BEFS News

Historic Environment Scotland has published its new Historic Environment Policy for Scotland (HEPS) to help guide and inform decision-makers such as local authorities and asset owners. This policy has been in development for a number of years, with public and sector wide engagement. BEFS Policy & Advocacy Lead, Ailsa Macfarlane, provides a summary of the new policy and accompanying documents here.

We welcome the training that Historic Environment Scotland are already making available before the new policy is due to be formally adopted on the 1st May 2019. HEPS was launched in conjunction with HES’ new Corporate Plan 2019 Onwards: Heritage for All.

In anticipation of the publication of the revised Historic Environment Policy for Scotland, BEFS decided to undertake an analysis of how existing historic environment policies are utilised within the planning system. Read the analysis here.

BEFS responded to the Scottish Government’s ‘Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Programme 2019-2024’ Consultation. This response was brief and related to the important role and place of the historic environment within the Programme – including within high-level outcomes, as well as how the qualities of buildings within the historic environment were described within the consultation.

If you are involved with heritage in your local community in any way then this is for you! Join the Scottish Community Heritage Alliance (SCHA) for a discussion day about Scottish Community Heritage. The University of St Andrews, the National Library of Scotland and Ergadia Heritage have teamed together to organise a series of 12 community heritage research workshops around Scotland, funded by the Royal Society of Edinburgh. They will be talking about networks, sharing ideas about how a new national network might look, and what it could do for community heritage.

Peter Burman is stepping down as Vice-Chair of BEFS Board. Peter will continue in his capacity as a Trustee and Chair of the Historic Environment Working Group (HEWG) and we thank him for his expertise and support of the team. We hope that the time freed up will allow Peter to fully enjoy his forthcoming wedding. We would like to welcome our new Vice-Chair of the Board, longstanding BEFS Trustee, Ian Baxter.

We are delighted to promote such a fantastic array of events, CPD and training opportunities, and vacancies from across the built environment sector again this week. Do check out the sections below for details!

Consultations

Consultation on adding new categories to the definition of a House in Multiple Occupation
This consultation proposes adding new categories to the definition of HMO.
Opened 18 Apr 2019 and closes 8 Jul 2019.

DCMS Committee seeks evidence on the contribution of gardens to UK’s economy and tourism
The Digital, Culture, Media and Sport Committee is launching a short inquiry to explore how gardens contribute to UK tourism, the economy and to our national heritage.
The deadline for submitting evidence is Tuesday 7th May at 5pm.

Local Government Committee investigates empty homes
The Local Government & Communities Committee has launched an inquiry into empty homes and how they can be brought back into use.
The call for written views will close on Friday 17 May.

MSPs call for evidence on business rates reform
The Local Government & Communities Committee has asked for written views on the Non-Domestic Rates Bill introduced on Monday 25 March.
The call for evidence closes on Thursday 30 May.

Community Engagement Baseline Survey for Owners and Managers of Land
The Scottish Land Commission is working with communities and with people who own and manage land to make sure that all people in Scotland have the opportunity to be involved in decisions about land that significantly affect them.
The survey will be open for responses until the end of May 2019.

New-Build Homes (Buyer Protection) (Scotland) Bill
Graham Simpson has lodged a proposal for a New-Build Homes (Buyer Protection) (Scotland) Bill, intended to establish standard missives for the sale of new-build homes, including redress for purchasers in respect of defects in construction.
The deadline to respond to the consultation is Thursday 27 June.

Publications

Brexit uncertainties masking longer term challenges to the Scottish economy (FAI 17/04/19)

Simplified planning zone housing pilots: update April 2019 (SG 16/04/19)

Social Tenants in Scotland, 2017 (SG 16/04/19)

Planning (Scotland) Bill: Revised Explanatory Notes (SG 15/04/19)

Community ownership: case studies (SG 08/04/19)

Historic Environment Policy for Scotland (HES 04/04/19)

Historic Environment Scotland Corporate Plan 2019 Onwards (HES 04/04/19)

The future of seaside towns (HoL 04/04/19)

News Releases

Notre Dame Tragedy: a personal loss for every European (EN 16/04/19)
Europa Nostra, the Voice of cultural heritage in Europe, wishes to express its deepest sympathy and immense sadness following yesterday’s fire that devastated Notre Dame of Paris.

Capital’s concrete concert hall plans backed before crunch hearing (Scotsman 16/04/19)
Proposals to build the first new concert hall in Edinburgh for more than 100 years have been backed by planners ahead of a crunch hearing.

Calls for new property tax to boost Scottish council funds (Scotsman 15/04/19)
A new system of property tax and environmental charges should be introduced to boost Scottish council funding, according to a report.

Scotland from the Sky returns for a second series (HES 15/04/19)
Three-part BBC1 Scotland series reveals Scotland’s hidden ancient past through aerial photography held in the Historic Environment Scotland (HES) archives.

IHBC’s newest Context out: – Featuring Scotland’s ‘Highlands and Islands’ (IHBC 12/04/19)
The latest issue of IHBC’s membership journal Context is now out, themed around practice issues relating to conservation in Scotland’s ‘Highlands and Islands’, including the challenges and achievements of working in diverse rural areas.

Scottish Land Fund grants more than £500,000 for community ownership projects (SHN 11/04/19)
A Highlands residents association is one of four community groups to receive financial support from the Scottish Land Fund to transfer ownership of local projects to the hands of local people.

Brexit impasse continues to challenge the market (RICS 11/04/19)
The housing market remained subdued in March, a picture that has been evident in the sales market for several months now, according to our latest UK Residential Market Survey.

New House of Commons Library Note on VAT and Churches: from reforms to grants (IHBC 09/04/19)
The House of Commons Library has issued a new Briefing Note that examines how construction work for churches is treated for VAT in the UK; proposals for reform in this area, and the changes made in Budget 2012, removing the zero rate of VAT which had applied to alteration work on listed buildings, while also giving details of the current grant scheme for church repairs.

Over £4 million investment for Scotland’s historic heartlands (HES 05/04/19)
A £4.4 million funding boost for regeneration projects in Scotland’s historic heartlands was announced today by Historic Environment Scotland.

New Learning Section (Engine Shed) 
We have been making improvements to our website and have recently launched our brand new Learning Section. Take a look and explore the Engine Shed’s learning offering. Whether you are looking for formal learning opportunities, some Continuing Professional Development (CPD), or summer courses, we have something to suit all styles and levels of learning. Please get in touch if you have any feedback for us at technicaleducation@hes.scot.

Opinion & Comment

‘Notre Dame and Glasgow Art School disasters have similar sense of horror and loss’ (Herald Scotland 16/04/19)

Why is Britain so bad at planning cities? (David Rudlin in the Guardian 11/04/19)

We Recycle Bottles. Why Don’t We Recycle Buildings? (SOM 03/2019)

Barcelona does What Terrifies Most Mayors: It Punches Parasitic Vacant Building Owners (Revitalisation 01/04/19)

Parliamentary Questions & Answers

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

Question S5W-20978: Bill Bowman, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 14/01/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what its position is on the Scottish Retail Consortium’s call for local authorities to be able to use a portion of the town centres fund for reducing non-domestic rates.
Answered by Derek Mackay (23/01/2019)

Question S5W-20977: Bill Bowman, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 14/01/2019
To ask the Scottish Government when it will publish details of its proposed town centres fund, and what its position is on the Scottish Retail Consortium’s call for business improvement districts and other organisations to be eligible to bid for funding.
Answered by Derek Mackay (29/01/2019)

Events

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

Rhind Lectures 2019, Hadrian’s Wall: A Study in Archaeological Exploration and Interpretation
Date & time: 6pm Friday 10th May @ 6:00 pm until 4pm Sunday 12th May
Venue: auditorium, National Museum of Scotland, Edinburgh, EH9 3EL
The six lectures will be given over the course of a weekend by Professor David Breeze OBE, BA, PhD, Hon DLitt, FSA, Hon FSA Scot, FRSE, Hon CIfA. Hadrian’s Wall was written about even when it was still in use as a frontier. Interest continued through the next 1000 years, but it was the spirit of enquiry generated by the Renaissance which led to more focussed study. Once archaeological excavations started, the pace quickened. Now we have an enormous data base even though only about 5% of the Wall has been examined. The 2019 Rhind Lectures are organised by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and are sponsored by AOC Archaeology Group.

People Powered Planning: Putting Communities on the Front Foot
Date & times: Saturday 11th May 2019 10 – 4.30pm
Venue: Trades Hall, Central Glasgow G1 1UH.
We know there are many people in Scotland who feel baffled, alienated and disenfranchised by the planning system. Others have gained some understanding, learnt to navigate and decode the systems and others have taken ownership and grabbed what opportunities there are to shape their local environments and fulfill community aspirations. We hope that this conference will link people up, provide some information about where to go for help and give some handy tips on how to successfully engage in planning. Importantly we also hope the conference will help to create a sense of a movement of people who are willing to campaign for change to make the planning system more responsive to people who want the best for their local areas.

RICS Rural Mid-Session Conference
Date & time: 16 May 2019, 9:00-16:45
Venue: SNH Battleby , Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW.
This conference will equip you with the right knowledge to leverage current opportunities for growth and resilience in the sector, so you can be better prepared to mitigate any risks to your business. Covering vital sessions such as environmental risks and global valuation, private water supplies and unlocking the potential of water, this conference will bring together rural professionals from across the region to discuss challenges and share industry expertise specific to Scotland. Further sessions will take a closer look at best practice when it comes to the valuation of rural properties, agriculture rent review process, the Scottish Beaver Migration Scheme and resulting environment implications.

Play, Social Justice and Urban Space – Perspectives from India and Scotland
Date & time: Sat, 18 May 2019, 09:30.
Venue: Bellfield, 16B Bellfield Street, Portobello, Edinburgh EH15 2BP.
Play, Social Justice and Urban Space is an exciting international event exploring children’s use of space. How do children navigate their local environments? How do they claim space, making child-friendly environments in contested urban space? What role do adults have? The programme includes a rich mix of speakers from Scotland and India, music, art and dialogue. Light refreshments.

Scotland’s Housing: More than Just Numbers
Date & Time: Wed, 22 May 2019, 09:30 – 16:45.
Venue: Radisson Blu Hotel, 80 High St, Royal Mile, Edinburgh EH1 1TH.
Over the last 60 years housing in Scotland has been dominated by a drive for quantity rather than quality. However, in the last 20 years dissatisfaction with the lack of affordable, environmentally benign and future-proofed housing in Scotland has been growing and we are beginning to see some positive signs of change. Inspiration is being taken from many places, including Germany and Switzerland. However, the innovations they illustrate are often perceived as “too difficult” to achieve in Scotland. The event will address this perception – that “it would never work here” – by providing a forum in which to debate the institutions, mechanisms and actors that need to be put in place to overcome the current barriers and to progress with the best possible advice and experience.

Lime Burning on Lismore – Scottish Working Party
Date & time: 23-27 May 2019, 9am-5pm each day
Venue: Park Lime Kilns, Lismore, Oban
SPAB Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and the Building Limes Forum invite you to the Scottish Working Party 2019 on the beautiful island of Lismore. This popular annual event attracts volunteers ranging from heritage and architectural professionals, to those with an informed amateur interest in buildings and history. Volunteering at the Working Party is a unique opportunity to learn from some of the country’s leading craftspeople in a relaxed setting. On Lismore we will be building a lime kiln, slaking and testing the lime, repairing the B listed kiln, and investigating the archaeology of the island.  Deadline for applications is 23 April 2019.

RICS Dilapidations Conference, Scotland
Date & time: 30 May 2019, 08:45-17:00
Venue: The Studio, 67 Hope St, Glasgow, G2 6AE
The conference will provide a comprehensive update and expert guidance on the current and future issues impacting commercial landlords and tenants, building surveyors and valuers. Delivered by leading speakers at the forefront of dilapidations issues, the programme addresses all crucial areas and offers practical guidance to better your day-to-day practice. Bringing together the combined expertise of surveyors, valuers and legal professionals, the event will provide a roundup of recent case law and analyse the impact it will have on your day-to-day practice. The programme will also provide an update on technical issues such as, building services, leases and supersession.

Making more of what we’ve got – repurposing unused and underused spaces
Date & Time: Thu, 6 June 2019, 09:00 – 16:30.
Venue: Hamish Wood Building, Glasgow Caledonian University.
This year’s Central Scotland Green Network Forum conference is presented in partnership with the Scottish Land Commission to explore the theme of repurposing unused and underused sites. Over 9,000 hectares of the CSGN area is classified as vacant and derelict; this accounts for 78% of Scotland’s total. It holds huge potential to help make better places that support health and wellbeing, help boost the economy and mitigate against the challenges of climate change. In addition, we also have large areas of land associated with housing, business and transport which have little or no function. By rejuvenating these areas communities stand to benefit from increased engagement and empowerment, tackling social inequalities while increasing local pride and ownership.

Bright Sparks: Shining a Light on Museum Learning
Date & Time: Mon, 17 June 2019, 09:30 – 16:30.
Venue: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ.
Does your work with schools need some stimulation? Are you looking to re-invigorate your learning programmes or develop your learning practice? Do you want to know more about the Curriculum for Excellence? Perhaps you’re just interested in exploring new ways of working strategically and operationally in formal learning…Our Bright Sparks one-day learning symposium will be filled with inspiration from industry leaders on topics such as policy, practical methods for dialogue with schools, STEM, how to build a learning programme, innovative models for learning, and work-based learning.

RICS Annual Dinner 2019, Scotland
Date & time: THU 27 JUN 2019, 07:00 PM – 11:00 PM.
Venue: Radisson Blu , 301 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8DL.
Join fellow property professionals for the RICS Annual Dinner 2019, Scotland – an opportunity to network with professionals in the region. The dinner will provide the ideal setting to entertain clients, socialise with colleagues and generate new business contacts. Ian Fergusson, RICS Chairman for Scotland looks forward to welcoming guest’s to this year’s Annual Dinner. Set to be held at the prestigious Radisson Blu in Glasgow, with return of this highly anticipated black-tie event, also comes your opportunity to meet up with fellow members, friends and business partners old and new. We have an evening of superb food, entertainment and networking lined up, so put the date in your diary and secure your place now to avoid missing out.

Scottish Living History Festival – Save the Date! 
Date: Saturday 31st August and Sunday 1st September.
Location: Callendar House, Falkirk.
As part of our 75th anniversary celebrations Archaeology Scotland are planning a special weekend family orientated free event for all – the Scottish Living History Festival will launch this year’s Scottish Archaeology Month. Two full days of interactive hands-on activities, digital experiences (such as recreating archaeological sites in Minecraft) locally sourced high quality food vendors, period musicians, engaging talks from experts, popular talks linking archaeology to Game of Thrones, Outlander and Outlaw King, ancient craft workshops, re-enactment groups including the Antonine Guard and guided walks will all be on offer. There will be displays of skills in leather working, jewellery making, kilt making, metal working and promotion of artisans and craftspeople as well as many hands-on activities for children (simulated excavations, finds sorting, ancient writing, exploring artefact investigation kits, archaeological detective work, archery, marching with Roman soldiers and life as a Viking). We also plan to recreate a Roman milestone where young people can try out stone carving under expert supervision. More details on the website in due course.

Monument in Monuments – Conference
Dates: Monday 2 – Wednesday 4 September 2019
Venue: Engine Shed, Stirling
Cost: Early bird ticket: £125-250 (until Friday 19 April). Full Conference: £300. Day ticket: £60-120.
Our inaugural conference, Monuments in Monuments 2019, brings together conservation practitioners, students and professionals to investigate the challenges facing monument conservation. From Monday 2 – Wednesday 4 September 2019, hear from specialists and experts from around the globe, and explore how traditional skills, emerging technology and conservation science are helping to overcome these challenges. For more information and registration options, visit our website. Our early bird ticket discounts end on Friday 19 April. Student tickets are also available.

Training

CPD: Conserving Concrete 
Date & time: Weds. 24th April 2019 | 12:30-1:30pm.
Venue: 54 Bell Street. Glasgow.
As the architectural heritage of the first half of the 20th century continues to age, an understanding of its more modern materials and methods is crucial to conserving our interwar and post-war buildings. Peter Drummond, FRIAS RIBA and director of Peter Drummond Architects, will present a session on conservation and repair approaches to architectural and decorative concrete. £10 per person / £5 for students, including light lunch.

Conservation 101
Date & time: Friday 3 May 2019, 9.30am – 12.15pm.
Venue: Engine Shed, Stirling
This course is the first in a series of Continuing Professional Development (CPD) events which will be held quarterly in Stirling in partnership with RIAS and RICS. Hear from Historic Environment Scotland’s experts covering a wide range of topics in conservation. For further programme information and to register check our website. If you can’t attend this event in person, you can also register for our webinar. This event is free. Booking essential.

CPD: Damp in Traditional Buildings
Date & times: Weds. 8th May 2019 | 12:30-1:30pm.
Venue: 54 Bell Street, Glasgow.
When buildings become damp, either from external water ingress or from internal humidity and condensation, their materials decay faster and their occupants can be exposed to health hazards. Georgina Allison, conservation architect and lecturer at the University of Edinburgh, will remind us how traditional buildings are designed to deal with damp, and what conservation issues and solutions damp buildings may present. £10 per person /£5 for students, including light lunch.

Repair and Maintenance of Masonry Arch Bridges
Date & time: 24 May 2019, 09.30 – 16.30.
Venue: Charlestown Workshops, Fife.
Cost: £190 + vat …… Remember if you are a BLF, IHBC, RICS or RIAS member you are eligible for 20% discount on this seminar. Please just give us a call with your member number.
This one day masterclass looks at all aspects of masonry arch bridge construction and the materials utilized to determine the most appropriate repair schemes. It is suitable for building professionals, contractors, engineers and others involved in heritage work.

RICS Commercial Property Conference, Scotland
Date & time: THU 6 JUN 2019, 10:00 AM – 04:00 PM.
Venue: Radisson Blu, 80 High Street, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1TH.
The commercial property market is in transition and joining fellow professionals from across the sector to network, discuss and analyse key issues and opportunities, is as important as ever. The RICS Commercial Property Conference returns to Scotland to cover the latest policy, market and technological changes to help you stay ahead. This year’s programme will bring together agents, occupiers and investors to strengthen your understanding of the current economic outlook, latest occupier trends, growth opportunities, and risks to the commercial property sector. Whether you are in retail, leisure or office, there will be a session to update you on the current market outlook.
Attend this conference to be at the forefront of what is happening in the industry.
4 hours formal CPD. Link to Programme.

Summer School
Dates: Monday 3 – Friday 7 June 2019
Venue: Engine Shed, Stirling.
Cost: full week £450 or per day £100
Join us for an exciting and varied week of seminars, workshops and day trips in building conservation. This course is the perfect introduction to building conservation, and is a key event in our annual programme. Each day will focus on a different topic. If you cannot commit to a full week, we offer day tickets so you can attend the days that are most relevant to you. For more information about the programme or to book a place, visit the Summer School page on our website.

RICS CPD Day, Aberdeen 2019
Date & time: THU 20 JUN 2019, 08:30 AM – 05:10 PM.
Venue: Hilton Hotel Aberdeen Treetops, 161 Springfield Road, Aberdeen, AB15 7AQ
Enhance your capabilities and knowledge around today’s ever-changing market trends, legislation, and technical guidance. Learn from leading industry professionals and take away practical solutions which can be implemented into your daily practice – benefiting both your business and personal professional development. Everyone has different topics they are interested in, which is why this conference offers a choice of 18 breakout sessions to allow you to tailor the day specifically to your personal CPD needs. Choose from a range of practical breakout sessions, ensuring that the CPD you are set to gain will best meet your needs. 6 hours formal CPD. Link to Programme.

Rock to Roof
Location: Mount Stuart, Bute
Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with the Mount Stuart Trust, have extracted a small quantity of slate block from the historic quarry at Ardmaleish point. SPAB Fellow Richard Jordan, will be delivering a series of workshops and demonstrations in the grounds of Mount Stuart estate on splitting slate block into roofing slate. Scotland has a long history of slate quarrying. Slate from the Isle of Bute was recorded as early as 1445 when 130,000 slates produced from the quarry at Ardmaleish Point were used to repair the roof of the King’s Castle at Dumbarton.  By the 1880s, slate production on Bute had all but ceased until the Hilton quarry was temporarily re-opened to provide roofing slate for Wester Kames Castle. It closed soon after in 1920. Event details and booking instructions will follow shortly. For any enquiries, please contact technicaleducation@hes.scot.

Vacancies

The Society is recruiting for a new ScARF Project Officer
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is seeking an exceptional candidate for the post of ScARF Project Officer. The post will help deliver the Society’s role within Aim 2 of Scotland’s Archaeology Strategy. The successful candidate will assist the ScARF Project Manager with the development and updating of the Scottish Archaeological Research Framework. Work will include helping to co-ordinate projects to create and publish new regional research frameworks as well as updating existing frameworks. The role will also build on the success of the recent ScARF Museums project to help encourage and build capacity for research on archaeological collections in museums.
Closing Date: Monday 22nd April 2019.

Planning Vacancies at Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority
Do you have skills or experience in Development Management, Design, Built Heritage, or Conservation Architecture? If so, read on! Following recent changes with staff moving to promoted roles, and our planning team set to be as busy as ever with lots of planning applications in the pipeline, we have exciting opportunities to join the award-winning Planning teams at Loch Lomond & The Trossachs National Park Authority. These three roles provide a rare chance to be part of a high performing team within an ambitious organisation delivering significant benefits within Scotland’s first National Park and beyond. Our focus is on getting the right skills and experience for these roles so we are happy to talk flexibly about working hours.
Closing date is: Tuesday 23rd April 2019 @ 12noon.

Advocacy & Communications Officer
Are you passionate about the Heritage Sector? Do you want to work at the heart of heritage, shaping the future of The Heritage Alliance? The Heritage Alliance is the heritage sector’s umbrella organisation and advocacy body and we are seeking an outstanding person to take up the key role of Advocacy and Communications Officer. The successful candidate will join the Alliance’s small, busy team based in offices in Southwark, just behind the Tate Modern.
The closing date for applications is 1st May 2019 with interviews expected a week later.

Development & Membership Manager
Are you passionate about the Heritage Sector? Do you want to work at the heart of heritage, shaping the future of The Heritage Alliance? The Heritage Alliance is the heritage sector’s umbrella organisation and advocacy body and we are seeking an outstanding person to take up the key role of Development and Membership Manager. The successful candidate will join the Alliance’s small, busy team based in offices in Southwark, just behind the Tate Modern.
The closing date for applications is 5th May 2019 with interviews expected a week later.

Vacancies at A&DS
Architecture and Design Scotland is looking for 4 people to join our team. If you would like to help deliver good architecture and successful places, collaborate with others and promote the value of good design, then we’d love to hear from you.

• Principal Design Officer (B3)
• Senior Design Officers (B2)
• Design Officers (B1)

Closing date: Midnight Monday 6 May 2019.

Appointment of Chair of Trustees
Edinburgh World Heritage is seeking an individual with drive and enthusiasm to replace Dr Brian Lang CBE, FRSE, in chairing its energetic and professional Board of Trustees, working with them and the Director to take the organisation forward during a time of change.
Closing date: by 5pm on Monday 27th May 2019.

Commissioner Roles at Historic England
We are currently recruiting three people to join our Commission, the group of experts that make up our governing body. We are seeking candidates with backgrounds in architecture, archaeology and heritage-based tourism. Find out more about these roles and how to apply

BACK

BEFS News

Historic Environment Scotland’s new Historic Environment Policy for Scotland and associated policy and guidance will be launched alongside their Corporate Plan tomorrow, Friday, 5th April. You will be able to view all the documents here once the link is live. The new policy has been informed by the What’s Your Heritage? campaign as well as extensive consultation, engagement and conversations with stakeholders working with the historic environment.

The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) and the Landscape Institute Scotland (LIS) are bringing together a range of organisations and individuals interested in the design, management and protection of Scotland’s Landscapes, to form Scotland’s Landscape Alliance (SLA). A launch event to develop the SLA is planned for 25th April 2019. Ahead of this, they are conducting research to gather the views of those with an interest or involvement in landscape in Scotland. The research will inform the work and focus of the SLA by providing potential areas for debate and action by different working groups. Share your views by completing this short online survey.

BEFS Director looks at the implications of two of the recommendations arising from a Parliamentary Committee report on the Glasgow School of Art fire, in our blog this week.

We have a fantastic selection of events and training coming up across the sector so do check out the listings below.

We are delighted to have our Communications and Policy Office, Saskia Smellie, back in the office this week, so if you would like to promote your activities in this bulletin, please do get in touch.

Consultations

Scotland’s Climate Change Adaptation Programme 2019-2024
Closes 9 Apr 2019.

Statements of Heritage Significance: Historic England advice note
This publication provides advice on ways to satisfy the requirement in the National Planning Policy Framework for applicants for heritage-related consents to provide information on heritage significance to help local planning authorities in making decisions on the impact of proposals for change to heritage assets. This is most easily provided in a statement of heritage significance. Comments are welcomed on this draft Historic England advice note.
This consultation will be open until 10 May 2019

Energy Efficient Scotland: Consultation 
This consultation seeks to gather evidence which might support a change to the proposed timeframe to deliver standards for all properties across Scotland.
Opened 26 Mar 2019. Closes 17 Jun 2019.

Energy Efficient Scotland: the future of low carbon heat for off gas buildings – call for evidence 
Evidence is being sought on technologies and actions necessary to support the decarbonisation of the heat supply of buildings that currently do not use mains gas as their primary heating fuel.
Deadline for submission of evidence: Tuesday 18 June 2019.

Consultation responses

Delivering improved transparency in land ownership in Scotland: consultation analysis (SG 03/04/19)

 

Publications

Wheelchair Accessible Housing Target: Guidance Note: MHDGN 201902 (SG 01/04/19)

Climate Challenge Fund: projects funded for 2019-2021 (SG 28/03/19)

Skills Investment Plan for Scotland’s Historic Environment Sector (HES 25/03/19)

The Scottish Heritage Partnership: Immersive Experiences Policy Report (21/03/19)

Heritage and Wellbeing: State of the Evidence (WWW 20/03/19)

Investigation into the Issues Associated with Large scale and Concentrated Landownership in Scotland (SLC 20/03/19)

Review of Scale and Concentration of Land Ownership – Report & Recommendations to Scottish Ministers (SLC) 

 

Scottish Government News Releases

Improving wheelchair access in housing (29/03/19)
Local authorities will be required to provide wheelchair accessible housing across all tenures and report annually on progress.

Climate Challenge Fund (28/03/19)
Communities across Scotland will benefit from new support to tackle climate change and embrace the transition to a carbon-neutral society. The latest round Climate Challenge Fund for 2019-21 will support 87 projects.

Planning decisions: index (25/03/19)
List of correspondence available relating to current, or recently closed, planning decisions.

Scotland’s natural capital worth £273 billion (22/03/19)
A comprehensive assessment has been carried out for the first time of the monetary value of Scotland’s natural capital. The assessment has discovered that in 2015 the asset value of Scottish natural capital was an estimated £273 billion.

 

News Releases

Scotland’s historic buildings to receive £7m boost (HES 03/04/19)
The Heritage Impact Fund is available to organisations that wish to deliver economic and social impact through re-use of Scotland’s heritage buildings.

£1 entry to historic sites for Young Scots (HES 01/04/19)
HES will be partnering with Young Scot, along with the National Trust for Scotland and Historic Houses Scotland, to offer the discount to young people who want to explore Scotland’s historic sites.

New deadline for Community Assets (NLF 27/03/19)
Applying for funds to develop a local building or asset? If you are seeking National Lottery Community Assets funding then your last date to make an initial enquiry and start the application process is October 4, 2019. In addition, all projects seeking Community Assets funding must be ready to submit their final application documents and strategic plans by March 31, 2020

Nominate a heritage site for the 7 Most Endangered programme 2020 (EN 27/03/19)
The 7 Most Endangered programme identifies threatened monuments and sites in Europe and mobilises public and private partners – on a local, national and European level – to find a viable future for those sites. You can nominate a heritage site with the support of an organisation in your country that is a member of Europa Nostra or directly by joining our pan-European network of member and associate organisations.

Scotland out-performs rest of UK for 7th year running (HES 27/03/19)
Attractions in Scotland saw the biggest increase in visitors according to the Association of Leading Visitor Attractions (ALVA).

Rural Towns are Scotland’s Life Blood (STP 26/03/19)
Phil Prentice, Scotland’s Towns Partnership Chief Executive, has said that small and rural towns must be a key part of any future economic

Building on regeneration and heritage (SURF 25/03/19)
Scotland’s Regeneration Forum (SURF) and Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) are delighted to announce a new partnership agreement. Both organisations are keen to make even more of their shared interests in linking heritage and creative assets with community regeneration.

Skills Investment Plan for Scotland’s Historic Environment Sector (HES 25/03/19)
An action plan to ensure Scotland has the skills it needs to manage, protect and conserve its historic environment is being launched.

IHBC’s Gus Astley Student Award 2018 winner announced (23/03/19)
The winner of the IHBC Gus Astley Student Award for 2018 has been announced as Estefania Macchi, then on the IHBC-recognised conservation course at Strathclyde University, for her suite of research and design works for the Glasgow’s former St. James Board School Conservation Design Project, including her review paper on ‘Information management as the milestone for present and future practice’,

Applications Open for Doors Open Days Enabling Grant (SCT 18/03/19)
Does your building need a little help in getting ready for Doors Open Days? This year we are inviting applications for the Doors Open Days Enabling Grant. This will enable small scale works that will create access to a building during Doors Open Days.

Call for European Heritage Stories 2019 (EHD 18/03/19)
The Call for European Heritage Stories intends to identify the European Dimension of heritage sites and heritage work undertaken by the communities in Europe. It refers to past or existing “stories” that communities would like to share and potentially develop into a project to further contribute to their communities.

The Hill House: Collaborative Scientific Conservation in Action (HES 18/03/19)
Using cutting edge technology to monitor the condition of Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Hill House in Helensburgh, a joint partnership with Historic Environment Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland is working to fully understand the extent of water damage to the famous Scottish building.

 

Opinion & Comment

The Planning Bill Could Break the System (HOPS 28/03/19)

Monopoly exercise of landowner power is an affront to a modern, democratic and socially progressive Scotland, says Community Land Scotland (CLS)

Heritage & Wellbeing: State of the Evidence (WWW 20/03/19)

 

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 S5W-22438: Adam Tomkins, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 01/04/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how it supports the regeneration of vacant and derelict land, and how much it has allocated to each local authority in each of the last five years to deal with this.
Current Status: Expected Answer date 29/04/2019

Question S5W-22377: Rachael Hamilton, Ettrick, Roxburgh and Berwickshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 26/03/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what funding is available to protect archaeological sites.
Current Status: Expected Answer date 23/04/2019

Question S5W-22338: Bill Bowman, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 22/03/2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-20977 by Derek Mackay on 29 January 2019, what its response is to the Scottish Retail Consortium’s call for business improvement districts and other organisations to be eligible to bid for funding from the £50 million Town Centre Fund.
Current Status: Expected Answer date 05/04/2019

 

Parliamentary Questions & Answers

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the 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 S5O-03041: Monica Lennon, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 13/03/2019 R
To ask the Scottish Government when it last carried out an assessment of capacity in planning authorities.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (21/03/2019)

 

Other Parliamentary Activity

Non-Domestic Rates (Scotland) Bill 
Derek Mackay has lodged the Non-Domestic Rates (Scotland) Bill. The Scottish Government has proposed the Bill in response to the Barclay Review, which set out recommendations on reforming the business rates system. The legislation includes provisions on revaluation timescales, independent schools, the business growth accelerator and empty properties. Parliament has published a copy of the Bill alongside explanatory notes, a financial memorandum and a policy memorandum.

 

Debates

Land Reform (21/03/19)
At Decision Time, the Conservative amendment to the Government motion on land
reform fell. The Labour amendment passed but the Green amendment fell with the Greens, Labour,
Liberal Democrats and Mark McDonald voting in favour and the SNP and Conservatives voting against. The amended motion passed.

 

Events

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

Victorian Edinburgh: Powerhouse of the Empire? World Heritage Day lecture
Date & time: Thursday 18 April; 18:00-19:00
Venue: The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 11 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1JQ
Scotland’s pre-eminent historian will deliver this year’s World Heritage Day lecture. Sir Tom Devine will explore the extraordinary success of late Victorian Edinburgh – as banking house to the British Empire, as patron of the arts and architecture, and as a city of considerable luxury and opulence.

Talks at the Lane present Karl-Heinz Schmitz on Architecture As Public Commodity
Date & time: 23rd April 2019 at 6.30pm
Venue: Custom Lane, Leith
Karl-Heinz Schmitz, architect and professor at the Bauhaus University, shares his views on public architecture as part of the Talks at the Lane series. The search for the space itself, the precision in the floor plan development and the aesthetic demands on the graphic realisation were the starting point for Schmitz’s career, which began in 1993 as a university teacher in Weimar. In addition to his work as a teacher, Karl-Heinz designed a series of buildings that testify an intensive examination of urban spaces and the work on existing buildings. In 2005, in collaboration with Hilde Barz-Malfatti, Schmitz completed reconstruction and extension of the Duchess Anna Amalia Library located in the middle of the historic palace and library ensemble. It has naturally become part of the urban tissue, uniting spaces and elements of the old and the new while at the same time developing an exciting fresh autonomy.
As part of the talk, Karl-Heinz will display some of his work alongside the work of his Bauhaus University students within our Exhibition Space.

The Mark Turnbull Travel Award Presentation & LIS AGM
Date & time: Wednesday 24 April; 18:15-20:10
Venue: Hunter Lecture Theatre, Hunter Building, 74 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9DF
Scotland’s Future Landscapes: Design for an Ageing Population. Learn from a world perspective to influence in Scotland. Dr Amber Roberts, Winner of the Mark Turnbull Travel Award reflects on her research and travels to Japan, Sweden and USA. How do we design for ageing populations and strengthen Scottish landscape practice under the legacy and influence of Ian McHarg?

CIfA2019 Archaeology: values, benefits, and legacies
Date & time: Wednesday 24 – Friday 26 April; 09:30–17:30
Venue: Royal Armouries Museum, 5 Armouries Drive, Leeds LS10 1LE
Our 2019 conference will provide a forum for delegates to discuss and explore ideas around social value, public benefit, and the creation of knowledge. It offers the opportunity to think about legacy and how the work we undertake now will impact on future generations – from inspiring future careers to learning lessons from our failures. We also want to consider how a multitude of stakeholders – archaeologists, policy makers, clients, the public – value our discipline.

Crumble in discussion: “Are we sitting comfortably?”
Date & time: Thursday 25 April; 17:30–19:00
Venue: RIAS Bookshop, 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BE
Join Crumble at the RIAS Bookshop for an evening of discussion on the notion of comfort, and how we feel about the environments in which we live. What makes us comfortable (or uncomfortable)? What can the architect do to create comfort in the world around us? Is the profession guilty of sitting too comfortably? Crumble is an independent architecture magazine edited and published by students from the University of Edinburgh. The team will be providing an introduction to the magazine and sharing some conclusions from their upcoming issue. This event is FREE to attend.

AF2019 April Meet-up – Glasgow
Date & time: Saturday 27 April; 10:15 (10:30 start) – 13:00
Venue: The Lighthouse, 11 Mitchell Lane, Glasgow G1 3NU
Join us at The Lighthouse for the April meet-up! These free-to-attend monthly meet-ups are very laid back and are open to anyone considering taking part in or contributing to the Architecture Fringe 2019 Open Programme. The Open Programme is a non-curated platform for self-directed projects, exhibitions, events and happenings. The meet-ups are an opportunity for you to hear more about the Architecture Fringe itself, to share your project thoughts and ideas, get feedback and meet new people.

Best practice approaches to place-based regeneration: A SURF Award Shared Learning Workshop
Date & time: Thursday 2 May; 10:00-13:30
Venue: The Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event in the Storytelling Centre provides an opportunity to explore successful current approaches towards regenerating Scotland’s places with three winning projects from the ‘Most Improved Place’, ‘Housing’ and ‘Community Led Regeneration’ categories highlighted in the 2018 SURF Awards process.

Rhind Lectures 2019 – Hadrian’s Wall: A Study in Archaeological Exploration and Interpretation
Dates & times: Fri. 10 May (18:00-20:00), Sat. 11 May (11:00-17:00), Sun. 12 May (14:00-17:00).
Venue: National Museum Scotland auditorium, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF (use Lothian Street entrance).
Hadrian’s Wall was written about even when it was still in use as a frontier. Interest continued through the next 1000 years. Once archaeological excavations started, the pace quickened. Now we have an enormous data base even though only about 5% of the Wall has been examined. The first two lectures in this series of six will review the excavations and surveys, theories and flights of fancy since the 1840s. The next two lectures concentrate on the different phases of activity on the Wall and through them seek understanding of how the Wall operated. The impact of the Wall on local people and the landscape is the subject of the fifth lecture, while in the final talk the state of Hadrian’s Wall today is considered, with time for questions.Lectures given by Professor David Breeze OBE, FSA, Hon FSA Scot, FRSE, Hon CIfA.

People Powered Planning: Putting Communities on the Front Foot
Date & times: Saturday 11th May 2019 10 – 4.30pm
Venue: Trades Hall, Central Glasgow G1 1UH.
We know there are many people in Scotland who feel baffled, alienated and disenfranchised by the planning system. Others have gained some understanding, learnt to navigate and decode the systems and others have taken ownership and grabbed what opportunities there are to shape their local environments and fulfill community aspirations. We hope that this conference will link people up, provide some information about where to go for help and give some handy tips on how to successfully engage in planning. Importantly we also hope the conference will help to create a sense of a movement of people who are willing to campaign for change to make the planning system more responsive to people who want the best for their local areas.

Community Business Matters – A Community Shares Scotland Workshop
Date & time: Tuesday 14 May; 10:30-14:00
Venue: Out of the Blue Drill Hall, Dalmeny Street Edinburgh EH6 8RG
Do you have aspirations to run a successful community business? Or perhaps you support people and communities with enterprising ideas? Then this is the event for you. Come along to Community Shares Scotland’s free workshop to learn more about the community shares funding model and how it helps community businesses grow and thrive. The workshop will be practical and inspiring – with a focus on sources of free support and lots of success stories from the previous 5 years of the Community Shares Scotland programme.

Community Business Matters – A Community Shares Scotland Workshop
Date & time: Wednesday 15 May; 10:30-14:00
Venue: Scottish Youth Theatre, 105 Brunswick St, Glasgow G1 1TF
Do you have aspirations to run a successful community business? Or perhaps you support people and communities with enterprising ideas? Then this is the event for you. Come along to Community Shares Scotland’s free workshop to learn more about the community shares funding model and how it helps community businesses grow and thrive. The workshop will be practical and inspiring – with a focus on sources of free support and lots of success stories from the previous 5 years of the Community Shares Scotland programme.

Overcoming barriers to employability facing Scotland’s young people: A SURF Award Shared Learning Workshop 
Date & time: Wednesday 15 May; 10:00-13:30
Venue: The Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow G40 1BP
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event in the Glasgow Women’s Library provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards tackling barriers to employability facing young people in Scotland. The winning and highly commended projects from the ‘Youth Employability’ category highlighted in the 2018 SURF Awards process will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning.

RICS Rural Mid-Session Conference
Date & time: Thursday 16 May; 09:00-16:45
Venue: Scottish Natural Heritage, Battleby Conference Centre, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW
This year’s Rural Mid-Session Conference comes back at the SNH with a refreshed agenda and will equip you with the right knowledge to leverage current opportunities for growth and resilience. Delivered through presentations and case studies, the event will focus on key sessions so you can be better prepared to mitigate any risks to your business.

The importance of culture & creative arts in community regeneration: A SURF Award Shared Learning Workshop
Date & time: Thursday 30 May; 10:00-13:30
Venue: Paisley Arts Centre, 15 New Street, Paisley PA1 1EZ
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event in Paisley Arts Centre provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards linking creative arts and culture into regeneration initiatives. The winning and highly commended projects from the ‘Creative Regeneration’ category highlighted in the 2018 SURF Awards process will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning.

RICS Commercial Property Conference, Scotland
Date & time: Thursday 6 June; 10:00-16:00
Venue: Radisson Blu, 80 High Street, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1TH
With current uncertainty in the market, it is important to join fellow professionals to debate, analyse and address the major challenges and opportunities the real estate market faces in a post Brexit climate. The RICS Commercial Property Conference brings together agents, occupiers and investors to strengthen your understanding of the current economic outlook, latest occupier trends, growth opportunities, and risks to the commercial property sector. Book before Friday 12 April for the Early Bird discount. 4 hours formal CPD.

Patrick Geddes Centre Study Day: Modernism 1 India & Identity
Date & time: Tuesday 11 June; 10:00–16:00
Venue: Patrick Geddes Centre at Riddle’s Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2PG
Patrick Geddes applied his culturally sensitive approaches to many projects during his time in India, drawing the friendship of Tagore and Ghandi. This period of dwindling colonial influence saw the search for a new Indian identity – a hot bed for early modernist architecture and design.
This study day also includes a light lunch; more information will be announced shortly.
Entry: from £22

Patrick Geddes Centre Study Day: Modernism 2 Geddes, Abercrombie & Pepler
Date & time: Tuesday 18 June; 10:00–16:00
Venue: Patrick Geddes Centre at Riddle’s Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2PG
George Pepler & Patrick Abercrombie were instrumental in shaping post-war Britain. By exploring their modernist visions, Dr Alastair Fair (Chancellor’s Fellow in Architectural History, University of Edinburgh) and colleagues will consider the extent of Patrick Geddes’ influence on early modernism. This study day also includes a light lunch. Entry: from £22

RICS Annual Dinner 2019, Scotland
Date & time: Thursday 27 June; 19:00-23:00
Venue: Radisson Blu, 301 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8DL
Join fellow property professionals for the RICS Annual Dinner 2019, Scotland – an opportunity to network with professionals in the region. The dinner will provide the ideal setting to entertain clients, socialise with colleagues and generate new business contacts. Ian Fergusson, RICS Chairman for Scotland looks forward to welcoming guest’s to this year’s Annual Dinner. Set to be held at the prestigious Radisson Blu in Glasgow, with return of this highly anticipated black-tie event, also comes your opportunity to meet up with fellow members, friends and business partners old and new.

IHBC Annual School – Nottingham 2019
Dates: Annual School: Thursday 4 – Saturday 6 July; Day School: Friday 5 July
Venue: Nottingham Conference Centre, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4BU
The Institute of Historic Building Conservation will hold its 21st Annual School in Nottingham, hosted by the IHBC East Midlands Branch. This year’s school focuses on the theme of ‘Heritage, Risk & Resilience: confronting conservation calamities, exploring:
–    Heritage challenges and insights into solutions for Fire | Flood | Structural Failure
–    Case studies – Technical, practical and strategic advice
–    Planning for the worst: dealing with the aftermath
The Annual School includes three exciting days of:
–    Tours – Nottingham, Leicester, Derby & the East Midlands
–    CPD support: Up to 20 hours Continuing Professional Development linked
–    Business opportunities: Sponsors, exhibitors, networks & supporters

‘PKARF: Priorities in Progress’ Regional Archaeology Conference
Date & time: Friday 30 August, 09:00-17:00
Venue: Soutar Theatre, AK Bell Library, 2-8 York Place, Perth, PH2 8EP
Save the date and book your travel for the first conference organised as part of the Perth and Kinross (Regional) Archaeological Research Framework (PKARF). Join Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust for a summary of findings from the first year of knowledge assessment and here preliminary research priorities presented by leading experts. Contribute to the shaping of the future Framework by joining ‘think tank’ workshops to review draft period summaries, nominate case studies, highlight knowledge gaps, and share your opinions on where future archaeological research should be directed. Student Attendance Bursaries available to assist with the cost of travel and accommodation.

 

Training

Architectural Conservation CPD: Conservation Theory and Practice
Date & time: Wednesday 24 April, 12:30-13:30 (light refreshments from 12:15)
Venue: The Fair Maid’s House, 15-19 North Port, Perth, PH1 5LU
The first session in a 6-part CPD programme offers an introduction to conservation theory and practice and is delivered by Peter Burman. Whether you are starting out in a buildings related career, looking to refresh your conservation knowledge, encounter historic buildings as part of your work portfolio, or have limited knowledge of the best conservation practice to employ on a project involving buildings built before 1919, this is the CPD programme for you. Sessions are delivered in Perth by industry accredited professionals and are recognised CPD by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and Scottish Traditional Building Forum (STBF).

Traditional Masonry Repair C2 – Contractor Level 2
Date: Tuesday 30 April – Thursday 2 May
Venue: Merryhill Training Centre, Fife KY11 3DR
This 3-day workshop builds on the knowledge and skills gained on ‘C1 Making and Using Traditional Mortars’. The workshop aims to enable you to complete seamless rebuilding and repair of traditional masonry to match original work. You will gain a conservation ethic and be able to develop repair strategies suitable for a variety of traditional masonry types. The course deals with build types from ashlar to rubble walling, as well as finishes including harling and limewashing. Participants will be able to undertake sensitive surface repairs to ashlar and profiled stone to the highest standards using indenting, part indenting and mortared surface repairs. This workshop provides the underpinning knowledge and a practical rehearsal of the assessment and accreditation procedure for SQA National Unit 2 and Unit 3.

Architectural Conservation CPD: The Repair and Maintenance of Traditional Roofs
Date & time: Wednesday 29 May, 12:30-13:30 (light refreshments from 12:15)
Venue: The Fair Maid’s House, 15-19 North Port, Perth, PH1 5LU
The second session in the 6-part CPD programme is on the repair and maintenance of traditional roofs, delivered by Neil Grieve. Whether you are starting out in a buildings related career, looking to refresh your conservation knowledge, encounter historic buildings as part of your work portfolio, or have limited knowledge of the best conservation practice to employ on a project involving buildings built before 1919, this is the CPD programme for you. Sessions are delivered in Perth by industry accredited professionals and are recognised CPD by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and Scottish Traditional Building Forum (STBF).

RICS CPD Day, Aberdeen 2019
Date & time: Thursday 20 June; 08:30-17:10
Venue: Hilton Hotel Aberdeen Treetops, 161 Springfield Road, Aberdeen, AB15 7AQ
Hear the latest updates most relevant to you and your business right now. Learn from leading experts across land, property and the built environment at your regional conference. Enhance your capabilities and knowledge around today’s ever-changing market trends, legislation, and technical guidance.  Choose from a range of practical breakout sessions, ensuring that the CPD you are set to gain will best meet your needs. 6 hours formal CPD.

Architectural Conservation CPD: Windows in Traditional Buildings
Date & time: Wednesday 26 June, 12:30-13:30 (light refreshments from 12:15)
Venue: The Fair Maid’s House, 15-19 North Port, Perth, PH1 5LU
The third session in the 6-part CPD programme is on windows in traditional buildings and will be delivered by Roger Curtis. Whether you are starting out in a buildings related career, looking to refresh your conservation knowledge, encounter historic buildings as part of your work portfolio, or have limited knowledge of the best conservation practice to employ on a project involving buildings built before 1919, this is the CPD programme for you. Sessions are delivered in Perth by industry accredited professionals and are recognised CPD by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and Scottish Traditional Building Forum (STBF).

Architectural Conservation CPD: Interior Decorative Finishes for Traditional Buildings
Date & time: Wednesday 25 September, 12:30-13:30 (light refreshments from 12:15)
Venue: The Fair Maid’s House, 15-19 North Port, Perth, PH1 5LU
The fourth session in the 6-part CPD programme is on interior decorative finishes and will be delivered by Cait Whitson. Whether you are starting out in a buildings related career, looking to refresh your conservation knowledge, encounter historic buildings as part of your work portfolio, or have limited knowledge of the best conservation practice to employ on a project involving buildings built before 1919, this is the CPD programme for you. Sessions are delivered in Perth by industry accredited professionals and are recognised CPD by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and Scottish Traditional Building Forum (STBF).

Perth Traditional Building Skills Roadshow
Date & time: Thursday 26 and Friday 27 September, 10:00-16:00
Venue: King Edward Street, Perth, PH1 5UT
Join Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust for two days of traditional buildings skills demonstrations in Perth City Centre ranging from stone carving to craft painting & decorating. Members of the Fife and Tayside Traditional Buildings Forum, apprentices, lecturers and building professionals will be on hand to answer questions and demonstrate the skills used to maintain and repair historic buildings in Scotland.

Architectural Conservation CPD: Decorative Plasterwork in Traditional Buildings
Date & time: Wednesday 30 October, 12:30-13:30 (light refreshments from 12:15)
Venue: The Fair Maid’s House, 15-19 North Port, Perth, PH1 5LU
The fifth session in the 6-part CPD programme is on decorative plasterwork and will be delivered by William Napier. Whether you are starting out in a buildings related career, looking to refresh your conservation knowledge, encounter historic buildings as part of your work portfolio, or have limited knowledge of the best conservation practice to employ on a project involving buildings built before 1919, this is the CPD programme for you. Sessions are delivered in Perth by industry accredited professionals and are recognised CPD by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and Scottish Traditional Building Forum (STBF).

Architectural Conservation CPD: Fire Safety Management for Historic Buildings
Date & time: Wednesday 27 November, 12:30-13:30 (light refreshments from 12:15)
Venue: The Fair Maid’s House, 15-19 North Port, Perth, PH1 5LU
The final session in the 2019 CPD programme is on fire safety management and will be delivered by Mike Coull. Whether you are starting out in a buildings related career, looking to refresh your conservation knowledge, encounter historic buildings as part of your work portfolio, or have limited knowledge of the best conservation practice to employ on a project involving buildings built before 1919, this is the CPD programme for you. Sessions are delivered in Perth by industry accredited professionals and are recognised CPD by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and Scottish Traditional Building Forum (STBF).

 

Vacancies

National Trust for Scotland – Trustee Appointment
This summer the National Trust for Scotland will hold elections for candidates to stand for four vacancies on its Board of Trustees. In particular, applications are being sought from candidates with a professional built heritage conservation background.  All candidates must be able to demonstrate a passion for the cause of the Trust along with high level leadership experience. If you have the skills, time and passion to help us take our next steps, please do get in touch with Nicola Blyth, Governance Manager
Tel: 0131 458 0293
Email: elections@nts.org.uk
Applications close: 12pm, Wednesday 17 April 2019.

BACK

BEFS News

Planning Bill update
Yesterday morning (20 March) the Scottish Government Chief Planner, John McNairney, spoke at the Scottish Young Planners’ Conference 2019 – the Finance Memorandum for the amended Planning (Scotland) Bill has now been launched and we are told to expect Stage 3 before the Parliamentary summer recess. BEFS will continue to report, brief and update Members as information becomes available. All previous information can be found on BEFS Planning page

In this month’s blog, Ailsa Macfarlane considers some of the issues raised by the speakers at the ‘Scotland at a Crossroads Heritage Past and Futures’ Symposium.

BEFS regularly meets with the Greenspace Scotland Young Placechangers team, and the other members of the Ideas Fund advisory board. A recent update showed that professionals from across place-related organisations have been signing-up to be part of the Skills Bank – if you could give your time (flexible opportunities) have a look at the Skills Bank page below

This is your last chance (survey closes 22 March) to give us your views on the Principles of Prioritisation – full information and survey details can be found here

BEFS is delighted to be sponsoring the forthcoming Archives Matter: Heritage, Memory and Identity event in Stirling on Wednesday 17 April. This is the second in a series of events organised by the Scottish Council on Archives to promote greater awareness of the importance and usefulness of archives to many different sectors including education; healthcare; architecture; cultural heritage, both local and national; archaeology, academia; and genealogical research.   The conference will feature presentations from academics, historians, archivists, architects and representatives of community archive groups.

Consultations

Infrastructure Commission Call for Evidence 
Written submissions are requested concerning drivers for inclusive growth & low carbon economy; the appropriateness of current infrastructure; and infrastructure assessment & prioritisation
Deadline for submission of evidence: Friday 3 May 2019

Publications

Town Centre Living: A Caring Place (ADS/STP 20/03/19)

Co-housing: Future Homes for Older Scots (Vivarium Trust 19/03/19)

Rethinking Smart Futures: Focused on people, enabled by transport, powered by technology (PwC 12/03/19)

The Glasgow School of Art Mackintosh Building: The loss of a national treasure (SP 08/03/19)

Scottish Government News Releases

Investigation into the Issues Associated with Large Scale and Concentrated Land Ownership in Scotland (LC 20/03/19)
The Scottish Land Commission has published a report on large scale land ownership in Scotland. The report found that concentrated land ownership is having significant effects on communities across rural Scotland. The authors recommended introducing a public interest test for large land transfers and a Statutory Land Rights & Responsibilities Review. The group also suggested promoting more diverse forms of private ownership to help achieve land reform objectives and increasing local engagement in land usage.

Planning and Environmental Appeals Stakeholder Forum meeting: July 2018 (SG 19/03/19)
Note of meeting of Planning and Environmental Appeals Division (DPEA) and stakeholders on 18 July 2018.

Funding for cross border growth deal (SG 13/03/19)
The Scottish Government is prepared to invest up to £85 million over ten years to drive inclusive growth across the region. It will fund economic development activity across a range of themes, including digital connectivity, tourism, regeneration and skills.

City centre investment for Glasgow (SG 11/03/19)
The Scottish Partnership for Regeneration in Urban Centres Fund is committing £12 million from the Building Scotland Fund for renovation of the Cerium Building.

Tourism Tax (SG 07/03/19)
Messages from the national discussion
Evidence from the national discussion

News Releases

SURF – Scotland’s Regeneration Forum has successfully launched a new Heritage & Creative Alliance (SURF 19/03/19)
The main aim is to enhance practical cooperation between Scotland’s leading funders and policy influencers. Representatives from 11 national heritage and creative agencies met in SURF’s Govan office last week. They agreed that closer joint working on shared interests, expertise and resources could be a productive catalyst for more successful, inclusive and sustainable community regeneration. SURF’s Heritage & Creative Alliance will collaboratively link national agencies’ policies and resources to the place-based priorities, assets and partnerships in SURF’s five Alliance for Action programme sites

BRE leads policy-makers and experts’ debate on building a better Scotland (SHN 12/03/19)
Twenty-one of Scotland’s senior policy-shapers and key building experts, academics, and commentators were welcomed to a roundtable in Edinburgh earlier this year to debate: “What Kind of a Britain are we Building: Scotland?”

Scottish Natural Heritage short film competition: Why invest in nature? (SLI 11/03/19)
A short film contest for young people aged 16-30 about why businesses should invest in nature, to provide businesses and policymakers with a better understanding of how they rely on and have an impact on nature and ensure that Scotland’s environment can thrive. Built Environment Category sponsored by Robertson Group.

CPD boost from Designing Buildings Wiki: Brush up on the evaluation of building performance IHBC (08/03/19)
A building’s performance (or efficiency) is a measure of how well it functions in relation to designated criteria such as physical, social or environmental considerations. DBW features guidance on how a building’s physical efficiency can be evaluated, and how to measure whether the resources necessary to design and construct a building have been used effectively.

Committee calls for public inquiry into Glasgow School of Art fires (SP 08/03/19)
The circumstances surrounding the two fires at the Glasgow School of Art’s Mackintosh Building should be the subject of a public inquiry with judicial powers, following an inquiry into the issue by MSPs on the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Affairs Committee.

Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism Awards 2019 (ECTN 08/03/19)
The 2019 edition of the Destination of Sustainable Cultural Tourism Awards is now open for applications. The theme of this year’s edition is “Culture and Heritage for Responsible, Innovative and Sustainable Tourism” and seeks to contribute to the legacy of the European Year of Cultural Heritage 2018, including the European Framework for Action on Cultural Heritage.
Deadline for applications: 1 July 2019

More school trips are needed to inspire a passion for heritage (Ecclesiastical 07/03/19)
Research finds millions of young people never visit museums, galleries or theatres.

Scottish visitor attractions record an increase in visitor numbers for the fifth year in a row
(ASVA 05/03/19)
The two top sites, The National Museum of Scotland and Edinburgh Castle, each attracted more than 2 million visits, only the second time that a visitor attraction in Scotland has surpassed the 2m milestone.

Opinion & Comment

Blog-Scotland Build: Adding Value Through Good Design (ADS 20/03/19)

All aboard for trams to Newhaven as project gets the green light (CEC 14/03/19)

The biggest risks are the ones we never talk about (DM 13/03/19)

International Perspectives Pose Questions for Scottish Land Reform (LC 13/03/19)

Planning Bill ‘dangerously close’ to failure, claim independent panel members (SCN 12/03/19)

We must fix Planning Bill: SPF Chairman (SPF 06/03/19)

Where are you on your planning journey? Can you help someone else who is on theirs? (PD 04/03/19)

How can planning better support thriving rural communities? (NWP 21/02/19)

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 S5O-03041: Monica Lennon, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 13/03/2019 R
To ask the Scottish Government when it last carried out an assessment of capacity in planning authorities.
Current Status: Due in the Chamber on 21/03/2019

Parliamentary Questions & Answers

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

Question S5O-03012: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 13/03/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what assessment it has made of the potential impact of a tourist tax on the tourism sector in Edinburgh and Lothian.
Taken in the Chamber on 20/03/2019

Question S5O-03001: Annabelle Ewing, Cowdenbeath, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 06/03/2019
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the operation of the town centre fund.
Taken in the Chamber on 14/03/2019

Question S5W-21930: Finlay Carson, Galloway and West Dumfries, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 05/03/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what statutory protection is available to home owners to protect them from excessive charges for repairs by (a) registered social landlords and (b) factors.
Answered by Kevin Stewart 14/03/19

Question S5F-03121: Keith Brown, Clackmannanshire and Dunblane, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 04/03/2019
To ask the First Minister what the Scottish Government’s response is to the UK Government’s Stronger Towns Fund.
Taken in the Chamber on 07/03/2019

Other Parliamentary Activity

Planning Scotland Bill
The Delegated Powers & Law Reform Committee published a series of suggestions and questions on the delegated powers aspects of the Planning (Scotland) Bill at Stage 2.

Motion S5M-16015: Andy Wightman, Lothian, Scottish Green Party, Date Lodged: 26/02/2019
Who Owns Scotland? 
That the Parliament believes that a modern, democratic society requires open and transparent information on the ownership, use and value of land; commends the report published by Community Land Scotland (Towards Land Ownership Transparency); notes the ambition to create a Scottish Land Information System (SCOTLIS) to provide comprehensive information about land and property; understands that the target to register all land owned by Scotland’s public bodies by 2019 is unlikely to be achieved; regrets that it remains difficult, time-consuming and expensive for citizens in Lothian and across Scotland to obtain land information, and notes the view that information about the ownership, use and value of land should be made freely available to the people of Scotland.
Supported by: Ross Greer, John Finnie, Alison Johnstone, Lewis Macdonald, Mark McDonald, Mark Ruskell, Alex Rowley, Colin Smyth, Jackie Baillie, David Torrance, Patrick Harvie, Monica Lennon, Neil Findlay, Alex Cole-Hamilton, Mike Rumbles, Gail Ross, Angela Constance
Taken in the Chamber on 12/03/2019

Motion S5M-16004: Stuart McMillan, Greenock and Inverclyde, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 25/02/2019
Scottish Tourism Month 2019
That the Parliament recognises that March is Scottish Tourism Month, which is coordinated by the Scottish Tourism Alliance (STA); understands that the aim of this is to engage, connect and inspire all of Scotland’s tourism businesses and organisations, as well as celebrate the enormous contribution that tourism makes to the economy; believes that the industry will come together to host a variety of sectoral, destination and business events under the mantra, Tourism is Everyone’s Business; understands that the month offers an opportunity for anyone and everyone to get involved in the networking events and tourism conversations all over the country, including Scotland’s Marine Tourism Conference, which takes place at the Beacon Arts Centre in the Greenock and Inverclyde constituency on 6 March; considers Inverclyde to be the country’s marine tourism capital; notes the calls for everyone to engage with the month, and hopes that the annual conference of the STA on 13-14 March is a success in bringing stakeholders together and proves to be impactful and inspiring.
Supported by: Miles Briggs, Claire Baker, Alison Harris, Bill Kidd, Richard Lyle, John Mason, Kenneth Gibson, Stewart Stevenson, Jamie Halcro Johnston, Gillian Martin, Jackie Baillie, Sandra White, Ruth Maguire, Fulton MacGregor, Alexander Burnett, Jenny Gilruth, David Torrance, Clare Adamson, Gail Ross, Angela Constance, Maureen Watt, Emma Harper
Taken in the Chamber on 19/03/2019

Events

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

AF2019 March Meet-up – Edinburgh
Date & time: Saturday 30 March; 10:15 (10:30 start) – 13:00
Venue: Custom Lane, 1 Customs Wharf, Leith EH6 6AL
Join us for the March meet-up! These free-to-attend  monthly meet-ups  are very laid back and are open to anyone considering  taking part in or  contributing to the Architecture Fringe 2019 Open Programme. The Open  Programme is a non-curated platform for  self-directed projects,  exhibitions, events and happenings. The meet-ups  are an opportunity for  you to hear more about the Architecture Fringe  itself, to share your  project thoughts and ideas, get feedback and meet  new people. The  meet-ups are analogue so just bring ideas or images to  stick up on the  wall. Open to all, free to attend. A lovely way to spend  a Saturday  morning!

Conservation of the Scots’ Cemetery, Kolkata: Beyond the Tangible
Date & time: Thursday 4 April; 18:00
Venue: Adam House, 3 Chambers Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1HT
The Scottish Cemetery, Kolkata was laid out in 1820 by the St. Andrew’s Church for the Scots, Presbyterians, and other protestant denominations. It fell into disuse after the independence of India and by 1950 was abandoned and slowly became derelict. In 2008, Kolkata Scottish Heritage Trust, a Scottish Charity, took up the responsibility of restoring the Scottish Cemetery to its former glory.  Dr Neeta Das will speak about her experiences of conserving such a rich selection of monuments.  Neeta has long been an enthusiastic follower of SPAB Principles, and we are very pleased to welcome her to Scotland on this occasion.

Victorian Edinburgh: Powerhouse of the Empire? World Heritage Day lecture with Professor Sir Tom Devine
Date & time: Thursday 18 April; 18:00-19:00
Venue: The Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh, 11 Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2 1JQ
Scotland’s pre-eminent historian will deliver this year’s World Heritage Day lecture. Sir Tom will explore the extraordinary success of late Victorian Edinburgh – as banking house to the British Empire, as patron of the arts and architecture, and as a city of considerable luxury and opulence.

The Mark Turnbull Travel Award Presentation & LIS AGM
Date & time: Wednesday 24 April; 18:15-20:10
Venue: Hunter Lecture Theatre, Hunter Building, 74 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9DF
Scotland’s Future Landscapes: Design for an Ageing Population
Learn from a world perspective to influence in Scotland. Dr Amber Roberts, Winner of the Mark Turnbull Travel Award reflects on her research and travels to Japan, Sweden and USA. How do we design for ageing populations and strengthen Scottish landscape practice under the legacy and influence of Ian McHarg?

CIfA2019 Archaeology: values, benefits, and legacies
Date & time: Wednesday 24 – Friday 26 April; 09:30–17:30
Venue: Royal Armouries Museum, 5 Armouries Drive, Leeds LS10 1LE
Our 2019 conference will provide a forum for delegates to discuss and explore ideas around social value, public benefit, and the creation of knowledge. It offers the opportunity to think about legacy and how the work we undertake now will impact on future generations – from inspiring future careers to learning lessons from our failures. We also want to consider how a multitude of stakeholders – archaeologists, policy makers, clients, the public – value our discipline: financially, politically and intellectually and to think about how effective we are in communicating that value through the stories we tell.

Crumble in discussion: “Are we sitting comfortably?”
Date & time: Thursday 25 April; 17:30–19:00
Venue: RIAS Bookshop, 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BE
Join Crumble at the RIAS Bookshop for an evening of discussion on the notion of comfort, and how we feel about the environments in which we live. What makes us comfortable (or uncomfortable)? What can the architect do to create comfort in the world around us? Is the profession guilty of sitting too comfortably?
Crumble is an independent architecture magazine edited and published by students from the University of Edinburgh. The team will be providing an introduction to the magazine and sharing some conclusions from their upcoming issue.
This event is FREE to attend.

AF 2019 April Meet-up – Glasgow
Date & time: Saturday 27 April; 10:15 (10:30 start) – 13:00
Venue: The Lighthouse, 11 Mitchell Lane, Glasgow G1 3NU
Join us at The Lighthouse for the April meet-up! These free-to-attend monthly meet-ups are very laid back and are open to anyone considering taking part in or contributing to the Architecture Fringe 2019 Open Programme. The Open Programme is a non-curated platform for self-directed projects, exhibitions, events and happenings. The meet-ups are an opportunity for you to hear more about the Architecture Fringe itself, to share your project thoughts and ideas, get feedback and meet new people. The meet-ups are analogue so just bring ideas or images to stick up on the wall. Open to all, free to attend. A lovely way to spend a Saturday morning!

Best practice approaches to place-based regeneration: A SURF Award Shared Learning Workshop
Date & time: Thursday 2 May; 10:00-13:30
Venue: The Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event in the Storytelling Centre provides an opportunity to explore successful current approaches towards regenerating Scotland’s places with three winning projects from the ‘Most Improved Place’, ‘Housing’ and ‘Community Led Regeneration’ categories highlighted in the 2018 SURF Awards process.

Rhind Lectures 2019 – Hadrian’s Wall: A Study in Archaeological Exploration and Interpretation
Date & time: Friday 10 May (6pm-8pm), Saturday 11 May (11am-5pm) and Sunday 12 May (2pm-5pm).
Venue: National Museum Scotland auditorium, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF (use Lothian Street entrance).
Hadrian’s Wall was written about even when it was still in use as a frontier. Interest continued through the next 1000 years, but it was the spirit of enquiry generated by the Renaissance which led to more focussed study. Once archaeological excavations started, the pace quickened. Now we have an enormous data base even though only about 5% of the Wall has been examined. To understand our interpretations of Hadrian’s Wall today, it is necessary to start in the 1840s, and in particular consider the work and influence of John Collingwood Bruce (Rhind lecturer in 1883). The first two lectures in this series of six will review the excavations and surveys, theories and flights of fancy since that decade. The next two lectures concentrate on the different phases of activity on the Wall and through them seek understanding of how the Wall operated. The impact of the Wall on local people and the landscape is the subject of the fifth lecture, while in the final talk the state of Hadrian’s Wall today is considered, with time for questions.
Lectures given by Professor David Breeze OBE, FSA, Hon FSA Scot, FRSE, Hon CIfA.

Overcoming barriers to employability facing Scotland’s young people: A SURF Award Shared Learning Workshop
Date & time: Wednesday 15 May; 10:00-13:30
Venue: The Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow G40 1BP
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event in the Glasgow Women’s Library provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards tackling barriers to employability facing young people in Scotland. The winning and highly commended projects from the ‘Youth Employability’ category highlighted in the 2018 SURF Awards process will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning.

RICS Rural Mid-Session Conference
Date & time: Thursday 16 May; 09:00-16:45
Venue: Scottish Natural Heritage, Battleby Conference Centre, Redgorton, Perth, PH1 3EW
This year’s Rural Mid-Session Conference comes back at the SNH with a refreshed agenda and will equip you with the right knowledge to leverage current opportunities for growth and resilience. Delivered through presentations and case studies, the event will focus on key sessions so you can be better prepared to mitigate any risks to your business.

The importance of culture and creative arts in community regeneration: A SURF Award Shared Learning Workshop
Date & time: Thursday 30 May; 10:00-13:30
Venue: Paisley Arts Centre, 15 New Street, Paisley PA1 1EZ
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event in Paisley Arts Centre provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards linking creative arts and culture into regeneration initiatives. The winning and highly commended projects from the ‘Creative Regeneration’ category highlighted in the 2018 SURF Awards process will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning.

RICS Commercial Property Conference, Scotland
Date & time: Thursday 6 June; 10:00-16:00
Venue: Radisson Blu, 80 High Street, The Royal Mile, Edinburgh, EH1 1TH
With current uncertainty in the market, it is important to join fellow professionals to debate, analyse and address the major challenges and opportunities the real estate market faces in a post Brexit climate. The RICS Commercial Property Conference brings together agents, occupiers and investors to strengthen your understanding of the current economic outlook, latest occupier trends, growth opportunities, and risks to the commercial property sector. Whether you are in retail, leisure or office, there will be a session to update you on the current market outlook.
A key theme running throughout the day is the main factors impacting your commercial property portfolio. The event will explore how issues such as lease flexibility, sustainability and technology will impact those investing in commercial property and what occupiers are now demanding from their properties and agents.
Programme
Book before Friday 12 April for the Early Bird discount.
4 hours formal CPD

Patrick Geddes Centre Study Day: Modernism 1 India & Identity
Date & time: Tuesday 11 June; 10:00–16:00
Venue: Patrick Geddes Centre at Riddle’s Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2PG
Patrick Geddes applied his culturally sensitive approaches to many projects during his time in India, drawing the friendship of Tagore and Ghandi. This period of dwindling colonial influence saw the search for a new Indian identity – a hot bed for early modernist architecture and design.
This study day also includes a light lunch; more information will be announced shortly.
Entry: from £22

Patrick Geddes Centre Study Day: Modernism 2 Geddes, Abercrombie & Pepler
Date & time: Tuesday 18 June; 10:00–16:00
Venue: Patrick Geddes Centre at Riddle’s Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh, EH1 2PG
George Pepler & Patrick Abercrombie were instrumental in shaping post-war Britain. By exploring their modernist visions, Dr Alastair Fair (Chancellor’s Fellow in Architectural History, University of Edinburgh) and colleagues will consider the extent of Patrick Geddes’ influence on early modernism. This study day also includes a light lunch.
Entry: from £22

RICS CPD Day, Aberdeen 2019
Date & time: Thursday 20 June; 08:30-17:10
Venue: Hilton Hotel Aberdeen Treetops, 161 Springfield Road, Aberdeen, AB15 7AQ
Hear the latest updates most relevant to you and your business right now. Learn from leading experts across land, property and the built environment at your regional conference. Enhance your capabilities and knowledge around today’s ever-changing market trends, legislation, and technical guidance.  Choose from a range of practical breakout sessions, ensuring that the CPD you are set to gain will best meet your needs.
6 hours formal CPD

RICS Annual Dinner 2019, Scotland
Date & time: Thursday 27 June; 19:00-23:00
Venue: Radisson Blu, 301 Argyle Street, Glasgow, G2 8DL
Join fellow property professionals for the RICS Annual Dinner 2019, Scotland – an opportunity to network with professionals in the region. The dinner will provide the ideal setting to entertain clients, socialise with colleagues and generate new business contacts. Ian Fergusson, RICS Chairman for Scotland looks forward to welcoming guest’s to this year’s Annual Dinner. Set to be held at the prestigious Radisson Blu in Glasgow, with return of this highly anticipated black-tie event, also comes your opportunity to meet up with fellow members, friends and business partners old and new.
Book before 29 March to take advantage of our early bird discounted rate.

IHBC Annual School – Nottingham 2019
Dates: Annual School: Thursday 4 – Saturday 6 July; Day School: Friday 5 July
Venue: Nottingham Conference Centre, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4BU
The Institute of Historic Building Conservation will hold its 21st Annual School in Nottingham, hosted by the IHBC East Midlands Branch. This year’s school focuses on the theme of ‘Heritage, Risk & Resilience: confronting conservation calamities, exploring:
–    Heritage challenges and insights into solutions for Fire | Flood | Structural Failure
–    Case studies – Technical, practical and strategic advice
–    Planning for the worst: dealing with the aftermath
The Annual School includes three exciting days of:
–    Tours – Nottingham, Leicester, Derby & the East Midlands
–    CPD support: Up to 20 hours Continuing Professional Development linked
–    Business opportunities: Sponsors, exhibitors, networks & supporters

‘PKARF: Priorities in Progress’ Regional Archaeology Conference
Date & time: Friday 30 August, 09:00-17:00
Venue: Soutar Theatre, AK Bell Library, 2-8 York Place, Perth, PH2 8EP
Save the date and book your travel for the first conference organised as part of the Perth and Kinross (Regional) Archaeological Research Framework (PKARF). Join Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust for a summary of findings from the first year of knowledge assessment and here preliminary research priorities presented by leading experts. Contribute to the shaping of the future Framework by joining ‘think tank’ workshops to review draft period summaries, nominate case studies, highlight knowledge gaps, and share your opinions on where future archaeological research should be directed. Student Attendance Bursaries available to assist with the cost of travel and accommodation.

Training

Maintaining Traditional Buildings
Date: Friday 29 March
Venue: Charlestown Workshops, Fife KY11 3EN
A must for anyone who owns or is responsible for a traditional building.
This course provides the perfect starting point if you are considering undertaking some simple repairs yourself or will enable you to speak your builder’s language and be confident that you are being given the correct advice.
This seminar will outline the maintenance that traditional buildings require and attendees will gain an understanding of traditional building techniques and the correct materials to use when undertaking repairs. This will also be an excellent opportunity to speak to the Scottish Lime Centre Trust’s expert tutors about your project, attendees are welcome to bring along photos and mortar samples for some specific advice.

Above Eaves Level P1 – Traditional Slate Roofs
Date: Tuesday 2 – Wednesday 3 April
Venue: Merryhill Training Centre, Fife KY11 3DR
This 2-day course aims to provide an introductory guide to traditional Scottish roofs including function, structure, types of trusses, external roof shapes, typical details and decorative features and the causes of deterioration and the main causes of failure. Practical work includes sizing and trimming of slates, setting out and nailing a simple traditional slate roof, undertaking repairs, executing a mortar skew fillet and installing rainwater goods correctly.
By the end of the course attendees will be able to recognise the structure of roofs, identify different types of trusses, different external roof shapes, their detailing, decorative features. Understand how natural slate was formed and the variety of slates used in the past on traditional roofs and the main causes of failure on a roof. Specifying roof repairs with sufficient detail to retain the character of a traditional slate roof.
The practical sessions will enable you to trim and size slates, set out and nail a simple traditional slate roof, execute a mortar skew fillet and install rainwater goods correctly.

Technical Seminar: Stained Glass
Date & time: Wednesday 3 April; 10:00–16:30
Venue: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ
This new technical seminar delves into the use of decorative glass in buildings.  Listen to the experts cover various topics from the properties and characteristics of stained glass, to its decay mechanisms and conservation.
Cost: £35.00 Non-members; £31.50 HES members

Conservation of Surface Finishes
Dates: Thursday 4 – Friday 12 April (4 days)
Venue: Forth Valley College, Drip Road, Stirling FK8 1RD
Discover the history and conservation of a range of internal and external surface finishes traditionally used on Scotland’s historic buildings. Study the science behind paints and coatings and the complex issues involved in the conservation of historic finishes today. This course offers a historic overview of the use of paints and other coatings in Scottish architectural traditions, from the medieval period through to the 20th century. Explore the impact of internationally renowned Scottish artists such as Adam, Cottier, Mackintosh and Traquair. Learn about technological developments, from hand-mixed coatings using natural materials such as lime and earth pigments, to the manufacturing of paints and varnishes on an industrial scale and innovative synthetic materials. You will get the chance to study the physical properties of paints, varnishes and other coatings, high-style decorative finishes such as gilding and stencilling, and the technical skills and knowledge required to conserve, restore and replicate these finishes today.
Cost: £420
To register your interest email technicaleducation@hes.scot

Architectural Conservation CPD: Conservation Theory and Practice
Date & time: Wednesday 24 April, 12:30-13:30 (light refreshments from 12:15)
Venue: The Fair Maid’s House, 15-19 North Port, Perth, PH1 5LU
The first session in a 6-part CPD programme offers an introduction to conservation theory and practice and is delivered by Peter Burman. Whether you are starting out in a buildings related career, looking to refresh your conservation knowledge, encounter historic buildings as part of your work portfolio, or have limited knowledge of the best conservation practice to employ on a project involving buildings built before 1919, this is the CPD programme for you. Sessions are delivered in Perth by industry accredited professionals and are recognised CPD by the Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) and Scottish Traditional Building Forum (STBF).

Traditional Masonry Repair C2 – Contractor Level 2
Date: Tuesday 30 April – Thursday 2 May
Venue: Merryhill Training Centre, Fife KY11 3DR
This 3-day workshop builds on the knowledge and skills gained on ‘C1 Making and Using Traditional Mortars’. The workshop aims to enable you to complete seamless rebuilding and repair of traditional masonry to match original work. You will gain a conservation ethic and be able to develop repair strategies suitable for a variety of traditional masonry types.
The course deals with build types from ashlar to rubble walling, as well as finishes including harling and limewashing. Participants will be able to undertake sensitive surface repairs to ashlar and profiled stone to the highest standards using indenting, part indenting and mortared surface repairs
This workshop provides the underpinning knowledge and a practical rehearsal of the assessment and accreditation procedure for SQA National Unit 2 and Unit 3.

Vacancies

Edinburgh World Heritage Conservation Projects Officer
The Officer will support the delivery of the Conservation Funding Programme projects by:
– supporting the delivery of key conservation projects
– advancing the future-proofing our heritage programme
– strengthening engagement with people and communities
– ensuring a high level of quality control on all project grant documentation
Closing date for applications: 5pm, Friday 29 March

National Lottery Heritage Fund Director: Scotland
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest dedicated funder of heritage in the UK, and everything we do for the heritage is made possible by National Lottery players.  We are seeking exceptional candidates for the role of Director Scotland.  This is an exciting time to join the Fund as it launches its ambitious Strategic Funding Framework and develops new ways of supporting and strengthening the UK’s heritage.  The Director Scotland will play a key role in taking this forward, responsible for our investment and engagement activities across Scotland and will be an inspiring leader with excellent communication and stakeholder management skills.
Contract: Permanent
Hours:  Full time (35 hours p/w)
Location: Scotland. Interviews will be held in Edinburgh on 16 April 2019.
Salary:  Up to £61k per annum (subject to review) Job Ref: BD001.01
Closing date: midnight, 29 March 2019

Perth City Mills Development Officer
Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust are seeking to appoint a historic buildings conservation professional to join our team to:
•    Lead on the production of a Conservation Management Plan and Training and Volunteer Plan and Office Accommodation and Management Plan
•    Lead on community and stakeholder consultation and the development of a costed project proposal and fund-raising strategy leading to funding applications for a 3-5 year project beginning in 2020
•    Contribute to plans to sub-let the Trust’s Library Lodge building and the physical move of staff to Lower City Mills
Salary: £30,000 p.a. Full-time, 1-year fixed term contract.
Application is by covering letter and CV by 5pm, Friday 5 April 2019.
Interviews will be held on Monday 15 April 2019.
Full job description and personal specification

Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) Development Officer
Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust are seeking to appoint a historic buildings conservation professional to join our team to:
•    Update the Conservation Area Appraisal (2009) and Management Plan, research and develop specific projects and initiatives for the bid, working with Trust staff and key staff from Perth and Kinross Council
•    Produce a Learning Plan, Professional Training Plan, and project and administrative proposals while developing community partners and correlating a final bid with additional funding as required.
Salary: £30,000 p.a. Part-time, 2-year fixed-term contract
Application is by covering letter and CV by 5pm, Friday 5 April 2019.
Interviews will be held on: Tuesday 16 April 2019.
Full job description and personal specification

National Trust for Scotland – Trustee Appointment
This summer the National Trust for Scotland will hold elections for candidates to stand for four vacancies on its Board of Trustees.
In particular, applications are being sought from candidates with a professional built heritage conservation background.  All candidates must be able to demonstrate a passion for the cause of the Trust along with high level leadership experience.
If you have the skills, time and passion to help us take our next steps, please get in touch with Nicola Blyth, Governance Manager
Tel: 0131 458 0293
Email: elections@nts.org.uk
Applications close: 12pm, Wednesday 17 April 2019.

Chief Executive – Central Scotland Green Network Trust (CSGNT)
The Central Scotland Green Network (CSGN) seeks to change the face of Central Scotland by restoring and transforming the landscape of an area stretching from Ayrshire and Inverclyde in the west, to Fife and the Lothians in the east.
In anticipation of the retirement of Chief Executive, Simon Rennie, they are now seeking a new Chief Executive to lead the development of the Central Scotland Green Network (the largest environmental project of its kind in Europe) and to lead and manage the Central Scotland Green Network Trust.  Working closely with the senior team, you will set the strategic direction of CSGNT in order to bring about ambitious plans of bringing real change to the environment, economy and people of Central Scotland.  Reporting to the CSGNT Board, you will work closely with CSGNT’s Chair and will play a key role in projecting the Trust’s ambitions and in managing key stakeholder relationships.
Salary: £60k – £70k
Please send your completed application form along with your CV and any other supporting material in PDF format to recruitment@csgnt.org.uk by Wednesday, 27 March 2019.
First interviews will take place in Shotts on Thursday 25 April 2019.

BACK

BEFS News

We have now published our responses to Historic Environment Scotland’s recent consultations. Following a well-attended workshop with members to inform our responses, you can view our detailed submissions to both consultations below:

Designations and Scheduled Monuments Consultation

Demolition and Use and Adaptation of Listed Buildings Consultation

Taking a lead from the December workshop dialogues (based on submissions from the sector), BEFS has drawn together some suggested Principles for Prioritisation. What these principles are, and how they might be utilised by the sector will be presented on Monday 25 February. To get the opportunity for a first look at the Principles, and to be involved in feeding back on the process – book here.

During this event we will hear from Emily Tracey (Project Manager with HES) about the progress of the Our Place in Time – Built Heritage Investment Plan Group; and also receive a presentation from Scottish Canals who have worked with EY to develop a matrix and methodological approach to enable them to best manage their assets.

Our first blog from Euan Leitch concerns recent planning decisions and questions the involvement of politicians in the decision-making process.

Ailsa Macfarlane’s blog asks: What good do current concepts of ‘community’ do us? and considers the outmoded employment of the term community in current discussions.

This is the final call for contributions to the cross party Scottish Parliamentary Working Group on Tenement Maintenance’s Consultation. Responses need to be submitted by 27 February 2019; full details can be found here

Consultations

Changing Places Toilets: Building Standards Consultation (SG 18/02/19)
Opinions sought on building standards being amended to ensure more Changing Places Toilets are available in public buildings and spaces.
Opened: 18 February 2019. Closes 13 May 2019

Environmental principles and governance after Brexit: Consultation (SG 16/02/19)
Evidence is being gathered on future arrangements for the application of EU environmental principles and for environmental governance in Scotland, in the event that the UK exits the EU.
Opened: 16 February 2019. Closes: 11 May 2019

Climate Ready Scotland: Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme 2019-2024 (SG 12/02/19)
Opinions invited on the draft programme for autumn publication.
Opened: 12 February 2019. Closes: 9 April 2019

Publications

IPPR Paper: Facing up to the age of environmental breakdown (IPPR 12/02/19)

Delivering Sustainable Flood Risk Management (SG 11/02/19)

The effects of ending the zero carbon homes policy (ECIU 10/02/19)

Our Place in Time Annual Report 2018 (HES 07/02/19)

Heritage Sector Insights – 2018-19 (Ecclesiastical 07/02/19)

Environmental Planning After Brexit (RTPI 31/01/19)

Housing and Ageing: Linking strategy to future delivery for Scotland, Wales and England 2030 (SUII

31/01/19)

Scottish Government News Releases

Infrastructure Commission appointed (SG 11/02/19)

An independent commission to advise on a 30 year strategy for infrastructure investment has appointed its final members.

News Releases

Survey reveals catalogue of concerns for Scottish charities (SCVO 20/02/19)

The majority of respondents to the survey are worried about what increased demand for services and lack of secure funding will mean for the people and communities they support over the next 12 months.

Architecture Fringe 2019 – sponsors sought (AF 18/02/19)

Sponsorship Opportunities brochure sets out how to contribute to make the Architecture Fringe 2019 the best yet.

Call for evidence on Scotland’s progress towards the UN SDGs (SCVO 15/02/19)

Scotland’s SDG Network and the Scottish Government have issued a call for evidence on Scotland’s progress towards the UN SDGs

New £7m loan and social investment fund to secure the future of the UK’s historic buildings (AHF 14/02/19)

The Heritage Impact Fund will support organisations with a clear social mission seeking to deliver demonstrable local economic and community impact, as well as helping deliver projects that support the sustainability of historic buildings.

Scottish Land Fund announces recipients of latest round of funding (NLCF 13/02/19)

Seven communities from the Borders to Raasay have been awarded cash for their projects.

Drochaid a’ Chaolais Chumhaing/Kylesku Bridge in Sutherland has been awarded Category A status (HES 13/02/19).

Drochaid a’ Chaolais Chumhaing/Kylesku Bridge has been recognised as being of special architectural interest and is the first to be legally named in Gaelic.

Applications open for Tesco Bags of Help Centenary Grants (GSS 11/02/19)

Tesco Bags of Help Centenary Grants are inviting applications from not-for-profit organisations for projects that bring significant benefit to communities.

Saltire Society 2019 Housing Awards launched (SSS 11/02/19)

Nominations are now open for the 2019 Saltire Society Housing Design Awards.

Deadline for submissions: 8 March 2019

Glasgow Council approves new strategy to make best use of its property and land estate (GCC 07/02/19)

The new strategy will guide the council on making the best use of its substantial property and land estate, the biggest in the city.

Heritage sector generated over £4bn for Scotland’s economy in 2017-18 (HES 07/02/19)

Scotland’s historic environment continues to make a strong contribution to the nation’s economy, as seen in the latest annual performance report for the sector.

Design Council appoints new Director of Architecture and the Built Environment (DC 06/02/19)

Sue Morgan has been appointed as the organisation’s new Director of Architecture and the Built Environment.

Creative Europe – Brexit update (06/02/19)

Advice for UK lead and partner organisations concerning applications for the forthcoming Creative Europe calls.

AIM launches 2019 Member and Stakeholder Survey

The Association of Independent Museums invites opinions on how it can better help heritage organisations prosper in the next few years. They particularly welcome responses to their short survey from Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland; non-AIM members can take part.

The survey will close on 4 March 2019.

Creating Better Towns – Aide Memoire Published (STP 16/01/19)

A free, simple aide-memoire for Councils and stakeholders in towns has been published, to identify and clearly define best practice, methodologies and the key ingredient for Creating Better Towns.

Opinion & Comment

An introduction to Edinburgh’s social housing, 1890-1945 (MD 19/02/19)

Alter rules so rights stack up for tenement living – David Alexander (Scotsman 14/02/19)

Fears of A9 dualling impact on historic sites (BBC 13/02/19)

Tackling poverty is about making places work better for people (RTPI 12/02/19)

Dumfries and Galloway Cases Panel voice their concern about a worrying trend in the appeal process (AHSS 12/02/19)

Brexit not an obstacle to environmental planning, study suggests (HES 11/02/19)

Civic cultural partnerships key to driving growth (AP 08/02/19)

Arms-length body set to buy Glasgows’ iconic buildings (TFN 08/02/19)

Part 2: Them & Us (or why we might need a dose of populism in planning) (PD 06/02/19)

School Pupils to be taught construction skills (HM 05/02/19)

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 S5W-21618: Jamie Halcro Johnston, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 11/02/2019

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for the implementation of the updated Energy Performance of Buildings Directive (EU) 2018/844 and the creation of strategies (a) to improve indoor air quality, (b) for renovating existing buildings to improve energy efficiency and (c) to make buildings ready for smart energy systems.

Current Status: Expected Answer date 11/03/2019

Question S5W-21530: Dean Lockhart, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 07/02/2019

To ask the Scottish Government how many large housing development sites with outline planning permission there are in each local authority area, broken down by the number of houses.

Current Status: Expected Answer date 07/03/2019

Question S5W-21531: Dean Lockhart, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 07/02/2019

To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding the build-out rate for large housing development sites in each local authority area.

Current Status: Expected Answer date 07/03/2019

Parliamentary Questions and Answers

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

Question S5W-21277: Kezia Dugdale, Lothian, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 29/01/2019

To ask the Scottish Government what its position is regarding the banning of most domestic wood burning stoves by 2022, in light of plans by the UK Government to do so.

Answered by Roseanna Cunningham: 14/02/2019

 

Events

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

Talks at the Lane present Colm Moore on Temporal Architecture

Date & time: Thursday 28 February; 18:30

Venue: Custom Lane, 1 Customs Wharf, Leith EH6 6AL

Custom Lane invites you to join Colm Moore of Clancy Moore Architects to discuss their practice as part of the Talks at the Lane series.

Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland Forth & Borders Group: Hope in Honest Perfection? Rebuilding the Mackintosh

Date & time: Monday 4 March; 18:30

Venue: St Andrew’s & St George’s West Church, 13 George Street, Edinburgh EH2 2PA

Since the second, devastating fire at Charles Rennie Mackintosh’s Glasgow School of Art, the project to restore this iconic building has been seismically changed in timescale and expansiveness – but in the underlying intent to restore to the City it’s much cherished and creative ‘castle on the hill’.  Liz Davidson’s lecture will explore the aftermath of the fire and the ways in which the restoration team have re-examined their approach to the much greater challenge ahead of them.

All welcome – admission £5 (free for students), no booking required.

Archaeological Science: looking to the future

Dates & times: Monday 11 March; 18:00-19:00 in Edinburgh & Tuesday 12 March; 19.00-20.00 in Lerwick.

Venues: Monday in the National Museum Scotland auditorium, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF (use Lothian Street entrance); Tuesday in the Shetland Museum and Archives, Hay’s Dock, Lerwick, ZE1 0WP.

The application of science as a tool for analysing and interpreting archaeological remains is becoming much more commonplace. From the first measurements of the radiocarbon dates almost 70 years ago, providing an increasingly robust understanding of the chronology of the past, through to ancient DNA and isotopes, giving an insight into people’s diet and where they come from. This lecture will explore some of the challenges and opportunities of working with science in archaeology, before looking towards where we might see advances in the future.

Lecture given by Dr Lisa Brown FSA Scot MCIfA, Archaeological Science Manager at Historic Environment Scotland.

Planning for Low Carbon Heat

Date & time: Tuesday 12 March; 10:00 – 16:00

Venue: Quaker Meeting House, 7 Victoria Terrace, Edinburgh, EH1 2JL

The way we heat our buildings is going to change dramatically in the coming years. The new Planning (Scotland) Bill, Local Heat and Energy Efficiency Strategies and district heating regulations will have a significant impact on how planning approaches energy and place, with the potential to improve air quality, reduce carbon emissions and create new, local economic opportunities.

Zero Waste Scotland is hosting a free workshop to help planners understand more about the changing policy landscape and how these changes might be addressed in practice. The session is free for all planning professionals, whether in the public or private sector.

RICS CPD Day, Dunblane

Date & time: Thursday 14 March; 08:30 – 17:10

Venue: DoubleTree by Hilton Dunblane Hydro, Perth Rd, Dunblane, FK15 0HG

Join RICS CPD Day, Dunblane to enhance your capabilities and knowledge around today’s ever-changing market trends, legislation and technical guidance. Learn from leading industry professionals and take away practical solutions which can be implemented into your daily practice – benefiting both your business and personal professional development. The conference offers a choice of 18 breakout sessions to allow you to tailor the day specifically to your personal CPD needs, network with colleagues and peers in your region and put your questions to leading experts in their field.

RTPI Scotland Young Planners Conference 2019

Date & time: Wednesday 20 March; 09:00–17:30

Venue: Apex Hotel, Dundee

Our 2019 Young Planners’ Network conference takes place in the beautiful city of Dundee. This year we will be looking at how young planners can ‘deliver great places now and for the future’. A jam packed line up with some of the most esteemed built environment professionals in the country will be complemented by afternoon workshops, helping improve and refine skills critical for your development as a professional planner. We are expecting another sell-out event so don’t delay and book tickets today.

Our Past, Our Future: Young People & Heritage

Date & time: Wednesday 27 March; 09:30-17:00

Venue: AK Bell Library, Perth

This one-day conference at the AK Bell Library in Perth will bring together a range of speakers to share their experiences working on different heritage engagement projects across Scotland. We will reflect upon activities undertaken during the Year of Young People (2018) and explore how best to support young people’s interest in the past as they become the heritage caretakers of the future. The keynote address will be given by Dr Jeff Sanders who has delivered high-profile projects for the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, including the successful Dig It! engagement programme since 2015.

Best practice approaches to place-based regeneration: A SURF Award Shared Learning Workshop

Date & time: Thursday 2 May; 10:00-13:30

Venue: The Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh EH1 1SR

This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event in the Storytelling Centre provides an opportunity to explore successful current approaches towards regenerating Scotland’s places with three winning projects from the ‘Most Improved Place’, ‘Housing’ and ‘Community Led Regeneration’ categories highlighted in the 2018 SURF Awards process.

Rhind Lectures 2019 – Hadrian’s Wall: A Study in Archaeological Exploration and Interpretation

Date & time: Friday 10 May (6pm-8pm), Saturday 11 May (11am-5pm) and Sunday 12 May (2pm-5pm).

Venue: National Museum Scotland auditorium, Edinburgh, EH1 1JF (use Lothian Street entrance).

Hadrian’s Wall was written about even when it was still in use as a frontier. Interest continued through the next 1000 years, but it was the spirit of enquiry generated by the Renaissance which led to more focussed study. Once archaeological excavations started, the pace quickened. Now we have an enormous data base even though only about 5% of the Wall has been examined. To understand our interpretations of Hadrian’s Wall today, it is necessary to start in the 1840s, and in particular consider the work and influence of John Collingwood Bruce (Rhind lecturer in 1883). The first two lectures in this series of six will review the excavations and surveys, theories and flights of fancy since that decade. The next two lectures concentrate on the different phases of activity on the Wall and through them seek understanding of how the Wall operated. The impact of the Wall on local people and the landscape is the subject of the fifth lecture, while in the final talk the state of Hadrian’s Wall today is considered, with time for questions.

Lectures given by Professor David Breeze OBE, FSA, Hon FSA Scot, FRSE, Hon CIfA.

Overcoming barriers to employability facing Scotland’s young people: A SURF Award Shared Learning Workshop

Date & time: Wednesday 15 May; 10:00-13:30

Venue: The Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy Street, Bridgeton, Glasgow G40 1BP

This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event in the Glasgow Women’s Library provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards tackling barriers to employability facing young people in Scotland. The winning and highly commended projects from the ‘Youth Employability’ category highlighted in the 2018 SURF Awards process will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning.

The importance of culture and creative arts in community regeneration: A SURF Award Shared Learning Workshop

Date & time: Thursday 30 May; 10:00-13:30

Venue: Paisley Arts Centre, 15 New Street, Paisley PA1 1EZ

This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event in Paisley Arts Centre provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards linking creative arts and culture into regeneration initiatives. The winning and highly commended projects from the ‘Creative Regeneration’ category highlighted in the 2018 SURF Awards process will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning.

 IHBC Annual School – Nottingham 2019

Dates: Annual School: Thursday 4 – Saturday 6 July; Day School: Friday 5 July

Venue: Nottingham Conference Centre, Burton Street, Nottingham NG1 4BU

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation will hold its 21st Annual School in Nottingham, hosted by the IHBC East Midlands Branch. This year’s school focuses on the theme of ‘Heritage, Risk & Resilience: confronting conservation calamities, exploring:

• Heritage challenges and insights into solutions for Fire | Flood | Structural Failure
• Case studies – Technical, practical and strategic advice
• Planning for the worst: dealing with the aftermath

The Annual School includes three exciting days of:

• Tours – Nottingham, Leicester, Derby & the East Midlands
• CPD support: Up to 20 hours Continuing Professional Development linked
• Business opportunities: Sponsors, exhibitors, networks & supporters

Training

Dates and time: Monday 25 February-Friday 1 March or Monday 3-Friday 7 June; 08:30 – 17:00 daily

Venue: RICS, 125 Princes Street, Edinburgh, EH2 4AD

A facilitative and evaluative approach to mediation in the built environment. Highly practical and intensive, the RICS Mediation Training Programme will prepare you to mediate the most complex disputes to the highest standards across land, property, construction and infrastructure.

Our expert trainers will provide you with in-depth, practical coaching and you will receive feedback from both your trainer and your peers.

CPD: 50 hours

Conservation of Non-Ferrous Metals

Dates: Wednesday 6 – Wednesday 20 March (3 days)

Venue: Forth Valley College, Drip Road, Stirling FK8 1RD

Discover the issues associated with non-ferrous metals in Scotland’s historic built environment. Study materials including bronze and brass, their cultural significance and how they’ve been used in traditional buildings. You will get an overview of the cultural significance of non-ferrous metals in Scottish architecture from the medieval period to the 20th century, and the diversity of items manufactured in non-ferrous metals.  Learn the fundamental characteristics and physical properties of non-ferrous metals, and the metallurgical processes for producing alloys. This course will also teach you current conservation principles and how to undertake appropriate repairs, from an initial survey, through to specification, procurement and on-site repair of existing or installation of new material – all according to best current principles of best conservation practice.

Cost: £330

To register your interest: email technicaleducation@hes.scot

A Place for all Mortars Masterclass        

Date: Friday 15 March

Venue: Charlestown Workshops, Fife KY11 3EN

This masterclass aims to demonstrate that there is a place for all mortars by explaining more about the mortars we have available today. These range from hot mixed mortars, closely replicating historic mortars, to formulated ready mixed mortars. We have a huge variety of lime binders available to us today compared to the fairly limited range on offer when the lime enlightenment first began. Research and analysis has helped us understand why we should specify mortars to closely replicate those originally used, however, modern pressures force us to look at mortars more practically. This masterclass looks at all mortars and the advantages and disadvantages of various applications.

Lime Pointing   

Date: Saturday 16 March

Venue: Merryhill Training Centre, Fife KY11 3DR

Learn the skills to help you carry out your own mortar pointing repairs.

This popular one day workshop is aimed at those who would like to undertake repointing works as part of a renovation project or simply as general maintenance to traditional masonry structures. A practical ‘hands on’ training day, attendees will learn to undertake repointing works to with confidence. This course will give a sound understanding of traditional building technology, repair techniques and the materials to use when carrying out repointing. Attendees are encouraged to bring along images of their projects to discuss with the SLCT tutor on the day.

Historic Glass and Glazing Conservation

Dates: Wednesday 27 March – Wednesday 10 April (5 days)

Venue: Forth Valley College, Drip Road, Stirling FK8 1RD

This course will explore a range of issues associated with the manufacture, use and conservation of plain and decorative glass, and traditional glazing systems, in Scotland’s historic built environment. You will get a historic overview of these materials, for their early beginnings in the Roman period and early 17th-century glassmaking industries, to technological advancements and innovation in their manufacture today.   Study the science of glass manufacture, its composition, and its physical properties. Students will learn how to carry out archival research in order to identify the artist, craftsman or studio responsible for the original work and thereby establishing the cultural significance of the work or site. This course will teach you current conservation principles and how to undertake appropriate repairs, from an initial survey, through to specification, procurement and on-site repair of existing or installation of new material – all according to best current principles of best conservation practice.

Cost: £405

To register your interest: email technicaleducation@hes.scot

Vacancies

Grants Officer

Edinburgh World Heritage is looking to appoint a Grants Officer. The role will involve providing support for the successful delivery of the Conservation Funding Programme (70% of the role) and delivery of the maintenance programme (30% of the role).

Main responsibilities will include:

– Providing technical advice and support

– Promoting ongoing maintenance

– Ensuring that all grant documentation is compliant at every stage of the project cycle

Closing date for applications: 5pm, Wednesday 27 February 

Prince’s Foundation Building Craft Programme 

Applications are now open for the Prince’s Foundation Building Craft Programme, where you will work with a wide range of building crafts and expert craftspeople to take your skills to the next level.

The Foundation believe it is crucial to preserve these valuable skills, which are gradually being lost as the average age of workers in the Historic Buildings sector approaches retirement age. The course is designed for craftspeople looking to bridge the gap between basic qualifications and becoming a master craftsperson working in the heritage sector.

Deadline: Friday 1 March

BACK