9 Nov 2021

BEFS Director presents a personal reflection on the sector during COP26.

If you don’t like what’s being said, change the conversation.

Now is the time to change the conversation. COP26 provides an opportunity for those conversations to be had more widely, and more loudly. Those within the existing built and historic environment need to shift the narrative.

The dichotomy is between the standard representation found frequently across policy, and most notably in the recent UK Government Budget and Spending Review “The UK’s old, inefficient building stock accounts for 17% of domestic emissions” [my emphasis] (p70)

And, on the other hand, the excellent, recently released English Historic Environment Forum Heritage Responds report:

This document is intended to show how heritage can become part of the solution to the risks and challenges of climate change. Importantly, this isn’t just about making statements and promises, but rather sharing what we are already doing, and galvanising further action. (p5)

One view pitches our existing environment as old, inefficient, cold, often ‘damp’ is thrown in as an additional trope; the other standpoint clearly demonstrates across a range of areas from research to retrofit what heritage can, and does, contribute towards net zero aims. However, all too often the two perspectives fail to meaningfully interact through a lack of common language and agreed measures.

In Scotland we have a ready-made mechanism for that connection. The Scottish National Performance Framework could be the interpreter. Any individual articulation of sector benefit isn’t currently getting the necessary cut-through. When considering recent Parliamentary Committee pre-budget letters we see that heritage (in its broadest form) falls between two stools. With Local Government, Housing and Planning, the potential of our existing traditionally built environment is not represented; and Constitution, External Affairs & Culture appear focused on creativity and arts as the cultural recovery agents to be supported and championed.

This is not to suggest that there are not a wide range of incredible projects, organisations and collaborations taking place across the sector; it is the collective voice that appears quietest at this moment. Over the course of lockdown the Covid Historic Environment Resilience Forum (CHERF) meetings highlighted how well the sector pulls together, working towards collaborative aims, reacting and pivoting to meet emergency need, and presenting a more united front against global-scale challenges. We must now translate this energy and cooperation into a national understanding of contribution across our social, economic, and climatic aims.

The Existing Built Environment Is a Carbon Rich Opportunity

The clamour for attention that COP26 seems to necessitate may not pay dividends in the longer-term. The scale of promises on a big stage are necessary and right for global changes, but I’m concerned with how these translate into national and local policies, and then how those policies are enforced and upheld. Encouraging coherent, consistent collaboration may reap more benefits in the longer-term; bringing further clarity and political understanding to how we, as a sector, support, enhance, and deliver those grander aims would be a strong outcome in itself.

Many of the changes necessary to meet net zero do involve the new. New infrastructure, new investment, new technology. Our existing built environment may well benefit over time from all of those; but even as things stand, it is an area where genuine and meaningful progress can be made quickly. Wins for individuals, wins for the economy, and wins for the environment. Rather than spending big on the latest silver-bullets in an attempt to fix past missteps, policy needs to support the decisions we are all being asked to make; those decisions closest, literally and metaphorically, to home.

More than a third of all buildings in the UK date from before 1919 and in Scotland, as in the rest of the UK, around 20% of our housing stock is pre-1919 (over 50% is pre-1964). This helps to demonstrate the scale of potential for the climate, and social good, that could be effected by policies incentivising, supporting and ensuring well maintained and appropriately retrofitted homes (and public buildings). Action for our already existing building stock is essential to meeting net zero. We cannot build our way out of the climate crisis.

Wins for Individuals, the Economy, and the Environment

BEFS has frequently responded to economic, climate, and built environment focused consultations with responses that make clear our existing built environment delivers, and can be made to deliver more, through changes to aspects such as:

EPCs – EPCs do not currently assess traditionally constructed buildings accurately. Additionally, many smaller interventions are not considered as actions which can be listed to improve energy efficiency (chimney balloons, thick curtains). Work is ongoing around the benefits of smaller interventions in pre-1919 properties (draft proofing etc) but both maintenance, and smaller measures need to be understood as integral to improving both occupier comfort (and cost), as well as providing climate benefits.

Data – We need to understand what building stock we have, what materials are/should be used to maintain/repair that stock, when each building dates from, and what condition it is in currently. This data would allow modelling to enable industry professionals and skills providers to invest for the future, enabling a workforce necessary to maintain, adapt and retrofit buildings across Scotland.

Maintenance – Key recommendations previously made by the Committee on Climate Change included prioritising actions according to six principles for a resilient recovery. A programme of maintenance for our existing built environment, suitably adapting our built assets (across public and private ownership) supports all six of the principles. It supports skilled work and new jobs; it demonstrates an investment and mind-shift in using what we already have; it makes our places more resilient; all citizens could realise tangible benefits (whether in their home, workplace, public buildings, or as part of the employment and supply-chain); and the economic investment would be directly supporting reduced emissions (a wind and watertight home is far more energy efficient, even without retrofit adaptations).

Further rapid developments supporting the ongoing work and recommendations of the Scottish Parliamentary Working Group on Tenement Maintenance (which included suggestions for: mandatory Owners Associations, Building Reserve Funds and Building Surveys) would further enable skilled employment within the built heritage sector – and provide better maintained, warmer homes – benefiting people, fuel poverty targets, and climate targets.

Skills – In BEFS response to Housing to 2040 Consultation it was noted that aspects such as ‘latency’ for the skilled workforce were mentioned, but there was a lack of expressed urgency as to how many of the constraints could be turned around within a 20 year timeframe. Current Construction Industry Training Board analysis acknowledges that 95% of contractors in the construction industry have no qualifications to work on traditional buildings, and only 2% of contractors have undertaken energy efficiency retrofit work on traditional buildings.

Fully considering the labour market in tandem with the education system will be essential to producing skilled workers within the relevant sectors. Many of the issues mentioned are noted within the Skills Investment Plan for the Historic Environment, and a framework with solutions exists within the document. Resource in this area could pay dividends across the retrofit, regenerative and maintenance agendas – supporting a green recovery, fuelling economic regeneration, and providing greater long-term benefits.

But we need to face into the significant shortage of people with traditional construction and heritage conservation skills if we are truly able to step up to climate change. There’s no point worrying about climate adaptation or carbon reduction if the assets we care about are in poor condition.(p40) Heritage Responds

More widely the Infrastructure Commission for Scotland recommended that the,

Scottish Government should require all public sector infrastructure asset owners to develop asset management strategies containing a presumption in favour of enhancing, re-purposing, or maintaining existing infrastructure over developing options for new infrastructure.

Supporting Economic Recovery and a Just Transition

Many of the changes needed, across multiple industries, to meet net-zero have the potential for negative economic effects in the short term, including changes to the job market. Deriding new-build construction can be heard as removing jobs, decimating industries, destroying supply-chains. To ensure a just transition, we need to focus on where new employment markets and growth can be found – ensuring those from transitioning industries can find long-term, sustainable work.

Our existing built environment can support economic recovery and transition in a number of ways, if championed and understood. It is:

central to a potentially expanding skilled workforce, maintaining and appropriately adapting our environment for the long term economic and environmental benefits to people and place.
a growing employment market – where repairing, reusing and adapting our built environment is central to economic recovery.
an important link in the materials supply chain – supporting a wide range of related industries.
a factor for making more homes available, as empty homes are brought back into use.
a key resource, essential to Scotland’s tourism offer – further energising local economies and securing future employment across a wide range of industries and employers.
a focal point of regenerative strategies (particularly in relation to High Street decline, and Town Centre Regeneration) enabling a sense of place – whilst providing skilled employment, places designed to promote wellbeing, and adaptive buildings suited to new futures.

Strong leadership and integrated policy remain essential to all aspects of delivery. Difficult choices will have to be made. Currently when set against its own report-card Scotland isn’t achieving enough.

This applies as much to heritage as a sector as it does to governments. What does our report-card look like, and what will our next steps be? How can we learn to make the case – clearly and with vision for the future – demonstrating our unique place within that future? It’s a crowded landscape in which to advocate, but there is much to draw positive attention from across Government portfolios. Supporting a green recovery, and sustaining our places is at the heart of the Programme for Government. We just need to be talking the same language.

The Next National Strategy for Heritage

As the national strategy for heritage, Our Place in Time, was reviewed in 2019 at its midway point, our thoughts must turn to what a new strategy for the Historic Environment should look like in 2024.We are fortunate to have had the resource of Scotland’s Historic Environment Audit an output which needs to be supported in providing a continuity of data for the sector; but also scrutinised, to ensure the data we need for the future can be captured.

Now is the time to change the conversation and consider how our existing places deliver for Scotland. How we, as a sector, demonstrate our alignment to the National Performance Framework and speak the language of government, as well as commerce, will be key to finding ourselves integral in the conversation.

A national strategy is the space for a collaborative framework. A framework which, in demonstrating the breadth of skills, expertise and knowledge across the sector, also highlights societal, economic and climate benefits for people across Scotland.

The time has come to be louder – and prouder – of our existing built environment and the people and projects associated with our places. To champion the homes, workplaces, and commercial and social spaces of all kinds across Scotland. They have embodied carbon, high potential to help meet net zero aims, and are a resource providing skilled employment, now and for the future. Our existing places are part of a green recovery and support a just transition.

COP26 is a stage where all nations talk about their places, their aspirations, their climate actions. We can keep this conversation going for the longer-term. We can talk about how these sustainable, existing places are in all our communities; some are significant sites which need specialist care, and others are traditionally built demanding skilled interventions. All – regardless of age, or designation – are essential to changing the conversation. In the end, the realisation should be that it’s not about a heritage deficit, it’s about a carbon benefit; and how we express that on a national stage matters.

***

Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) is an umbrella body for organisations working in the built environment in Scotland. Drawing on extensive expertise in a membership-led forum, BEFS informs, debates and advocates on the strategic issues, opportunities and challenges facing Scotland’s historic and contemporary built environment.

To see examples of heritage and sustainability across a variety of topics, and from a range of partners – https://www.befs.org.uk/latest/heritage-sustainability-a-journey-down-one-iconic-street/
Our Place in Time – Case Studies – https://www.befs.org.uk/resources/historic-environment-case-studies/
BEFS Consultation responses – https://www.befs.org.uk/resources/consultations/
BEFS Advocacy Toolkit – https://www.befs.org.uk/resources/advocacy-toolkit/

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27 Oct 2021

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BEFS News

COP26 is now just around the corner, and preparations are continuing apace. For those organising events, there is still time to register your event on the Culture at COP website, which will showcase all COP26-related art, culture and heritage events (in-person and virtual) for diverse audiences.

As a Supporting Member of the Climate Heritage Network, BEFS is a signatory of their manifesto: Accelerating Climate Action through the Power of Arts, Culture and Heritage. It’s fantastic to see the Historic Environment Forum in England publishing a report which is designed to ensure the positive, solutions-focused place of heritage in relation to climate change and net zero is better understood.

BEFS, Under One Roof, and Novoville will present a joint event, Tenement Maintenance = Sustainable Homes at SpACE, Edinburgh’s pop-up Space for Architecture + Carbon + Environment, on Friday 12 November. We’re inviting tenement-dwellers to join us for some after work refreshment and to hear about how good maintenance helps to keep buildings warm and dry – and helps to tackle the climate emergency.

BEFS will also host a Feature Session at the IHBC@COP26 Conservation Helpdesk+ from 4-5pm on Wednesday 10 November.

The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has brought together their members’ initiatives, including tidal walks, shop front exhibitions, events and material markers to highlight the importance of how and what we build. Their website hosts events & activities throughout Scotland to explore the important role of the built environment in the climate emergency. Meanwhile, VisitScotland have brought together Scotland’s 13 UNESCO designations into a single trail, from Global Geoparks to World Heritage Sites.

Novoville have published a consultation to gather fresh data on Scottish homeowners’ awareness about and readiness for the energy efficiency work that will be required in this decade. They are encouraging as many people as possible to respond via their survey on automated webchat.

A planning update: legislation has now been published for Local Place Plans and the draft National Planning Framework 4 is surely about to arrive, given the Participation Statement is now live. BEFS raised several concerns previously about the resourcing of LPPs – and these concerns still stand. Community planning, and engagement with the planning system is to be championed, but whether legislation will meaningfully enhance this process remains to be seen.

Awards season continues, with nominations closing on 31^st October for the Archaeological Achievement Awards, which celebrate accomplishments from across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The five award categories (and one overall outstanding achievement award) are designed to show how archaeology relates to wider society, health and wellbeing, and place.

Finally, BEFS sends warm congratulations to Pam Alexander OBE, who has been announced as the new Chair of The Heritage Alliance from 4 November.

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Consultations

Local Government, Housing & Planning Committee Licensing Scheme for Short-Term Lets
Closes 29 October

UK Government Review of Architects Regulation: Call for Evidence
Closes 8 November 2021

HES Covid-19 Survey
Closes 21 November

Scottish Building Regulations: Proposed changes to Energy Standards and associated topics, including Ventilation, Overheating and Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Closes 26 November 2021

Consultations Responses

BEFS Response: Domestic Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) Reform Consultation(6/10/2021)

Publications

Meanwhile Use of Vacant Buildings as a positive disruption for regeneration of Irish Town Centres (anois, October 2021)

A New Landscape For Heritage Professions – Preliminary Findings (CHARTER Alliance)

Built for the Environment report (RIBA, 26 October 2021)

The Venice Call To Action: For A New European Renaissance (Europa Nostra, September 2021)

Civic Charter (Scotland’s Climate Assembly)

Heritage Responds – Taking Positive Action on Climate Change (Historic Environment Forum, October 2021)

Communications and Outreach Strategy 2021-2024 (IHBC May 2021)

Chief Planning Officers (RTPI Thinkpiece, 21 October 2021)

The Climate Crisis – A Guide for Local Authorities on Planning for Climate Change (TCPA, October 2021)

Architecture & Design Scotland Planning Performance Framework Report 2020-21 (September 2021)

Scottish Government News Releases

The Town and Country Planning (Local Place Plans) (Scotland) Regulations 2021

Community Land Week Funding (SG, 13 October 2021)

Digital Planning: PlaceBuilder (SG Planning and Architecture Division Blog, 14 October 2021)

National Planning Framework 4 – Participation Statement (SG, 26 October 2021)

UK Government News Releases

Home Heating: The UK Government set out plans to bring down the cost of low carbon heating technologies such as heat pumps by providing £5,000 grants to households in England and Wales as part of a £3.9bn funding package to decarbonise heat and buildings; the grants will be available from April 2020.

Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener
This strategy sets out policies and proposals for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy to meet its net zero target by 2050.

Welsh Government News Releases

Cadw’s Historic Buildings Maintenance and Repair Capital Grant Programme 2021/22 will offer financial assistance towards the maintenance and repair of historic community assets, such as village and community halls, institutes, libraries, war memorials and places of worship that are open for wider community use.

News Releases

Yester Castle closed after ‘substantial theft’ of stone’ in East Lothian (BBC News)

Opinion & Comment

Podcast: Volunteering in the arts: the fine line (Build Back Fairer: The Creative & Cultural Skills Podcast, 12 October)

Cream teas at dawn: inside the war for the National Trust (The Guardian, 16 October)

‘Faithful reinstatement’ preferred option for Mackintosh Building (Scottish Construction Now, 22 October)

Parliamentary Questions & 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”.

Question S6W-03349: Jamie Greene, West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 28/09/2021
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the potential job losses in (a) Scotland and (b) the West Scotland region as a result of its proposed short-term lets licensing scheme and planning control area legislation.
Answered by Shona Robison (22/10/2021)

Question S6W-03496: Beatrice Wishart, Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 05/10/2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the business and regulatory impact assessment (BRIA) for its short-term lets licensing scheme and planning control area legislation, how the draft short-term lets licensing proposals support the (a) National Performance Framework and (b) Scottish Government’s commitment to being a Wellbeing Economy Government.
Answered by Shona Robison (22/10/2021)

Motions

Motion ref. S6M-01630 Restoration Yard in Dalkeith Wins Best Store Design Award
Submitted by: Colin Beattie, Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party.
Date lodged: Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Motion ref. S6M-01627 Stirling’s UK City of Culture 2025 Bid
Submitted by: Dean Lockhart, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
Date lodged: Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Events

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

The Cockburn Association: ‘By leaves we live’ – seeing grassroots climate strategies in Edinburgh – Conference
Date & Time: Saturday 30^th October from 11am
Online
After a century and a half of discussion, planning and apparently endless piecemeal strategies about environmental ambitions the current climate emergency demands immediate achievable actions.
This latest one-day FREE online Cockburn Conference on Saturday 30 October will discuss some of the many well-intended environmental and sustainability schemes, policy documents and political initiatives that have been produced over the last few decades and seek to identify some long overdue actions that will have the grassroots support necessary to make a difference. It is time to dig in where we stand!

Date & Time: 1 – 12 November, Mon, Wed, Fri – 12.30pm
Online: Scottish Civic Trust YouTube, Facebook and Twitter
Although marginalised communities bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change, they are often excluded from discussions about sustainability. Join Scottish Civic Trust for an online lecture series about the intersection of heritage, equity and the climate crisis. Speakers will be touching on a range of topics, including Indigenous approaches to sustainable management of heritage sites, involving children in the sustainable management of World Heritage Sites, heritage as a social and multi-species practice and more!

RTPI & Partners: The Race to Net Zero – Why We Need To Plan The World We Need
Date & Time: 8 November 18:00 – 20:30
Location: The Studio, 67 Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 6AE
An event organised during COP26 by the Royal Town Planning Institute in partnership with the Global Planners Network, Commonwealth Association of Planners and the International Society of City and Regional Planners. This face to face and webcasted event will show how planners and planning system across the world are tackling climate change and working to achieve net zero.

Sustainable Stories: Capturing an Age of Change in Community Archives Heritage Groups
Date & Time: 10 November 10:00 – 17:00
Location: The Point Community Hub, Glasgow, or Online
Join the newly formed Community Archives Heritage Group Scotland in Glasgow for our first conference on 10 November, or watch the live streaming online. With an exciting day of talks and workshop, we want to take the opportunity to hear from you and discuss how community archives and heritage groups can engage with critical questions around the environment and sustainability.

BEFS, Under One Roof, & Novoville: Tenement Maintenance = Sustainable Homes
Date & Time: 12 November 18:00 – 19:30
Location: SpACE, Lauriston Fire Station, ECA, Edinburgh
Tenement-dwellers are invited to join us for a free evening event to explore why good building maintenance is important for sustainable homes. Come along to hear from our speakers about organising repairs and sharing information with your neighbours, explore how to form owners’ associations, and find out what support is out there to help you get started – as well as looking at how maintaining your home plays an important role in tackling climate change.

Community Heritage Conversations #9: Celebrating Community Heritage
Date & Time: 13 November 10:00 – 12:30
Online
Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations is a new series of digital events to bring together volunteers, community groups and heritage professionals, providing them with a stage to share experiences, inspire and support one another with ideas and plans, and to celebrate the places that matter to us all. This event will showcase the diverse range of activities being delivered by our local communities and how they have come together to celebrate and highlight the tangible and intangible aspects of their local area.

Edinburgh, Lothians & Borders Archaeology Conference
Date & Time: 20 November 10:00 – 15:00
Online
This annual archaeology conference is organised by City of Edinburgh Council, East Lothian Council and Scottish Borders Council. It provides an important opportunity to hear and discuss first hand accounts of the archaeological fieldwork and research being undertaken in Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders.

Training

Arts & Business Scotland: Developing Creative Partnerships – Introductory Course
Date & Time: 28 and 29 October 09:30 – 12:30
Online
This ‘how-to’ guide to sponsorship will take you through the key steps to sponsorship from understanding why businesses sponsor the arts through to nurturing and developing long lasting cultural and business partnerships. If you have little experience or just want a refresher on this area of fundraising, then this seminar is aimed to help you on your journey to sponsorship success.

ICON Scotland Group: Introduction to Photogrammetry
Date & Time: 29 October, 14:00 – 17:00
Online
Learn about this 3D imaging technique, and how it can be used to record historic artefacts. This event will introduce participants to methods of 3D digital documentation of historic objects. The session will cover basic data capture procedures, to create an understanding of the requirements, capabilities and limitations of the technology, and will show the possibilities of 3D documentation for a range of objects and materials.

Arts & Business Scotland: Telling It Like It Is – Effective Copywriting
Date & Time: 2 and 9 November, 10:00 – 13:00
Online
This training session is aimed at anyone looking to improve their copywriting skills to support their fund-raising activities. Offering a combination of project-based, hands-on writing exercises with tips, techniques and critical theory, the session explores the five stages of the copywriting process over two half-day sessions. While the training provides a specific focus on writing a case for fundraising & support, the resulting learning can be applied to all kinds of fundraising communications.

Heritage Trust Network: Recovery, Sustainability, Wellbeing
Date & Time: 11 November – Online, 19 and 20 November – Coventry
Join Heritage Trust Network for our annual Conference in the 2021 City of Culture and online. We’re still recovering from the effects of the last year and we think you are too! So this year our speakers will focus on how we can develop our projects and approaches to heritage regeneration whilst thinking about our environmental impact, our people and our long term survival. Join us at the in-person event for a day of interactive workshops, followed by a day of walking tours and building visits.

Arts & Business Scotland: Business Briefing: Museums & Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief (MGETR)
Date & Time: 3 November, 10:30 – 12:30
Online
This 2-hour Museums & Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief (MGETR)?seminar is a must?for anyone who wants to understand more about whether they qualify and how to collate the information to make a claim. The MGETR relief is available to charities which maintain a museum, gallery or library, this could include arts centres with a gallery or exhibition space or historic houses with collections.?The relief is designed to recognise the unique cultural value that museums and galleries bring to the UK and encourage greater and more diverse exhibitions.

Vacancies

HES: Research Project – Properties in Care and the British Empire
Historic Environment Scotland is seeking an individual or group of researchers to undertake an 18-month commission to investigate and understand the imperial connections of the 336 Properties in Care (PICs), by situating the historical landowners within the activities of the British Empire, including the transatlantic slave economy and other colonial activities.
Closing date: 12:00 on 27 October 2021

RIAS: Head of Marketing and Communications
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland is looking for a Head of Communications to work with the CEO, RIAS President, senior staff, RIAS members (individually and through committees) to deliver the RIAS Marketing and Communications Plan.
Closing date: 31 October

FHBT: Interpretation for Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration Project
Fife Historic Buildings Trust invites tenders to design, produce and install a range of interpretive outputs in Inverkeithing: external interpretation boards, a refreshed guide book, text for carving into new sculptural features, interpretation in the historic Town House, and for use by local businesses.
Closing date: 15 November

GBPT: Director
Glasgow Building Preservation Trust is a registered charity which was established almost 40 years ago with the mission to rescue, repair, and restore historic buildings at risk across the city.
The Trust now seeks a new Director who can work with the staff team and board to deliver regeneration and restoration projects across the city of Glasgow.
Closing date: 15 November

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13 Oct 2021

Get The Latest Built Environment News, Policy Developments, Publications, Consultations And More.

BEFS News

Autumn was traditionally a busy time across the sector, and it seems like 2021 is proving this to be true. Surveys, awards, and events aplenty fill this edition of the Bulletin.

After two surveys in 2020 HES are asking ‘How are you doing, heritage sector?’ 18 months into the pandemic, and as restrictions ease – they’re seeking a new snapshot of the sector. Find the full survey – here.

Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy want to know about your experience of Open Access Publications – the short survey will support Aim Two of the strategy. Full information, and the survey can be found on this page.

GCHT are looking for contributors to share their thoughts and memories for their new podcast series, If Glasgow’s Walls Could Talk, which explores the relationships that exist between Glasgow’s historic buildings and places and the city’s communities.

The Scottish Government National Performance Framework (NPF) team is looking for feedback on the use of the NPF. They’d like to find out how you currently use the National Performance Framework (or don’t), and what could make it more useful. Their short survey will be open until 20 October.

There are several vacancies across the sector this month (see Vacancies below) – but of note in terms of the related research project is the HES research projectinvestigating the British Empire connections of the Properties in Care. We look forward to seeing the final reports!

HES and partners Heritage Trust Network and Scottish Council on Archives are asking members of the public to help tell Scotland’s climate story via Visions of Climate Heritage competition – full details can be found here.

We’re delighted to see that BEFS Members Historic Houses Scotland met with Culture Minister Jenny Gilruth recently.

ICE and the Rochester Bridge Trust have launched a new website about one of the greatest engineers of his age, John Rennie. Explore his life and work through this new website.

It’s awards season!
Winners have been announced for the A&DS and RIAS Student Awards for Architecture 2021, along with the winners of the Scottish Civil Engineering Awards, organised by CECA Scotland and the Institution of Civil Engineers Scotland.

Meanwhile, the shortlist for the 2021 Andrew Doolan Best Building in Scotland Award was announced by RIAS, and the SPAB have opened nominations for their Heritage Awards (their John Betjeman Award includes a category specifically for conservation of Scottish faith buildings of any denomination). The Scottish Civic Trust My Place awards and the Scotland’s Towns Partnership Scotland Loves Local Awards are both coming up in November, so there is much to look forward to.

And finally – there are still a few places left in some of the FREE training courses being provided as part of the Surviving to Thriving programme led by MGS and in partnership with BEFS and greenspace scotland. Please look for the City of Glasgow College October workshops on MGS upcoming events page.

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Consultations

Local Government, Housing & Planning Committee Licensing Scheme for Short-Term Lets
Closes 29 October

*NEW* HES Covid-19 Survey – Closes 31st October 2021

UK Government Review of Architects Regulation: Call for Evidence
Closes 8 November 2021

Scottish Building Regulations: Proposed changes to Energy Standards and associated topics, including Ventilation, Overheating and Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
*Deadline Extended* Closes 26 November 2021

Parliamentary Questions & Answers

Question ref. S6W-02978 Miles Briggs, Lothian, Date lodged: 14 September 2021
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason it has only recently begun its consultation, Building standards (fire safety) – external wall systems, on the introduction of a ban on the use of combustible cladding and insulation on the external facades of certain residential high-rise buildings, in light of such a ban being introduced in England in 2018.
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 September 2021

Question S6W-02867: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 09/09/2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6W-02205 by Michael Matheson on 8 September 2021, what percentage of Scotland’s GDP is spent on infrastructure.
Answered by Michael Matheson (30/09/2021)

Donald Cameron, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 20/09/2021
To ask the Scottish Government, on the proposed National Towns of Culture scheme:
Question S6W-03093: launch date – Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29/09/2021
Question S6W-03094: aims and objectives – Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29/09/2021
Question S6W-03095: funding – Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 29/09/2021

Question ref. S6W-03065 Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 20 September 2021
“To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the actions set out in Annex A of the Draft Heat in Buildings Strategy from February 2021, what the (a) timescale for delivery, (b) current status and (c) expenditure to date is for each of the actions.”
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 4 October 2021

Question ref. S6W-03159 Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 20 September 2021
“To ask the Scottish Government what (a) number and (b) percentage of domestic and non-domestic buildings taller than 11m have external wall systems with combustible insulation and/or cladding (i) in total and (ii) that required a BS 8414 certificate, and what work it has undertaken to establish centrally held estimates of these figures.”
Answered by Shona Robison on 29 September 2021

Question ref. S6W-03022 – 03027: Rachael Hamilton, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 20 September 2021
Short term lets – several.
Answered by: Shona Robison on 1 October 2021

Question S6W-03142: Liz Smith, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 20/09/2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on whether it plans to introduce a high street voucher scheme similar to that in Northern Ireland.
Answered by Tom Arthur (01/10/2021)

Question S6W-03140: Liz Smith, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 20/09/2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish a response to the review of the Town Centre Action Plan.
Answered by Tom Arthur (01/10/2021)

Question S6W-03146: Liz Smith, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 20/09/2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to publish the conclusions and recommendations of its City Centre Recovery taskforce.
Answered by Kate Forbes (04/10/2021):
We will publish the conclusions and recommendations of the City Centre Recovery Task Force this autumn.

Question S6W-03150: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 20/09/2021 R
To ask the Scottish Government how it will update its strategy, Housing to 2040, in light of the commitments in its shared policy programme with the Scottish Green Party, and how it plans to review progress against the strategy.
Answered by Shona Robison (04/10/2021)

Other Parliamentary Activity

FMQs 30 September: Miles Briggs asked for a response to reports that, in the last year, ministers overturned almost 50% of planning applications. Nicola Sturgeon refuted this claim and said local authorities had granted over 25,000 planning applications in the last year, with only 135 of them being referred to and determined by government planning reporters. Miles Briggs then expressed concerns from local authorities about further centralisation of powers over drug and alcohol partnerships and child services, along with claims the government would further centralise planning powers through NPF4. Nicola Sturgeon refuted claims of further centralisation of powers and that the government worked to support local authorities.

Motions

Motion ref. S6M-01418
Fraserburgh Shortlisted for Regeneration Award
Submitted by: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
Date lodged: Thursday, September 30, 2021
Supported by: Alexander Burnett, Sharon Dowey, Meghan Gallacher, Maurice Golden, Stephen Kerr, Douglas Lumsden, Paul Sweeney, Tess White

Motion ref. S6M-01499
Glasgow’s Smart Canal Wins Greatest Contribution to Scotland Award
Submitted by: Paul Sweeney, Glasgow, Scottish Labour.
Date lodged: Tuesday, October 5, 2021

Motion ref. S6M-01500
Glasgow Queen Street Station Wins Best Building Award
Submitted by: Kaukab Stewart, Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party.
Date lodged: Tuesday, October 5, 2021
Supported by: Stephanie Callaghan, Bob Doris, Jackie Dunbar, Annabelle Ewing, Kenneth Gibson, Bill Kidd, Rona Mackay, Ruth Maguire, John Mason, Stuart McMillan, Paul Sweeney

Events

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

Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society: 50^th Anniversary Exhibition
Date & Time: 1^st October 2021 – 15^th January 2022
Location: Museum of Edinburgh, Cannongate, Edinburgh
Don’t miss this great opportunity to go along and see what Edinburgh Archaeological Field Society have been doing over the last 50yrs. Access is free.

Countdown to COP Exhibition – Ian McHarg: Scottish Environmentalist and Author: A Celebration of Influence and Legacy
Date & Time: 12^th – 24^th October
Location: Mitchell Library main foyer, Glasgow
The third of the Landscape Institute Scotland COP26 events around climate change & sustainability. This exhibition hopes to raise awareness of the Scot, Ian McHarg, his great positive influence within the wider narrative of the Scottish environmental tradition and his legacy that continues with the current work of landscape professionals in tackling climate change and creating resilient communities leading up to and beyond the COP26 Climate Change summit in Glasgow November 2021

Managing Imperial Legacies: Empire, Community and Scotland’s built environment
Date & Time: 15 October, 12:30 – 14:00
This online talk will discuss the work of community organisations who are highlighting stories of Empire within Scotland’s built environment. Speakers from the Edinburgh Caribbean Association, West of Scotland Regional Equality Council (WSREC) and The Birse Community Trust will discuss their recent projects, and how further support and engagement can help better address conversations on race through Scotland’s built heritage.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/empire-community-and-scotlands-built-environment-tickets-164342102653

HES: Climate Resilience Heritage Summit
Date & Time: 27 October, 10:00 – 16:00
Online
Join HES and partner organisations for an interactive day of discussions, presentations and workshops focussing on climate risk and resilience of UK heritage. Public sector bodies and charities are working together to understand the impacts of climate change on the places in their care. This event will bring together academics and practitioners, regulators and charitable bodies to discuss and present their efforts to explore the exposure, vulnerability and impacts of climate hazards on the historic environment.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/climate-resilience-heritage-summit-tickets-180113112167

Cupar & District Annual Lecture 2021 – Environmental Shocks and Resilient Communities, Prof. Sir Ian Boyd.
Date & Time: Wednesday 27^th October, 7pm
Online
Sir Ian will address the challenges facing small communities, and the opportunities they have. Communities, being local and collaborative, can contribute to solving mankind’s greatest crisis. They can also meet the needs of their own communities in these post-Covid times.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cupar-district-annual-lecture-2021-tickets-186004042097

The Cockburn Association: ‘By leaves we live’ – seeding grassroots climate strategies in Edinburgh – Conference
Date & Time: Saturday 30^th October from 11am
Online
After a century and a half of discussion, planning and apparently endless piecemeal strategies about environmental ambitions the current climate emergency demands immediate achievable actions.
This latest one-day FREE online Cockburn Conference on Saturday 30 October will discuss some of the many well-intended environmental and sustainability schemes, policy documents and political initiatives that have been produced over the last few decades and seek to identify some long overdue actions that will have the grassroots support necessary to make a difference. It is time to dig in where we stand!
https://www.cockburnassociation.org.uk/event/by-leaves-we-live-cockburn-conference/

Scottish Civic Trust: My Place 2021 Exhibition
Date & Time: 1 – 26 November, Mon – Fri 09:00 – 17:00
Location: South Block, 60-64 Osborne Street, Glasgow, G1 5QH
Come celebrate the winners and entrants of Scottish Civic Trust’s My Place Awards and My Place Photography Competition! The My Place Awards celebrate community-led built environment projects that have transformed their locality and the My Place Photography Competition is a Scotland-wide built environment photography competition for school age young people (4-18).
https://myplacescotland.org.uk/about-my-place-awards/

EWH: Witch-Hunting in Edinburgh with Professor Julian Goodare
Date & Time: 7 November, 18:00 – 19:00
Online
Scotland in the 16th and 17th centuries was indelibly marked by witch-hunting. With the advent of the Reformation, and the development of the modern state, people acted on ancient fears and superstitions and persecuted thousands of largely innocent women, many of whom were burned at the stake. In his new talk on this fascinating subject, Professor Julian Goodare of the University of Edinburgh will explore the Edinburgh’s role in the great witch-hunt, painting a picture of the panic and superstition which haunted the streets of the capital during this dark period in its history.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/edinburgh-and-the-scottish-witch-hunt-with-professor-julian-goodare-tickets-171075460307

Society of Antiquaries of Scotland: Culduthel: An Iron Age craftworking centre in North-East Scotland
Date & Time: 8 November 18:00 – 19:30
Online & In Person at NMS, Edinburgh
The Iron Age craftworking site of Culduthel was identified near Inverness in 2005. The results of this excavation have now been published and reveal a vivid picture of an Iron Age community engaged in developed and sustained production of iron, bronze and glass objects between the late First Millennium BC and early First Millennium AD. Dr Candy Hatherley will take us on a tour of the site and discuss what Culduthel means for Iron Age studies in Scotland and beyond.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/culduthel-an-iron-age-craftworking-centre-in-north-east-scotland-tickets-168226998481

AHSS & SGLH: Roads, bridges, landscapes and new towns on the Highland Circuit 1720-1830
Date & Time: 8 November 18:30
Landscape historian Christopher Dingwall will describe the intensive programme of road building which took place in the Southern Highlands of Scotland between the completion of Wade’s military roads in the 1720s and the arrival of the railways in the 1830s. With the help of previously unpublished archival material, Christopher will illustrate the developments which occurred at the four great Highland landscapes associated with Inveraray Castle, Taymouth Castle, Blair Castle and Dunkeld House.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/roads-bridges-landscapes-and-new-towns-on-the-highland-circuit-1720-1830-tickets-169662752861

Training

Arts & Business Scotland: Culture & Business Fund Scotland – Online Roadshow
Date & Time: 26 October 11:00 — 13:30
Online
Designed to give attendees from across the arts, heritage, third, public and business sectors the opportunity to learn about the fund, the session will explain how the new CBFS COVID-19 Recovery & Renewal strand provides more flexible support through a period of recovery and renewal over the next three years. This session includes changes to the criteria and guidelines that potentially increases the levels of match funding over that period. CBFS Case studies and a walk through the online application process will also provide participants with the necessary knowledge on how to develop and submit a successful application.
https://www.aandbscotland.org.uk/events/2021/10/26/culture-and-business-fund-scotland-roadshows-a-source-of-support-for-covid-19-recovery-and-renewal-6/

ICON Scotland Group: Introduction to Photogrammetry
Date & Time: 29 October, 14:00 – 17:00
Online
Learn about this 3D imaging technique, and how it can be used to record historic artefacts. This event will introduce participants to methods of 3D digital documentation of historic objects. The session will cover basic data capture procedures, to create an understanding of the requirements, capabilities and limitations of the technology, and will show the possibilities of 3D documentation for a range of objects and materials.
https://www.icon.org.uk/events/scotland-group-introduction-to-photogrammetry.html

Mark Your Mark: Green Volunteering Knowledge Share
Date & Time: 5 November, 10:00 – 13:00
Online
As the impacts of climate change increase and threaten our buildings and places, it is critical that we all work together to build a more sustainable future. At this free event for volunteer-involving heritage organisations, speakers from across the UK heritage sector will discuss developing digital and home-based volunteering roles, supporting volunteers to use sustainable travel methods to get on-site, involving volunteers in activities around sustainability and the environment and more! Organised by Make Your Mark, a campaign to increase the number and diversity of heritage volunteers in Scotland.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/green-volunteering-make-your-mark-knowledge-share-registration-169133852907

Heritage Trust Network: Recovery, Sustainability, Wellbeing
Date & Time: 11 November – Online, 19 and 20 November – Coventry
Join Heritage Trust Network for our annual Conference in the 2021 City of Culture and online. We’re still recovering from the effects of the last year and we think you are too! So this year our speakers will focus on how we can develop our projects and approaches to heritage regeneration whilst thinking about our environmental impact, our people and our long term survival. Join us at the in-person event for a day of interactive workshops, followed by a day of walking tours and building visits.
https://htnconference.eventbrite.co.uk

IHBC: COTAC Conference 2021 – Protecting our World, Protecting our Heritage
Date & time: 23-24 November, 10.00-13.00 both days
Online: GoToWebinar
Day 1 will explore the expected impact of climate change on the built heritage, and the potential impact of climate change mitigation on the built heritage. Day 2 will explore ways to support development of the training, skills, and expertise needed to protect the built heritage and reduce emission of greenhouse gases.
https://events.ihbc.org.uk/?tribe_events=cotac-conference-2021-protecting-our-world-protecting-our-heritage

Vacancies

Fife Historic Buildings Trust: Project Officer
A new full-time fixed term post, funded by Historic Environment Scotland. FHBT are a Building Preservation Trust whose mission is to create viable futures for heritage buildings and their communities, by inspiring and enabling visionary conservation projects across Fife. Bring your skills and to deliver new historic environment regeneration projects in Fife, principally the restoration and re-use of historic buildings at risk.
Closing date: 17:00 on 18 October 2021
https://fifehistoricbuildings.org.uk/latest-news/opportunities-at-fife-historic-buildings-trust/

Stirling City Heritage Trust: Membership & Marketing Officer
Stirling City Heritage Trust are seeking a Membership & Marketing Officer for the Traditional Buildings Health Check. You will administer and market the service and be the first point of contact for the service. Your role will involve the day-to-day management of the service and will be expected to deliver a high quality, efficient and informative service to members. You will also work proactively on broader aspects of the service such as its marketing strategy and database.
Closing date: Noon – 25^th October 2021
www.stirlingcityheritagetrust.org/about-us/careers/job-opportunity-marketing-and-membership-officer/

HES: Research Project – Properties in Care and the British Empire
Historic Environment Scotland is seeking an individual or group of researchers to undertake an 18-month commission to investigate and understand the imperial connections of the 336 Properties in Care (PICs), by situating the historical landowners within the activities of the British Empire, including the transatlantic slave economy and other colonial activities.
Closing date: 12:00 on 27 October 2021
https://www.befs.org.uk/latest/hes-properties-in-care-british-empire/

RIAS: Head of Marketing and Communications
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland is looking for a Head of Communications to work with the CEO, RIAS President, senior staff, RIAS members (individually and through committees) to deliver the RIAS Marketing and Communications Plan.
Closing date: 31 October
https://www.befs.org.uk/latest/iras-head-of-marketing-communications/

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29 Sep 2021

Get The Latest Built Environment News, Policy Developments, Publications, Consultations And More.

BEFS News

In a new BEFS blog, The Heritage Alliance introduce this year’s Digital Attitudes and Skills for Heritage (DASH) Survey. The survey, which is free to access, is the first comprehensive measure of digital skills in the sector, offering UK heritage organisations vital insight into the needs of their staff, trustees, and volunteers. The survey closes on 7 November.

The Scottish Tourism Alliance and partners are collaborating to develop a knowledge resource for Scottish tourism. They are currently conducting research to provide a clear picture of the needs and wants for data/information from the tourism and events industry using a short survey which will inform the design of the new resource. Read BEFS Vice Chair Ian Baxter’s thoughts on what the launch of a ‘tourism observatory’ could mean for the heritage sector on our website.

The IHBC will offer their IHBC@COP26 ‘Conservation Helpdesk+’ service and platform daily during COP26, offering advice and learning to the global network on all aspects of the conservation of buildings and places around the key theme ‘Conserving our Places Conserves our Planet’. Organisations interested in partnering to host a Helpdesk+ session are invited to get in touch with IHBC.

Is your organisation looking for volunteers? Make Your Mark, a campaign to increase the number and diversity of heritage volunteers in Scotland, has just launched a free portal to help you recruit and manage volunteers. The portal is easy to use and has tools to help Scottish heritage organisations advertise opportunities, communicate with volunteers, recognise volunteers for their contributions and report on the success of your volunteer programme.

Scottish heritage organisations are asked to contribute to an in-depth survey as part of the Equality, Diversity and Inclusion in Scottish Heritage Project, AHRC-funded and led by the University of Strathclyde and supported by Museums Galleries Scotland and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland. The qualitative questionnaire explores current practice across the Scottish Heritage sector in the fields of race equality, diversity and inclusion. Read more about the project here.

Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI) Scotland has launched a series of thinkpieces that aim to stimulate debate and discussion on key challenges and opportunities arising from the National Planning Framework and the Planning Act. The first two discussion papers focused on the NPF4 and Rural Planning and the new Planning Coordinator role.

The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland’s Dig It! summer dig season has concluded, with the fieldwork celebrated in a series of specially commissioned images.

SURF, Scotland’s Regeneration Forum, has announced the shortlist for the 2021 SURF Awards for Best Practice in Community Regeneration.

The latest newsletter from Scotland’s Churches Trust focuses on their building Fabric Grants available for Scottish churches.

The programme for the Edinburgh, Lothians and Borders Archaeology Conference, on 20 November 2021, has been released. Meanwhile, it’s the last chance to book for the Scottish Salt Symposium, which will bring historians, archaeologists, enthusiasts and salt producers together in Brora, Sutherland, on the 16-17 October.

Finally, BEFS congratulates Dr Fiona Simpson, who has been appointed as the Scottish Government’s Chief Planner with immediate effect. Dr Simpson had been filling the role on an interim basis.

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Consultations

Domestic Energy Performance Certificates Reform Consultation
Closes 8 October 2021

Home Energy Efficiency: Equity Loan Pilot – Call for Evidence
Closes 8 October 2021

Scottish Building Regulations: Proposed changes to Energy Standards and associated topics, including Ventilation, Overheating and Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Closes 15 October 2021

*NEW* The Local Government, Housing & Planning Committee has opened a consultation about the suggested Licensing Scheme for Short-Term Lets.
Closes 29 October.

UK Government Review of Architects Regulation: Call for Evidence
Closes 8 November 2021

Publications

Cities like Paris may be the optimal urban form for reducing greenhouse gas emissions (Edinburgh Napier University, 16/08/2021)

Dynamic Coast: Coastal Erosion in Scotland – The National Overview (2021) (CREW, 27/08/21)

Heritage From the Bottom Up (IHBC Context 169, 31/08/2021)

The National Planning Framework 4 and Rural Planning (RTPI Scotland Thinkpiece 16/09/21)

No Place Left Behind: The Commission into Prosperity and Community Placemaking Report (Create Streets Foundation 20/09/21)

Book Review: Architectural regeneration, edited by A. Orbasli and M. Vellinga (Taylor & Francis Online, 20/09/21)

The Office of the National Planning Improvement Coordinator (RTPI Scotland Thinkpiece, 21/09/2021)

Economic Development in Scotland (SPICe 21/09/2021)

Reducing Inequalities and Decolonising Heritage Practices: People-Centred Approaches (Heritage and Our Sustainable Future Series, 24/09/21)

Why Do Historic Places Matter? Emotional Attachments to Urban Heritage (University of Glasgow, 09/2021)

Retrofit Internal Wall Insulation: Guide to Best Practice (UK GOV Department for Business, Energy & Industrial Strategy 09/2021)

Year of Stories 2022: Themed Year Marketing Toolkit (Visit Scotland, 09/2021)

Scottish Government News Releases

Dr Fiona Simpson has been appointed as the Scottish Government’s Chief Planner with immediate effect. Dr Simpson will lead the work of Planning and Architecture Division, bringing together SG work on planning reform, spatial planning and policy, performance and casework, place and digital transformation of the planning system to deliver on national outcomes. Fiona can be contacted at chief.planner@gov.scot

High pressure laminate cladding – data collection: summary report (SG 14/09/21)

Building standards – annual verification performance report 2020 to 2021 (SG 15/09/21)

Community Ownership in Scotland 2020 (SG 28/09/21)

News Releases

Record 20 places bid for prestigious UK City of Culture 2025 title (UK GOV 20/08/21)

Coastal Erosion could put £1.2bn of Scotland’s buildings and infrastructure at risk (16/09/21)

Fife companies invited to hire modern apprentices in traditional skills with financial backing (17/09/21)

Antonine Wall project highlighted in prestigious European heritage award (17/09/2021)

CSIC launches new £450,000 programme to boost green skills drive (20/09/21)

Aberdeen approves new empty homes compulsory purchase policy (20/09/21)

Planning and historic environment law to be simplified as part of Welsh Government programme to make law more accessible (Welsh Government, 22/09/2021)

European Commission and Europa Nostra announce Europe’s top heritage award winners 2021 (Europa Nostra, 23/09/2021)

Chapel collapse highlights need to care for historic buildings (Shropshire Star, 27/09/2021)

Opinion & Comment

Podcasts to build together the After Covid City (AfterCovid.City, 08/2021)

Five numbers that lay bare the mammoth effort needed to insulate Britain’s homes (The Conversation 14/09/21)

Stirling prize shortlist: from mosque stunner to neo-neolithic flats (The Guardian 16/09/21)

Uncommon Markets: Leveraging the Power of Marketplaces in Post-Covid Revival (AfterCovid.City, 17/09/21)

The return of the cladding crisis (The Times 19/09/21)

We don’t need UNESCO listing, says new Liverpool heritage chief (The Guardian, 23/09/2021)

Parliamentary Questions

Question ref. S6W-03065 Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 20 September 2021
“To ask the Scottish Government, in relation to the actions set out in Annex A of the Draft Heat in Buildings Strategyfrom February 2021, what the (a) timescale for delivery, (b) current status and (c) expenditure to date is for each of the actions.”
Further questions from Mark Griffin on the Draft Heat in Buildings Strategy.

Question ref. S6W-03159 Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 20 September 2021
“To ask the Scottish Government what (a) number and (b) percentage of domestic and non-domestic buildings taller than 11m have external wall systems with combustible insulation and/or cladding (i) in total and (ii) that required a BS 8414 certificate, and what work it has undertaken to establish centrally held estimates of these figures.”

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”.

Donald Cameron, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 08/09/2021
On the National Partnership for Culture / 2020 Culture Strategy for Scotland:
Question S6W-02774: Measuring change group, Answered by Jenny Gilruth (22/09/2021)
Question S6W-02773: Meeting dates, Answered by Jenny Gilruth (22/09/2021)
Question S6W-02771: Review of cultural workforce, Answered by Jenny Gilruth (22/09/2021)

Question S6W-02772: Donald Cameron, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 08/09/2021
To ask the Scottish Government how it is helping the culture and heritage sector meet its 2025 Fair Work Nationtarget.
Answered by Jenny Gilruth

Question S6W-02955: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 14/09/2021
To ask the Scottish Government how much has been spent by each local authority in each year since 1999 on energy efficiency for homes.
Answered by Patrick Harvie

Question S6W-02127: Sarah Boyack, Lothian, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 09/08/2021
To ask the Scottish Government what analysis it has carried out of the economic impact on communities of the closure of local historic buildings.
Answered by Jenny Gilruth (24/09/2021)

Question S6W-02554: Sharon Dowey, South Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 27/08/2021
To ask the Scottish Government what number of empty homes were acquired using compulsory purchase ordersin (a) 2018-19, (b) 2019-20, (c) 2020-21 and (d) 2021-22, to date.
Answered by Shona Robison (24/09/2021)

Question S6W-02953: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 14/09/2021
To ask the Scottish Government what support it offers to help diversify high streets.
Answered by Tom Arthur (24/09/2021)

Question S6O-00166: Kaukab Stewart, Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 08/09/2021
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in supporting the removal of flammable cladding.
Answered by Shona Robison (16/09/2021)

Motions

Motion ref. S6M-01046 Improving Energy Efficiency in Scotland’s Private-rented Sector
Submitted by: Mark Griffin R, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour.
Date lodged: Monday, September 6, 2021 R
Current status: Achieved cross-party support

Motion ref. S6M-01037 50th Anniversary of Edinburgh World Heritage
Submitted by: Sarah Boyack, Lothian, Scottish Labour.
Date lodged: Monday, September 6, 2021

Motion ref. S6M-01188 Work of Glasgow City Heritage Trust Awarded £240,000 in Council Funding
Submitted by: Paul Sweeney, Glasgow, Scottish Labour.
Date lodged: Tuesday, September 14, 2021 R

Events

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

Make Your Mark: Have Your Say: Green Volunteering
Date & Time: 4 October, 14:00 – 15:30
Online
Do you volunteer at a museum, gallery, archive, natural or historic site or cultural organisation in Scotland? Have your say on how we make it green! Join this free online event to meet other volunteers, share your experiences and feed back on how to make volunteering more environmentally friendly. Your comments will be summarised and presented at a UK-wide event for heritage volunteer organisers during the 26th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP26), so this is your opportunity to shape the future of volunteering.

GCHT: Gruesome Glasgow
Date & Time: 20 October, 19:30
Online
Join Judith Bowers as she tells the tale of Dr Edward William Pritchard, the Human Crocodile. The last man to be publicly hanged in the city for poisoning not just his wife, but his mother-in-law as well. A Dr who had more pregnant patients than any other Dr in Scotland. A man so vain he handed photographs of himself to ladies at his own execution…

SoAoS: Rhind Lectures 2021: Untimely Ends
Date & Time: 22 October to 24 October
Location: Both in-person at NMS Auditorium and online via YouTube live.
Sponsored by AOC Archaeology Group, the 2021 Rhind Lectures “Untimely Ends” will be delivered by Professor John Hunter OBE BA PhD FSA FSAScot MCIfA FCSFS, focusing on his research interests in the study of the dead and forensic archaeology. This will be the Society’s first hybrid event with the Rhind Lectures that is taking place in the NMS auditorium and online.

RIAS Conservation Autumn Seminar 2021 – adapt, retrofit, re-use
Date & Time: 26 October 13:00 – 16:35
Online
Presentations will cover HES heritage priorities, Glasgow’s re-located structures, an approach to existing building retrofit and the sustainable, low energy refurbishment of traditional and historic buildings supported by case studies, application of the building regulations when considering the conversion of a listed office building to flats and salvaging and re-use of materials in the circular economy.

AHSS: Virtual AGM & Lecture: “Old buildings, why bother?”
Date & Time: 28 October 18:00
Online
Join us online for our 65th AGM and a talk by our outgoing President, Simon Green: “Old buildings, why bother? – a celebration of Scotland’s rich listed and unlisted built heritage.”

Training

The Ridge: Traditional Skills Training for Construction
Date & Time: Six-week course starting 4 October 2021
An amazing opportunity to learn more about much sought after practical skillsets including joinery, stonemasonry and greenwood working, with helpful advice and training to develop employability skills, including external site visits and talks from industry professionals. Numbers are limited so get in touch if you are interested in learning more or booking yourself on the course. Applicants must be 25 years or older and currently not working, or facing redundancy. The training will take place in East Lothian but is available for Edinburgh referrals. Travel costs will be reimbursed.
For more information contact: training@the-ridge.org.uk

Arts & Business Scotland: Culture & Business Fund Scotland – Online Roadshow
Date & Time: 26 October 11:00 — 13:30
Online
Designed to give attendees from across the arts, heritage, third, public and business sectors the opportunity to learn about the fund, the session will explain how the new CBFS COVID-19 Recovery & Renewal strand provides more flexible support through a period of recovery and renewal over the next three years. This session includes changes to the criteria and guidelines that potentially increases the levels of match funding over that period. CBFS Case studies and a walk through the online application process will also provide participants with the necessary knowledge on how to develop and submit a successful application.

Arts & Business Scotland: Culture & Business Fund Scotland – Monthly Surgeries
Date & Time: 27 October 11:00 — 13:00 & 24 November 11:00 — 13:00
Online
Have you got questions about the Culture & Business Fund Scotland? Whether you are from the arts, heritage, third, public or business sectors we are offering monthly online surgery sessions to ask those questions about the fund and how your organisation can benefit from this match funding scheme, which has been specially adapted to provide more flexible support for the sectors through a period of recovery and renewal throughout 2021 and beyond.

IHBC at COP26 – Conserving our Places Conserves our Planet
Date & Time: 1-12 November
Online: Podcast
A podcast series to raise awareness and understanding of how conservation philosophy and practice contributes towards meeting the challenge of climate change. Episodes released throughout the UN Climate Change Conference 2021 in Glasgow COP26 feature sectoral experts sharing their expertise, experience, and views on what’s being done now and what’s to come.

Vacancies

Fife Historic Buildings Trust: Project Officer
A new full-time fixed term post, funded by Historic Environment Scotland. FHBT are a Building Preservation Trust whose mission is to create viable futures for heritage buildings and their communities, by inspiring and enabling visionary conservation projects across Fife. Bring your skills and to deliver new historic environment regeneration projects in Fife, principally the restoration and re-use of historic buildings at risk.
Closing date: 5pm on Monday 18 October 2021

Fife Council / Fife Historic Buildings Trust
Tender Opportunity: Fife Historic Environment Evaluation & Strategy
Fife Council, in partnership with Fife Historic Buildings Trust, are commissioning an Historic Environment Strategy for the protection, enhancement and management of Fife’s historic environment – including an evaluation of its impact/benefits and a framework for making the most effective use of resources and the best use of our heritage.
Closing date: 5pm on Friday 8 October.

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28 Sep 2021

The Heritage Alliance Introduces the 2021 Digital Attitudes and Skills for Heritage (DASH) Survey.

After the year we have all just faced, the knowledge that digital skills are critical to your staff’s needs in building a resilient organisation is foremost. So how do you go about supporting your team, and understand the digital skills gaps and strengths, to futureproof your organisation?

The Digital Attitudes and Skills for Heritage (DASH) Survey 2021, funded by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, in partnership with Heritage Alliance and Timmus Research Limited, has been developed as a free service exclusively for UK heritage organisations. The survey report offers vital insight – both for individual organisations and The National Lottery Heritage Fund – into how heritage leaders can support their staff, trustees and volunteers.

Put simply, by completing this survey you can gather and respond to feedback from your people and identify the opportunities you need to futureproof your organisation.

Why DASH Survey?

Results from last year’s survey, the first of its kind, show that:

46% of volunteers say that they never discuss their digital skills with others
Only one in six heritage sector staff get the chance to share their digital practice with others.
Staff want time to practise digital skills, mentoring from experienced colleagues, and the opportunity to swap skills and collaborate with others.

The DASH survey helps you to improve the ways your organisation works digitally by:

Highlighting the digital strengths and skills gaps of your people
Identifying issues that could be improved to enable better ways of working digitally
Highlighting where to focus training or funding efforts

As well as feeding into a collective picture of the heritage sector, the information that the DASH Survey will gather is freely available for your organisation to use in developing a robust digital strategy. It will help you to assess the digital requirements in your organisation and create steps to improve skills and performance for the future.

How can you get involved?

After completing the initial sign-up form, each organisation nominates a ‘DASH Champion’. Each champion is then responsible for identifying, coordinating, and encouraging everyone within your organisation to take part, from staff through to volunteers, trustees through to freelancers.

Once the survey closes on 7th November 2021 your DASH Champion will receive the raw data for your organisation along with access to the data dashboard and information on how to analyse it which can then inform your future strategies.

Find out more about the DASH Champion role here.

What the DASH creators are saying about the project

This year, Timmus Research Limited and the Heritage Fund are teaming up with the Heritage Alliance to make the survey bigger and better. We’re aiming to get over 500 organisations involved with the survey for a more complete view of attitudes and skills within the sector and identify opportunities in which digital technology can support.

“We are excited to offer this service for free across UK heritage – this is the kind of service that organisations in other sectors often have to pay an annual fee for. We’re even more pleased to partner with The Heritage Alliance. With their connections we look forward to introducing DASH to even more organisations, and showing them how to quickly collect data that can be so very useful strategically”

Dr Tabetha Newman

Timmus Limited: Research Consultancy

“The DASH survey was an insightful and invaluable tool for the heritage sector when it was launched last year, and we are delighted to join Timmus to develop and promote DASH 2021 across the breadth of heritage this autumn. In addition to capturing an organisation’s own unique insight into their own digital capabilities, the survey will enable every voice in the sector, from tiny volunteer-run groups to large scale national players to fit into a collective picture of the heritage sector across the UK. This will help the National Lottery Heritage Fund and sector bodies like ourselves understand and advocate for the needs and challenges faced by UK heritage more effectively.”

Lizzie Glithero-West, CEO,

The Heritage Alliance

Are you a UK heritage organisation? Or know of a heritage organisation that would benefit from this activity, research, and support? Visit the DASH survey via the link below. You have until 7th November 2021 to complete the survey.

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28 Sep 2021

BEFS Vice Chair, Ian Baxter, considers what the launch of a tourism observatory could mean for the heritage sector.

The Scottish Tourism Alliance, VisitScotland, Enterprise agencies, and the Scottish Government have launched a collaboration to develop a knowledge resource to provide tourism data and/or research to help businesses involved in the Scottish tourism and events sector.

They are conducting research via a short survey to provide a clear picture of the needs and wants for data and information from the tourism and events industry. Input from the survey will inform the design of the new resource.

This is a useful development in a sector closely allied to many heritage organisations’ activities. Tourism observatory functions have been set up over a number of years in different parts of the world and provide useful signposting to the disparate datasets, information sources, research and evidence that help with understanding the business environment for the sector and chart trends affecting the development of tourism. Many of them also undertake specific research activities which help sector-wide strategic planning.

There has been much mulling over the years about equivalent observatory functions in the heritage sector (particularly of late in England in discussions with Historic England and the Historic Environment Forum), and colleagues may well have heard me banging on about this for what seems like forever! There’s a clear relationship between an observatory function and the data we already gather within the sector for the Historic Environment Audit in Scotland, and Heritage Counts in England.

I’d argue still that we need to build on these to develop our own heritage observatory over time to make the connections and highlight the knowledge which supports our advocacy, prioritisation and policy development work within individual organisations and collectively as a historic environment sector. This development in tourism will hopefully galvanise us again to think about developing our knowledge management structures.

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15 Sep 2021

Get The Latest Built Environment News, Policy Developments, Publications, Consultations And More.

BEFS News

BEFS was delighted to see the Parliamentary Motion from Gordon MacDonald congratulating the Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival. The motion, which highlighted collaboration as well as the focus on our existing environment and the skills necessary to maintain our environment, received excellent support.

In a new blog post, BEFS Director Ailsa Macfarlane takes a look at the Scottish Government’s 2021-22 Programme for Government, and gives an overview of where our existing built environment sector might find areas of potential influence and opportunity.

Based on discussion at the Historic Environment Working Group (HEWG) and taking into account Member views expressed, BEFS submitted responses to the Historic Environment Scotland Grants Refresh Consultation (02/09/21) and the Culture Sector Funding Call for Views (08/09/21).

A new online platform has launched to enable culture and heritage organisations to publicise initiatives they are organising in connection with COP26. ‘Culture at COP’ will showcase all COP26 – related art, culture, and heritage events (in-person and virtual) for diverse audiences. It will be designed to link to the COP26 themes and key COP26 Policy Issues as identified by the Climate Heritage Network.

The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) have announced fourteen outstanding new Scottish buildings as winners of Scotland’s national architecture awards. Bell Street Stables, a conversion of a Victorian council depot to create 52 new homes for affordable rent in the centre of Glasgow, was the winner of Historic Environment Scotland’s Conservation and Climate Change Award, a Special Category Award of the RIAS Awards. Five Scottish projects were also amongst the winners of the RIBA National Awards.

RIAS are currently preparing for their annual convention, Draw Together, 28 September – 1 October. Mark your diaries too for their Conservation Autumn Seminar 2021: Adapt, Retrofit, Re-use on 26 October – further details forthcoming. Meanwhile, the Architectural Society of Scotland Forth & Borders Group have released details of their programme of Winter Lectures 2021-22.

Glasgow City Heritage Trust have launched their new project Gallus Glasgow, inspired by Thomas Sulman’s 1864 ‘bird’s eye view’ map of the city. An interactive microsite featuring a zoomable version of the map enables viewers to explore it in great detail, and the project also features a series of events.

Historic Churches Scotland have released the first edition of a new e-newsletter. Settle down for a read and enjoy insightful articles from the charity’s current volunteers, founding Trustees, and Executive Director Victoria Collison-Owen.

Volunteers are sought by Scotland’s Churches Trust to help with the task of recording the exterior and interior features of Scotland’s at risk church buildings, with the aim of capturing their history and context as part of a national record.

The SCAPE Trust have released a refreshed coastal archaeology Sites at Risk map and app. New features include an historic map slider, a search function and the ability to download records.

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Consultations

Domestic Energy Performance Certificates Reform Consultation
Closes 8 October 2021

Home Energy Efficiency: Equity Loan Pilot – Call for Evidence
Closes 8 October 2021

Scottish Building Regulations: Proposed changes to Energy Standards and associated topics, including Ventilation, Overheating and Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Closes 15 October 2021

UK Government Review of Architects Regulation: Call for Evidence
Closes 8 November 2021

Consultation Responses

BEFS – HES Grants Refresh Consultation Response (02/09/21)

BEFS – Culture Sector Funding Call for Views Response (08/09/21)

Edinburgh World Heritage have responded to the Draft 2030 Climate Strategy for Edinburgh (10/09/21)

Publications

David Hume Institute: A Scotland of Better Places (06/21)

SEDA: A New Vision for Land Use in Scotland – 6 Conversations (08/21)

BMJ: Associations between community cultural engagement and life satisfaction, mental distress and mental health functioning using data from the UK Household Longitudinal Study (UKHLS): are associations moderated by area deprivation? (03/09/21)

Historic England and the York and North Yorkshire LEP: Celebrating Our Distinctive Heritage Report (07/09/21)

Historic England: Theft of Metal from Church Roofs: Prevention and Response (10/09/21)

AHF: Our commitments to equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI)

Scottish Government News Releases

Schools buildings across Scotland are in their best condition since recorded figures began (SG 07/09/21)

First grants awarded from £50m fund to transform derelict land (SG 10/09/21)

Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme (VDLIP): 2022-23 application form (SG 10/09/21)

News Releases

Repair plan to save Leith’s historic Victoria Swing Bridge (BBC 06/09/21)

Opinion & Comment

Stephen Boyle, Auditor General for Scotland: Christie’s clarion call can’t wait another decade (7/09/21)

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”.

Question S6O-00166: Kaukab Stewart, Glasgow Kelvin, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 08/09/2021
To ask the Scottish Government what progress is being made in supporting the removal of flammable cladding.

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”.

Question ref. S6W-02313 Asked by: Craig Hoy, South Scotland, Date lodged: 17 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government when National Planning Framework 4 will be published.
Answered by Tom Arthur on 1 September 2021
Answer: The Scottish Government are continuing to progress work on a draft NPF4 and will lay it in the Scottish Parliament in Autumn 2021. Public consultation will run alongside Parliamentary scrutiny.

Question ref. S6W-02110 Asked by: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 9 August 2021 R
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has on the estimated number of (a) empty private residential properties, (b) empty public sector residential properties, (c) second homes and (d) self-catering units there currently are.
Answered by: Shona Robison on 3 September 2021

Question ref. S6W-02111 Asked by: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 9 August 2021 R
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the consultation on its short-term lets draft Licensing Order and Business and Regulatory Impact Assessment (BRIA), what method it used to estimate that there are 32,000 short-term lets in Scotland, and whether it will provide a breakdown of this figure by how many are (a) a single room in a property, (b) a shared room in a property, (c) an entire property and (d) unconventional accommodation such as an outhouse or yurt.
Answered by: Shona Robison on 3 September 2021

Question S6W-02389: Donald Cameron, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 23/08/2021 R
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in the Scottish National Party election manifesto, what action it is taking to ensure that Scotland’s historic estate meets its net zero obligations.
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 6 September 2021

Question S6W-02155: Joe FitzPatrick, Dundee City West, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 10/08/2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether the climate emergency is a material consideration in Scotland’s planning system.
Answered by Tom Arthur on 6 September 2021

Question S6W-02126: Sarah Boyack, Lothian, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 09/08/2021
To ask the Scottish Government what funding it has allocated to Historic Environment Scotland to enable historic sites to be made safe for reopening to members of the public, and what the timescales are for the reopening of these sites.
Answered by Jenny Gilruth on 7 September 2021

Question ref. S6W-02205 Asked by: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: 12 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government what its most recent estimate is of government investment in infrastructure, and what information it has regarding how this compares with other OECD countries.
Answered by Michael Matheson on 8 September 2021

Other Parliamentary Activity

CaCHE (UK Collaborative Centre for Housing Evidence) is taking over the secretariat duties of running the Scottish Parliament cross party group (CPG) on housing, convened by Graham Simpson MSP.

The Local Government, Housing & Planning Committee is still to confirm its work programme but has agreed on some immediate issues including taking evidence on boundary reviews and considering draft laws on the licensing of short-term lets in November.

Events

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

SCHT: McLuckie & Walker – the Men Who Built Stirling
Date & Time: Thursday 16 September, 18:00
Online
Join Stirling City Heritage Trust’s Dr Lindsay Lennie for an online talk to discover more about Stirling’s taste for roller skating, as well as its historic hospitals, pubs, and stylish villas. This webinar follows on from the McLuckie & Walker Exhibition which was produced with the assistance and archival material from Stirling Archives, The Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum, Stirling Local History Society, and The British Newspaper Archives, and was hosted by ‘Made In Stirling’ throughout June 2021.

GCHT: Paint your Zoom Room
Date & Time: 23 September, 14:30-16:00
Online
This workshop encourages participants to draw a section through the interior of their chosen room, using the same architectural drawing conventions that would have been used when the dwelling was first designed and constructed. However, this drawing will show finishes, furniture, decoration and contents; expressing the room as the lived in experience it is in 2021.

SHBT: Doors Open Day – Custom House, Leith
Date & Time: 25 September, 10:30 – 16:30
Location: Edinburgh
The oldest custom house in Scotland, now an A-listed Georgian Building, is delighted to open its doors to the public as part of Doors Open Day. Visitors will enter in timeslots to ensure smooth movement around the building, and will have an opportunity to hear about the ongoing restoration project before visiting our tenants’ studios and seeing the building’s historic features. Booking is essential.

GCHT: Atlantic Slavery Hidden in Plain Sight in a Victorian City
Date & Time: 29 September, 19:30
Online
Sulman’s Bird’s Eye View of Glasgow was completed in 1864, thirty years after chattel slavery was abolished in the British West Indies, and one year before slavery was abolished in the United States of America. Join Dr Stephen Mullen as he explores how transformation of the Victorian city was shaped by elites wealthy from Atlantic slavery, revealed by the panoramic detail of Sulman’s map.

SoAoS: Searching for the Ice Age Pioneers: Excavations at Rubha Port an t-Seilich, Isle of Islay
Date & Time: 11 October 18:00-19:00
Online: YouTube Live.
The Society of Antiquaries of London and the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland are delighted to announce a joint online lecture for this autumn. Professor Steven Mithen FSAScot will present a lecture focusing on his work at Rubha Port an t-Seilich, Isle of Islay, Scotland.

AHSS: Not Dead Space: Edinburgh’s Five World Heritage Site Graveyards
Date & Time: 11 October, 18:30
Both Online and In-Person at Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh.
Five council-owned graveyards lie within the Edinburgh World Heritage Site, each contributing to the Site’s outstanding universal values. This talk with Dr Susan Buckham describes the history, development and significance of the five WHS burial grounds over their long lifetimes and explores how best to breathe new life into them in a sustainable way, in order to support their heritage values and their role as urban greenspaces.

SCAPE: Scottish Salt Symposium
Date & Time: 16 & 17 October, 09:30 – 17:30
Location: Brora, Sutherland
A two-day event in Brora, Sutherland will bring historians, archaeologists, enthusiasts and salt producers together to celebrate the once vital, but little-known, Scottish salt industry. Keynote speaker historian Professor Chris Whatley, author of The Scottish Salt Industry 1570-1850, will be followed by wide-ranging programme of talks and field trips.

Training

IHBC CPD – Conservation Engineering with Ian Hume
Date & Time: 28-29 September, 10.00-13.00 both days
Online: GoToWebinar
The sessions are intended to help conservation professionals understand some of the structural engineering problems and solutions which historic buildings might have. The sessions will attempt to put conservation professionals in a position to hold informed discussions with project structural engineers, some of whom may not be particularly familiar with the constraints which conservation might put on their structural solutions.

IHBC at COP26 – Conserving our Places Conserves our Planet
Date & Time: 1-12 November
Online: Podcast
A podcast series to raise awareness and understanding of how conservation philosophy and practice contributes towards meeting the challenge of climate change. Episodes released throughout the UN Climate Change Conference 2021 in Glasgow “COP26” feature sectoral experts sharing their expertise, experience, and views on what’s being done now and what’s to come.

IHBC: COTAC Conference 2021 – Protecting our World, Protecting our Heritage
Date & time: 23-24 November, 10.00-13.00 both days
Online: GoToWebinar
Day 1 will explore the expected impact of climate change on the built heritage, and the potential impact of climate change mitigation on the built heritage. Day 2 will explore ways to support development of the training, skills, and expertise needed to protect the built heritage and reduce emission of greenhouse gases.

Vacancies

Edinburgh World Heritage: Communications Officer
Edinburgh World Heritage is looking to appoint an ambitious and creative Communications professional who is looking to further develop a wide range of key communication skills, from classical PR/media management, to extending the reach and impact of EWH’s large digital footprint, as well as helping design and promote heritage-themed events and other city-wide initiatives.
Closing Date: 17 September 2021

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14 Sep 2021

BEFS Director Ailsa Macfarlane takes an overview of the 2021-2022 Programme for Government.

Examining the Scottish Government, Programme for Government 2021-2022 from the perspective of policy (and resource) for our existing built and historic environment is not going to start the next metaphorical gold-rush. Both play little explicit part in the meat of the Programme.

If you search, you can find slivers suggesting that our existing environment will play its rightful part in the vision brought forward for, A fairer, greener, Scotland.

The overview below seeks to highlight where there may be implications and opportunities for our existing environment, across four broad areas of interest:

The Existing Estate

Here we see the potential for traditionally built buildings to be kept in use, transformed, disposed of (opportunities of a different sort, perhaps), regenerated, and reused.

£10Bn over next decade to replace and refurbish NHS Facilities
£500M to Modernise the Prison Estate

Skills & Net Zero

This is the most obvious area to find leverage for wider understanding of what the existing built environment can provide. These green, skilled, jobs will be essential across the entire built environment stock – and more than that, without investment in maintenance as a primary step, net-zero targets cannot be met.

£45M partnership investment – Green Jobs Workforce Academy
£1.8Bn – Cleaner and greener homes – making our homes easier and greener to heat.
£50M Just Transition Fund – North-East and Moray
£100M Green Jobs Fund – upskilling, and reskilling
National Transition Training Fund
Decarbonising our homes, buildings and transport (p11). Converting 1m homes and equivalent of 50,000 non-domestic buildings to low or zero-emission heating by 2030.
Circular Economy Bill – BEFS has raised in consultations previously that, until our buildings, and the resultant waste, are considered as part of the circular economy – with considerations such as Material Passports – we are unlikely to reap the necessary benefits to meet net-zero targets.
R100 – superfast broadband, everywhere. Making more places viable options for homes and working lives.
All home and building upgrades – at the point of sale, change of tenancy, and refurbishment – will be required to meet at least EPC C standards or equivalent from 2025 onwards. And all homes will need to be upgraded by 2033 to ensure we meet our climate targets. We will undertake consultation on this next year, to ensure a fair approach and avoid unintended consequences, and provide support through an upscaled grants and an advisory service. (p94) – BEFS has frequently lobbied not only in relation to the potential for skilled, green employment in relation to this work, but also on the potential for unintended consequences, many of which can occur due to traditionally built buildings not being accurately assessed (and therefore not receiving appropriate interventions) within the current EPC assessment process.

Place & Community

Place means something different for everyone, but the importance of place has seemed even more acute during the restrictions of the pandemic. There is now more talk of the quality of our places, and what places provide for citizens. Place and Community have been intertwined throughout the Programme for Government; with places’ connectivity (active, digital, social) highlighted for enhancement, and community empowerment and local democracy set to increase. Policy changes suggested below will need, as ever, appropriate resource, to fully realise the changes they intend to bring. Place Based Investment could be key to local existing assets in coming years.

Investing in restoring our environment (p3) – while the implication of ‘environment’ may be natural, the outcome could be green, blue, and built.
Ensure everyone has a safe, warm place to call home (p4).
Rented Sector Strategy
Doubling of the Scottish Land Fund
Natural Environment Bill – where might heritage have a place?
Economic transformation aligned to Wellbeing Economy principles – supports quality of place.
Community Wealth Building
20-minute Neighbourhoods. We will support planners with spatial data, research and tools to work collaboratively in delivering 20-minute neighbourhood principles. (p56) Our fourth National Planning Framework will ensure that all future planning decisions support meeting this ambition (p96) – intention to utilise Place Principle.
Consult on a future Agriculture Bill, setting out a vision for a new post-Common Agriculture Policy support payment system 2025-2026. (p69) – What part might heritage protection play in this? The Heritage Alliance published some clear ideas when dealing with the process in England.
Regional Economic Partnerships
Scotland Loves Local
Review of the Community Empowerment Act – the potential to provide more of a say over local public assets.
Local Democracy Bill – devolving more decisions and resources
Infrastructure Levy – potential for this to be enacted after being passed as part of the Planning Act previously.
Reform and modernise the Compulsory Purchase System
£325M over five years – Place Based Investment Programme. Through repurposing of land and buildings, the investment will revitalise town centres, provide new space for local businesses and jobs, and support the resilience and wellbeing of communities across Scotland (p97).

Culture

Culture feels less instrumental in this Programme for Government than many might have hoped. Whilst it’s been said that culture kept some of us sane during the tightest of the pandemic restrictions, its value here is very much focused around ‘brand Scotland’. Whilst looking outwards is an essential part of the cultural offer – without a greater understanding of the resource available to a sector ostensibly closed for 16+months – the activity listed seems aspirational, but often not fully articulated.

£25M portfolio of projects in 2021-2022 supporting Tourism Recovery Taskforce recommendations.
£6M annual Rural Tourism Infrastructure Fund
National Towns of Culture – little detail as yet.
2022 – Scotland’s Year of Stories
Cultural Diplomacy Strategy
[…]refresh and reinvigorate our successful Brand Scotland activity. Over the next year we will create a new brand marque [.] (p108)
Strengthen our Cultural Offer (p106) – which lists, at various points: creative industries, performance, artists, design, youth music, libraries, screen Scotland, touring fund, creative and cultural businesses – but not museums, and not directly heritage.
We will ensure that Scotland’s cultural sector has the skills, infrastructure and opportunities it needs for continued success, and we will use COP26 as an opportunity to enhance its contribution towards Scotland becoming a net zero nation.[…] (p107)
We will invest over the course of this Parliament to increase industry access to capital funding to promote green cultural infrastructure across Scotland, contributing to reductions in pollution and emissions at our historic and cultural sites. (p107) – This final paragraph needs some unpicking, but could provide additional capital funding with a heritage remit.

Perhaps it is the penultimate comment on which we have to rely:

We will ensure that Scotland’s cultural sector has the skills, infrastructure and opportunities it needs for continued success…

If we were, as a cultural-heritage sector, assured of the above – then surely there is nothing that couldn’t be achieved.

Collaboration and cross-sector working will be essential – working together to enable wider skills understanding, demonstrating need, driving demand, and aligning activity to support a green recovery.

Albeit to find that continued success, resources of all kinds, and (for some) the lifeblood of visitors, may need to be sought as the final pieces of the puzzle.

—

BEFS suggests that Members fully explore the original document for implications related to their particular areas of interest.

BEFS Members, SURF, have produced an overview of policies in the Programme for Government related to Regeneration.

BEFS Members, RICS, have produced an overview of policies in the Programme for Government of interest to their Members.

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1 Sep 2021

Get The Latest Built Environment News, Policy Developments, Publications, Consultations And More.

BEFS News

BEFS new film, made in collaboration with the Scottish Traditional Building Forum, Heritage & Sustainability: A Journey Down One Historic Street was launched at the Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival 2021. BEFS Policy and Strategy Manager Hazel Johnson is joined by special guests from Architectural Heritage Fund Scotland, SURF, Under One Roof and Edinburgh World Heritage for a meander down Edinburgh’s Royal Mile as she explores how the buildings and places that make up part of the Old Town of Edinburgh play an important role in the city’s sustainable future.

The 9^th Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival has now wrapped up after another year of fascinating online talks and virtual events. In a new blog post, John McKinney of the Scottish Traditional Building Forum reflects on the key themes of this year’s event.

BEFS attended the launch of Doors Open Days 2021 earlier this month at the Scottish Maritime Museum. The programme for their first ever hybrid festival, with both in-person and online events, is now live.

It was good to hear from Scotland’s Towns Partnership at the latest meeting of the Historic Environment Working Group (HEWG) about the potential support available for heritage projects under town centre regeneration and place-based investment funding streams. STP highlighted the potential for multi-year funding available through funds such as the Scottish Government Scotland Loves Local Fund, the Regeneration Capital Grant Fund, and the Place Based Investment Programme, which is administered through local authorities (more info from SG available here). Members were encouraged to consider how their projects and assets might make use of these opportunities.

Also at HEWG, the Association of Local Government Archaeological Officers shared that new CIRIA guidance Archaeology in construction: good practice guidance (C799) is now available. The guide offers practical advice applicable to construction projects of all scales and is relevant to all stages in the construction and development life cycle.

Scottish Civic Trust is looking for speakers for a digital lecture series on the intersection of heritage, equity and sustainability. The lecture series will consist of pre-recorded sessions that will be broadcast during COP26, 31 October – 12 November. Possible topics include inequitable funding of historic building refurbishment, community-led approaches to sustainable heritage and engaging children and young people with heritage and the climate crisis. Expressions of interest are due by 14 September.

Institution of Civil Engineer members are being invited to mark the 200th anniversary of the death of civil engineer John Rennie by contributing to a special commemorative project.

The Scottish Government has this weekend reached agreement with the Scottish Green Party on formal cooperation. BEFS notes the draft Shared Policy Programme, which includes commitments to:
–        to take forward the recommendations of the Scottish Parliament working group on tenement maintenance;
–        to embed the concept of twenty minute neighbourhoods within NPF4;
–        to ensuring that our existing and potential workforce has the support, skills and retraining needed to realise the significant economic opportunities from refurbishing our building stock.
–        to enable local government and housing associations to provide whole home retrofits where needed, helping to upgrade the most inefficient and expensive to heat social homes to the highest possible standard in one leap.

Consultations

HES Grants Refresh Consultation
Closes 6 September 2021

Funding for Culture – Call for Views
Closes 8 September 2021

The Heritage Alliance Diversity and Inclusion Survey
Closes 10 September 2021

Domestic Energy Performance Certificates Reform Consultation
Closes 8 October 2021

Home Energy Efficiency: Equity Loan Pilot – Call for Evidence
Closes 8 October 2021

Scottish Building Regulations: Proposed changes to Energy Standards and associated topics, including Ventilation, Overheating and Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Closes 15 October 2021

UK Government Review of Architects Regulation: Call for Evidence
Closes 8 November 2021

Publications

To support the consultation and enable designers and developers to assess what the changes mean for building projects, updated consultation versions of the Standard Assessment Procedure (SAP) and Simplified Building Energy Model (SBEM) have now been released.

David Hume Institute: Scottish Parliament consultation response: Public Finances in 2022-23

IEMA Principles of Cultural Heritage Impact Assessment – in partnership with the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) and the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) (20/07/21)

RTPI Scotland: Response to Scottish Government’s call for evidence on the development of the National Economic Transformation Strategy (26/08/21)

Achieving net zero in social housing – The Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce Report (SG 31/08/21)

Scottish Government News Releases

Short-term lets: letter from Cabinet Secretary on revised licensing legislation plans (SG 20/08/21)

Support to Protect Scotland’s Coastlines (SG 27/08/21)

Making a Quality Building Warrant Application – What you need to know
(SG 27/08/21)

Patrick Harvie appointed Minister for Zero Carbon Buildings, Active Travel and Tenants’ Rights (SG 30/08/21)

News Releases

New Research says ‘Cathedrals Matter’ (Association of English Cathedrals)

Opinion & Comment

Forget shops: how one UK town ripped up the rule book to revive its high street (Observer 21/08/21)

Insight: The detrimental impact short-term lets are having on urban and rural Scotland (Scotsman 22/08/21)

The recent SURF conference closed with a specially commissioned poem by Jo Gilbert. (27/08/21)

Scotland’s isles ‘would benefit’ from Faroes-style tunnels (BBC 30/08/21)

Parliamentary Questions

Question ref. S6W-02389 Donald Cameron, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: 23 August 2021
To ask the Scottish Government, in light of the commitment in the Scottish National Party election manifesto, what action it is taking to ensure that Scotland’s historic estate meets its net zero obligations.

Question S6O-00093: Sarah Boyack, Lothian, Scottish Labour
Date Lodged: 25/08/2021
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will commit to enshrining a rule in the National Planning Framework 4, where, for every new building, 1% of the cost is given to the arts.

Question S6W-02465: Kenneth Gibson, Cunninghame North, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/08/2021
To ask the Scottish Government when proposals for the introduction of Compulsory Sales Orders will be brought forward.

Question S6W-02556: Donald Cameron, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date Lodged: 30/08/2021 R
To ask the Scottish Government whether it has prepared an Island Communities Impact Assessment in relation to its proposed short-term lets Licensing Order, and, if so, whether it will publish it.

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”.

Question S6W-01909: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 27/07/2021
To ask the Scottish Government how many off-gas grid homes it estimates are not suitable for the installation of heat pumps, and what its position is on what alternative low-carbon heating systems they are able to install.
Answered by Michael Matheson (20/08/2021)

Question S6W-01904: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 27/07/2021
To ask the Scottish Government what measures it will put in place to support owner-occupiers of off-gas grid homes to achieve EPC (Energy Performance Certificate) Band C by 2025.
Answered by Michael Matheson (20/08/2021)

Other Parliamentary Activity

The UK Parliament is in recess 22^nd July 2021 – 6^th September 2021

Affordable Housing: The Local Government, Housing & Planning Committee has published a letter from Shona Robison concerning funding for affordable and social housing. (15/07/21)

Session 6: The Local Government, Housing & Planning Committee has published a letter from the Scottish Government about priorities for Session 6 that are of interest to the committee, including the local governance review and local democracy bill, funding formula for local government, housing and planning. (30/07/21)

Events

Doors Open Days 2021
Date: Weekends in September
Scotland’s largest free festival of places, history and culture will return this September! Doors Open Days offers free access to hundreds of sites across Scotland, and aims to make the country’s built and cultural heritage accessible to all.

Scottish Geology Festival
Date: 1 September – 17 October
Online, Outdoor, and Indoor Events
A packed programme of activities from Stranraer to Shetland that will showcase and celebrate Scotland’s geology. Events range from coastal walks to fossil hunting to online talks and even boat trips.

An Introduction to the Heritage Trust Network
Date & Time: 2 September 09.30am – 10.30.am
Online
A webinar to introduce partners, funders, new members and other organisations to the work of Heritage Trust Network.

SoAoS: Orkney Brochs to Iron Age Villages, The Ness in Rock and Stone, and The Mathematics of the Neolithic.
Date & Time: 5 Sept 3:30pm – 6pm, 7 Sept 11:30am – 12:15pm.
Online: YouTube Live.
Three memorial lectures in collaboration with Orkney International Science Festival, to attribute three late Fellows, John Hedges, Raymond Lamb, and Euan MacKie. Several of the speakers are Fellows of the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland who will be hosting and highlighting the session.

LIS: Countdown to COP – Sustainable Landscapes
Date & Time: 9 September, 12pm–1pm
Online: Zoom
In association with the GIA – the first of the Landscape Institute Scotland COP26 events around climate change & sustainability. Join Karen Esslemont of OPEN for ClimatEvolution: Place-based transition to climate resilience in East Lothian; Duncan Maclean of LUC on Claypits Park, Glasgow & Greg Meikle of LDA on Sighthill: Regeneration at Scale.

Why Do Historic Places Matter? Emotional Attachments to Urban Heritage
Date & Time: 17 September, 3:30pm – 5pm
Online
This event to launch the final report of the Why Does The Past Matter? research project brings together leading figures from the heritage and built environment sectors to discuss the reasons why historic places matter emotionally to a range of individuals including developers, investors, planners, campaigners and residents.

Edinburgh World Heritage: A Miracle in Stone – A lecture to celebrate 50 years of conservation
Date & Time: 9 September, 6pm
Location: St Andrew’s and St George’s West Church, George Street, Edinburgh.
Or Online
In 1971, the New Town Conservation Committee, which subsequently became Edinburgh World Heritage, set out on its mission to ‘save the New Town.’ Fifty years later, EWH invite you to join them in celebrating what has been called the ‘greatest achievement of the conservation movement in post-War Britain.’

SPAB: Conservation on the Edge: The Northern Lighthouse Board
Date & Time: 22 September, 6pm
Online
The Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB) has been providing Marine Aids to Navigation in Scottish and Manx waters for over two centuries, protecting lives, property and the environment. This talk aims to give an overview of the role and function of the modern service and, through a series of case studies, explore the considerable challenges associated with caring for historic buildings located on the edge of Scotland and the Isle of Man.

A&DS at V&A Dundee: What if… /we lived in places of small distances?
Date & Time: 30 September, 6:15pm
Join an expert panel to explore the concept of the 20-minute neighbourhood: a way to radically reconsider space, with meeting the needs of citizens at its core. How might this work rurally, where communities are sparse and have different needs? How can this be applied to different socio-economic situations? And how can we continue to improve our urban spaces to better meet the needs of a constantly changing world?

RIAS: Andy MacMillan Memorial Lecture 2021 – Dr Jos Boys
Date & Time: 23 September, 6pm–7pm
Online: Zoom
Join us for the Andy MacMillan Memorial Lecture 2021 and to celebrate the A&DS and RIAS Scottish Student Awards shortlist announcement. This year’s Andy MacMillan Memorial Lecture will be given by Dr Jos Boys, The Bartlett / Co-founder of The DisOrdinary Architecture Project.

RIAS Convention 2021: Draw Together
Date: 28 September – 1 October
Online
Join us for our virtual architecture and built environment conference – four days packed with talks from our international line up of over 20 speakers, CPD, debate, discussion, sustainability speed mentoring (delivered in partnership with RIBA) and more! Draw Together will bring architects, built environment professionals and the wider public together to show how change is already happening to tackle our climate goals and targets, with spotlight on work across Scotland as well as UK and international examples. View the full programme here.

Training

RTPI: Making NPF4 work for Scotland’s diverse regions
Date & Time: 2 September 4pm–5pm
Online
With Scotland’s widely varied geographical locations, how will NPF4 ensure diverse regions can benefit?
Main speaker: Fiona Simpson, Interim Chief Planner, Planning & Architecture, Scottish Government. Fiona will provide progress update on NPF and views on implications and highlights on H&I Region.
Regional Speakers from Dundee City Council, NatureScot, Community Land Scotland, and Highlands & Island Enterprise will provide a geographical and work-related perspective on their own urban and rural areas, including their specific interests – diverse areas and expertise.

RTPI: Climate Ready Ken Project + Adaptation Issues in Planning
Date & Time: 9 September 4pm-5pm
Online
In June 2020, the community around Loch Ken was selected to be part of the Climate Ready Localities programme, run by Adaptation Scotland. The Climate Ready Ken project will look at the practical actions that individuals and communities need to take to understand and prepare for the inevitable impacts of a changing climate. This project forms part of the wider work of the Loch Ken Trust to build the Loch Ken Plan, a 10-year sustainable community plan, based around the UN Sustainable Development Goals.

Under One Roof: Private Landlord Webinar Programme 2021-22
Date & Time: 14 Sept 6pm-7pm, then Monthly to June 2022
Online
Under One Roof, with generous support from SafeDeposits Scotland Charitable Trust, is excited to release this year’s full webinar programme for private landlords and letting agents. Register now for the one-hour sessions, where you’ll be able to ask experts about general issues related to tenement buildings, and specific issues related to your flat. Future webinars will cover topics such as funding repairs, energy efficient tenement buildings, and how to set up an Owners’ Association. CPD certificates are also available to professionals who take part in the webinars.

Advertising Volunteer Opportunities with Mark Your Mark
Date & Time: 14 Sept 2pm–3pm or 15 Sept 6pm–7pm
Online
Scottish heritage organisations are invited to attend an informal information session to learn more about the Make Your Mark campaign and how you can use our free volunteer portal to recruit and manage your volunteers.

Traditional Building CPD – Modified Lime Mortars
Date & Time: 14 September, 12.00pm – 4.00pm
Location: Balnain Glen Urquhart, Inverness
Practical workshop for professionals and stonemasons to explore hot lime mixes with addition of linseed oil to modify durability and resistance to rain penetration.

RIAS Lunchtime CPD: Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals
Date & Time: 16 September, 12pm-1pm
Online: Zoom
In March 2021, ICOMOS published a new policy document on Heritage and the Sustainable Development Goals, which aims to advocate and localize the UN 2030 Agenda and SDGs from the perspective of heritage. In this presentation, Linda will briefly discuss the Policy Guidance and the SDGs, before focusing on SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy) and the relevant Case Study: Lauriston Place in Edinburgh, to then explore SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth) and SDG11 (Sustainable Cities and Communities) as examples on how the PG might be localised here in Scotland considering recent policy developments.

RTPI: Meeting our targets in a time of climate crisis
Date & Time: 28 September 4pm-5pm
Online
The need to meet Scotland’s climate change targets is ever more apparent. To achieve this, a mix of new renewable technologies and expansion of existing technologies will play a vital role. Scottish Renewables will discuss the form these new technologies will take – from battery storage to hydrogen, and re-powering – and the extent of the land use challenges these present. Neil Collar (Brodies) will then provide a critical reflection on how the planning system has managed planning for renewables so far and how well equipped it is to meet these challenges and opportunities in future.

RTPI: The role of women in placemaking
Date & Time: 30 September, 4pm-5pm
Online
This event looks at the representation of women in the planning profession, current issues and views on the design of the public realm. It discusses influencing placemaking in UK and international contexts. There will also be an undergraduate student dissertation discussion.

Arts & Business Scotland: Introduction to being a Board Member
Date & Time: 16 & 23 November, 4pm-7pm
Online: Zoom
Designed for new Trustees, the essential Introduction to being a Board Member online course runs over two sessions to cover duties of charitable trustees/board members, roles and responsibilities of board members and staff, meeting management and decision making, advocacy and fundraising, strategic planning, and finances.

Vacancies

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1 Sep 2021

John McKinney, of the Scottish Traditional Building Forum, Reflects on the 2021 Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival.

The Edinburgh Traditional Building Festival (part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe) returned for its 9^th event and for the second successive year was online. This year, in the run up to COP26, organisers turned their eyes to the future and Festival Convenor Tyler Lott Johnston delivered a series of thought-provoking events that focused on the sustainability of traditional buildings in a dynamic and ever-changing world.

This year’s event was opened by Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, whose opening remarks emphasised how much she had enjoyed previous traditional building skills events delivered by the Edinburgh Traditional Building Forum and the importance of the existing built environment for sustainability.

Alison’s opening address succinctly captured the key themes of this year’s Festival. Buildings that have stood for centuries contain so much embodied carbon that we must do more to maintain them – but as many as 72 per cent of Scotland’s traditional buildings are not currently wind- and water-tight. To restore them, we need to understand the skills and materials used in traditional construction, as well as looking for opportunities where retrofitting can deliver even more energy efficiency.

This year’s event welcomed a truly international audience to a series of virtual tours, virtual demonstrations and online talks.

Following the opening remarks by the Presiding Officer, there was a virtual tour of the Royal Mile which was hosted by Hazel Johnson, BEFS Policy and Strategy Manager, and it was nice to see her return to the event as she had been heavily involved in the organisation and delivery in the early years of the festival.

Thankfully, a beautiful evening was chosen for the filming of the virtual tour and the Royal Mile was shown in all its glory, with several stops at key buildings to meet special guests and discuss how the built environment can help to meet Scotland’s net zero targets. From finding new uses for old buildings, to 20 Minute Neighbourhoods, tenement maintenance, retrofitting, and complementary policymaking, the film explored how the places we live and work all contribute towards environmental, economic, social and cultural sustainability.

The next day we had The Building Stones of Edinburgh virtual tour by Paul Everett for the British Geological Survey followed by a Traditional Stonemasonry talk by Andy Bradley, SPAB Fellow. Day three featured a virtual Timber and Sash & Case Windows by Alex Ferguson from the Federation of Master Builders.

Day four was roofing day with a virtual Roof Leadwork demonstration by Steve McLennan followed by a Roof Slating and Tiling talk by Graeme Millar both of National Federation of Roofing Contractors with Graeme also being current President of IFD.

The final day featured a talk by Tyler Lott Johnston on The Importance the Placemaking for adaptive reuse, which highlighted the opportunities to leverage technology as a tool to elevate and champion the voice of local people within adaptive reuse projects. This show was hosted by Diarmaid Lawlor who is the Associate Director (Place) at Scottish Futures Trust who was able to join in with the Q&A session which followed.

The Festival finished with one of the most important messages of the event – with a show on how to maintain your own home or building which was delivered by the Scottish Government, City of Edinburgh Council and Under One Roof.

Feedback from both attendees and presenters suggested the festival was enjoyed by all, and all shows included a live Q&A session with a high level of questions which showed the level of interest in the area and how engaging all the presentations had been.

The obvious benefit of delivering the Festival online has been the greater accessibility and increased capacity at the shows. However, we have all missed the in-person interaction with the audience and are hoping to return to in-person events for our tenth Festival with a live stream to a wider audience.

While merging the two delivery methods will initially be a challenge, we have proved that the forum can rise to the occasion by continuing to deliver the Festival during a global pandemic. So, we are already looking forward to next year, and a hybrid model which we believe will benefit the event, participants and audience.

These events can only be delivered due to generosity of those who donate their time and expertise to take part. The Edinburgh Traditional Building Forum would like to extend our gratitude to all of our presenters and members who have helped make this event possible. Special thanks go to Convenor and Festival Organiser Tyler Lott Johnston, for leading on the project and hosting the events.

For more information on the Edinburgh Traditional Building Forum, our events, and how you can get involved, please visit our website or connect with us on social media @ScotTradBuild on Twitter.

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