retrofit their stock of tenement accommodation to meet its climate targets, including in the Glasgow Kelvin constituency where the stock is reportedly extensive. Answer expected on 24/06/2022

Parliamentary Questions & Answers

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

S6O-01168: Jackie Dunbar, Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party
Date Lodged: 25/05/2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the condition of school buildings.
Answered in the Chamber on 1 June 2022

Events

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

IHBC Annual School 2022 – Aberdeen
Date & Time: 15-18 June
Location: Variety of in person and online events.
The IHBC’s 2022 Aberdeen School explores how practitioners in the 21st Century can and should manage conservation and heritage that is, in different ways, ‘on the edge’.

RIAS Bookshop Lates – 20th Century Japan in 20 Buildings
Date & Time: Wednesday 22 June 6-7pm
Location: 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh, EH1 2BE
RIAS Fellow John Barr and host Kieran Gaffney, director of recent RIAS award-winning studio Konishi Gaffney, will be discussing the book ’20th Century Japan in 20 Buildings’.
 
RICS: Land Use & Community Wealth Building with the Scottish Land Commission
Date & Time: Thursday 23 June, 1-2pm
Location: RICS Online Learning Academy – Open to all
The ways we own and use land and buildings shape the kind of economy, climate and communities we live in. The Scottish Land Commission’s guidance sets out actions that can be taken in the short and long term to support an inclusive, sustainable, and empowered local economy. Gemma Campbell, Land Rights and Responsibilities Manager, and Kathie Pollard, Policy and Practice Lead, will provide an overview of the guidance and share examples of good practice from across Scotland, followed by a Q&A session.

RSA Fellows’ – MCICH Network
Date & Time: Thursday 23 June (moved from 14^th) 6pm-7.30pm
Location: St Vincent’s Chapel, Edinburgh
Fellow-led NETWORKS brainstorm and debate, with non-Fellow participation welcome re culture and heritage and other topical issues.  This is an informal event designed to allow face to face discussion over light refreshments. Booking essential.

A&BS Business Briefing: Fair Work
Date & Time: Wednesday 29 June 12-1pm
Location: Online via Zoom
In response to the employment implications of the pandemic, the Scottish Government and other funders are urging all sectors to invest in a future of work that is fairer, more inclusive, ethical and sustainable. Change can only happen when all sectors are involved. In this session, experts from Anderson Strathern will explore the Fair Work Program, what it involves and what it means for your organisation.

Heritage Trust Network – Network Day
Date & Time: Thursday 30 June 10:15am-3:45pm
Location: Online via Zoom
Join us online for our bi-monthly Network Day. A day of networking and learning exclusively for Heritage Trust Network members.
You can book a ticket for the day and attend those sessions that are important to you or share a ticket with a colleague. Members have free entry and should book using the discount code which has been emailed to you. If you have not received your discount code, please contact Beverley.

STBF – Festival of Traditional Buildings
Date & Time: Monday 22 – Friday 26 August
Location: Edinburgh and online (hybrid)
This will be the 10th Festival of Traditional Buildings, with a rebranding from Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival. In the last two years the event has been hosted online due to the pandemic, creating a truly global audience. Whilst the team are delighted to be back delivering the festival in-person, this will be a hybrid event so those unable to attend in person are still able to participate in the events. Full details also available here.

Training

A&BS Course: Legacy giving. Now is the time – if you do it right. Learn how to!
Date &Time: Thursday 23 June 9:30am-1:30pm
Location: Online via Zoom
Want to know how to effectively talk about legacies to trigger interest & action? Or are you looking for ways to integrate it into your current fundraising at little or no cost? Backed up by data and practical advice, this course will cover market growth, Will-making patterns and changes during Covid. It will explore how to talk and write about legacies in an upbeat but sensitive way, cultivate and steward prospects as well as convince the board to take action.

Heritage Digital Academy
Date & Time: 23 June, 28 June, 5 July
Location: Online
Heritage Digital Academy are offering free online training events on all things digital for heritage organisations across the UK. These workshop sessions are design to help individuals develop new digital practices and build key skills that can be brought back to their organisation. Topics include: Copyright, growing your Digital Audience and Data Protection.

Vacancies

Edinburgh World Heritage – Energy Efficiency (Retrofit) Specialist 
Salary: £28,840-£30,900
Status: Full time to 31 March 2025 (part time may be considered)
Location: Edinburgh
Closing date: 12 noon, Monday 27 June 2022 
Edinburgh World Heritage are looking for an enthusiastic Energy Efficiency (Retrofit) Specialist to deliver innovative energy efficiency projects, carry out targeted research and produce guidance aiming to reduce carbon emissions of historic buildings – while preserving their historical and architectural significance. Key themes comprise energy improvements to the building fabric, low carbon heating systems and combination of both.

Arts & Business Scotland – Member: Board of Trustees
Salary: Not remunerated
Closing date: Monday, 27 June 2022 
Arts & Business Scotland is the only agency in Scotland enabling creative partnerships between the business and culture sectors. There are now a number of opportunities for talented and passionate individuals to join the Board, responsible for setting and shaping the strategic vision in conjunction with the Senior Management Team.

COTAC – ‘Virtual School’ Project Officer 
Salary: £12 per hour (£3,600 total); 12.5 hrs per week on average
Status: Part time; temporary (June – November 2022, 24 weeks total)
Location: remote (with occasional meetings in person)
Closing date: Thursday, 30 June 2022 
The Council on Training in Architectural Conservation (COTAC) is seeking a Project Officer to help deliver the Heritage Lottery funded COTAC Virtual School, an entry-level heritage and historic environment conservation education unit delivered entirely digitally.

BEFS News

On Tuesday 31st May the Scottish Government published a Resource Spending Review, the first since 2011. In this Bulletin’s blog, BEFS Director has given a brief overview of the potential places to look for resource change which may impact the sector most broadly. There are big changes across the public sector landscape mentioned in the Review, and first glance shows significant reductions to some finance pots. We may not have the full extent of the picture until the next Budget, and there may well be more detail to come.

Historic Environment Scotland have launched new Talking About Heritage guides, designed to empower people and communities to explore their heritage, to understand it, to celebrate it, and to ensure it’s recognised.

Having attended a recent roundtable on stonemasonry skills, and traditional skills shortages more generally, BEFS notes with interest the launch of a new skills portal for careers in the built environment.  Over the past few months BEFS has explored the access and availability of data relating to our existing built environment with David Hume Institute, and notes some similar and related challenges highlighted in this new report commissioned by the DCMS.

Culture Counts have written to Neil Gray MSP Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development with recommendations on the Culture Strategy, reflecting the reports formed through sector wide discussions at the National Partnership for Culture Fora. 

The 2022 SURF Awards will launch on 9th June, with categories in Supporting Youth Employability, Creative Regeneration, Community Led Regeneration, Housing & Regeneration and Improving Scotland’s Places. We also pass on congratulations to SURF’s new Chair, Brian MacDonald. Congratulations also go to the winners of the Scottish Civic Trust 2022 My Place Awards and My Place Photography Competition.

Historic England’s newly published Wellbeing and Heritage Strategy sets out approaches aimed at improving delivery, enhancing the social impact of programmes, highlighting inequities that heritage can challenge, and communicating the value of heritage. The Heritage Alliance has published their UK Shared Prosperity Fund Prospectus – Briefing for Heritage.

On 20 May 2022, the General Assembly of Europa Nostra – the European Voice of Civil Society Committed to Cultural and Natural Heritage – has enthusiastically appointed Cecilia Bartoli, the world-renowned opera star, as the new President of the organisation, for an initial mandate of five years.

Consultations

Improving access to the heritage sector
Historic Environment Scotland
Opened 11 May
Closes 10 June

Share Your Views On Cumbernauld Town Centre
Historic Environment Scotland
Opened 12 May
Closes 12 June

Built Environment Carbon Database
Phase 1 consultation, looking at the data structure of the entity-level section
*new* Closes 24 June 2022

Proposed Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill: Consultation by Alex Rowley MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Region
Closing date: 27 July

Review of permitted development rights – phase 2 consultation
Scottish Government
Opened 11 May
Closes 3 August

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: a consultation on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill
Scottish Government
*new* Closes 22 August

Publications

Talking About Heritage (Historic Environment Scotland, 30/4/22)
The new guidance from HES is available in four parts: Investigate Heritage; Understand Heritage; Celebrate Heritage; Care for Heritage.

Exposed: The Collapse Of Green Space Provision In England And Wales (New Economic Foundation, 3/5/22)
Neighbourhood green space provision has declined by one third in 21st-century developments, resulting in 9m fewer trips to green space every year.

Major study calls for tax powers to be devolved to Scotland’s biggest cities (23/5/22)
‘Scotland’s Urban AGE 2022’ is a sequel to a 2018 report and outlines what has changed (and what has not) in light of the pandemic and the accelerating net zero carbon agenda. The report calls for retrofitting to the built environment ‘on an industrial scale’.

Action for Climate Empowerment: A guide for galleries, libraries, archives and museums (Curating Tomorrow)
This short guide aims to help cultural and educational institutions, community organisations and others to understand how they can contribute to and support the new Glasgow Work Programme on Action for Climate Empowerment.

Understanding Scotland: A New Survey For Scotland (Diffley Partnership, 05/2022)
Understanding Scotland is a new quarterly survey tool measuring the most important facets of our lives and decision-making in Scotland: our society, economy, and environment.

Local government in Scotland: Overview 2022 (Accounts Commission, 05/2022)

Wellbeing and Heritage Strategy (Historic England, 19/5/22)

Rural Land Market Insights Report: A report to the Scottish Land Commission (April 2022)

Carbon Markets, Public Interest and Landownership in Scotland: A discussion paper (May 2022)

Circular Economy Bill Policy Paper Circular Communities Scotland (May 2022)

Scottish Government Publications

Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 2021 (24/5/22)
The Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey (SVDLS) is a data collection undertaken to establish the extent and state of vacant and derelict land in Scotland.

Resource Spending Review (31/05/22)

UK Government Publications

Better data on the cultural economy, scoping study (DCMS May 2022)

News Releases

RICS Governing Council establishes strategic oversight group for DEI (23/5/22)
The Governing Council of RICS has established a strategic oversight group to steer Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives focused on building a culture of accountability and belonging, and ensuring the membership and profession better reflect the societies they serve.

Young Scot card holders get access to 600 historic sites for only £1 (Press & Journal, 24/5/22)
The National Trust for Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and Historic Houses Scotland are all offering their properties for the scheme.

Historic Argyll township attraction to re-open after earthquake damage (The Scotsman, 23/5/22)
Following emergency repairs and ongoing conservation work, Auchindrain will re-open for the summer after an earthquake caused damage last November.

New skills portal launched to boost career opportunities in Scotland’s built environment (Project Scotland, 24/5/22)
Officially known as the Built Environment Workforce Development Portal, the resource will provide a breakdown of re-skilling and up-skilling courses by theme, occupation and region.

Archaeologists begin dig to recover remnants of Glasgow Garden Festival (STV News 25/5/22)
A team from the University of Glasgow started work on the project on Monday, using a geophysical survey to identify what remains of the much-loved event.

Opinion & Comment

David Cole: Bolder steps are needed if Scotland’s infrastructure is to be decarbonised (The Scotsman, 10/5/22)
Chair of ICE Scotland, David Cole, summaries five key recommendations from a recent report, which concluded that more leadership and funding and an improved planning and regulatory system are required.

Emily Tracey: Scotland’s historic environment can be the keystone of our green recovery (Holyrood, 24/5/22)
Historic Environment Scotland’s Head of Estates Strategy, Emily Tracey, argues our historic places should be seen as a solution, not a problem.

Luing, a second chance for Scottish slate (HES 26/05/2022)

Susan Mansfield: What if…?/Dundee – what happened next? (Scotland + Venice, 24/5/22)
Hosted by the V&A’s learning team, ‘What if… Dundee’ focussed on the North East and East End wards of the city, where a major new campus, which would include two secondary schools and a community hub, was being planned.

Matthew Adams: Neighbourhood green space is in rapid decline, deepening both the climate and mental health crises (The Conversation, 18/5/22)
Routine access to nature has become an equality and justice issue.

Is hybrid working here to stay? (Office for National Statistics, 23/5/22)
Almost half of working adults were working from home at times during the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, but what will business as usual look like with restrictions lifted?

Elgin Marbles Row Deepens (Herald 30/05/2022)

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”.

S6O-01168: Jackie Dunbar, Aberdeen Donside, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/05/2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the condition of school buildings.
Due in Chamber on 01/06/2022

Parliamentary Questions and Answers

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”.

S6W-08458: Mercedes Villalba, North East Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date lodged: 11 May 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made on making it possible for communities to take ownership of unproductive land for projects that contribute to climate action, in light of the recommendation by Scotland’s Climate Assembly.
Answered by Mairi McAllan on 19 May 2022

Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 12/05/2022
S6W-08482: Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS)
S6W-08487: reform of EPC ratings for fabric efficiency standard R
S6W-08488: new minimum energy efficiency standards R
S6W-08489: whether fabric efficiency regulations will require compliance at specified points in the building lifecycle R
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 23 May 2022
S6W-08508: Housing to 2040 – review of adaptations.
Answered by Shona Robison on 25 May 2022

S6W-08514: Monica Lennon, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 12/05/2022
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that the decarbonisation of infrastructure will be complete ahead of the 2045 net zero target.
Answered by Michael Matheson (24/05/2022)

Other Parliamentary Activity

Motions

Community Wealth Building – Delivering Transformation in Scotland’s Local and Regional Economies
Motion For Debate
S6M-04580 Tom Arthur
Due in Chamber 25/5/22

Debates

Listed Buildings (Consultation)
Scottish Parliament on 26th May 2022
(S6O-01135) Gillian Mackay (Green)
To ask the Scottish Government how Historic Environment Scotland ensures that communities are adequately consulted when considering whether a building should be listed.
Answered by Neil Gray, Culture Minister

Events

For the full list of BEFS Members’ upcoming events see our events calendar.

HES: Community Heritage Conversations: Your Voice and Place-Making
Date & Time: 8 June, 10:00
Online
Learn about how to promote and celebrate your heritage in decisions about place. During this ‘Community Heritage Conversations’ event, speakers from Historic Environment Scotland (HES), Planning Aid Scotland (PAS) and the Coalfields Regeneration Trust will explain the different ways of exploring and recognising your most valued places.

Icon Scotland: Conservation at the Rosslyn Chapel
Date & Time: 10 June, 10.30 – 12:30
Location: Rosslyn Chapel, Chapel Loan, Roslin, EH25 9PU
Join Icon Scotland for a visit to the Rosslyn Chapel including an introduction by Ian Gardner, Director of the Rosslyn Chapel Trust, and talks by expert conservators. Alex Kelly of Eden Conservation will explore ongoing stone conservation at the chapel. Rob Thomson, Preventive Conservator, will discuss relative humidity control in the chapel.
Tickets are £4 for Icon members, £3 for Student Icon members, and £6 for non-members.

SoAoS Rhind Lectures: Unearthing the African Diaspora
Date & Time: 10 – 12 June, various times
Augustine United Church, Edinburgh, EH1 1EL and Online
African Diaspora Archaeology studies people of African descent in the Americas and elsewhere. This research began in mid-20th century on the sites of enslaved and liberated communities. Today it is one of the fastest growing study areas in the archaeology of the modern world. In this lecture series, Professor Theresa Singleton discusses this developing archaeological discipline using her own projects as case studies beginning with her introduction to diaspora studies as a graduate student, to her current research on self-liberated and other free communities.

SHBT: Technology and the Country House – Understanding Design and Materiality with Drones, LiDAR and 3D Scanning
Date & Time: 15 June, 18:00
Online
Part of SHBT’s spring lecture series, New Perspectives on the Country House. Dan Bochman explores the use of drones, LiDAR and 3D Scanning to better understand the design and materiality of country houses.

Archaeology Scotland’s Field School – Investigating Cathkin Park 
Date & Time: 15 June – 26 June
Join Archaeology Scotland this summer to excavate one of Scotland’s most iconic sporting sites – Cathkin Park. You will be part of a team of archaeologists and will gain experience in a range of archaeology techniques and skills including community archaeology, excavation, creative interpretation, and digital recording.

GCHT: A Bird’s-Eye View of the Development of Glasgow University: The Gilbert Scott Building
Date & Time: 22 June, 19:30
Online
Taking Thomas Sulman’s 1864 bird’s-eye view of Glasgow as a starting point, this talk will explore a pivotal period in the history of development of both the city and the University. Using contemporary 19th-century photographs, engravings and paintings, Nick Haynes will guide us around the extraordinary complex of 17th-, 18th- and 19th- century buildings in the Old College, and set the scene for the construction of Scotland’s largest Gothic building on Gilmorehill.

RICS: Land Use and Community Wealth Building with the Scottish Land Commission
Date & Time: 23 June, 13:00
Online
SLC’s guidance makes the link between the Scottish Government’s Land Rights and Responsibilities Statement and the land property pillar of community wealth building, and sets out actions that can be taken in the short and long term to support an inclusive, sustainable, and empowered local economy. Gemma Campbell, Land Rights and Responsibilities Manager, and Kathie Pollard, Policy and Practice Lead, will provide an overview of the guidance and share examples of good practice from across Scotland, followed by a Q&A session.

Training and Conferences

Heritage Digital Academy
Heritage Digital Academy are offering free online training events on all things digital for heritage organisations across the UK. These sessions are design to help individuals develop new digital practices and build key skills that can be brought back to their organisation.

• 8^th June – Webinar: What is a data protection officer, and why does your organisation need one?
• 9^th June – Webinar: Copyright and creative commons
• 23^rd June – Workshop: Copyright considerations for digital services
• 28^th June – Workshop: Building and growing your audience with digital
• 5^th July – Workshop: Understanding Data Protection and making a plan to stay compliant

IHBC Annual School 2022 – Aberdeen
15-18 June
Offering a variety of delegate options:
Heritage MarketPlace virtual: 15 June
Day School hybrid (in-person & virtual): 17 June
Full School includes in-person tours and events: 16-18 June
The IHBC’s 2022 Aberdeen School explores how practitioners in the 21st Century can and should manage conservation and heritage that is, in different ways, ‘on the edge’.

Vacancies

National Trust for Scotland: Conservation Maintenance Surveyor (x4)
Pay Band: £36,523 – £40,238
Contract: Permanent / Full Time
The National Trust for Scotland is seeking 4 Maintenance Surveyors to support their work across the country, embedded in regional teams. As the Regional Building Maintenance Specialist, you will work closely with the Regional Building (conservation) Surveyor to advise and support Operations Teams, putting the Trust’s Conservation Principles into practice through planned and reactive maintenance of all built structures.  This is a new role and you will be instrumental in shaping the way the Trust manages the conservation maintenance of its buildings, helping to build maintenance plans for each building and dealing with backlog maintenance projects.
Closing date: 10:00, Friday 3 June

Assistant Project Officer, Maybole Regeneration Project
28 hours / week, temporary role for 12 months
£26,922 – £29,361 per year
As Maybole’s Town Centre Regeneration gathers pace an exciting opportunity has arisen to join our team for 12 months.  As Assistant Project Officer you will have the opportunity to contribute to an ambitious town centre regeneration scheme which places community at its centre. We are looking for someone with experience in project management and/or interest and experience in community led regeneration, placemaking , development, historic environment and working with communities. This is a fantastic opportunity to develop skills and experience in a complex regeneration project that is set to transform Maybole’s historic town centre while working closely with strategic and local partners.
Closing date: 7 June

Scottish Civic Trust: Doors Open Days Communications Officer
Part-time: 16 hours/ week, £25,000 pro rata
Fixed term to 31 March 2023, with the possibility of extension
Doors Open Days welcomes almost 100,000 visitors each September from across the world. For many of our visitors, our online and print presence will be their first introduction to the festival. This role will play an important role within the Doors Open Days team and the continuing development of the festival. Acting as a liaison between Doors Open Days, our visitors and the media, the Doors Open Days Communications Officer will ensure that our public image,  brand and messaging remain strong and consistent.
Closing date: 10 June

Edinburgh World Heritage: Energy Efficiency (Retrofit) Specialist
Full time to 31 March 2025 (part time may be considered)
Salary: £28,840-£30,900
EWH are looking for an enthusiastic Energy Efficiency (Retrofit) Specialist to deliver innovative energy efficiency projects, carry out targeted research and produce guidance aiming to reduce carbon emissions of historic buildings – while preserving their historical and architectural significance.
Closing date: 12 noon, Monday 27 June 2022

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BEFS News

Last week BEFS attended a briefing hosted by the Existing Homes Alliance to launch their latest research report Owning the Future: A framework of regulations for decarbonising owner-occupied homes in Scotland.

BEFS Policy & Strategy Manager, Hazel Johnson, shares her reflections on the briefing on the BEFS blog: ‘We can’t incentivise our way out of climate change’. You can read the debate on the Scottish Government’s response to the report here.

The ‘Improving Access’ Skills Investment Plan delivery group has been created to develop a collaborative approach to supporting the development and growth of accessible entry routes into the sector. They are seeking the views of people who are working across heritage on current activity, future plans and aspirations, and challenges and support needs. This information will be used to create a sector opportunities plan and develop a programme of support. The survey closes on 10 June.

Edinburgh World Heritage has launched its Building Maintenance Grants Programme. Grants of £150 – £1,500 are available to encourage maintenance work in the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh which will avoid incurring higher costs at a later date. The funding period will run until 31 March 2023.

Historic Environment Scotland has released its Annual Operating Plan 2022-23, setting out their priorities and performance indicators for the year ahead.

The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) have announced six new Honorary Fellows for 2022.

The Heritage Trust Network are holding their first in-person event in Scotland for two years. Join them at Carluke High Mill on 31 May for a day exploring activities that organisations can undertake as they are progressing towards a heritage regeneration project.

Scotland’s Towns Partnership have announced dates for their Town Centre Action Plan 2 (TCAP2) Roadshow events. The Roadshow will launch at a South of Scotland event on 31 May, with keynotes including Tom Arthur MSP and Professor Leigh Sparks.

BEFS noticed this proactive approach to Local Place Plans from Fife Council.

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Consultations

Allotments and the Community Empowerment Act
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee
*NEW* Opened 4 May
Closes 24 May

Improving access to the heritage sector
Historic Environment Scotland
*NEW* Opened 11 May
Closes 10 June

Share Your Views On Cumbernauld Town Centre
Historic Environment Scotland
*NEW* Opened 12 May
Closes 12 June

Proposed Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill: Consultation by Alex Rowley MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Region
Closing date: 27 July

Review of permitted development rights – phase 2 consultation
Scottish Government
*NEW* Opened 11 May
Closes 3 August

Consultation Responses

Summary of responses to the Call for Evidence on the regulation of energy efficiency in existing non-domestic buildings (May 2022)

Building regulations – compliance and enforcement: consultation analysis (9/5/22)
Analysis of the building regulations compliance and enforcement consultation which ran between 11 November 2021 and 9 February 2022.

Heat in buildings – Scotland’s National Public Energy Agency call for evidence: analysis of responses (10/5/22)
Results of a call for evidence which ran from November 2021 to February 2022.

Publications

Designing for net zero – Local Authority Urban Design Forum 15 event report (Architecture & Design Scotland)
Learnings pulled together from the 15th Local Authority Urban Design Forum event in March 2022. The three part event discussed Net Zero Towns and Cities, Retrofit and Heritage, and Policy and Approaches.

Sustaining historic churches: what does recent research tell us? (The Historic Religious Building Alliance, April 2022)
This publication summarises a selection of recent research reports directly bearing on the sustainability of historic churches.

Historic Environment Scotland: Annual Operating Plan 2022-23 (13/5/22)
The Plan focusses on six priorities: wellbeing, inequality and access, sector recovery, managing heritage assets, net zero, contributing to a stronger, greener and fairer economy and building HES.

Public participation in planning in the UK: A review of the literature (UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence (29/4/22)
Community Consultation for Quality of Life (CCQOL) is an Arts and Humanities Research Council funded project that seeks to develop a Code of Conduct for inclusive participatory planning. The first stage of the project is this systematic review of the literature on public participation, focusing on the UK since 2010.

Owning the Future: A framework of regulations for decarbonising owner-occupied homes in Scotland (Existing Homes Alliance, 6/5/22)
The EHA has published a report to support the development of a regulatory and enabling framework for decarbonisng Scotland’s owner occupied homes.

A Cost-Benefit Analysis of a Traditional Glasgow Tenement Net Zero Retrofit (UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence, 9/5/22)
This report, from a major evaluation of a pre-1919 tenement net zero retrofit demonstration project in Glasgow, undertakes a social cost benefit analysis comparing the costs and wider benefits of the actual project alongside two counterfactual comparators (demolish/new build and an EESSH2 retrofit).

The AfterCovid.City Global Charter
This document articulates the direction and clear steps our cities must take to shape a prosperous future after the Covid-19 pandemic and leverage the power of public space for recovery.

Scottish Government Publications

Transforming derelict land (10/5/22)
Some of Scotland’s longest standing vacant and derelict sites will be transformed into affordable housing, community gardens and places of enterprise and learning by awards from a £50 million programme.

Working together to fix cladding issues (12/5/22)
Single Building Assessment programme expanded.

Scottish Central Government Energy Efficiency Grant scheme: form and guidance (17/5/22)
A scheme to offer capital grant funding support to enable the delivery of heat decarbonisation and energy efficiency projects across the public sector.

News Releases

The Europa Nostra Heritage Hub for Central and Eastern Europe will be based in Kraków (Europa Nostra, 9/5/22)
A branch of the Europa Nostra network will be established in Kraków, as the first outpost of this pan-European federation, the headquarters of which are based in The Hague while its European Liaison Office is based in Brussels.

Heritage sector ‘confident about future’ (Arts Professional, 9/5/22)
Survey finds positivity among organisations across Britain and confidence to weather possible future waves of Covid-19.

Fife: Historic buildings ‘deteriorating due to climate change’ are closed (Dunfermline Press, 8/5/22)
A Councillor has criticised the decision to close so many of Fife’s historic attractions at the same time as “short-sighted”.

Two historic Caithness mills showcased at national conference in Perth (John O’Groat Journal, 14/5/22)
Scotland’s first national mills conference was organised jointly by Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust, Historic Environment Scotland and the Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) Scotland.

Opinion & Comment

Blog: Conservation in action: Holmwood steps (National Trust for Scotland, 22/3/22)
Louise Rogers, Buildings Administrator, describes repair works to the Holmwood steps to help protect the frontage of Thomson’s beautiful villa. Works included repointing the cracked stonework and improving the foundation of the steps.

Kieran Gaffney: The Burrell Collection renovation: For better or worse? (RIBA Journal, 10/5/22)
Some controversial decisions attended John McAslan and Partners’ renovation of Glasgow’s Burrell Collection. Do the improvements outweigh the perceived drawbacks?

Alasdair Rankin: Rebuilding trust and revitalising communities (9/5/22)
With Community Right to Buy Legislation has enabling communities to regain control of their development, restoring and refurbishing buildings that fall under the ownership of community trusts are becoming an increasingly important part of an architect’s portfolio.

Ramblers Scotland: Radical Road closure – urgent review needed of all options (11/5/22)
Ramblers Scotland and other organisations have written to HES to request a meeting to discuss the future of the Radical Road.

Gregor Kleinknecht: More countries should adopt convention to protect cultural property (The Times, 5/5/22)
Theft of heritage objects continues while key players remain uncommitted.

Patrycja Kaszynska: Valuing what matters about culture (Arts Professional, 11/5/22)
There is long-standing dissatisfaction with how the value of arts and culture has been discussed in policy making. Patrycja Kaszynska explains why the ‘capitals’ framework and the notion of ‘enabling assets’ might help.

Plans for historic Scots properties to go ‘green’ may cost £20m (The Herald on Sunday, 8/5/22)
Demands by ministers for Scotland’s historic properties to be fitted with energy saving measures could cost taxpayers up to £20 million, it has been estimated.

20 Church of Scotland properties currently up for sale – from historic churches to city centre flats (The Scotsman, 12/5/22)
The Church of Scotland is to review its current portfolio of buildings, with a view to closing those little used and now surplus to requirements.

Scotsman comment: Cumbernauld town centre’s fate should be decided by the people who live there (17/5/22)
Surely there is one opinion that really should carry more weight than any other – and that is the collective view of the people who currently live in Cumbernauld.

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”.

S6W-08514: Monica Lennon, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 12/05/2022
To ask the Scottish Government what it is doing to ensure that the decarbonisation of infrastructure will be complete ahead of the 2045 net zero target.

Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 12/05/2022
S6W-08482: Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS)
S6W-08487: reform of EPC ratings for fabric efficiency standard R
S6W-08488: new minimum energy efficiency standards R
S6W-08489: whether fabric efficiency regulations will require compliance at specified points in the building lifecycle R
S6W-08508: Housing to 2040 – review of adaptations.

Parliamentary Questions and Answers

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”.

S6W-08303: Fergus Ewing, Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 29/04/2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a requirement for local authorities to conduct a statutory consultation in relation to adopting further discretionary powers and conditions under its short-term let licensing scheme.
Answered by Shona Robison (12/05/2022)

S6W-08088: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 14/04/2022
To ask the Scottish Government how the effectiveness of the Third National Planning Framework (NPF3) was monitored and evaluated and whether this was done against the outcomes set out in the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997.
Answered by Tom Arthur (06/05/2022)

S6W-08257: Tess White, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date lodged: 28 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-00445 by Angus Robertson on 25 November 2021, whether it will provide an update on its work on culture sector recovery and renewal, which was due to be published in early 2022.
Answered by Angus Robertson on 12 May 2022

Other Parliamentary Activity

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee: Tuesday 10 May 2022
The Committee took evidence on combustible cladding.

Economy and Fair Work Committee: Wednesday 11 May 2022
The Committee took evidence on town centres and retail.

Debates

Historic Environment Scotland (Climate Change)
In the Scottish Parliament on 4th May 2022
Claire Baker (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting Historic Environment Scotland to deliver its inspection programme, and related remedial works, on the condition of, and impact of climate change on, heritage sites. (S6O-01041)
Answered by the Minister for Culture, Europe and International Development

Owner-occupied Homes (Decarbonisation)
In the Scottish Parliament on 12th May 2022
Kenneth Gibson Scottish National Party: To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the report that was published last Friday, “Owning the Future: A framework of regulations for decarbonising owner-occupied homes in Scotland”, which was commissioned by the Existing Homes Alliance. (S6F-01081)
Answered by the First Minister

Events

For the full list of BEFS Members’ upcoming events see our events calendar.

SLCT, GCHT & Partners: Homeowners Outreach Open Day
Date & Time: 21 May, 10:00 – 14:00
Location: 5 Victorian Circus, Glasgow, G12 9LB
Join the technical team of the Scottish Lime Centre Trust with Stratum Masonry and PM Conservation for a free open day aimed at homeowners. Find out all about traditional stone buildings and the requirements for their care, repair and maintenance, with demonstrations of cutting and dressing sandstone, timber sash and case window repair, and traditional lime pointing.

SURF Awards Shared Learning Workshop: Using artistic approaches to help regenerate communities
Date & Time: 26 May, 10:00 – 17:30
Location: The Playhouse at Websters Theatre, Glasgow
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards linking creative arts and culture into regeneration initiatives. The winning and highly commended projects from the ‘Creative Regeneration’ category highlighted in the 2021 SURF Awards process will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning.

HTN: Growing Your Community – A Visit to Carluke High Mill
Date & Time: 31 May, 09:30 – 15:00
Location: Carluke, ML8 4BA
Join the Heritage Trust Network, hosted by the Carluke Development Trust team at Carluke High Mill for a day of presentations, networking and tours of the site. The focus for the day will be a look at activities that organisations can undertake whilst they are progressing towards a heritage regeneration project, including meanwhile uses.

SHBT: Ghosts of Strathleven – Colonial History and Approaches to Heritage
Date & Time:  31 May, 18:00
Online
Part of SHBT’s spring lecture series, New Perspectives on the Country House. Esmé Coppock investigates stories of colonial exploitation, and searches for approaches to heritage which recognise this past.

Archaeology Scotland’s Field School – Investigating Cathkin Park 
Date & Time: 15 June – 26 June
Join Archaeology Scotland this summer to excavate one of Scotland’s most iconic sporting sites – Cathkin Park. You will be part of a team of archaeologists and will gain experience in a range of archaeology techniques and skills including community archaeology, excavation, creative interpretation, and digital recording.

Training & Conferences

GCHT: Online CPD: Accessibility in the Historic Environment
Date & Time: 25 May, 12:30
Online
In this CPD, Emily Yates, Head of Accessibility and Inclusive Design at Mima, will discuss disability and the historic built environment, regulations for accessible buildings, what sort of adjustments might be needed in a historic building, and how to make adjustments that don’t cause hardship to the user or exclude them.

A&DS CPD: Roof Slating by Graeme Millar of the NFRC
Date & Time: 26 May, 12:30 – 13:30
Online
Topics covered in the CPD will include:
Properties and supplies of Scottish slate, and alternatives available
When to re-slate and when to repair
When to redress and reuse slate introducing minimum new slates
When to totally strip and re-slate
When re-roofing gives you the opportunity to retrofit insulation to roof voids

PAS: SP=EED Community Engagement Skills training
Date & Time: 26 May, 10:00 – 15:00
Online
Want to brush up on your community engagement skills? Join PAS for their next live ‘SP=EED’ training, Thursday 26 May 2022. SPEED is a unique development programme designed to develop your skills and confidence in designing, delivering and evaluating community engagement.

IHBC Annual School 2022 – Aberdeen
15-18 June
Offering a variety of delegate options:
Heritage MarketPlace virtual: 15 June
Day School hybrid (in-person & virtual): 17 June
Full School includes in-person tours and events: 16-18 June
The IHBC’s 2022 Aberdeen School explores how practitioners in the 21st Century can and should manage conservation and heritage that is, in different ways, ‘on the edge’.

Vacancies

Cupar Development Trust: Development Officer
Salary:  £30,000 per annum, pro rata
Hours:  Part time post, hours to be discussed at interview
Fixed term to 31 March 2023, possibility of extension
Cupar Development Trust is seeking a highly motivated individual for the post of Development Officer.  The postholder will have a crucial influence on the delivery of planning and implementing selected projects, supporting the efforts of groups and individuals to bring about community improvement, building partnerships with agencies able to access resources to intervene in community development, and more.

Closing date: 23 May

National Trust for Scotland: Conservation Maintenance Surveyor (x4)
Pay Band: £36,523 – £40,238
Contract: Permanent / Full Time
The National Trust for Scotland is seeking 4 Maintenance Surveyors to support their work across the country, embedded in regional teams. As the Regional Building Maintenance Specialist, you will work closely with the Regional Building (conservation) Surveyor to advise and support Operations Teams, putting the Trust’s Conservation Principles into practice through planned and reactive maintenance of all built structures.  This is a new role and you will be instrumental in shaping the way the Trust manages the conservation maintenance of its buildings, helping to build maintenance plans for each building and dealing with backlog maintenance projects.
Closing date: 10:00, Friday 3 June

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BEFS News

As Jess Burrows departs for a new opportunity, BEFS is recruiting for a Communications Manager to join our small, friendly team. Join us and help increase understanding of the importance of Scotland’s existing and historic built environment. Find out more details and apply by Sunday 8 May.

BEFS welcomes the Green Recovery Statement for the Historic Environment, published by Historic Environment Scotland on 26 April. The Statement sets out how the historic environment contributes to the national transition to a low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive economy.

The National Trust for Scotland has launched its new 10-year strategy, Nature, Beauty and Heritage for Everyone, which will take the charity up to its centenary year in 2031. The new strategy is centred around the objectives of conservation, engagement and sustainability.

The ‘Surviving to Thriving’ Business Support Programme has celebrated its first anniversary, with participants sharing their stories of resilience on social media. BEFS are proud partners on the programme alongside Museums Galleries Scotland and greenspace scotland. Congratulations to everyone involved!

The results of the first UK Heritage Pulse survey, which ran from 4–27 February 2022, have been released. BEFS has taken part in the survey and looks forward to seeing how it can be developed, noting the importance of disaggregated data for Scotland.

The call for entries is open for Scottish Archaeology Month, a national festival taking place every September, encouraging people to learn and connect with their heritage and archaeology. If you are planning an event, whether in-person or online, you can participate by registering your event by 1 June.

The first rounds of the Small Grants Fund and Museum Development fund opened for applications on Monday 2 May from Accredited museums.

BEFS notes with interest the launch of the Scottish Tourism Observatory. BEFS Vice Chair, Ian Baxter, has previously reflected on the implications of the new resource for the heritage sector – and asked whether this should prompt us to think about developing our knowledge management structures.

The prospectus for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has been launched. The Scottish Parliament debated the implications for Scotland on 27 April; watch the debate here.

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Consultations

Proposed Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill: Consultation by Alex Rowley MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Region
A proposal for a Bill to introduce new minimum environmental design standards for all new-build housing to meet the Passivhaus standard or a Scottish equivalent in order to improve energy efficiency and thermal performance.
Closing date: 27 July

Publications

UK Heritage Pulse Survey 1 – Summary of Findings (Heritage Fund)
Organisations have a positive financial and strategic outlook, but concerns remain over staffing and the uncertainty of the economic climate.

Green Recovery Statement for The Historic Environment (Historic Environment Scotland, 26/4/22)
This Green Recovery Statement supports the green principles set out by the Scottish Government and highlights seven key areas where the historic environment can help deliver an economic recovery.

Video – Community Wealth Building Guidance (Scottish Land Commission, 24/3/22)
A new film from SLC explains the principles of community of wealth building.

Technical Paper 33: Masonry Pointing and Joint Finishing (Historic Environment Scotland, 27/04/22)
This new paper, authored by Tim Meek, presents evidence of the variety of pointing and joint finishing styles found in Scotland from the 17th to the 20th century.

Video – Finding the balance assessing embodied carbon in retrofit projects on church buildings (STBA, SPAB, 30/11/21)
A recorded webinar by the STBA and SPAB for the Church of England’s Environment Programme, considering strategies to reduce emissions that take embodied carbon into account.

RTPI: Unlock the Value of Planning: A Manifesto for the 2022 Scottish Local Government Elections (27/4/22)
The reform of the planning system in Scotland presents an opportunity to re-invest in planning services, re-define our long-term goals, and re-engage with communities.

Blog: Reflections from year one of the Climate Action Towns project (Architecture & Design Scotland)
The Climate Action Towns project is supporting communities to take collective place-based climate action in seven small Scottish towns.

Building for Change: The Architecture of Creative Reuse, ed. Dr Ruth Lang (Gestalten, Pre-order, Oct 2022)
Building for Change explores the architecture of reuse and adaptation.

Scottish Government Publications

Ban on combustible cladding (SG, 22/4/22)
Materials barred from high-risk buildings over 11 metres.

News Releases

Windows installed in historic Kilmarnock home given thumbs down by council planners(Daily Record, 15/4/22)
East Ayrshire Council said “to justify replacing the original windows with uPVC windows on energy efficiency grounds is not a justifiable reason.”

Town centres at ‘game-changing’ moment, MSPs told (iNews, 20/4/22)
Phil Prentice, chief officer of Scotland’s Towns Partnership, told the Economy and Fair Work Committee that governments need to tighten up on policy frameworks to give the commercial sector certainty.

Creative Scotland announces new Climate Emergency commitments (21/04/22)
Creative Scotland says it will expect all funding recipients to demonstrate how their work contributes to making the sector carbon neutral by 2045.

Drive for net zero fuels UK boom in retrofitting buildings for new use (The Guardian, 24/4/22)
Reversing a trend for ‘knock it down and start again’, the climate crisis is encouraging developers to rethink.

Dumfries town centre regeneration efforts put under microscope (BBC, 25/4/22)
The Scottish Parliament’s economy and fair work committee visited Dumfries to study the Midsteeple Quarter scheme.

Built environment sector bodies unite to improve diversity and inclusion (RICS, 27/4/22)
Six main professional institutes in the UK construction industry have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive sector.

Solar panels installed at Edinburgh Castle to cut carbon emissions (The Scotsman, 28/4/22)
They have been placed on the building as part of Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) continued programme to reduce energy use across the historic properties in its care.

Detecting boom puts ancient sites in peril (The Times, 2/5/22)
It is an offence to dig or use a metal detector at a protected site but new data shows that unauthorised digging has more than doubled.

Scottish Community Tourism launched (SCOTO, 04/2022)
SCOTO is a network of community tourism enterprises located throughout Scotland that encourages visitors to make conscious choices and see themselves as a ‘temporary local’.

ARCHEODANUBE: Archaeological Park in urban areas as a tool for Local Sustainable Development
This transnational project will improve and intensify cooperation among relevant actors to preserve, support and valorise cultural heritage through archaeological parks as products in cities for development of archeotourism.

Opinion & Comment

Paul Stallan: Why we won’t be applying to rebuild the Mac under the GSA’s selection formula (Architects’ Journal, 21/04/22)
‘Glasgow School of Art’s search for an architect to rebuild its legendary Mackintosh building favours the cheapest over the most suitable bid. It’s not a formula for success.’

Phineas Harper: Removing benches, blocking cycle paths: why are police interfering in the UK’s public spaces? (The Guardian, 2/5/22)
‘The Secured by Design initiative is damaging British cities, robbing them of greenery and public amenities while promoting fear.’

Podcast: Empty homes with Shaheena Din (Scottish Housing News, 3/5/22)
Scottish Empty Homes Partnership national project manager Shaheena Din joins Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay to outline why local authorities should have an Empty Homes Officer and empty homes strategy.

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”.

S6W-08206: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date lodged: 26 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth during the debate on National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) on 19 April 2022, what the timeframe will be for the revised draft NPF4 and accompanying delivery programme.

S6W-08303: Fergus Ewing, Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 29/04/2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a requirement for local authorities to conduct a statutory consultation in relation to adopting further discretionary powers and conditions under its short-term let licensing scheme.

S6W-08257: Tess White, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date lodged: 28 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-00445 by Angus Robertson on 25 November 2021, whether it will provide an update on its work on culture sector recovery and renewal, which was due to be published in early 2022.

Parliamentary Questions and Answers

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”.

S6W-07951: Paul Sweeney, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date lodged: 8 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a formal requirement in planning (a) policy and (b) guidance that all applications for listed building consent to a planning authority should include supporting evidence from (i) an accredited specialist conservation architect or conservation architect registered on the Royal Institute of British Architects Conservation Register, and (ii) structural and/or civil engineers registered on the Conservation Accreditation Register for Engineers, administered by the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Answered by Neil Gray on 27 April 2022

S6W-07842: Briggs, Miles, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 5 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to meet its renewable energy targets as part of National Planning Framework 4.
Answered by Tom Arthur on 19 April 2022

S6W-07745: Fiona Hyslop, Linlithgow, Scottish National Party, Date lodged: 31 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the bids from Glasgow and Edinburgh to be part of the European Union’s 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission and NetZeroCities project, and how any lessons learned will be shared among all of Scotland’s cities.
Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022

Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
S6W-07979: plans to establish a Housing Net Zero Technical Steering Group
S6W-07980: response to the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce report
S6W-07981: review of the second Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing
S6W-07982: sector capacity assessment of the estimated net cost of the energy transition in the social housing sector
S6W-07827: technology neutral stance of Home Energy Scotland (homeowner decision making)
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 26 April 2022

Combustible Cladding
S6W-08006: Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab): clarification of “the regulations are not retrospective”
S6W-07855: Katy Clark (West Scotland) (Lab): whether BS 8414 testing for external cladding systems on buildings is robust
S6W-07853: Katy Clark (West Scotland) (Lab): response to University of Central Lancashire report, A Critical Appraisal of the UK’s Regulatory Regime for Combustible Fac?ades
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 26 April 2022

Debates

Scottish Government Debate: UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Implications for Scotland (27 April) 

Events

For the full list of BEFS Members’ upcoming events see our events calendar.

SPAB Scotland & PKHT: Scottish Mills Weekend
Date & Time: 7 – 8 May 2022
Location: Lower City Mills, Perth
SPAB Scotland and Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust invite you to the first ever celebration of mills and milling in Scotland. Topics covered will include looking after mills as a community trust, heritage grains & breadmaking, micro hydro-power, the Scottish textile industry, looking after mill machinery, and a short history of Perth Lower City Mills.

ICE: Union Canal Bicentenary – 200 years of life!
Date & Time: 11 May, 17:30-18:30
Online
Celebrate 200 years of the Union Canal, which links the heart of Edinburgh with the Falkirk Wheel (where it links to the Forth and Clyde Canal). Chris O’Connell from Scottish Canals will share his knowledge about the engineering heritage of this great canal as well as talk about the destination it is today for leisure activities, boating holidays and the wildlife haven it provides, creating places and spaces that people want to live, work in and visit.

GCHT: From Brides to The Bridewell: Women’s Lives in a Glasgow City Block
Date & Time: 12 May, 19:30
Online
Join Glasgow City Heritage Trust and Dr Nina Baker to look at what a particular street corner in the original heart of Glasgow tells us about the lives of the women who lived, worked and walked around it. Inspired by the redevelopment of a site near the corner of the High Street and Duke Street some years ago, Dr Baker has been investigating the history of this block and the range of buildings and uses it has had over the years, from manufacturing, housing, to commerce and social gatherings.

SURF Awards Shared Learning Workshop: Supporting young people to overcome barriers to employability
Date & Time: 12 May, 10:00 – 12:30
Location: The Pearce Institute, Govan, Glasgow
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards tackling barriers to employment facing young people in Scotland. The winner and a highly commended project from the ‘Youth Employability’ category highlighted in the 2021 SURF Awards process, joined by the 2020 winning project, will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning.

Historic Houses: The Warwick Vase: Souvenirs of the Grand Tour
Date & Time: 12 May, 18:30 – 20:00
Location: Bonhams, EH2 1JX
With the Burrell Collection re-opening after extensive repairs, it feels appropriate to learn more about what is one of Scotland’s most treasured objects; a work of art that has inspired many inspirational forms in a number of mediums and known throughout the world. Simon Cottle, Consultant for Bonhams, was Keeper of Decorative Arts at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum (1986-1990) before becoming an international auctioneer.

SHBT: Projects, Plans and Politics – A Scottish Tour in 1712
Date & Time: 17 May, 18:00
Online
Part of SHBT’s spring lecture series, New Perspectives on the Country House. Margaret Stewart uses newly uncovered evidence of a Scottish country house tour in 1712 to cast light on the architect James Gibbs.

SURF Awards Shared Learning Workshop: Learning from place-based regeneration initiatives
Date & Time: 19 May, 10:00 – 12:30
Location: Riddles Court, Edinburgh
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event provides an opportunity to explore successful current approaches towards regenerating Scotland’s places with two winning projects from the ‘Most Improved Place’ and ‘Community Led Regeneration’ categories highlighted in the 2021 SURF Awards process. Guests will also hear from the Scottish Government, Scotland’s Towns Partnership and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Training & Conferences

RTPI: Scottish Young Planners’ Conference 2022 – Harnessing the new planning system
Date & Time: 12 May, 09:00 – 17:00
Location: Perth Concert Hall
2022 marks another significant year for the Scottish planning system. The draft NPF4 marks a shift in thinking and focuses on the Climate Emergency as well as the Nature Crisis. The NPF4 is now to form part of the statutory development plan and will lead planning decisions until 2045 once adopted. There are challenges to be met, and opportunities to be had. How, then, do we harness the new planning system to ensure we shape places for people and contribute to reducing our impact on the planet?

A&DS CPD: Roof Slating by Graeme Millar of the NFRC
Date & Time: 26 May, 12:30 – 13:30
Online
Topics covered in the CPD will include:
Properties and supplies of Scottish slate, and alternatives available;
When to re-slate, when to repair, and when to totally strip and re-slate;
When re-roofing gives you the opportunity to retrofit insulation to roof voids;
Comparisons of finished roofs with different slates (especially those on terraced/tenement properties where the new slate abuts a roof with Scotch slate, good and bad examples).

PAS: SP=EED Community Engagement Skills training
Date & Time: 26 May, 10:00 – 15:00
Online
Want to brush up on your community engagement skills? Join PAS for their next live ‘SP=EED’ training, Thursday 26 May 2022. SPEED is a unique development programme designed to develop your skills and confidence in designing, delivering and evaluating community engagement.

Archaeological Research in Progress Conference 
Date & Time: 28 May 2022, 9:00 – 17:00
Location: King’s College Campus, University of Aberdeen
Archaeological Research in Progress (ARP) is a one-day conference presenting new research ?ndings and best practice in archaeology covering all periods from across Scotland and beyond. Organised by Archaeology Scotland in partnership with the Society of Antiquaries, this year’s ARP conference will include unique opportunities for all its attendees to network, explore the archaeological work being done around Scotland, and take part in a 45-minute walking tour led by Ali Cameron.

IHBC Annual School 2022 – Aberdeen
15-18 June
Offering a variety of delegate options:
Heritage MarketPlace virtual: 15 June
Day School hybrid (in-person & virtual): 17 June
Full School includes in-person tours and events: 16-18 June
The IHBC’s 2022 Aberdeen School explores how practitioners in the 21st Century can and should manage conservation and heritage that is, in different ways, ‘on the edge’.

Vacancies

BEFS: Communications Manager
Hours:  22.5 hrs per week
Salary: £25,000 – £27,500 (FTE)
Term: Permanent (subject to funding – Organisation funding in place to April 2025)
Join Built Environment Forum Scotland as Communications Manager and help us to increase understanding of the importance of our existing and historic built environment. Working closely with the Board, Director, and team, and communicating with our Member organisations, the post holder will be responsible for managing the breadth of the organisation’s (digital) communications channels. Adopting a proactive cross-sectoral approach, the postholder will play a key role in maintaining and raising BEFS profile with policy makers, the sector and wider stakeholders.
Closing date: 8 May

Cupar Development Trust: Development Officer
Salary:  £30,000 per annum, pro rata
Hours:  Part time post, hours to be discussed at interview
Fixed term to 31 March 2023, possibility of extension
Cupar Development Trust is seeking a highly motivated individual for the post of Development Officer.  The postholder will have a crucial influence on the delivery of planning and implementing selected projects, supporting the efforts of groups and individuals to bring about community improvement, building partnerships with agencies able to access resources to intervene in community development, and more.

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