Kate Houghton, Planning Policy & Practice Officer RTPI Scotland, reflects on BEFS screening of Paul Sng’s documentary, Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle.
Paul Sng’s documentary, Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle, is profoundly affecting, and I recommend that anybody working in the ‘built environment’ finds a way to watch it. Every now and then it is important to be reminded what that ‘built environment’ moniker really means – places, for all of us to live in.
Dispossession briefly charts the history of social housing in the UK, from the response to slum overcrowding in the mid-20th century, to the Right to Buy and the more recent regeneration of social housing. For me though the linchpin on which this story turns is the accompanying rise and fall in the aspiration associated with council housing.
The rolling out of social housing across the UK in the mid-20th century was met by wide-spread aspiration to have the opportunity to live in not just a new, modern home, but an affordable one with security of tenure. Was the Right to Buy, which was introduced in the form we know it in 1979, just an extension and individualisation of this security of tenure? Whether or not we see it that way, the Right to Buy subsumed the earlier aspiration associated with a council house, and consolidated the now taken as given British aspiration to own your own home. But Sng’s film, more than just charting the decline in social housing as a consequence of changing times, gives a raw account of how people who live in social housing have been demonised by some. What used to be a mainstream housing tenure in a market where the average housing cost is not affordable on an average income, has in the popular imagination been transformed into the destination of last resort.
Dispossession gives a voice to the ‘ordinary’ people from many walks of life who live in what remains of the UK’s social housing stock, primarily in London, but also in Glasgow and Nottingham, and allows them to counter the cartoon negative and moralistic portrayal of social tenants that too often pervades in the media. Their stories are varied, but with a common thread – secure housing offered a place to raise a family, a place to build a settled life, or a place to be part of a warm and thriving community. In all cases, the way that housing has been managed, whether in terms of maintenance, redevelopment or even demolition, left its residents feeling disenfranchised and ignored.
The documentary provoked many questions from me. Stories from three very different cities are told without exploring the different underlying forces bringing about change in those places. There was also an absence of voices of those who might feel they are impacted positively by current decision-making, and therefore stories from which we could begin to see which direction we should be travelling in. Experience tells me that these stories are out there.
Nonetheless, I don’t think that mapping the complex solutions we need is the purpose of this film. Rather its value lies in its impossible to ignore documentation of the human cost of our societal failure to value decent housing for all. We won’t find a structural solution until we listen to, and understand, that human cost.
Planning and planners are increasingly aware that we must give higher priority to more meaningful community engagement, and with a wider spectrum of people. This film channels the voices of people affected by the kind of decisions planners make, and therefore inevitably makes for uncomfortable viewing for a planner at times. It is a timely reminder that sincere community engagement is tough. It means hearing things that we don’t always want to hear, and being prepared to really listen to different views and experiences. One contributor to Dispossession speaks of his warm affection for the Red Road Flats: It’s all too easy to dismiss this unconventional view. But, to avoid repeating the mistakes of the past, we have to be willing to listen and see our preconceptions challenged.
Thanks to BEFS and the Tower Block project at University of Edinburgh for the opportunity to view Dispossession in Edinburgh before the film’s commercial screenings in the city and in Glasgow later in the year.
BACK
BEFS Chair, Graeme Purves, tells us about the restoration of an overgrown renaissance garden in Granton as a catalyst for urban renewal.
A community-based group in North Edinburgh has begun the work of restoring an overgrown renaissance garden in Granton as a catalyst for urban renewal of the waterfront. The historic garden had previously been the subject of a planning application for housing development but these plans were subsequently withdrawn. In October 2016 the Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden submitted proposals to Edinburgh City Council’s development company, the EDI Group, to restore it as a working garden and green hub for community activity. Discussions over the winter led to the Friends signing a legal agreement with EDI and securing access to the garden in April.
Granton Castle Walled Garden is probably one of the oldest walled gardens in Scotland. The earliest reference to ‘Grantoun House’ is in 1479 and it is thought that the garden dates from that time. Granton Castle itself was abandoned as a residence in the 18th century, became a picturesque ruin during the 19th century and was finally demolished in the 1920s. However, the walled garden survived and continued in use as a market garden until relatively recent times.
The Friends see the restoration of the garden as offering a wide range of benefits in terms of health and well-being, social cohesion, cross-cultural integration, community education and local capacity-building. Key elements of their vision are that it should be:
- a garden for all to enjoy, with a range of learning, growing and arts activities and a diverse events programme;
- a restored market garden run by the local community, supplying organic produce directly to local people, businesses and schools.
- a living link to the past , serving as a heritage gateway to the waterfront and a green social hub for existing and future communities.
Specific features which have been proposed include a visitor centre and community café, a kitchen garden, a heritage orchard, a plant nursery, a workshop and demonstration area, a medicinal and pigment garden, a restored glasshouse and a polytunnel.
The restoration of Granton Castle Walled Garden as a community asset is supported by a wide range of local stakeholders and national organisations. The Friends are working closely with Scotland’s Urban Past on surveying and recording aspects of the garden’s heritage.
In this first season, volunteers have been busy removing the stumps of tree saplings which had started to colonise the garden and restoring one area to cultivation. The Friends are also working with EDI to make the garden safe and accessible to visitors and preparing a business plan for its long- term development. The garden is one of 28 sites across Scotland featured this summer in the Scottish Society of Antiquaries’ ‘Dig It!’ Hidden Gems competition. It will be open to the public as part of the Cockburn Association’s Doors Open Day programme on Saturday 23 September.
The charity Social Bite has submitted an application for planning permission to erect temporary houses for homeless people on land immediately to the west of the walled garden. If permission is granted, it is expected that the 11 ‘nesthouses’ will be built in the autumn. The Friends are looking forward to working closely with Social Bite and the residents on gardening projects once the development is completed.
Get the latest built environment news, consultations, publications and vacancies.
BEFS NEWS
The Scottish Government has today published an analysis of responses to the consultation on Place, People and Planning, the review of the Scottish planning system, accompanied by a position statement on proposals it plans on taking forward. BEFS Planning Taskforce will be responding to the latter.
As part of the review the Scottish Government commissioned research into barriers to community engagement in the planning system. BEFS has invited two members of the team, John Lord of Yellow Book and Nick Wright to share their findings and recommendations. Book your free place at Barriers to Community Engagement in Planning on 1st August now.
BEFS responded to the recent consultation on Engaging Communities in Decisions Relating to Land, suggesting that the guidance could go further in setting out the types of engagement considered appropriate in different scenarios; querying the meaning of ‘significant land holdings’; and also seeking clarification on how the guidance is to be used in urban areas. Read the full response here.
If you contributed to the ‘What’s Your Heritage’ consultation, the analysis of responses and workshops is now out. This piece of research will contribute to a revision of the designation criteria and advice and consents policy in the Historic Environment Scotland Policy Statement in 2018. BEFS will be working on this with its members in 2017.
The Scottish Thistle Awards 2017/18 have a new category – Historic Environment Scotland – Best Heritage Tourism Experience. To mark the Year of History, Heritage and Archaeology 2017, this award is designed to celebrate Scotland’s rich and vibrant heritage and those who bring it to life.
It might only be half way through the Year of History Heritage and Archaeology, but it’s time to start planning for 2018 the Year of Young People. The aim of the year is to inspire Scotland through its young people.
The ArchiFringe kicks of this weekend and you might have to move fast to book tickets for some of the events which are taking place across Scotland in July. But it’s also an opportunity for a heads-up for the Festival of Architecture taking place in September.
Finally, we’ve picked out some built environment related events from the Edinburgh International Book Festival that might be of interest.
The next bulletin will be at the beginning of August. The team at BEFS wish you a good summer break!
CONSULTATIONS
Places, People and Planning – Position Statement (SG 29/06/17)
Taking into account the wide range of views expressed to the proposals set out in the Places, People and Planning consultation, Scottish Ministers have published a Position Statement which sets out changes they are considering taking forward.
Consultation closes 11 August 2017.
Energy efficiency and condition standards in private rented housing: A Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme Consultation
Closes 30 Jun 2017.
CONSULTATION RESPONSES
Planning Review: analysis of consultation responses (SG 29/06/17)
Improving Transparency in Land Ownership in Scotland – Consultation Analysis (SG 28/06/17)
What’s Your Heritage? Consultation Report (HES 20/06/17)
PUBLICATIONS
Planning Review: Young Scot survey results (SG 29/06/17)
Results from the survey commissioned by Young Scot to support our Places, People and Planning consultation.
Questions relating to a possible Land Value Tax: FOI release (SG 29/06/17)
Information request and response under the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act 2002.
Managing Change in the Historic Environment: Castles and Towerhouses (HES 13/06/17)
The document provides guidance for anyone considering a castle consolidation or restoration project, such as owners, local authorities or other interested parties.
Managing Change in the Historic Environment: Guidance notes (HES)
Download Managing Change in the Historic Environment guidance on making changes in line with Scottish Historic Environment Policy and Scottish Planning Policy.
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASES
Transforming planning (SG 29/06/17)
Proposals to transform the approach to planning for homes and infrastructure projects have been put forward by the Scottish Government. The ‘Places, People and Planning’ position statement sets out aspirations for a more effective system, which supports business while working with communities to ensure development happens in the right places.
Ministerial Working Group on building and fire safety (SG 28/06/17)
The second meeting of a Ministerial Working Group, convened to examine building and fire safety regulatory frameworks, has taken place today.
Homelessness and Housing Options Statistics Published (SG 27/06/17)
Homelessness applications and the number assessed as homeless or likely to become homeless within two months both reduced during 2016/17. However, the number of households in temporary accommodation continues to increase.
Rural Parliament support (SG 25/06/17)
Rural communities will have a stronger voice thanks to funding for the Rural Parliament announced by Environment and Land Reform Secretary Roseanna Cunningham. The £200,000 funding for Scottish Rural Action (SRA) will support delivery of their 2017–19 Action Plan, which contains five policy areas debated and chosen by rural communities at the 2016 Rural Parliament in Brechin.
Comment on cladding and high rise buildings (23/06/17)
Communities Secretary provides further update. Communities Secretary Angela Constance said: “This week, we asked local authorities to give us further information about their high rise domestic buildings. They have reported that they have over 500 high rise domestic buildings in their areas…”
£10 million for affordable housing (SG 23/06/17)
Investment for homes in the Highlands. A £10 million fund to build affordable homes across the Highlands has been announced by Housing Minister Kevin Stewart today (23rd June). The Highland Infrastructure Fund is a partnership with The Highland Council and will support and accelerate the delivery of affordable housing across the region.
Comment on cladding and high rise buildings (SG 22/06/17)
Communities Secretary provides update. Communities Secretary, Angela Constance, said: “Scottish building regulations state that cladding on high rise domestic buildings built since 2005, and cladding added to existing high rise domestic buildings since 2005, should be made of non-combustible materials or a cladding system that has met stringent fire tests.
Protecting the marine environment (SG 21/06/17)
Monitoring of Marine Protected Areas. Fishermen can support the monitoring and surveying of some of Scotland’s most vulnerable marine habitats as part of a new strategy.
Review of building and fire safety regulations (SG 20/06/17)
The first meeting of a Ministerial Working Group, convened to examine building and fire safety regulatory frameworks, has taken place today.
NEWS RELEASES
HES leads climate change initiative (HES 28/06/17)
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is leading an international initiative to support communities across Northern Europe in assessing the impact of climate change on historic buildings, archaeological sites and other heritage locations.
Engine Shed Officially Opens (HES 26/06/17)
Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs encourages the public to explore Scotland’s built heritage. An exciting new chapter for Scotland’s heritage sector begins today as Historic Environment Scotland unveils The Engine Shed, its pioneering £11m national building conservation centre.
Public will have say in Scotland’s new National Cultural Strategy, says culture secretary (Herald Scotland 26/06/17)
Fiona Hyslop said that the conversation about the plan would be broadened after a meeting of nearly 100 writers, performers, directors, arts company executives, poets and film writers at the Glasgow Women’s Library to discuss the SNP vow to establish the strategy.
Safety of Scotland’s high rise homes to be examined (SP 26/06/17)
The Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Communities Committee will scrutinise accommodation in Scotland’s high rise communities, by expanding an on-going inquiry into housing and building regulations in Scotland.
Scottish government launches tower block safety review (Urban Realm 26/06/17)
The Scottish Government has launched a tower block safety review in the wake of the Grenfell Tower blaze in London as part of a wider review of building standards in the wake of the tragedy.
Results of Public Campaign, ‘What’s Your Heritage?’ Announced (HES 20/16/17)
A report on what heritage means to Scots has been published today (Tuesday 20 June) by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and reveals which of Scotland’s places, buildings and monuments should be recognised and celebrated.
How Good is Our Place? Place Standard wins top planning award (A&DS 16/06/17)
The Place Standard developed by Scottish Government, NHS Health Scotland and Architecture and Design Scotland has won in the Excellence in Planning for Wellbeing category in the Royal Town Planning Institute’s (RTPI) Awards for Planning Excellence 2017. The Awards for Planning Excellence are the most established and respected awards in the UK planning industry.
Heritage Alliance and British Council webinar on cultural heritage post Brexit (HA 15/06/17)
Lizzie Glithero-West FSA, Chief Executive of the Heritage Alliance, and Silke Pillnger, Director of EU Arts from the British Council, chaired a webinar ‘What role can Heritage play in the future of the cultural sector post-Brexit’. The discussion started with an in-depth interview with our expert panel – Ben Cowell, Director General of the Historic Houses Association, Henry Owen-John, Head of International Advice at Historic England and Peter Hinton, Chief Executive of the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists. This was followed by an open Q&A session.
Mapping the creative value chains (HA 15/06/17)
The EU has published A study on the economy of culture in the digital age. This maps the different value chains for visual arts, performing arts, cultural heritage, artistic crafts, book publishing, music, film, TV and broadcasting as well as multimedia. The study examines how the competitive position of the cultural and creative sectors (CCS) is affected by digitisation.
Co-producing quality places: Learning for the Place Standard (A&DS)
Community empowerment sits at the heart of the Scottish approach to making places work. Changing places with people is about sharing a sense of the issues and ambitions, supported by examples of the art of the possible.
Digging Deeper: What communities think about regeneration projects (A&DS)
As part of the process of informing and engaging communities in the regeneration of Pennywell, Community Action North [CAN] organised a study trip to Mannheim and Vauban in Germany to learn about the way different communities co-produced places for people. The trip was facilitated by Governance International, who bring a wealth of experience in co-producing better outcomes with citizens.
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS
Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.
S5W-09693 Daniel Johnson: To ask the Scottish Government how many schools have
aluminium composite cladding panels installed, and what information it has on other buildings that have had these panels installed. (SP 19/06/17)
S5T-00595 Jackie Baillie: To ask the Scottish Government what checks have been undertaken on residential tower blocks and new public buildings, including schools, in light of the recent tragic event at Grenfell Tower. (SP 20/06/17)
S5W-09759 Gordon MacDonald: To ask the Scottish Government when the Queensferry
Crossing will open to traffic. (SP 20/06/17)
S5W-09723 Jackie Baillie: To ask the Scottish Government what guidance (a) has been and (b) will be delivered to (i) housing developers and (ii) local authorities to ensure that social housing developments announced as part of its £1.75 billion investment in affordable housing take account of the needs of ethnic minority families, including the provision of housing that is appropriate for (A) larger families and (B) families that often have to rent housing in the private sector but which are on lower incomes. (SP 20/06/17)
S5W-09767 Daniel Johnson: To ask the Scottish Government how many building control officers there have been in each local authority in each of the last 10 years, also broken down by the number of each type of building that have responsibility for. (SP 20/06/17)
S5O-01165 David Stewart: To ask the Scottish Government whether the ministerial working group on fire safety will review building standards regulations regarding the provision of automatic fire suppression systems. (SP 21/06/17)
S5O-01170 Dean Lockhart: To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to increase the availability of social housing in rural communities. (SP 21/06/17)
S5O-01171 Bruce Crawford: To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to ensure that local authorities and the housebuilding sector can be confident that the goal of 50,000 new affordable homes by 2021 is reached. (SP 21/06/17)
OTHER PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS
The Parliament has agreed the following parliamentary recess dates in 2017:
- 1 July to 3 September 2017 (inclusive)
- 7 to 22 October 2017 (inclusive)
DEBATES
Members’ Business Debate on the subject: The Scottish Civic Trust, 50 Years of Protecting Scotland’s Built Heritage
Motion debated:
S5M-05856 Linda Fabiani: The Scottish Civic Trust, 50 Years of Protecting Scotland’s Built Heritage—That the Parliament congratulates the Scottish Civic Trust on its 50th anniversary; notes that the trust began in 1967 to respond to the destruction of buildings and townscapes around Scotland; acknowledges that it helped to save New Lanark from dereliction and assisted in developing a network of local civic trusts around Scotland; welcomes initiatives that it has established, including Doors Open Day and the My Place Awards; recognises that the trust has an ongoing commitment to save buildings and townscapes, keeping communities at the heart of its movement, and thanks all volunteers, past and present, for their sterling work. (SP 20/06/17)
Read the full transcript of the debate here.
EVENTS
For the latest information about BEFS Members’ events see our events calendar.
Global Challenges in Cultural Heritage Conference
When: 1st – 3rd September 2017.
Where: University of Stirling.
The Global Challenges in Cultural Heritage conference programme has been released with over 20 sessions presented by international speakers from United Kingdom, Europe, China and Australia. The programme offers the opportunity to hear from leading academics and heritage professionals who will discuss the significance and value of cultural heritage using local and international examples. Workshops run by Historic Environment Scotland will offer practical based learning opportunities in digital documentation, building pathology and craft skills. This is a fantastic opportunity for academics and practitioners to collaborate in finding solutions to global cultural heritage challenges.
RTPI Scotland Annual Conference – The New Agenda: Planners as Visionaries, Facilitators and Enablers
When: Tuesday 3 October 2017.
Where: COSLA Conference Centre, Edinburgh.
The conference will look at the key issues we face in Scotland to develop an agenda for change. It will hear about opportunities, challenges faced and the new thinking and doing required from inspirational and forward thinking people. Conference delegates will have the opportunity to discuss these with others and help develop and agree the way forward.
VACANCIES
Banff CARS vacancy – Aberdeenshire Council
You will concentrate on a wide range of issues primarily in relation to building conservation, regeneration, listed buildings and conservation areas. Working in a team, you will be responsible for both statutory work and project implementation. The range of work involves progressing the Banff Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme, giving advice on listed building applications and undertaking conservation area reviews
Check out the built environment related events taking place at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in August.
Sat 12 Aug 4:30pm – 5:30pm
When a major city undergoes regeneration, there are always some cons among the obvious pros. In Disappearing Glasgow, artist and photographer Chris Leslie and Professor of Architecture Johnny Rodger present a joint project exploring how Glasgow’s communities were affected by a post-war modernist experiment which destroyed slums in favour of vast tower block estates. The pair discuss why this high-rise revolution was doomed to failure.
Sun 13 Aug 11:00am – 12:00pm
When Voltaire said, ‘We look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation’ he was mainly thinking of Edinburgh. It may no longer be the intellectual hub of the western world, but as Sheila Szatkowski shows in Enlightenment Edinburgh, a guide to the 18th century city, it is still recognisably the same place it was in David Hume’s day.
Sun 13 Aug 12:30pm – 1:30pm
An hour of pure Edinburgh indulgence in the form of a personal journey exploring the city. For A Sketchbook of Edinburgh, Iain Fraser and Anne Fraser Sim, owners of the Elephant House café, have commissioned 150 works from four local artists to illustrate their favourite journeys through the city, and they provide an accompanying cultural, historical and architectural commentary.
Sun 13 Aug 7:15pm – 8:15pm
In St Peter’s, Cardross, architectural historian Diane M Watters and Angus Farquhar, Creative Director of the Glasgow-based arts organisation NVA, tell the fascinating story of the short-lived (1966-79) Catholic seminary that has been called both the best and the worst Scottish building of the 20th century. Derelict for years, it will soon be brought into renewed use as a cultural space. Chaired by Susan Mansfield.
Mon 14 Aug 1:30pm – 2:30pm
Our Writing the City events continue with a fascinating conversation between novelist, commentator and psychogeographer Will Self and Richard Sennett, Professor of Sociology at the London School of Economics. Taking inspiration from Italo Calvino’s Invisible Cities, Self and Sennett explore how the writer inhabits a city and how their creativity shapes the buildings around them. Presented in partnership with Theatrum Mundi.
Mon 14 Aug 3:45pm – 4:45pm
Though written in 1933, the Charter of Athens still defines how and why cities are built. The Quito Papers is an ambitious global project, led by Richard Sennett and Saskia Sassen, which is rethinking the vision of how towns and cities are built in the 21st century. Having been to Beijing, London, New York, and Cumbernauld on our ReimagiNation tour, they present their vision to Edinburgh.
Mon 14 Aug 6:00pm – 7:30pm
Scottish theatre maker Ishbel McFarlane’s Plan is an interactive performance involving a game in which you and your fellow ‘jurors’ build your own imaginary New Town. A show about utopias and refugees, Plan offers a thought-provoking spin on how countries are reshaped following conflict, and has formed a central part of the Book Festival’s ReimagiNation tour of Scotland’s New Towns.
Sun 20 Aug 12:30pm – 1:30pm
EDINBURGH’S STORY, SET IN STONE
Alan McKirdy takes the long view in Edinburgh: Landscapes in Stone, going back 350 million years to when its future site was under a very active volcano. John Peacock, by contrast, begins The Story of Edinburgh a mere 10,000 years ago, with the arrival of the first Mesolithic explorers, ending with the battles between conservationists and planners in the present.
Sun 20 Aug 6:45pm – 7:45pm
BUILDINGS THAT SHAPED SCOTLAND
How best to tell the story of Scotland’s history? A good way would be to do what Historic Environment Scotland have done – assemble a bunch of fine authors to write about the 25 buildings that have shaped this country, starting 5,000 years ago at the Knap of Howar on Papa Westray. Join James Crawford, Alexander McCall Smith, Alistair Moffat and James Robertson for a scintillating hour. Chaired by Ruth Wishart.
Mon 21 Aug 3:45pm – 4:45pm
PROS AND CONS OF A CONCRETE WORLD
Depending on your view, our modern cities are either a triumph of design or the result of architectural tyranny. Critic Tom Dyckhoff examines the radical facelifts our urban spaces have been given over the last half century and concludes that certain experiments backfired. Novelist and architecture writer Christopher Beanland explores the brutalist strand of buildings, and wonders why concrete is so controversial. Chaired by Claire Armitstead.
Wed 23 Aug 4:30pm – 5:30pm
70 YEARS OF SCOTLAND’S NEW TOWNS
Seventy years ago the New Towns Act was established, aiming to build new urban spaces with emerging industry, sanitary housing and plenty of green space. Cumbernauld is one such New Town, and for this event author and STV’s People’s Historian Daniel Gray, who played a key role in our ReimagiNation: Cumbernauld Festival in May, talks to some of the original residents about their experiences of living in this ‘utopia’.
Thu 24 Aug 7:30pm – 9:00pm
HOW CAN SCOTLAND BE A BEACON OF CIVIL SOCIETY?
The 18th century philosopher Voltaire is often quoted as saying ‘we look to Scotland for all our ideas of civilisation’. By that, he meant ‘rules of taste in all the arts, from epic poetry to gardening.’ Does Scotland retain that reputation today? How can its citizens live up to the high standards of their Enlightenment forebears? Join three speakers with different perspectives: celebrated folk singer Karine Polwart; Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, Thomas McEachan; and technology entrepreneur Chris van der Kuyl, whose Dundee-based company led the development of Minecraft.
Sat 26 Aug 12:30pm – 1:30pm
BUILDING THE BRITISH LANDSCAPE
Cartographer, explorer and co-presenter of BBC’s Coast, Nicholas Crane has turned his hand to painting a true picture of how the British landscape came about – from the evolution of modern cities and countrysides beginning 12,000 years ago with melting glaciers and Mesolithic adventurers, to our contemporary dramas of climate change and global economics. Today Crane asks, what comes next?
Mon 28 Aug 3:45pm – 4:45pm
Green Belts serve many purposes but it’s unlikely that many of us could point to exactly where they lie. Bookseller and publisher, John Grindrod, has a personal connection to the issues revolving around these mystery zones. He delves into the creation and development of the Green Belt, uncovering a fascinating and sometimes bamboozling history.
Mon 28 Aug 7:30pm – 9:00pm
HOW CAN WE MAKE GATHERING PLACES FIT FOR THE 21ST CENTURY?
In ancient Greece, an agora was a place for public assembly; the centre for political life and for spiritual and artistic activity. Today, in a digital era when equality and freedom of speech remain fragile, how much do we need public gathering places like the agora? Join the debate with our panel including NVA’s Angus Farquhar, who is creating the New Agora as a key programme at St Peter’s Seminary in Cardross.
BACK
Get The Latest Historic Environment Events, Jobs, News And Publications In BEFS Bulletin.
BEFS NEWS
A new report, commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland, identifies projects about or connected to heritage in Scotland that have received funding from the EU from 2007-16. The report estimates at least £36.8 million has been awarded to over 280 historic environment projects during 2007-2016. Read a summary of the findings and the full report here. A similar report has been produced for Historic England.
NHS Health Scotland and partners have published a short film about the Place Standard and an evaluation of how it is being implemented across Scotland. Find out more here.
The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) have issued a joint statement to the new Government outlining a vision for an integrated approach to managing our cultural and natural landscapes.
Nominations have now opened for the third Scottish Heritage Angels Awards in a bid to find those groups and individuals who have played a special part in caring for, recording and celebrating Scotland’s historic environment. The 2017 SURF Awards are also now open for applications from regeneration projects of all sizes.
In our blog this week, Elaine MacGillivray, Project Archivist at the University of Edinburgh, tells us about a two-year project that aims to preserve, conserve, catalogue and virtually reunite two collections of papers of Sir Patrick Geddes.
Finally, don’t miss the Falkirk Traditional Building Skills Demonstration on 22nd – 23rd June. The event will feature demonstrations of traditional building skills with school children, and their teachers, and traditional building experts providing advice on how to repair and maintain traditionally built homes.
CONSULTATIONS
Guidance on Engaging Communities in Decisions Relating to Land
Closes 16 Jun 2017.
Consultation on funding of The Scottish Energy Performance Certificate Register.
Closes 19 Jun 2017.
Energy efficiency and condition standards in private rented housing: A Scotland’s Energy Efficiency Programme Consultation
Closes 30 Jun 2017.
PUBLICATIONS
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT NEWS RELEASES
Household numbers continue to rise (SG 14/06/17)
The number of households in Scotland has continued to increase to 2.45 million in 2016, according to figures published today by National Records of Scotland (NRS) in ‘Estimates of Households and Dwellings in Scotland, 2016’. Households are single people or groups of people living together.
Climate change ambitions (SG 13/06/17)
Scotland’s status as an international climate change leader will be reinforced through new proposals to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by at least 90% by 2050, Climate Change Secretary Roseanna Cunningham has said.
£1.75 billion boost for investment in affordable housing (SG 13/06/17)
Major long-term commitment to grow number of homes. More than £1.75 billion is being allocated to councils in a major Scottish Government commitment to stimulate investment in affordable housing. It comes as figures published today show the highest levels of activity in the affordable house-building sector in Scotland since the early 1980s.
29% increase in affordable housing approvals (SG 13/06/17)
There were 10,276 approvals for affordable housing over the year ending March 2017, an increase of 29%, or 2,331 homes, on the previous year. Scotland’s Chief Statistician today released the latest Quarterly Housing Statistics for Scotland, which presents the latest quarterly information on new build housing, affordable housing supply and local authority right to buy sales.
Historic Islands Bill introduced (SG 12/06/17)
Supporting, strengthening and protecting island communities. An historic bill has been introduced to Parliament to meet the unique needs of Scotland’s islands now and in the future. The Islands (Scotland) Bill published today (12 June) will help create the right environment for sustainable growth and empowered communities.
Increase in modern apprenticeships (SG 06/06/17)
On track for 30,000 by 2020 target. The number of Modern Apprenticeship starts increased to 26,262 and exceeded the 2016/17 annual target, new statistics have confirmed.
NEW RELEASES
2017 SURF Awards are now open for applications (SURF 13/06/17)
The SURF Awards offer an opportunity for regeneration projects of all sizes to demonstrate value to funders and partners, support team-building and develop a national profile. SURF Award winners also receive additional showcase opportunities through SURF activities throughout the following year. SURF’s annual awards process is delivered in partnership with the Scottish Government. It is open to all community regeneration projects in Scotland that are currently in place or that have been completed within two years of the closing date.
More provisions of the Historic Environment Act in force from 31 May 2017 (WG 01/06/17)
While some provisions of the Historic Environment (Wales) Act 2016 have been in force since May 2016, preparations were needed before others could be brought into effect. Two consultations informed that work, which included the formulation of a suite of supporting secondary legislation to take effect on 31 May 2017.
Brand New Building Conservation Diploma (HES 01/06/17)
Historic Environment Scotland’s conservation hub, the Engine Shed, launches Advanced Diploma Course in Technical Building Conservation – the first of its kind.
MEMBERS’ NEWS
Wemyss Caves 4D (SCAPE 14/06/17)
The SCAPE Trust and Save the Wemyss Ancient Caves Society have just launched an exciting new multi-media website about the Wemyss Caves in Fife. Explore the Pictish carvings, archaeology, wider history and local stories about the caves and coastline in 3D interactive spaces, through video and RTI. An online catalogue brings together much of the documentation and history of the caves in one place for the first time. The website is great example of how to integrate 3D survey data with other digital media to tell the multiple stories of the Wemyss Caves. The project was funded and supported by Fife Council, Historic Environment Scotland and the Heritage Lottery Fund.
Place matters in tackling poverty (RTPI 13/06/17)
Naomi Eisenstadt, Independent Advisor to the Scottish Government on Poverty and Inequality, has reiterated the important role planning and planners have in tackling poverty. Speaking at the 14th Sir Patrick Geddes Commemorative Lecture organised by RTPI Scotland, Naomi explained why the quality of neighbourhoods is vital to reducing poverty, and why local authorities must be strengthened to deliver them alongside more traditional policies such as boosting employment.
Entries now open for Scottish Heritage Angel Awards 2017 (SCT 12/06/17)
Nominations have opened for the third Scottish Heritage Angels Awards in a bid to find those groups and individuals – or ‘Angels’ – who have played a special part in caring for, recording and celebrating the nation’s historic environment. Launched in 2014 and funded by the Andrew Lloyd Webber Foundation (ALWF), and run by the Scottish Civic Trust in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland, Archaeology Scotland and the Scottish Government, the scheme seeks to celebrate both groups and individuals who have gone above and beyond in their efforts to promote, protect and, in many cases, rescue Scotland’s heritage. Nominations will close on Friday 11th August.
CIfA and CBA release joint general election statement (CIfA 09/06/17)
The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists (CIfA) have outlined to the new Government a vision for the promotion of an integrated approach to managing our cultural and natural landscapes, upholding the principles of sustainable development in the planning system, and ensuring that our archaeology and wider environment will be better protected after Brexit than they are now, and that they can thrive for the benefit of us all.
Scotland’s most beautiful high street (STP 28/06/17)
Scotland’s Towns Partnership and Keep Scotland Beautiful have come together to launch the first ever Scotland’s Most Beautiful High Street competition. Our high streets and town centres are the beating hearts of communities and local economies. Now, together with the Sunday Herald, we want to celebrate the contribution of our High Streets and recognise the efforts made to make these spaces clean, attractive, accessible, vibrant and inclusive for all to enjoy.
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Question S5W-09395: Oliver Mundell, Dumfriesshire, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 23/05/2017
To ask the Scottish Government what recent steps it has taken to increase the number of affordable homes for (a) rent and (b) purchase in rural communities.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (31/05/2017)
Question S5W-09397: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 23/05/2017
To ask the Scottish Government how many homes meet the Living Home Standard.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (01/06/2017)
Question S5O-01058: Ruth Maguire, Cunninghame South, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 24/05/2017
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the role of community right to buy schemes in towns and cities.
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham (31/05/2017)
Question S5W-09463: Alex Rowley, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 25/05/2017
To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the report that it commissioned from yellow book ltd, Barriers to community engagement in planning: a research study.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (06/06/2017)
OTHER PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITY
The Parliament has agreed the following parliamentary recess dates:
• 1 July to 3 September 2017 (inclusive)
• 7 to 22 October 2017 (inclusive)
EVENTS
For the latest information about BEFS Members’ events see our events calendar.
Friends of Glasgow West Talks Programme
When: June 2017.
Where: Hillhead Library, 348 Byres Road (free). All talks are fully illustrated. Talks begin at 6.30pm and last 75 minutes. Arrive early to be sure of a seat! Talks organised by Ann Laird, and supported by Glasgow Life. Contact Ann Laird for full details of upcoming talks.
Tour of Pitfour Estate and Modern Dairy
When: Saturday 17th June from 13:30 – 16:00.
Where: Pitfour Estate, Mintlaw.
Tour of some remains and restorations at the once-magnificent Pitfour Estate, Mintlaw, by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Alan Watson and family. This will be followed by a visit to a nearby award-winning modern dairy at Middleton of Rora by kind permission of Mr and Mrs Bruce Mackie. Bruce and Jane Mackie won one of two ‘Distinction Awards’ in the ‘As Built’ category for Sustainable Innovative Development at the Aberdeenshire Design Awards 2016. The new dairy at Middleton of Rora was designed by Douglas Shand of Shand Building Design and the Dutch vet Nico Vreeburg of Vetvice, a cow welfare consultancy famous for their ‘Cowsignals’ methodology.
Dean Valley Regeneration Plan Walk
When: Tuesday 18th July from 18:00 – 20:00.
Where: Water of Leith.
Andrew Kerr will lead us on a walk along the Water of Leith from Stockbridge to look at the designed landscape of the Dean Valley in the context of the proposed Dean Valley Regeneration Project.
Falkirk Traditional Building Skills Demonstration
When: 22nd and 23rd June, from 9.30am to 3.30pm.
Where: the grounds of Trinity Church, Falkirk town centre.
Forth Valley Traditional Building Forum is hosting an event to raise awareness of the traditional building skills and materials involved in maintaining the historic buildings in Falkirk town centre and across Scotland. The free event will see secondary school pupils from across the district able to gain hands on experience of these traditional trades and perhaps identify potential tradespeople of the next generation. Advisers will be on hand to explain the opportunities that are available and how to access apprenticeships locally in these trades which are vitally important in maintaining our historic environment. Visitors will be able to meet the professionals and enjoy demonstrations in stonemasonry, joinery, slate roofing & painting and decorating. There will also be free advice from the experts on how using traditional methods and materials could enhance your own property.
IHBC Annual School: Transport Infrastructure – the backbone of civilisation
When: Thursday 22nd – Saturday 24th June 2017. Day School – Friday 23rd June 2017.
Where: Manchester.
The 2017 IHBC Annual School examines the rich legacy of transport infrastructure, exploring both its continuing role as a future driver of change and economic growth as well as its impact upon historic places. The Annual School includes three exciting days of lectures, networking and practical learning to share skills, knowledge and understanding; tours exploring all facets of historic and new infrastructure and its impact on the historic environment around Manchester and the North; NETWORKING EVENTS; EVENING RECEPTION & IHBC ANNUAL DINNER with opportunities to pause, take stock and stimulate debate in fascinating venues.
Society of Antiquaries of Scotland Summer Excursion 2017
When: July 1 @ 9:30 am – 5:30 pm
Where: Low Parks Museum and Hamilton Mausoleum, South Lanarkshire.
Join us on a visit to these Grade A listed buildings the first dating back to 1696 built as Portland, the private residence of David Crawford, lawyer and secretary to the 3rd Duke and Duchess of Hamilton. Later, in 1784, purchased by the 8th Duke of Hamilton and made into a coaching inn housing famous travellers, such as Dr Johnson and James Boswell, and Dorothy and William Wordsworth. The second building is the Palace Riding School, built by Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton, in 1837 which was also equipped with a gymnasium and regulation boxing ring. In 1983, the building was acquired by the Regimental Trustees of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) as a regimental museum.
TRAINING
Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage is delivering a series of training courses and events across Scotland.
Our training is best suited to registered charities and constituted community groups. Take a walk through our simple question and answer page to determine which course is right for you. We have two main training courses and a series of ‘In Focus’ events. If you are interested in any particular event or fundraising topic, please do get in touch – we may be able to bring an event to your area info@scotheritage.org.
Traditional Building Skills Training
Scottish Lime Centre Trust offer a wide range of vocational and professional courses combining theory and practical working sessions designed to ensure that there are courses to suit everyone.
VACANCIES
Volunteer Manager (PAS)
PAS are seeking a Volunteers & Interns Manager to succeed the current manager who is leaving after 11 years in post. The successful candidate will be required to recruit, retain, manage and support PAS’s 420 volunteers, all of whom are built environment professionals, and also manage the PAS Intern programme. An understanding of social media is essential. PAS volunteers assist with delivering an advice service, awareness raising, training and education programmes. With a new Planning Bill in the offing, this is an exciting time for PAS. Deadline for applications is 5pm on Friday 16 June.
The Development Trusts Association Scotland is currently looking to fill the following 2 posts:
• Development Officer
This post is based in Edinburgh, and involves providing advice and support to DTAS members in the southern half of Scotland
• COSS Adviser – Fixed Term Post (to end April 18)
This post is based in Glasgow, and involves providing advice and support to both community organisations and public bodies with the aim of achieving the sustainable transfer of assets into community ownership.The closing date for applications is 9am on Monday 26th June 2017.
Project Officer Temp (Maybole Regeneration)
The Maybole Regeneration (MR) Project is a partnership initiative led jointly by Maybole Community Council and South Ayrshire Council. The role of Project Officer is vital to the success of MR. The post holder will engage with partner organisations, the communities of North Carrick, external Consultants and other stakeholders to take forward key work streams within the overall project plan. The key deliverable will be the submission of a 2nd Stage application to HLF’s Townscape Heritage Scheme during the first quarter of 2018. Closing date for applications is Sunday 25 June 2017.
Activity Officer – Maybole Regeneration
The Maybole Regeneration (MR) Project is a partnership initiative led jointly by Maybole Community Council and South Ayrshire Council. MR is a Townscape Heritage and Conservation Area Regeneration project. It aims to create an attractive, safe and sustainable town centre. MR will provide resources for conservation / restoration work to a range of significant buildings in Maybole, and a programme of activities to encourage engagement with the heritage of the town. An Activity Officer is required to support the Partners as they develop a 2nd Stage bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund and other funding bodies. Closing date for applications is Sunday 25 June 2017.
Elaine MacGillivray, Project Archivist at the University of Edinburgh, tells us about a two-year project which aims to preserve, conserve and catalogue papers of Sir Patrick Geddes.
Sir Patrick Geddes (1854-1932) was a pioneer of the environmental movement and one of the greatest social thinkers of his time. His fascination with the organisation of human societies and their spatial manifestation in the city and country led him to develop a highly individualistic theory of societies and cities. Geddes was a strong advocate of town planning and is perhaps most famous for introducing the concept of “region” to planning and architecture.
In October 2016, the Centre for Research Collections at the University of Edinburgh and the Archives and Special Collections at the University of Strathclyde commenced their collaborative, Wellcome Trust Research Resources-funded, project ‘Evergreen: Patrick Geddes and the Environment in Equilibrium’. This is a two-year project which aims to preserve, conserve, catalogue and virtually reunite two collections of papers of Sir Patrick Geddes held in both institutions.
The project seeks to create a complete catalogue of the collections, enhancing the existing, inadequate catalogues; create an online scalable resource virtually reuniting the collections; undertake a robust preservation and conservation programme, repacking all collections in archival packaging with all significantly damaged items conserved to ensure the long-term preservation of both collections; digitise a small selection of items and make the collections ‘digitisation-ready’; and develop a virtual community and active network of researchers with an interest in Geddes and to engage researchers with the collections.
The collections, which are actually two parts of an original whole, separated by historical accident, are of international significance. Combined, the collections contain over 4000 plans, over 1400 photographic items and in the region of 175000 other items, comprised of papers, notebooks, and correspondence, amongst much more. The collections content ranges from his Cities and Town Planning Exhibitions; The Survey of Edinburgh; his work in India and Israel; his summer schools to his fascinating correspondence with countless networks of contemporaries. The prolific mass and polymathic nature of the collections reflect Geddes’s energy, ideas, relationships and working, and vividly document the development of all Geddes’s theories.
“A preliminary Enquiry, A City Survey, is essential to adequate Town Extension Planning, and still more to City Improvement and Development upon any considerable scale.” (Patrick Geddes, ‘Cities in Evolution’, 1949).
(University of Edinburgh Centre for Research Collections. Coll-1167 – A1.13 – The Valley Section and its social types: in their native habitat and in their parallel urban manifestations).
Project progress to date has seen the retro-conversion of over 750 legacy printed catalogue descriptions to electronic format. An extensive stock-take of the Edinburgh University collections has now been completed with material having now been identified, accounted for and catalogue numbers applied and locations information recorded accordingly. Over 11,000 catalogue descriptions have now been assessed and a programme of re-cataloguing commenced. This work will facilitate enormous steps forward in improving access to the collections and subsequently, the sharing and investigation of Geddes’s ideas.
The next stage in the project will be for the University of Edinburgh’s Library Digital Development team to generate some possible options for the online resource technical infrastructure. The peculiar systems, the legacy cataloguing styles and their inconsistencies, and by their very polymathic and disparate nature – the collections themselves – will present some interesting cataloguing challenges to overcome. We will require professional and innovative solutions, and perhaps even a Geddesian approach: ‘Vivendo Discimus – By Living we Learn: By Creating We Think’.
The project archivist has been engaging with over 30 key stakeholders and later in the project there will be a number of exciting opportunities for individuals/ groups to engage in more depth with the project and the collections. Previous newsletters can be found on our project blog (soon to be updated), and you can also follow us on Twitter @GeddesEvergreen. If you would like to receive our quarterly newsletter please contact the project archivist, Elaine MacGillivray – elaine.macgillivray@ed.ac.uk.
BACK
This report identifies projects about or connected to heritage in Scotland that have received funding from the European Union (EU).
A research report has just been published which shows that over 280 projects received a minimum of £36.8m in EU funding in the period from 2007-2016. These figures are likely to be an under-estimate due to the methodology used. Researchers Euclid are confident that the projects are relevant to the broad definition of heritage used.
This report has been produced in tandem with similar reports for Creative Scotland and Museums and Galleries Scotland. Taking into account that some projects appear in two or more reports as they cover a range of cultural areas, the total level of funding for the culture and heritage sector from EU sources is estimated to be over £59m covering around 650 projects funded since 2007.
By way of comparison, Euclid reported earlier this year that in England and Wales, heritage focused or related projects received a minimum of £450m in EU funding in the period from 2007-2016.
The breakdown in EU funding of Scotland’s heritage projects –
£27m from the European Structural & Investment Funds:
- £23.85m from the ERDF (European Regional Development Fund), and activity
- £350,000 from the ESF (European Social Fund)
- £2.78m from the EAFRD (European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, including LEADER) for rural based projects
£9.8m (using the exchange rate at 1 January 2014 of €0.8298/£1) from Interreg and the trans-national funds (including programmes: Horizon 2020, Interreg, Erasmus+)
Most of the relevant data has been gathered via online databases and for some more extensive databases, the initial filtering was through keyword searches. For these, a number of key words used which were agreed with the commissioning body. For HES, the agreed keywords were: ancient, archaeology/ical, battlefield, castle, conserve/ation, heritage, history/ical, monument, museum, palace, tourism/t. The researcher acknowledges that it is possible that a small number of projects may have been missed as a result of using these particular key words.
BACK
Get The Latest Historic Environment Events, Jobs, News And Publications In BEFS Bulletin.
BEFS NEWS
BEFS welcomes new research on financing local infrastructure using land value capture and the potential levels of investment for the Edinburgh City region. Read the press release and full report here.
The author of the report, Thomas Aubrey, Director of the Centre for Progressive Capitalism, reflects on who should benefit from rising land value in our blog this week.
Ahead of the general election, RICS has carried out analysis of Scottish party manifestos from a built environment perspective, which can be found in the news section below and on their website. For insight on UK party manifestos check out the analysis by Heritage Alliance here.
CONSULTATIONS
Guidance on Engaging Communities in Decisions Relating to Land
Consultation closes on 16 June 2017.
CONSULTATIONS RESPONSES
Consultation on the Relaxation of Planning Controls for Digital communications Infrastructure – Analysis of Responses (25/05/17)
An analysis of the responses to the 2016 Scottish Government public consultation on ‘The Relaxation of Planning Controls for Digital Infrastructure’ (e.g. phone masts, street cabinets and antennas)
PUBLICATIONS
Climate Ready Scotland: Scottish Climate Change Adaptation Programme. Third annual progress report 2017 (SG 30/05/17)
Barriers to community engagement in planning: research study (SG 22/05/17)
This independent research identifies the barriers to communities engaging in the planning system. Produced by Yellow Book Ltd, it was commissioned to inform the review of the planning system.
SCOTTISH GOVERNMENT PRESS RELEASES
Discretionary Housing Payments (SG 30/05/17)
Over the past year almost 113,000 awards have been made under the Discretionary Housing Payments (DHP) scheme, with a total value of £51.9 million.
Surge in overseas visitors (18/05/17)
Statistics published by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) today highlight an additional 155,000 overseas visits were made to Scotland last year compared with 2015, strongly supported by a rise in the number of tourists from North America.
NEWS RELEASES
Fuelling uncertainty with a dateless commitment to referendum: SNP Manifesto (RICS 30/05/17)
The Scottish National Party (SNP) has published a manifesto that focuses on Brexit and the party’s track record, with their pledges resoundingly placing people over land and property.
Stretching the concept of buildings (RICS 30/05/17)
“The way we interact with the built environment is changing”, claimed Phillip Ross, CEO UnGroup. With new technologies and innovations set to have huge ramifications on both the way we live and work in the future, it has never been more important for built environment professionals to stand up and take notice in order to ensure that UK real estate remains relevant and fit for purpose in this time of unprecedented change.
2020 European Green Capital & 2019 European Green Leaf Awards – Open (STP 29/05/17)
The Green City – Does your city have what it takes to be the next European Green Capital or European Green Leaf winner? For the first time, in order to celebrate the 10th year of the European Green Capital competition, the Commission will award €350,000 to the winning city of the 2020 European Green Capital title and €75,000 to the winner of the European Green Leaf 2019 title.
Scottish Green Party manifesto: small in size; big on tax (RICS 29/05/17)
The Scottish Green Party (SGP) has published a concise 15-page manifesto outlining key UK priorities with a focus on the greening of national policy, an alternate UK tax framework, and housing. Fielding just three candidates in Scotland, the SGP has concentrated its campaign target areas, and the same strategy appears to have been applied to their manifesto pledges.
Scottish Traditional Building Skills Demonstration (STBF 25/05/17)
The Scottish Traditional Building Forum organised a hugely successful traditional building skills demonstration in St Andrews Square Gardens, Edinburgh on 22 & 23 May 2017. The event featured local apprentices demonstration traditional building skills including stonemasonry, slate roofing, joinery and painting and decorating.
Rights and protections must remain following Brexit (SCVO 24/05/17)
Jackie Brock, Chief Executive of Children in Scotland, reflects on Brexit. On the radio last week a group of ‘Remainers’ were asked if they would vote in the General Election for parties promising a second EU referendum. Most said “no” – their line being: the vote has been decided, we need to proceed and exit.
IHBC welcomes ’Heritage Works’ 2017, a toolkit of best practice in heritage regeneration launched (IHBC 24/05/17)
The third edition of ’Heritage Works’ has been launched by Deloitte for the British Property Federation (BPF), Historic England and the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS).
Welcome pledges, but more detail needed: Scottish Labour manifesto (RICS 23/05/17)
Scottish Labour has launched an election manifesto which emphasises unity, and opposition to a second referendum on Scottish independence and a “hard Brexit”.
Sunday Herald Scotland’s Towns Series: New Towns Published (STP 23/05/17)
STP and the Sunday Herald have partnered up to raise the profile of Scotland’s towns through a series of pullouts in the Sunday Herald paper. The latest edition of the Scotland’s Towns series, which focuses on how Scotland’s New Towns are recreating their image, is now available.
Helping all housing: Scottish Conservatives manifesto (RICS 19/05/17)
The Scottish Conservatives have published a manifesto which places a heavy emphasis on housing, promising to build 100,000 over the next five years, and provides a plethora of pledges to help reach this ambitious target.
Edinburgh to be part of major EU-funded historic cities project (EWHT 19/05/17)
Edinburgh World Heritage announced today that it had secured significant European Regional Development funding for a major international project to investigate how Europe’s historic cities, many of them World Heritage Sites, can achieve a sustainable future.
Seeding Success: how communities transform town centres (A&DS 05/17)
From a story telling project to a plan for a community centre, communities across Scotland have been rolling up their sleeves, getting together to tackle empty and neglected parts of their town centres and breathe new life into them. Delegates at a one-day event in Paisley on 10 May 2017 heard how 50 projects across the country have used vacant and derelict spaces to bring life back into town centres, under the Stalled Spaces Scotland programme.
MEMBER’S NEWS
AHF Supports Major Investment At Knockando Woolmill (AHF 30/05/17)
Knockando Woolmill in rural Moray, Europe’s oldest district woolmill, is set to increase its productivity, competitiveness and turnover, creating a new post and retaining existing staff. The company has secured up to £100,000 in grant from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) and, through the generous support and funding of Historic Environment Scotland, a loan facility of up to £250,000 from the Architectural Heritage Fund.
PAS takes part in TEDx event at Queen Margaret University (PAS 26/05/17)
PAS Chief Executive Petra Biberbach was invited to speak at this year’s TEDx QMU event a few weeks ago. The theme was ‘Our Transgenerational World’. Petra spoke about ‘Bridging the Gaps’ between our different generations, placemaking from an intergenerational perspective – and why all ages must be more involved in shaping their communities.
Facelifts, tobacco, and BAR… 50 years of the Scottish Civic Trust 9SCT 16/05/17)
Please excuse the somewhat click-bait title, but my goodness what a fascinating and influential past the Scottish Civic Trust enjoys! I have put together a timeline of the Trust’s history of the last fifty years. This is by no means a comprehensive list; rather it comprises of some landmark moments which I hope will spark the interest of both those who have known of us for half a century, and those who have only just learned our name.
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS
Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.
S5W-09463 Alex Rowley: To ask the Scottish Government what its response is to the findings of the report that it commissioned from yellow book ltd, Barriers to community engagement in planning: a research study. (SP 30/05/17)
S5O-01058 Ruth Maguire: To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide an update on the role of community right to buy schemes in towns and cities. (SP25/05/17)
S5W-09395 Oliver Mundell: To ask the Scottish Government what recent steps it has taken to increase the number of affordable homes for (a) rent and (b) purchase in rural communities (SP 24/05/17)
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-09184: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 09/05/2017
To ask the Scottish Government what information it has regarding how many tenement buildings have been demolished as a result of falling into disrepair in each year since 2007.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (18/05/2017)
Question S5W-09183: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 09/05/2017
To ask the Scottish Government what steps it takes to help maintain tenement buildings.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (16/05/2017)
Question S5W-09176: Edward Mountain, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 09/05/2017
To ask the Scottish Government what aspects of the management of the Crown Estate will be devolved to local authorities.
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham (23/05/2017)
Question S5W-09171: Edward Mountain, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 09/05/2017
To ask the Scottish Government what the cost is of the transfer of the powers over the management of the Crown Estate; how these costs will be met, and what additional costs the Crown Estate has to meet.
Answered by Roseanna Cunningham (23/05/2017)
OTHER PARLIAMENTARY ACTIVITY
The Parliament has agreed the following parliamentary recess dates:
• 1 July to 3 September 2017 (inclusive)
• 7 to 22 October 2017 (inclusive)
EVENTS
For the latest information about BEFS Members’ events see our events calendar.
City Vision Workshop With Peter Head Lecture
When: Wednesday, 31 May 2017 from 17:00 to 20:30.
Where: Project Room 1.06, University of Edinburgh, 50 George Square EH8 9JY.
In the third of a series of new lectures and workshops the EAA welcomes Peter Head, an engineer who is a recognized global leader in the implementation of resilient and sustainable city development. The aim of Peter’s lecture and workshop is to bring forward and consolidate the developing visions for Edinburgh in 2050 and to map out a practical implementation process, including how financing and decision making could move forward through a collaborative process.
Following Peter’s session there will be contributions from local professionals, consultants and groups, leading on to a workshop which will look at the visioning for Edinburgh, and how we can collectively contribute and support change to make a better future.
Sir Patrick Geddes Commemorative Lecture 2017 – Poverty, Places and Equality: A role for place based approaches?
When: Wednesday, 07 June 2017 at 5:45PM – 8:15PM.
Where: The Lighthouse, Mitchell Lane, Glasgow G1 3NU.
Naomi Eisenstadt – Independent Advisor to the Scottish Government on Poverty and Inequality. After a long career in the NGO sector, in 1999 Naomi became the first Director of the Sure Start Unit. The Unit was responsible for delivering the government’s commitment to free nursery education places for all 3-4 year olds, the national childcare strategy, and reducing the gap in outcomes between children living in disadvantaged areas and the wider child population. Naomi spent 3 years as the Director of the Social Exclusion Task Force working across government to identify and promote policies to address the needs of traditionally excluded groups. Since retiring from the Civil Service, Naomi has chaired the Camden Equalities Commission, the Milton Keynes Child Poverty Commission, published a book and several articles relevant to child development and child poverty.
Medieval painted wooden vaults in Norwegian parish churches
When & Where:
- 12 June from 6-7pm at Auditorium National Museum Scotland, Edinburgh
- June 13 from 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm at Regent Building Lecture Theatre, Regent Walk, Aberdeen.
- June 14 from 7:30 pm – 8:30 pm at Overblikk restaurant, Orkney College, East Road, Kirkwall.
Professor Margrethe Stang, of the Norwegian University of Science and Technology, will present the Lindsay Fischer lecture in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Kirkwall, entitled “Medieval painted wooden vaults in Norwegian parish churches”. Professor Stang is a medievalist and iconographer specializing in panel painting in the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Her doctoral dissertation from 2009 discusses 31 surviving painted altar frontals (panel paintings) made in Norway c. 1250-1350, with emphasis on the iconography of the panels in relationship of the context for which they were made (mainly rural parish churches). The question of patronage features prominently in the discussion, a much neglected topic in previous scholarship on this material. Other research interests include the iconography of St Olav, medieval Scandinavian wall- and ceiling painting, the use of art in religious practice – liturgical and non-liturgical.
Summer Excursion 2017
When: July 1 @ 9:30 am – 5:30 pm.
Where: Low Parks Museum and Hamilton Mausoleum, South Lanarkshire.
Cost: £40 – £45.
Join us on a visit to these Grade A listed buildings the first dating back to 1696 built as Portland, the private residence of David Crawford, lawyer and secretary to the 3rd Duke and Duchess of Hamilton. Later, in 1784, purchased by the 8th Duke of Hamilton and made into a coaching inn housing famous travellers, such as Dr Johnson and James Boswell, and Dorothy and William Wordsworth. The second building is the Palace Riding School, built by Alexander, 10th Duke of Hamilton, in 1837 which was also equipped with a gymnasium and regulation boxing ring. In 1983, the building was acquired by the Regimental Trustees of the Cameronians (Scottish Rifles) as a regimental museum. Tickets include return coach transport, the tours, morning refreshments and lunch. Book via the website or email your details to: info@socantscot.org or phone 0131 247 4133.
TRAINING
Resourcing Scotland’s Heritage is delivering a series of training courses and events across Scotland.
Our training is best suited to registered charities and constituted community groups. Take a walk through our simple question and answer page to determine which course is right for you. We have two main training courses and a series of ‘In Focus’ events. If you are interested in any particular event or fundraising topic, please do get in touch – we may be able to bring an event to your area info@scotheritage.org.
Traditional Building Skills Training
Scottish Lime Centre Trust offer a wide range of vocational and professional courses combining theory and practical working sessions designed to ensure that there are courses to suit everyone.
VACANCIES
Design Officer (A&DS)
We are looking for an enthusiastic design professional to help us provide advice and promote the benefits of good design in the built environment. The post offers the opportunity to develop your career and gain experience working across a broad range of topics. If successful you will be developing and supporting projects and promoting the benefits of a well-designed built environment.
Closing date is noon, Wednesday 7 June 2017
In light of a new report on land value in the Edinburgh City region, Thomas Aubrey, Director of the Centre for Progressive Capitalism, says politicians must decide whether the few or the whole of society should benefit from rising land values.
Edinburgh’s North Bridge finally opened in 1772 after a challenging construction process. Its completion enabled the fields to the north to be developed into what became the new town. 18th century Edinburgh, just as it is today, was bursting at the seams, and required new infrastructure to open up available land for housing.
But there is one major difference between the way in which the new town was developed compared to how we do things today, and that it is who benefits from the uplift in land values. Prior to the construction of the north bridge, there was little demand for housing on the fields north of the city due to the lack of connectivity to the jobs in the old town. In today’s money, the value of this land would have been worth around £18,000 per hectare. But as soon as infrastructure is put in, the demand for housing in a connected area will rocket, sending residential land prices soaring to as high as £4 million per hectare.
In the 18th century, landowners generally benefitted from the productive work of others through their monopoly of land ownership. This greatly frustrated Adam Smith, who in the Wealth of Nations complained that landowners were a major barrier to capital accumulation and wealth creation. Indeed, the issue of free riding was so pervasive that King James VII of Scotland, when he was the resident royal commissioner of Holyrood a hundred years earlier, awarded the city a grant. The grant stated that when Edinburgh should have occasion to enlarge the city by including the building of bridges, the proprietors of lands benefitting from the enlargement are obliged to part with the land on reasonable terms.
In essence, instead of having to buy the land at £4 million a hectare to build houses, they were able to acquire it at levels much closer to £18,000 per hectare. This issue lies at the core of the housing crisis across the country today. Britain needs to invest in infrastructure to open up new areas of land for housing to increase supply. This investment generally needs to be financed by government, but it is expensive. In most other European and Asian countries, the uplift in land values is captured by the local municipality to finance the infrastructure. But things are different in England and Scotland where it is the landowner who benefits instead.
But we as a society must ask ourselves whether it is right to continue to reward landowners for doing nothing, while foregoing the precious funds the country needs to finance infrastructure to enable families to live somewhere called home? Research by the Centre for Progressive Capitalism shows that over the next 20 years a handful of landowners and investors will make more than £8.5bn in windfall profits just by owning land in the Edinburgh City Region. These massive windfall profits of course have a downside. Shelter estimates in Scotland alone there are over 10,000 households in temporary accommodation including over 5000 children. Furthermore, homeless applications are over 34,000.
But the housing crisis is increasingly impacting households with good jobs too. It would take a household earning £36,000 nine years saving 10% of their net income for a 20% deposit on an average one-bedroom flat in Edinburgh.
Both Scotland and England are currently going through policy consultations in an attempt to try and resolve this issue. The English housing white paper referenced that it is looking at land value capture as a way to finance infrastructure to open up new areas of land for housing. The Scottish government is also focused on how infrastructure might be financed to open up land for housing.
But neither administration has yet demonstrated it is willing to tackle the underlying issue which is that the Land Compensation Acts (1961 in England and 1963 in Scotland) require landowners to be compensated for land as though it had planning permission. This impacts the land market and ensures that landowners pocket most of the increase. However, both Acts can easily be amended so that no account of any prospective planning permission in land designated by a city region for infrastructure including housing is taken into account.
One of the last politicians to attempt to change this was Winston Churchill, who following Adam Smith, argued that it was unjust for landowners to pocket what was essentially unearned income. Both the Westminster and Holyrood Parliaments need to debate this issue and come to a conclusion whether it is right that landowners should continue to pocket such large sums of money for doing nothing. Our failure to learn from Adam Smith and Winston Churchill will only mean that the housing crisis will get worse.
Read the full report ‘Financing local infrastructure using land value capture – Potential levels of investment for the Edinburgh City Region‘.
BACK
BEFS welcomes new research on financing local infrastructure using land value capture and the potential levels of investment for the Edinburgh City region.
This report prepared by the Centre for Progressive Capitalism for BEFS, following an event looking at cracking the housing nut in Scotland earlier this year, estimates the returns from land value capture for the Edinburgh City Region over a 20-year period. It is especially timely given the Scottish Governments consultation on the future of the Scottish planning system and the challenge of housing across the country today.
The research states that the Scottish Government is right to argue in its planning consultation that actively enabling infrastructure has a critical role to play in supporting housing delivery. However, it suggests that there is a risk that the current proposals of utilising an infrastructure levy ignore both its failure in England and best practice across Europe and Asia in financing infrastructure.
The report suggests that if the Scottish Government is to be successful in actively enabling infrastructure it must start learning from European and Asian countries and implement a land value capture system instead. This would require the Scottish Parliament to amend the Land Compensation Act (Scotland) 1963, permitting public authorities to capture the uplift in land values to finance the infrastructure.
Analysis by the Centre for Progressive Capitalism suggests this would unlock around £8.6bn of additional funds for the Edinburgh City Region alone to finance infrastructure over the next 20 years. Furthermore, these additional funds would have no negative impact on the public finances.
This issue lies at the core of the housing challenge. Scotland needs to invest in infrastructure to open up new areas of land for housing to increase supply. This investment generally needs to be financed by government, but it is expensive. In most other European and Asian countries, the uplift in land values is captured by the local municipality to finance the infrastructure. But things are different in England and Scotland where it is the landowner who benefits instead.
“This begs the question of whether it is right to continue to reward landowners for doing nothing, while foregoing the precious funds the country needs to finance infrastructure to enable families to live somewhere called home”, said Thomas Aubrey, Director of the Centre for Progressive Capitalism.
“These figures can support city region infrastructure planning and provide indicative estimates of the scale of infrastructure that could be financed from land value capture”, said BEFS Director, Euan Leitch.
Based on the findings of the report, Built Environment Forum Scotland and the Centre for Progressive Capitalism recommend the Scottish Government re-examine their proposals for funding infrastructure as part of the review of the Scottish planning system.
BACK