In the first edition of the Places of Worship Forum (POWF) Newsletter, Audrey Dunn, Churches Advisor at COSS (Community Ownership Support Services) introduces their New Futures Programme – Former places of Worship in Scotland a new initiative dedicated to supporting churches into community ownership. COSS is delivered by the Development Trusts Association Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government to support the sustainable transfer of predominantly public assets into community ownership.
It is now well known that the Church of Scotland (CoS) in particular, is rationalising its estate at pace and our research shows that as many as 800 church assets across Scotland (across all denominations) are potentially up for sale in the next few years. COSS (Community Ownership Support Services) has been supporting groups over the years with their ambitions to bring churches and glebe land into community ownership but to support this unprecedented demand we have now launched a new dedicated support service.
I am the Churches Advisor covering the North half of Scotland and my colleague Claire Martin, covers the Southern half. A third advisor will also be coming on board shortly as our research shows that demand is due to further increase next year. This research was started by the DTAS (Development Trusts Association Scotland) Research and Insights team and further developed by our new Programme Support Officer, Harry Whitmore.
Harry is part of our churches team and has been leading on developing an open-source database detailing the status of all Church of Scotland assets from local presbytery plans and other publicly available material on other denominations into one handy searchable document that we can continue to update. This will provide communities and stakeholders with vital information to help them plan support and community action.
As advisors we will provide dedicated support along with training and guidance to equip communities to make informed decisions on the future of their local church assets, providing the tools for community ownership where appropriate and ensuring communities across Scotland have the support they need. We will also be raising awareness, visiting targeted areas and highlighting to communities the assets that may be being disposed of the support available to them. So, in summary, our service will, over the next three years provide-
- early-stage guidance and advice to communities including 1-2-1 Advisor support
- start up support, mentoring and sharing good practice with groups
- peer-to-peer networking and learning exchanges
- help building capacity in community ownership through training workshops, guidance and resources
- dedicated web pages with digital resources (still to be developed) as well as signposting to other support bodies
- a ‘Churches SOS’ Crisis Support Service for groups that need to access support quickly to access their options
- microgrants to groups to set up to hold early-stage community consultation events, print leaflets etc.
- work with a range of partners and stakeholders to ensure holistic package of support.
We are also looking forward to continuing our work with BEFS, by co-developing and delivering workshop sessions and exploring how best we can support local authority officers in this fast-paced environment.
As the programme develops, we will be sharing information and findings with partners across the UK and look forward to working with a variety of stakeholders including those involved in the Places of Worship forum.
It’s early days and our webpages are still under construction, but we have been busy! Since 2024 the COSS team have been working with over 50 active community groups who are exploring the options available to them and we have launched our first series of online workshops. The topics so far cover place planning and community engagement delivered in partnership with Coalfields Regeneration Trust and an information session on Community Right to Buy delivered by Scottish Government. The past few months we have delivered workshops such as “Churches into Community Ownership – First steps”, “Finance and Fundraising”, and “Business Planning”.
This three-year project is possible thanks to funding by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF) and Historic Environment Scotland (HES) and Development Trust Association Scotland (DTAS).
Please do share our contact details amongst your network and we very much look forward to hearing from new groups considering taking a former place of worship into community ownership.
Delivered by the Development Trusts Association Scotland, the Community Ownership Support Service is funded by the Scottish Government to support the sustainable transfer of predominantly public assets into community ownership.
Audrey Dunn, Churches Advisor at COSS (Community Ownership Support Services) introduces their New Futures Programme – Former places of Worship in Scotland a new initiative dedicated to supporting churches into community ownership.
This blog is part of the Places of Worship Forum (POWF) Newsletter which launched 3 July 2025. To read the first edition, please click here. The newsletter aims to share the ongoing work of the group. Would you like to receive the next edition of the newsletter? Sign up here.
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BEFS News
Now out! BEFS ‘Joining the Dots’ blog series highlights the many interconnected policy agendas for Scotland’s built environment. In the fourth edition, Dr Caroline Brown, Director for Scotland, Ireland and English Regions at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), explores how data integration could transform policy implementation and decision-making across Scotland’s planning system. Joining the Dots is available on BEFS website.
Some further recommended reading, in case you missed it: Irene Mosota, chief executive of Knowledge-Bridge UK, shares a thought-provoking piece, building on her address at Scotland’s Historic Environment Forum in June, and asks is the heritage sector an exclusive sector? And, if so, what more can we do to invite everyone in? Read the full article here.
Scotland’s Landscape Alliance has launched Scotland’s Landscape Charter 2025, promoting awareness of the contribution of landscapes to all our lives and the action required to maximise their benefits now and for the future. The Charter aims to achieve a collaborative, cross-sectoral approach to delivering functional, resilient and dynamic landscapes that support Scotland’s net zero and nature positive ambitions, and is endorsed by the Scottish Government, NatureScot, Historic Environment Scotland, the Scottish Land Commission, and Architecture and Design Scotland.
BEFS Member Stirling City Heritage Trust is seeking three new Board Trustees. To complement their existing Board members, they are seeking individuals who have skills and experience in one or more of the following areas: Financial Management and Accountancy; Legal; Governance and Building Conservation. Applications from people from a diverse range of backgrounds and experience, and with the ability to make an effective contribution to the organisation are welcomed.
The National Trust for Scotland has announced that Dame Sue Bruce will succeed Sir Mark Jones as Chair in August 2025. Dame Sue brings extensive senior experience in the public and charity sectors, which will support the Trust as it continues implementing its 10-year strategy “Nature, Beauty and Heritage for Everyone” and looks ahead to its centenary in 2031.
And finally, the National Churches Trust is inviting submissions from architects and surveyors for its Architecture 2025 awards. The awards, run in partnership with the Ecclesiastical Architects & Surveyors Association (EASA), celebrate excellence in church architecture and conservation. Deadline for submissions is the 9th of July!
Parliamentary Questions & Answers
Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions regarding Green Jobs, Apprenticeships, Construction, and Land Reform.
Consultations
Creative Industries Sector Plan Survey
UK Parliament, Culture, Media and Sport Committee
The Culture, Media and Sport Committee has launched a survey for people working in the creative industries ahead of an evidence session examining the UK Government’s Creative Industries Sector Plan. The survey seeks views from those working across the creative industries to inform the Committee’s scrutiny of whether the government’s plan is ambitious enough and truly addresses the challenges faced by talented people working in the sector. The evidence session with Minister Sir Chris Bryant MP and others will take place on 8 July.
*NEW* Closes 8 July 2025
Housing (Scotland) Bill
Scottish Government
This consultation seeks views on how powers within the Housing (Scotland) Bill could be used to exempt certain types of properties from rent control. It also looks into circumstances where rents could be increased above the level of the rent cap and scope for clarifying how joint tenancies in the private sector are ended. The Bill brings forward a package of reforms to help ensure people have a safe, secure and affordable place to live. It includes measures that provide a framework for a long-term system of rent control in Scotland. The consultation addresses three main areas: properties that should be exempt from rent control area restrictions; properties that should be subject to modified rent control area restrictions; and clarifying how joint tenancies in the private rented sector are ended.
Closes 18 July 2025
Update to the 2020 Offshore Wind Policy Statement: Scotland’s Offshore Wind ambition
Scottish Government
The outlook for offshore wind in Scotland has changed since the original Offshore Wind Policy Statement was published in 2020. Since then, there has been a significant increase in the number of potential offshore wind developments due to the ScotWind and the Innovation and Targeted Oil and Gas (INTOG) leasing rounds. The consultation paper contains full background information for this consultation.
*NEW* Closes 13 August 2025
Pre-Budget scrutiny 2026-27: funding for culture
Scottish Parliament
The Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee is seeking views on funding for culture to support its 2026-27 pre-budget scrutiny. The Committee is taking a cumulative approach to budget scrutiny over Session 6, focusing primarily on the culture spending portfolio. The consultation seeks input from stakeholders and the public on cultural funding priorities and challenges ahead of the 2026-27 Scottish Budget process.
*NEW* Closes 15 August 2025
Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill
Scottish Parliament
The Finance and Public Administration Committee is seeking views on the Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill. The Bill introduces a new tax, called the Scottish Building Safety Levy, to be charged on the construction of residential property development in Scotland. The call for views aims to help the Committee to understand the reasons people have for either supporting or opposing the Bill and how people would like to see the Bill amended. Above all, they would like to find out to what extent the proposed Scottish Building Safety Levy (SBSL) aligns with the Scottish Government’s 2024 Tax Strategy and with the principles of good tax policy making included in the Framework for Tax 2021. Views are welcomed from individuals and organisations in the housebuilding sector, other industry experts, tax experts, academics and think-tanks, public bodies and any other stakeholders including the general public with an interest in the subject.
*NEW* Closes 15 August 2025
Scottish Aggregates Tax: proposed approaches to cross-border taxation
Scottish Government
This consultation seeks views on how to approach cross-border taxation for Scottish Aggregates Tax (SAT), which is intended to replace UK Aggregates Levy from 1 April 2026.
*NEW* Closes 18 August 2025
Draft Updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is consulting on the draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (SMP-OWE). The plan sets out an integrated framework for sustainable offshore wind development in Scottish waters, informed by the latest scientific evidence. It identifies opportunities and constraints while balancing the needs of communities, nature and other sea users. The consultation includes supporting assessments covering environmental, socio-economic, habitats regulation, nature conservation, sustainability and business regulatory impact.
Closes 22 August 2025
Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill
Social Justice and Social Security Committee
The Social Justice and Social Security Committee is seeking views on the Wellbeing and Sustainable Development (Scotland) Bill, introduced by Sarah Boyack MSP on 27 March 2025. The Bill creates a new public duty requiring all public bodies to have due regard for the need to promote wellbeing and sustainable development in the exercise of their functions and establishes a Future Generations Commissioner for Scotland. The committee welcomes responses from public sector organisations, third sector organisations, professionals, academics, children and young people, and members of the public to help inform their scrutiny of the Bill and selection of witnesses for oral evidence sessions.
*NEW* Closes 24 August 2025
Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment (HEETSA) – Scoping Consultation
Scottish Government
The purpose of this Scoping Consultation is to set out the Scottish Government’s initial proposals for the scope of a Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment (HEETSA) and seek stakeholder views on the overall concept of HEETSA and how it relates to other parts of the heat and energy efficiency retrofit landscape. Read the consultation paper.
Closes 29 August 2025
Private Rented Sector (PRS) Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES)
Scottish Government
This consultation seeks views on the Scottish Government’s proposals to introduce Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulations in the domestic Private Rented Sector (PRS) using existing powers within in the Energy Act 2011. These regulations would mean all privately rented properties, as far as possible, reaching EPC Heat Retention Rating (HRR) band C from 2028 for new tenancies and by 2033 for all privately rented homes. Your views are welcomed, regarding the practical implications, as proposals are finalised to help ensure these regulations to work as effectively as possible. Read the consultation paper.
Closes 29 August 2025
Draft Climate Change Plan Scrutiny 2025
Scottish Parliament
The draft Climate Change Plan (CCP) is a strategy document which outlines how the Scottish Government intends to meet emissions reduction targets across all portfolio areas and sectors of the economy. This will be the first time the Scottish Parliament has considered a statutory CCP in draft form since the passing of the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) (Scotland) Act of 2019 and the Climate Change (Emissions Reduction Targets) Act 2024. To support the Parliament’s scrutiny, the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee is undertaking a Call for Views in advance of the draft CCP being published. It asks questions about what policies people think should be in the draft CCP across different sectors, and what else needs to be included to deliver a just transition to net zero by 2045.
*NEW* Closes 19 September 2025
Rural Tourism in Scotland Survey
Historic Houses Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates
Member properties of Historic Houses Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates are invited to complete this survey to provide data for a major report on rural tourism in Scotland. The survey aims to gather evidence on the impact of rural tourism businesses on Scotland’s economy and address challenges and opportunities facing the sector. The report will feed into VisitScotland and the Scottish Government’s aims for growing tourism across Scotland in a sustainable way. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
No closing date specified
ScotLand Futures
Scottish Land Commission
ScotLand Futures is a national initiative led by the Scottish Land Commission exploring what a fully reformed approach to land in Scotland could look like and how to make it happen. The initiative aims to think big, tackle challenges, provide certainty for the future, and find practical solutions to ensure land benefits everyone. The Scottish Land Commission wants to hear from people across Scotland, whether they live in a city, town, village or rural area, about what land reform means to them and what changes they want to see.
No closing date specified
Consultation Responses
Protecting Scotland’s Historic Places – HES Designations Strategy BEFS responded to a Historic Environment Scotland (HES) call for views on its Draft Designations Strategy, the system used to provide legal recognition and protection for more than 55,000 heritage sites across Scotland, for 2025-35. BEFS welcomed the timing of the Strategy, and its focus on improving information and recognising emerging heritage, but shared Members’ desire for a greater level of ambition and highlighted their concerns about the sector’s capacity to deliver. (BEFS 01/07/2025)
ECHOES Survey
BEFS fed into this European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage survey, which aims to better understand the priorities, challenges, and expectations of professionals, volunteers and institutions engaged in cultural heritage across Europe. The survey will inform further development of a new digital cultural heritage platform, updates on which will be shared in future bulletins. (BEFS 30/06/2025)
Building regulations – proposed review of fire safety topics: analysis of responses
(Scot Gov 30/06/2025)
Petitions
SPICe briefing for the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee on PE2157: Update planning advice for energy storage issues (Scot Parl 19/06/2025)
News Releases
Repair and Adaptation Fund Applications (Museums Galleries Scotland 30/05/2025)
Skills for Planet: Powering designers for the green transition by 2030 (Design Council 05/06/2025)
Almost £1million for community regeneration projects in Glasgow after council bids accepted (Glasgow City Council 10/06/2025)
St Paul’s to launch world class heritage craft training centre on Cathedral’s 350th anniversary (St Paul’s Cathedral 18/06/2025)
New campaign seeks to boost wellbeing through connection to heritage (HES 18/06/2025)
Nominations open for the Europa Nostra UK Committee 2025 (Europa Nostra 22/06/2025)
Funding boost for postgrad students undertaking any course (BE-ST 25/06/2025)
City of Edinburgh Council’s retrofit project: Plans submitted to transform city’s iconic Cables Wynd House and Linksview House (City of Edinburgh Council 27/06/2025)
Publications
Reuse First Policy Manifesto (Circular Communities Scotland May 2025)
Healthier Cities and Communities through Public Spaces (UN-Habitat June 2025)
Scotland’s blueprint: the art of the possible (Prosper June 2025)
Designing for inclusive and accessible learning environments (Architecture and Design Scotland June 2025)
From raised voices to voices raised: putting people at the heart of planning (Demos 17/06/2025)
The Business Case for Integrated Retrofit: How banks, insurers, and the government can support healthy, efficient, and resilient homes (Cambridge Institute for Sustainability Leadership 18/06/2025)
EDII and Behavioural Research: Inclusive and Rigorous Science (Behavioural Research UK 18/06/2025)
Heritage Sector Resilience Plan 2025-35 (Historic Environment Forum 19/06/2025)
Progress in reducing emissions – 2025 report to Parliament (Climate Change Committee 24/06/2025)
Scottish & UK: Governmental & Parliamentary Publications
Architecture and Design Scotland review: summary report (Scot Gov 17/06/2025)
Correspondence between Gillian Martin and the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee on carbon budgets and the Climate Change Plan (Scot Gov 17/06/2025)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee: Official Report and Minutes (Scot Parl 17/06/2025)
Scotland in 2050 (Scot Gov 17/06/2025)
Cladding Remediation Programme: factsheet (Scot Gov 18/06/2025)
Place Directors: factsheet (Scot Gov 18/06/2025)
Private residential tenancy: information for tenants (Scot Gov 19/06/2025)
Public service reform strategy launched (Scot Gov 19/06/2025)
Scottish National Adaptation Plan – Annual Progress Report 2024-2025 (Scot Gov 19/06/2025)
Statement To Accompany The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (Scottish Carbon Budgets) Amendment Regulations 2025 (Scot Gov 19/06/2025)
Validation of RdSAP U-value calculation methodology for traditional stone walls in Scotland (Scot Gov 19/06/2025)
Historic Environment Records: Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government written question (UK Parl 19/06/2025)
Correspondence between Gillian Martin and the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee regarding the laying of the Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (Scot Parl 19/06/2025)
Correspondence between the Deputy First Minister and the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee regarding Community Wealth Building Bill (Scot Parl 19/06/2025)
Planning and Architecture: Water Resilient Dundee (Scot Gov 20/06/2025)
Just Transition Fund: application form and guidance (Scot Gov 23/06/2025)
Correspondence between The Education, Children and Young People Committee and Mairi McAllan regarding RAAC in college and University Buildings (Scot Parl 23/06/2025)
The climate jigsaw part one: the general framework of devolution and climate change (SPICe 23/06/2025)
The climate jigsaw part two: sectoral issues in devolution and climate change (SPICe 23/06/2025)
Clerk’s note- National Planning Framework 4 Annual Review (Scot Parl 24/06/2025)
SPICe Spotlight. Climate Change and Scottish Parliament Committees: Finance and Public Administration Committee (SPICe 24/06/2025)
Housing Statistics for Scotland Quarterly Update: New Housebuilding and Affordable Housing Supply to end March 2025 (Scot Gov 24/06/2025)
Housing statistics quarterly update: new housebuilding and affordable housing supply (Scot Gov 24/06/2025)
Open Government action plan 2021 to 2025 – commitment 4: climate change (Scot Gov 24/06/2025)
Quarterly Housing Statistics in the year to end of March 2025 (Scot Gov 24/06/2025)
War Memorials Debate (UK Parl 24/06/2025)
EAC Chair – Government must redouble efforts as Climate Change Committee reports on progress in reducing emissions (UK Parl 25/06/2025)
Scotland’s Fiscal Outlook: The Scottish Government’s Medium-Term Financial Strategy (Scot Gov 25/06/2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill – Second Reading (House of Lords 25/06/2025)
Climate change and the Public Audit Committee Report (SPICe 25/06/2025)
Correspondence between the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee and the Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy regarding Climate Change Plan timing (Scot Parl 26/06/2025)
Households and Dwellings in Scotland, 2024 (NRS 26/06/2025)
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee Report on the Legislative Consent Memorandum on the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (Scot Parl 26/06/2025)
Infrastructure Investment Plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: progress report 2024 to 2025 (Scot Gov 27/06/2025)
Planning and Environmental Appeals Division: annual review 2024 to 2025 (Scot Gov 27/06/2025)
Building standards approved energy assessment software: guidance (Scot Gov 30/06/2025)
Building Safety Regulator: Reforms to Accelerate Housebuilding (UK Gov 30/06/2025)
Community Rights to Buy: overview (Scot Gov 30/06/2025)
Housing to 2040 Strategic Board minutes: March 2025 (Scot Gov 30/06/2025)
Motions
S6M-18031
Submitted by: Meghan Gallacher, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date Lodged: 19/06/2025
That the Parliament recognises the contribution of Homes for Scotland in helping to address the reported skills shortage in Scotland’s planning system through the launch of five new Future Planners bursaries; notes that the bursaries total to £25,000; further notes that these bursaries aim to attract individuals from diverse backgrounds into the planning profession by supporting course fees, living expenses and mentoring opportunities, which are administered by the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI); understands that the bursaries will support students on RTPI-accredited Planning master’s courses at the University of Glasgow, the University of Dundee and Heriot-Watt University for the 2025-26 academic year; recognises that this initiative, supported by Brodies, Mac Mic Group, Miller Homes, Persimmon Homes and Taylor Wimpey, complements the 30 bursaries already available via Scottish Government grant funding; welcomes this initiative during a time of what it sees as significant pressure on Scotland’s planning system, and amid an ongoing housing emergency, and commends Homes for Scotland for its leadership in marking its 25th anniversary year by investing in the future of planning in Scotland and supporting a sustainable pipeline of talent to help deliver the homes that it considers Scotland needs.
Opinion & Comment
Retrofitting tenements – Under One Roof takes to the mic with The Scottish Housing News Podcast (Scottish Housing News 02/06/2025)
Place building to subsidise ‘affordable’ house building? (Build Edinburgh 07/06/2025)
We cannot protect historic buildings without protecting the skills to care for them (Building Design 16/06/2025)
Imposing planning fees on listed buildings would be a huge mistake (The Times 17/06/2025)
Calls for end to ‘boom and bust’ heritage funding (Arts Professional 19/06/2025)
Glasgow gives go-ahead for ‘tourist tax’ on visitors (BBC News 20/06/2025)
Housebuilding slows amid rising demand and financial pressures (Scottish Construction Now 24/06/2025)
Scots tourism reports record year for international visits (The Herald 24/06/2025)
Stone Stories: how Glasgow’s tenements can weather the climate crisis (River Clyde Homes 24/06/2025)
Consultation on scrapped Galloway national park cost £160,000 (BBC News 25/06/2025)
Historic England head tries to block protection for listed cinema (The Times 25/06/2025)
Data integration could be the key to joining the dots in Scotland’s complex policy landscape (BEFS 26/06/2025)
English Heritage chief steps down after a turbulent 18 months in post (The Art Newspaper 27/06/2025)
Community support service provides outstanding support to Clydebank tenants (Clydebank Housing Association 28/05/2025)
Glasgow School of Art closes last link to stained glass studio where Mackintosh studied, which helped keep the endangered craft alive (The Herald 30/06/2025)
Events
For further listings, please see BEFS events calendar
RIAS – BookshopLATES… 1960s University Buildings
Date & Time: Thursday 10 July 2025; 6:30-7:30pm (doors 6pm)
Location: RIAS Bookshop, 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh, EH1 2BE
Join John Barr as he discusses his new book ‘1960s University Buildings’ with Professor Gordon Murray PPRIAS. In his newly published book, John Barr examines the architectural thinking of the 1960s and proposes it is the university buildings of the era that represented the cutting edge of modern architecture in the UK. While there were notable buildings being built in other spheres, no other field of architecture provided the opportunity to express these new ideas as freely, while also reflecting innovative thinking about education and society.
Glasgow City Heritage Trust – Energy Solutions for Community Buildings
Date & Time: Thursday 17 July 2025; 1-2pm
Location: GCHT Offices, 54 Bell Street, Glasgow G1 1LQ
In this session, HeatHack founder Jean Carletta will share the challenges faced by churches and community organisations in managing energy use. You’ll gain insights into the client perspective and practical ideas for your own work, as well as influence what HeatHack does next in trying to bridge the gap between clients and professionals. HeatHack supports community groups in keeping their buildings well-used and energy-efficient. By exploring occupancy patterns, building preservation, retrofitting and low-carbon heating options, HeatHack helps churches, halls, and community centres understand how they can improve thermal comfort while using less energy. This event is free, but booking is essential.
Glasgow City Heritage Trust – Greek Thomson and Beyond: A Glasgow City Centre Walking Tour
Date & Time: Thursday 17 July 2025; 6-7:30pm
Location: Meet at the GCHT Offices, 54 Bell Street, Glasgow G1 1LQ
Join conservation architect Scott Abercrombie, Associate Director at John Gilbert Architects and former Chair of the Alexander Thomson Society, for a walking tour exploring the legacy of Alexander ‘Greek’ Thomson and his circle. Starting from GCHT’s office at 54 Bell Street, the 90-minute walk will take in key surviving buildings by Thomson and along the way, Scott will look to highlight the work of Thomson’s contemporaries, collaborators, and successors. The route finishes at the Centre for Contemporary Arts on Sauchiehall Street, where participants are welcome to stay for further discussion in the Third Eye Bar. Please note: the walk will proceed at a gentle pace but involves a steady uphill route. As always in Glasgow, please dress for all weather conditions!
NESTA – A policy plan for clean heat in Scotland
Date & Time: Thursday 24 July 2025; 12-1pm
Location: Online
With the 2045 net zero targets inching closer, the Heat in Buildings Bill due to pass through Scottish Parliament next year, a new Climate Change Plan required, and Holyrood elections coming up, there’s never been a more important time to act – and there’s no shortage of opportunities for change. NESTA would like to convene experts to deep-dive into Nesta’s new report A policy plan for clean heat in Scotland, exploring how Scotland can unlock policy action and provide clear direction for the clean heat transition. This event is for Scottish policymakers, clean heat installers, net zero campaigners, and all those interested in a compelling, workable solution to the clean energy transition across Scotland.
Glasgow City Heritage Trust – Lens on Legacy: A Tour of Glasgow’s Buildings At Risk
Date & Time: Thursday 21 August 2025; 6-7:30pm
Location: Meet at the GCHT Offices, 54 Bell Street, Glasgow G1 1LQ
Join GCHT’s Director Niall Murphy for a walk around Glasgow City Centre, looking at some of the city’s most iconic, but at-risk, buildings. During the walk Niall will explore several buildings at-risk, discussing their history and the challenges they face, whilst also considering practical steps and creative solutions to support their repair and reuse, and how to make the city centre a welcoming, sustainable environment for the people of Glasgow. Please dress for all weather conditions!
CaCHE – Reflections and Developments in Housing Research: What’s Next?
Date & Time: Monday 8 September 2025; 9am-3:30pm
Location: James McCune Smith Learning Hub, University Avenue Glasgow G12 8QW
The International Journal of Housing Policy is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and together with the UK Centre for Collaborative Housing Evidence (CaCHE) is hosting a symposium on Reflections and Developments in Housing Research: What’s Next? The seminar will situate its retrospective insights with an eye of the future direction of research. The occasion aims to be a celebration of the significant contributions of the housing research community and highlight the importance of continued research in shaping housing futures.
EDAS and Historic Environment Scotland – Unlocking the Potential of Scotland’s Heritage: The Economic Value of Heritage
Date & Time: Tuesday 9 September 2025; 10-11:30am
Location: To be confirmed
Save the Date: Join EDAS and Historic Environment Scotland for a special event. Full details coming soon.
Heritage Network – Coastal Heritage of the North East
Date & Time: Friday 19 September 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: The Salmon Bothy, Portsoy
This is a hugely exciting time for Portsoy and the North East Scotland Preservation Trust (NESPT) as the Trust works to develop its significant long-term pipeline of regeneration projects in and around Portsoy’s A-listed Old Harbour. Come along to hear directly from the NESPT and a variety of wonderful neighbouring projects as they showcase the diverse efforts being made to preserve and revive coastal heritage across north east Scotland. In addition to presentations, the day will include networking opportunities, a tour of Portsoy’s historic harbour buildings, and time to explore the Salmon Bothy’s community museum space. Members and non-members are welcome.
Heritage Network – Conference 2025
Date & Time: Sunday 28 – Tuesday 30 September 2025
Location: Bradford
Bradford City of Culture is the venue for the heritage networking event of the year; an exhilarating three days of tours, visits, presentations, discussions, socialising and networking.
Training
RICS – Global Introduction to Whole Life Carbon Assessment – 3 Part Series
Date & Time: Tuesday 1, Wednesday 9 & Wednesday 16 July 2025; 2:30-4pm
Location: Online
The RICS Whole Life Carbon Assessment standard provides the industry with tools to carry out carbon assessments in line with the requirements of the standard which is heavily complex and technical. Learn about how to predict the impact of legislation across the UK and globally; consider when to start a carbon assessment and the validity of a carbon assessment; recognise how the construction stage impacts on carbon emission; and understand how to assess infrastructure end of life carbon impact. The webclass will be delivered in three parts.
Scottish Lime Centre Trust – Introduction to Maintaining Traditional Buildings
Date & Time: Wednesday 6 August 2025; 10am-3pm
Location: Charlestown Workshops, Fife KY11 3EN
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. The course 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 is also an excellent opportunity to speak to the SLCT’s expert tutors about your project; attendee’s are welcome to bring along photos and mortar samples for some specific advice.
Scottish Lime Centre Trust – Sash and Case Window Repairs
Date & Time: Tuesday 2 September 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Merryhill Training centre, Fife KY12 3DR
Did you know that in most cases you can undertake simple repairs, retain these period features and ensure the value of your traditional building is not compromised? This practical course will prove invaluable if you have a property with Sash and Case Windows. The course will cover a short history of the development of windows before looking at the different components that make up a window and the issues to consider when approaching repairs. The course will allow attendees to identify and address various problems that commonly occur with sash windows. Topics covered will include window dismantling and reassembly, replacing ropes, weights, panes and putty. Various repair and improvement techniques will also be covered.
Scottish Lime Centre Trust – Making, Using and Specifying Hot Mixed Lime Mortars
Date & Time: Friday 5 September 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: Merryhill Training centre, Fife KY12 3DR
Since the lime revival of the mid 1990s, the preparation and use of conservation mortars has been largely dominated by lime putty bound mortars or ‘cold’ mortars based on natural hydraulic limes (NHLs). Whilst all these mortar types have their place, a renewed interest in the production of what are perceived to be more authentic mortar preparations using quicklime and sand has been growing and this workshop aims to take the building professional through the process of specifying ‘hot mixed’ mortars including health and safety implications, constituents, preparation of mortars, correct mixing equipment and critically at which point these mortars should be used for particular applications . By the end of the course, attendees will be able to recognise traditionally made ‘hot mixed’ mortars in historic structures and buildings and be able to develop the skills to specify ‘hot mixed’ mortars in relation to authenticity, performance, exposure, season, substrate and nature of the masonry repairs required.
Heritage Network – Carbon Literacy Training
Date & Time: Tuesday 9 & 16 September 2025;10am-12:30pm
Location: Online
Carbon Literacy is a key way for organisations to gain an awareness of the causes and impacts of climate change and an understanding of carbon emissions. It provides a great foundation for individuals, teams and organisations to begin to take steps towards reducing their carbon emissions and become more environmentally sustainable. As a sector, this training will help to collectively make a difference through taking responsibility and committing to lowering emissions. The focus of Carbon Literacy is about empowering people to take action. To become certified as Carbon Literate you must pledge to undertake an individual and group action that will help you and your organisation to achieve net zero. The £15 (member) and £30 (non-member) charge for this course covers your Carbon Literacy Trust certification fee. If you have any questions, please email Samya Kelly.
Vacancies
Edinburgh World Heritage – Energy Retrofit and Adaptation Specialist
Salary: £35,020 per annum
Status: Full time for a fixed term to 31 March 2026 (permanent contract afterwards subject to funding being secured); 35hrs per week
Location: Edinburgh EH8 8DD; hybrid working (min 2 days per week office-based)
Edinburgh World Heritage are looking for an Energy Retrofit and Adaptation Specialist to deliver innovative energy retrofit and adaptation pilot projects which preserve the historic and architectural significance of buildings in the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site. The role involves conducting targeted research, producing and disseminating guidance on reducing carbon emissions of historic buildings and improving their resilience against the impacts of climate change. This is an exceptional opportunity to play a key role in the conservation of the city’s rich heritage through developing sensitive and practical solutions to support the transition of historic buildings and to adapt them to climate change. More information and application process can be found here.
Interviews: w/c 21 July 2025 (expected to be on Tuesday 22 and/or Wednesday 23 July 2025 – may be subject to change)
Closing date: 12pm on Monday 14 July 2025
Stirling City Heritage Trust – Board Trustees
Stirling City Heritage Trust are looking to recruit new volunteer Trustees to join their Board of Trustees in 2025. There are 3 vacancies for Trustees to support the Trust staff, raising the profile of the organisation and helping with strategic decision-making. To complement their existing Board members, they are particularly seeking individuals who have skills and experience in one or more of the following areas:
- Financial Management and Accountancy
- Legal
- Governance
- Building Conservation
Applications from people from a diverse range of backgrounds and experience, and with the ability to make an effective contribution to the organisation are welcomed. They are also keen to attract young people to join so if you are aged 18-30 please consider applying; or if know someone in that age group who is interested in Stirling’s heritage please encourage them to consider joining. Above all, applicants should have an interest in Stirling’s traditional architecture and recognise the importance of the maintenance of traditional buildings.
Founded in 2004, the Trust is a Scottish charity and company limited by guarantee funded by Historic Environment Scotland and Stirling Council. The Trust operates the Traditional Buildings Health Check, offers grants for traditional repairs and supports local education projects which promote an understanding of Stirling’s heritage. They also offer energy efficiency advice through their Retrofit Service. For more information go here. For further information or to discuss the position contact SCHT Manager, Lindsay Lennie on 01786 498462 or manager@scht.org.uk
Please note the position is not salaried.
Closing Date: Monday 28 July 2025
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In the fourth of our ‘Joining the Dots’ series exploring the interconnected nature of policy agendas for Scotland’s built environment, Dr Caroline Brown, Director for Scotland, Ireland and English Regions at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI), explores how data integration could transform policy implementation and decision-making across Scotland’s planning system.
In her first Joining the Dots piece, Hazel Johnson said that the policy landscape is complex. I’d like to add to that assessment and suggest that policy complexity is not a static feature – but it’s something that changes over time, as policy develops. Looking at things from planning perspective, the last few years have added new topics, new technologies and new duties to the remit of planners – whether that’s play sufficiency assessments, nature networks, battery storage and hydrogen to name a few. The result is a policy landscape that is complex and dynamic, and trends towards both deepening and broadening.
As well as increasing numbers of topics, planning now involves many more technical assessments and tools. As a case in point the guidance on NPF4 Policy 2 climate mitigation and adaptation was published very recently, explaining how lifecycle carbon assessments are to be used in the decision-making process. It’s not enough to support renewables and energy efficiency, planners are being asked to consider a technical assessment of lifecycle carbon as part of the planning process.
These examples are in themselves a form of Joining the Dots – linking national policy goals through to decisions and developments on the ground. And technical assessment is a necessary step in realising those national ambitions. But just adding more work to the system isn’t yet delivering the step change needed. So, what else could be done?
I want to make the case here for data – and the potential of data integration as a way of joining the dots. As a former (recovering) academic, you might not be surprised that I’m keen on building an evidence base to support all forms of policy development and implementation. There is lots of data out there, but it’s not necessarily in the right places or available in the right formats to make it usable.
All of us will be aware of reports commissioned at various times and places about biodiversity, ground conditions, archaeology, or something else – but which exist solely in a stand-alone document, possibly in PDF. Local authority planning portals must collectively have thousands of examples of these sitting on the cyber shelves. Many of these provide useful data about individual plots of land and the surrounding neighbourhood – but it’s both inaccessible and invisible in its current format. What if we could make it available and usable?
Let’s just imagine that scenario and what it might mean. For local authorities, it would allow data submitted to support planning applications – transport models, ground conditions, contaminated land assessments, site investigations and ecological surveys to be presented in a map layer – making it accessible to decision makers. This could be embedded into a digital twin or a digital gazetteer and allow local authority officers and members to interrogate that the data layer to help inform decision making. I think we could all imagine how that might be useful. There is also something else here about the accumulation and collation of spatial data. We all understand the idea of crowd-sourcing information and the power of citizen science using mass observation to build robust data sets. But where data is stored in a PDF, there’s no opportunity to harness that robustness.
If you have never come across it before then please let me introduce you to GiGL. One of my favourite acronyms in the built environment sector – Greenspace information for Greater London – is a records centre that manages, collates and does useful things with environmental data. GiGL offers an array of tools, including data visualisations such as maps, tables and infographics. These tools can help professionals assess a specific site as well as consider wider issues across a neighbourhood or a whole London borough. For example, GiGL has developed a nature deficiency measure – mapping areas in London which have the least greenspace. This tool joins the dots between environmental data and policy goals on accessible natural greenspace and maps them in a way that makes it usable to practitioners. That can of course include decisions on planning applications, or the preparation of a new development plan – but it can also influence other public sector strategies on parks, active travel, school grounds, street trees and budgets for local nature projects.
In Scotland we are blessed with Canmore which has been refreshed as Trove (an excellent name for all that treasured data). Trove also demonstrates the power of collating information, digitising records and making things accessible and searchable through a web interface. But, imagine going further than GiGL and Canmore and combining heritage data, transport information and all the other things you can think of into the same digital platform. Imagine being able to draw on the information collected through the planning process. What else could you do? What other links could be made? What other synergies could be discovered?
Glasgow City Council has been doing its own digital data integration work, creating a digital twin which has just been made public (June 2025). It’s a work in progress, but good to see the variety of data layers which have been included in the model – including data about trees and forest cover. In the era of big data, AI tools and the commercialisation of data, joining up data to inform decision makers seems an obvious step. We shouldn’t get hung up on the technicalities of the best way to do this – but rather press ahead with trying it out. And, since architecture and building design is already happening in digital form, digital twins can also support the integration of CAD models of new buildings into the city’s datascape.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer recently announced a new AI tool called ‘Extract’ being rolled out to planners in England. The tool will enable data to be extracted from planning documents and turn it into data ‘in minutes’. Whilst the emphasis of the Labour Government is on speeding up planning, I think AI tools like this one just might do something much more profound. They could bring data and evidence into decision-making in a way that is simply not possible at the moment. What a breakthrough that would be.
Dr. Caroline Brown MRTPI is Director for Scotland, Ireland and English Regions at the Royal Town Planning Institute (RTPI). Caroline is a chartered town planner and experienced planning academic whose research and teaching interests focus on green and blue health, cycling and walking, sustainability and urban form. Over the years she has been involved in several international research collaborations and is currently part of the child-focussed cities network with researchers in Brazil, Australia, Africa and Europe. For the last six years Caroline was Senior Editor at the journal Cities & Health, helping to develop a place for the dissemination of cross-disciplinary research spanning academic, policy and practitioner boundaries in urban planning, public health and policy.
This blog is part of BEFS ‘Joining the Dots’ series exploring interconnected policy areas. See the first blog for an introduction to the series.
Get in touch – to find out more about BEFS work or to discuss a particular topic or policy area email us at info@befs.org.uk or contact the Team.
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BEFS News
Last week BEFS team attended Scotland’s Historic Environment Forum (SHEF) in Edinburgh. The event brought together representatives from across the sector to explore next steps towards delivering Our Past Our Future, Scotland’s strategy for the historic environment. BEFS was pleased to facilitate a workshop session on “Demonstrating our Impact” examining how the historic environment sector can better advocate for its impact on wider society, and champion the sector’s value to Scotland, maximising our contribution to national interests. BEFS Director Hazel Johnson and Gavin MacGregor, Director at Archaeology Scotland, also presented the closing summary with an address that called for collaborative approaches, sharing knowledge, expertise, and resources – towards collective positive action. Thanks to Historic Environment Scotland for hosting this important forum and to all participants for their valuable contributions. Learn more about Our Past Our Future and the Sustainable Investment Tool, a useful resource for demonstrating value.
BEFS Member SURF has launched their 2025 SURF Awards. Delivered in partnership with the Scottish Government, the awards highlight, celebrate and share achievements of initiatives addressing physical, social and economic challenges in communities across Scotland. The five categories are: Community Led Regeneration, Removing Barriers to Employability, Improving Scotland’s Places, Housing and Regeneration, and Creative Regeneration. Applications close at 5pm on Monday 1 September. To find out more about the awards and how to apply visit the SURF website.
The Forth Bridge World Heritage Site to is to update its management plan. Inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2015 the plan is now ten years old and is being updated in 2025 for the next ten-year period by a multi-partner working group, with membership drawn from Network Rail, Fife Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Historic Environment Scotland, VisitScotland and Transport Scotland. Members of the public are being asked for their input via an online questionnaire. There will be further consultation on the draft management plan when it is ready later this year.
At the start of the month a new Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill was introduced. The Bill creates a new tax to be charged on construction or conversion of residential property developments. Administered by Revenue Scotland the levy will fund building safety expenditure, particularly the Scottish Government’s Cladding Remediation Programme, with Scottish Government committed to ensuring cladding remediation costs ‘do not fall directly onto affected homeowners’.
In case you missed it – Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is seeking views on their long-term strategy for heritage designation. With more than 55,000 sites currently protected across Scotland, this consultation will help shape HES’ vision for designations in 2035 and their mission and priorities for 2025-28. Whether you’re a heritage professional, planning consultant, local authority planner, or simply passionate about Scotland’s built environment, you can submit your response online, attend the Edinburgh event (19 June, 12:30-4pm) or join the online session (23 June, 11am-12:30pm). The consultation closes on 1 July 2025.
And finally, four key vacancies in the sector have been announced. The Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture is seeking to appoint four new Chairs, one to each of the boards of National Galleries of Scotland, National Library of Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland and Creative Scotland. Further information can be found here.
Parliamentary Questions & Answers
Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions regarding Housing, Cladding Remediation, Land Reform, and Renewable Energy.
Consultations
Developing an Ecosystem Restoration Code for Scotland
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is seeking views on developing an Ecosystem Restoration Code (ERC) for Scotland as a new high-integrity market mechanism to attract responsible private investment into nature restoration and biodiversity projects. This commitment, outlined in the 2024 Natural Capital Market Framework, is being delivered via a Scottish Government-NatureScot partnership project. An Engagement Paper has been published summarising the results of the Discovery Phase and setting out key issues to be explored during co-development with stakeholders. Responses to the survey will be analysed, alongside evidence from Engagement Phase events, to inform a series of recommendations for developing/writing the ERC during the later stages of this project.
Closes 29 June 2025
Skills Survey for Historic Environment Employers
Historic Environment Scotland
HES is seeking input from employers, sole traders and organisations in the heritage sector about skills needs, gaps, and training provision. The survey aims to monitor the skills health of the sector and inform planning for support programmes. This follow-up to the 2023 survey will help track trends and prioritise actions outlined in the Skills Investment Plan for the Historic Environment (SIP) published in April 2024. HES particularly wants to hear from those working in archaeology, heritage architecture, conservation, museums, traditional building skills, and related fields. Results will influence the direction of the SIP over the next four years.
Closes 30 June 2025
Forth Bridge World Heritage Site Management Plan
Forth Bridge World Heritage Management Group
The Forth Bridge was inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in July 2015. The Forth Bridge’s Management Plan is now ten years old and is being updated in 2025 for the next ten-year period. A multi-partner working group has begun the task of updating the management plan with membership drawn from Network Rail, Fife Council, City of Edinburgh Council, Historic Environment Scotland, VisitScotland and Transport Scotland. The process is being overseen by the wider Forth Bridges Forum and Forth Bridge World Heritage Management Group. Members of the public are initially being asked for their input into the content for the new management plan and there will be further consultation on the draft management plan when it is ready later this year.
*NEW* Closes 30 June 2025
ECHOES Consultation
European Cloud for Heritage Open Science
The ECHOES project is building a shared digital space, the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH), designed to support heritage professionals and researchers across Europe. To ensure this platform meets real-world needs, ECHOES has launched a consultation survey to better understand the priorities, challenges, and expectations of the cultural heritage community. The consultation is open to all cultural heritage stakeholders, including professionals, researchers, computer scientists/developers, umbrella organisations and institutions with a vested interest in the development and application of the Cultural Heritage Cloud.
Closes end of June 2025
Scotland’s protected historic places – consultation on a long-term strategy for heritage designation
Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is looking for your views on their strategy for how to identify and legally protect Scotland’s most important historic sites and places. Heritage designation is the system used to provide legal recognition and protection for historic sites across Scotland. More than 55,000 sites are currently protected in this way. The strategy sets out a long-term approach to delivering national-level heritage designations. HES is setting out their vision for designations in 2035, their mission, and priorities for the three-year period 2025-28. Download the strategy consultation paper.
Closes 1 July 2025
Clean Heat Market Mechanism: revisions ahead of Scheme Year 2 (2026/2027)
UK Government
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has launched a consultation on the heat pump credit target for Year 2 of the Clean Heat Market Mechanism. It also explores views on proposals to name the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) the sole certification scheme for the Clean Heat Market Mechanism. The consultation seeks views on setting a Year 2 heat pump target level within the proposed range of 8-10% of relevant boiler sales.
Closes 2 July 2025
Housing (Scotland) Bill
Scottish Government
This consultation seeks views on how powers within the Housing (Scotland) Bill could be used to exempt certain types of properties from rent control. It also looks into circumstances where rents could be increased above the level of the rent cap and scope for clarifying how joint tenancies in the private sector are ended. The Bill brings forward a package of reforms to help ensure people have a safe, secure and affordable place to live. It includes measures that provide a framework for a long-term system of rent control in Scotland. The consultation addresses three main areas: properties that should be exempt from rent control area restrictions; properties that should be subject to modified rent control area restrictions; and clarifying how joint tenancies in the private rented sector are ended.
Closes 18 July 2025
Draft Updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is consulting on the draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (SMP-OWE). The plan sets out an integrated framework for sustainable offshore wind development in Scottish waters, informed by the latest scientific evidence. It identifies opportunities and constraints while balancing the needs of communities, nature and other sea users. The consultation includes supporting assessments covering environmental, socio-economic, habitats regulation, nature conservation, sustainability and business regulatory impact. A series of engagement events are being held across Scotland and online to gather stakeholder input on this complex landscape of choices and trade-offs.
Closes 22 August 2025
Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment (HEETSA) – Scoping Consultation
Scottish Government
The purpose of this Scoping Consultation is to set out the Scottish Government’s initial proposals for the scope of a Heat and Energy Efficiency Technical Suitability Assessment (HEETSA) and seek stakeholder views on the overall concept of HEETSA and how it relates to other parts of the heat and energy efficiency retrofit landscape. The Scottish Government’s objective in making these initial proposals is to safeguard consumers by developing a technical suitability assessment, which ensures that building owners can identify the ‘right’ measures when improving their energy efficiency and changing their heating systems. Read the consultation paper.
*NEW* Closes 29 August 2025
Private Rented Sector (PRS) Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES)
Scottish Government
This consultation seeks views on the Scottish Government’s proposals to introduce Minimum Energy Efficiency Standard (MEES) regulations in the domestic Private Rented Sector (PRS) using existing powers within in the Energy Act 2011. These regulations would mean all privately rented properties, as far as possible, reaching EPC Heat Retention Rating (HRR) band C from 2028 for new tenancies and by 2033 for all privately rented homes. This will improve those homes, reduce energy costs for tenants and support the transition to clean heating. Your views are welcomed, regarding the practical implications, as proposals are finalised to help ensure these regulations to work as effectively as possible. Read the consultation paper.
*NEW* Closes 29 August 2025
Rural Tourism in Scotland Survey
Historic Houses Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates
Member properties of Historic Houses Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates are invited to complete this survey to provide data for a major report on rural tourism in Scotland. The survey aims to gather evidence on the impact of rural tourism businesses on Scotland’s economy and address challenges and opportunities facing the sector. The report will feed into VisitScotland and the Scottish Government’s aims for growing tourism across Scotland in a sustainable way. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
No closing date specified
ScotLand Futures
Scottish Land Commission
ScotLand Futures is a national initiative led by the Scottish Land Commission exploring what a fully reformed approach to land in Scotland could look like and how to make it happen. The initiative aims to think big, tackle challenges, provide certainty for the future, and find practical solutions to ensure land benefits everyone. The Scottish Land Commission wants to hear from people across Scotland, whether they live in a city, town, village or rural area, about what land reform means to them and what changes they want to see.
No closing date specified
Consultation Responses
Petition to Safeguard Scottish Listed Buildings at Risk of Unnecessary Demolition
Correspondence from BEFS to the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee has been published, further to BEFS Director Hazel Johnson’s contributions to a 4 June evidence session for Petition PE2105, calling on the Scottish Government to take specific actions to safeguard listed buildings from unnecessary demolition. BEFS previously shared a submission statement with the Committee. An official report of the evidence session is now available (BEFS 02/06/25)
Scottish Building Safety Levy: consultation analysis report and published responses (Scot Gov 06/06/02025)
Petitions
Clerk’s note on PE2138: Make publicly owned buildings accessible for people with colour blindness (Scot Parl 18/06/2025)
Clerk’s note on PE2150: Amend the Scottish Housing Regulator’s mandate or create a body to protect owners of ex council properties (Scot Parl 18/06/2025)
Clerk’s note on PE2152: Review and update the Home Report system to ensure it protects both the seller and the buyer (Scot Parl 18/06/2025)
News Releases
Joint letter expressing concerns about the Visitor Levy (Scottish Tourism Alliance 23/05/2025)
2025 SURF Awards – Launch for Applications (SURF 05/06/2025)
UKRI Policy Fellowships 2025 – open for applications (UKRI 09/06/2025)
Grant funding targets heritage for all (HES 11/06/2025)
Accelerate to Zero Awards open for submissions (BE-ST 11/06/2025)
European Commission and Europa Nostra announce the winners of Europe’s top heritage awards 2025 (Europa Nostra 12/06/2025)
RTPI Scotland calls for a stronger focus on monitoring and analysis in the continued implementation of Scotland’s National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) (RTPI 18/06/2025)
Publications
Europeans’ attitudes towards culture (European Commission May 2025)
Comprehensive tools for understanding urban development and planning activities (City Scope June 2025)
AI Guide Survey: to make exploring history and culture accessible and personalised for everyone (Aurorion June 2025)
Research on access to culture in Scotland (National Galleries of Scotland 04/06/2025)
Left in the cold: Report outlining some of the harms experienced by people living in homes with poor energy efficiency (Citizens Advice Scotland 05/06/2025)
Housing Investment Taskforce: Report (CaCHE 10/06/2025)
Places, people, and possibilities of urban retrofit (Urban Retrofit 13/06/2025)
Reflections on the Housing Investment Taskforce (CaCHE 13/06/2025)
Tick tock for tenements (CaCHE 13/06/2025)
Scottish & UK: Governmental & Parliamentary Publications
Correspondence between the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee and the Economy and Fair Work Committee regarding the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 21/05/2025)
Correspondence between Colleges Scotland and the Economy and Fair Work Committee regarding the inquiry into skills delivery (Scot Parl 23/05/2025)
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee: Official Report and Minutes (Scot Parl 29/05/2025)
A just transition for Aberdeen and the North East: Climate Action Minister’s statement (Scot Gov 03/06/2025)
Delegated powers in the Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill at Stage 1 (Scot Parl 03/06/2025)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee: Official Report (Scot Parl 03/06/2025)
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee: Official Report (Scot Parl 03/06/2025)
Planning and environmental appeals: guidance for reporters (Scot Gov 03/06/2025)
Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee: Official Report (Scot Parl 04/06/2025)
Economy and Fair Work Committee: Official Report and Minutes (Scot Parl 04/06/2025)
Home Energy Scotland (HES) Grant and Loan Schemes Contract administration and management: equality impact assessment (Scot Gov 04/06/2025)
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee: Official Report and Minutes (Scot Parl 04/06/2025)
NPF4 Planning Guidance: Policy 2 – Climate Mitigation and Adaptation (Scot Gov 05/06/2025)
Scotland’s cladding remediation estimates: June 2025 (Scot Gov 05/06/2025)
Cladding Remediation Programme update: letter from Minister for Housing (Scot Gov 05/06/2025)
Building Safety Levy (Scotland) Bill introduced (Scot Parl 05/06/2025)
Improving home energy efficiency – retrofit assessment review: policy report (Scot Gov 06/06/2025)
Affordable and social housing finance innovation – synthesis, reflection and implications for Scotland: international evidence (Scot Gov 09/06/2025)
City Region and Regional Growth Deals: response from Deputy First Minister (Scot Parl 09/06/2025)
Consultations related to next steps of the Heat in Buildings Bill: letter from Minister for Climate Action (Scot Parl 09/06/2025)
Housing Investment Taskforce report (Scot Gov 09/06/2025)
Historic Environment Records; written question regarding planning applications (UK Parl 09/06/2025)
Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill: letter from Minister for Agriculture and Connectivity (Scot Parl 09/06/2025)
New Clause 69 – Examination of applications for development consent. Planning and Infrastructure Bill Debate (UK Parl 09/06/2025)
Planning circular 2/2025: fees for applications (Scot Gov 09/06/2025)
Planning circular 3/2025: fees for local reviews and appeals (Scot Gov 09/06/2025)
PM unveils AI breakthrough to slash planning delays and help build 1.5 million homes (UK Gov 09/06/2025)
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee: Minutes (Scot Parl 10/06/2025)
Scottish Federation of Housing Associations Annual Conference 2025: First Minister’s speech (Scot Gov 10/06/2025)
Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund: progress report (Scot Gov 10/06/2025)
Wind turbine appeal decisions: statistics (Scot Gov 10/06/2025)
Buildings: Cultural Heritage written question (UK Parl 11/06/2025)
Carbon budget regulations and climate change plan timeline: letter to Cabinet Secretary for Climate Action and Energy (Scot Parl 11/06/2025)
Condition of Government property (UK Parl 11/06/2025)
Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill – clerks note (Scot Parl 11/06/2025)
Housing placed at the heart of Cabinet (Scot Parl 11/06/2025)
Housing (Scotland) Bill Stage 2: letter from Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice (Scot Parl 11/06/2025)
National Planning Framework 4: Policy 22 (flood risk and water management) – Chief Planner letter (Scot Gov 11/06/2025)
Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill – clerks note (Scot Parl 11/06/2025)
Spending Review: Billions to back Scottish jobs (UK Gov 11/06/2025)
Spending Review presents challenges (Scottish Gov 11/06/2025)
UK Government announces 25 “trailblazer neighbourhoods” to receive long-term investment (UK Gov 11/06/2025)
BICS weighted Scotland estimates: data to wave 133 (Scot Gov 12/06/2025)
Correspondence between the Scottish Tourism Alliance and Economy and Fair Work Committee regarding the Visitor Levy (Scot Parl 12/06/2025)
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee report on the Environmental Regulation (Enforcement Measures) (Scotland) Amendment Order 2025 (Scot Parl 16/06/2025)
Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4) annual review – clerks note (Scot Parl 17/06/2025)
Future Trends for Scotland – Findings from the 2024-25 Horizon Scanning Project (Scot Gov 17/06/2025)
Review of Architecture & Design Scotland Background Report and Summary Report (Scot Gov 17/06/2025)
Clerk’s note on Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill (Stage 1) (Scot Parl 18/06/2025)
Motions
S6M-17700
Submitted by: Alexander Stewart, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date Lodged: 04/06/2025
That the Parliament acknowledges what it sees as the vital importance of Scotland’s towns’ and cities’ high streets, including in the Mid Scotland and Fife region; understands that Scotland’s retail industry employs almost 230,000 people of all ages and abilities in more than 22,000 shops, which collectively produce a turnover of £27 billion per annum; further understands that Scotland’s retailers have donated and raised over £100 million for Scottish good causes since 2016, whilst Scottish retail contributes around £525 million in tax revenue; believes that retailers wish to work with the Scottish Government to deliver net zero, thus building a more circular economy whilst creating a far healthier Scotland; notes the view that there is a pressing need for a visible and effective high street police presence, especially in relation to reports of rising rates of theft and shop worker abuse; further notes the calls from high street business owners for more investment into transport infrastructure, to give apprenticeship levy payers access to skills training on the basis of those contributions, as well as to review all public sector bodies to assess whether there are opportunities for the identification of efficiencies, and notes the calls from retailers to universally revitalise high streets, which, it believes, have the potential, if nurtured, to be accessible for all, in addition to being safe, diverse, vibrant and attractive places for both residents and visitors alike.
Status: Has not yet achieved cross-party support
S6M-17862
Submitted by: Jackie Baillie, Dumbarton, Scottish Labour.
Date Lodged: 09/06/2025
That the Parliament agrees that the Lomond Banks planning application for a development at Balloch should be called in for determination by the Scottish Ministers; that any subsequent decision on the planning application should be made in a fair and impartial way that takes into account all relevant legal requirements and maintains the integrity of the planning process; believes that the significant public interest in this application and its location within a national park make it a matter of national interest, and asks that ministers assess the application’s compatibility with National Planning Framework 4, as approved by the Parliament in 2023, and with the statutory aims of the national park.
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday 11 June 2025
Opinion & Comment
Alexander McCall-Smith: ‘A tartan nightmare, shallow and garish’ threatens Edinburgh; The Future of Edinburgh Series (The Herald 03/06/2025)
Labour MPs poised to rebel over planning bill amid concerns for nature (The Guardian 04/06/2025)
Scots have best access to culture in UK, but statistics indicate a class divide still exists (The Independent 04/06/2025)
Homeowners warned over green energy scammers (BBC Scotland 09/06/2025)
Mackintosh building to be turned into Catholic museum (BBC News 09/06/2025)
Damp and mouldy housing means too many people are left in the cold (Third Force News 10/06/2025)
Plans for Loch Lomond Flamingo Land resort stalled (BBC Scotland 10/06/2025)
Spending Review: ‘deeply concerning’ and ‘self-imposed injury’, arts leaders warn (Whats On Stage 11/06/2025)
Spending Review: Kirkcaldy town centre set for game-changing multi-million pound investment (Fife Today 11/06/2025)
Spending Review: £1.2bn Annual Investment in Skills and Training (FE News 11/06/2025)
These are the latest plans at the Glasgow School of Art. Really? (The Herald 16/06/2025)
SNP plan to cut £1bn of public sector ‘waste’ (The Herald 17/06/2025)
St Paul’s trains new craftsmen to save historic buildings (The Times 17/06/2025)
Events
For further listings, please see BEFS events calendar
The Cockburn Association – Campaigning For Edinburgh Book Launch
Date & Time: Thursday 19 June 2025; 7-9pm
Location: Laigh Hall, Faculty of Advocates, Parliament Square, Edinburgh EH1 1RF
Join The Cockburn Association for the launch of their new publication, Campaigning for Edinburgh. To mark the 150th anniversary of the Association in 2025, this publication outlines the many issues and campaigns in which the Association was involved. It reflects on Henry Cockburn’s legacy, who asked in 1849, “how will Edinburgh look in 1949, or 2049?”. The evening will include talks from the authors, an exhibit from the Faculty of Advocates’ collections on Lord Henry Cockburn, and a reception.
IHBC/RTPI – Finding the Balance: Built Heritage & Landscape Conservation in Development Planning
Date & Time: Friday 20 June 2025; 10:30am-4:15pm
Location: Dunkeld and Birnam
The neighbouring communities of Dunkeld and Birnam in Perthshire are locations for this training day. They benefit from multiple and overlapping heritage designations. This event will review the history of planning in Dunkeld and consider the challenges and opportunities facing today’s planners in allowing development while conserving their rich built heritage. Hosted by IHBC Scotland and RTPI Scottish Young Planners Network.
Under One Roof – Navigating Tenement Building Repairs for Landlords, with East Ayrshire Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 1 July 2025; 10-11am
Location: Online
Landlords in East Ayrshire are invited to a free one-hour webinar to learn about basic tenement repair and maintenance. Topics covered include: Understanding relevant legislation; understanding the Repairing Standard; the difference between individual, mutual and common repairs and; how to organise and pay for repairs with your co-owners and co-landlords.
NESTA – A policy plan for clean heat in Scotland
Date & Time: Thursday 24 July 2025; 12-1pm
Location: Online
With the 2045 net zero targets inching closer, the Heat in Buildings Bill due to pass through Scottish Parliament next year, a new Climate Change Plan required, and Holyrood elections coming up, there’s never been a more important time to act – and there’s no shortage of opportunities for change. NESTA would like to convene experts to deep-dive into Nesta’s new report A policy plan for clean heat in Scotland, exploring how Scotland can unlock policy action and provide clear direction for the clean heat transition. This event is for Scottish policymakers, clean heat installers, net zero campaigners, and all those interested in a compelling, workable solution to the clean energy transition across Scotland.
CaCHE – Reflections and Developments in Housing Research: What’s Next?
Date & Time: Monday 8 September 2025; 9am-3:30pm
Location: James McCune Smith Learning Hub, University Avenue Glasgow G12 8QW
The International Journal of Housing Policy is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and together with the UK Centre for Collaborative Housing Evidence (CaCHE) is hosting a symposium on Reflections and Developments in Housing Research: What’s Next? The seminar will situate its retrospective insights with an eye of the future direction of research. The occasion aims to be a celebration of the significant contributions of the housing research community and highlight the importance of continued research in shaping housing futures.
Heritage Network – Conference 2025
Date & Time: Sunday 28 – Tuesday 30 September 2025
Location: Bradford
Bradford City of Culture is the venue for the heritage networking event of the year; an exhilarating three days of tours, visits, presentations, discussions, socialising and networking.
Training
Heritage Network – Carbon Literacy Training
Date & Time: Tuesday 9 & 16 September 2025;10am-12:30pm
Location: Online
Carbon Literacy is a key way for organisations to gain an awareness of the causes and impacts of climate change and an understanding of carbon emissions. It provides a great foundation for individuals, teams and organisations to begin to take steps towards reducing their carbon emissions and become more environmentally sustainable. As a sector, this training will help to collectively make a difference through taking responsibility and committing to lowering emissions. The focus of Carbon Literacy is about empowering people to take action. To become certified as Carbon Literate you must pledge to undertake an individual and group action that will help you and your organisation to achieve net zero. The £15 (member) and £30 (non-member) charge for this course covers your Carbon Literacy Trust certification fee. If you have any questions, please email Samya Kelly.
Vacancies
National Trust for Scotland – Conservation Maintenance Surveyor
Salary: – £40,707 – £44,847 per annum (dependent on experience and qualifications)
Status: Full-Time, Permanent (40 Hours Per Week)
Location: Highland and Island region, but potentially flexible on an informal basis under Hybrid Working arrangements and requirement to attend sites regularly.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) are seeking a Conservation Maintenance Surveyor. This role is located in the Highlands and Islands regional team. As the regional building maintenance specialist, you will work closely with the regional Building Surveyor to advise and support Operations Teams, putting the Trust’s Conservation Principles into practice through focusing on planned and reactive maintenance of all built structures. In this role, you will be instrumental in shaping the way the Trust manages the maintenance of its buildings, helping to build maintenance plans for each building and dealing with backlog maintenance projects. This job will support the National Trust for Scotland Strategy by contributing to improving the condition of buildings, delivering best practice in built heritage conservation and maintenance management, and supporting the safe operation of sites. Reporting directly to the National Maintenance Lead this role has responsibility for supporting and undertaking the planning and delivery of sensitive conservation, maintenance and repair to NTS buildings and advising property operations teams on all aspects of buildings care. The role also assists operations staff to maintain public access to sites and buildings during essential building work. You will have experience of working in maintenance planning and management or demonstrable understanding of maintenance management processes e.g. through similar experience or trade background or experience of working in a role caring for historic buildings. The Trust are interested in speaking to people from a range of professional building and trade backgrounds, and would be happy to advise you whether your qualifications suit their needs. Any enquiries should be forwarded to: workforus@nts.org.uk. Please see this link for more detailed information on applications and the detailed job application.
Closing date: Friday 20 June 2025
National Trust for Scotland – Building Conservation Surveyor
Salary: £40,707- £53,128 per annum (dependent on experience and qualifications)
Status: Full-Time, Permanent (40 Hours Per Week)
Location: Broadstone Hub, 50 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9LD. Flexibility to include some working-at-home under Hybrid Working arrangements and requirement to attend sites regularly.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) are seeking a Building Conservation Surveyor. The Building Conservation Team delivers direct support to the regional management and operations teams, under the management and supervision of the Lead Conservation Surveyor and the Head of Building Conservation. Each Region is supported by a Building Conservation Surveyor and a Maintenance Surveyor, who between them support Trust property and conservation operations by delivering conservation maintenance activities to ensure that all buildings are fit for purpose, safe and welcoming for visitors, meet legislative standards of compliance and deliver the Trust’s charitable purposes. This role will be based in the Edinburgh and East Region of Scotland providing support to the regional team. A Building Conservation professional with at least 2 years’ post-qualification experience, you will be part of the team that supports the Trust’s operational regions in caring for and operating buildings. You will work with castles, cottages, museums, offices, bothies, residential and agricultural lets, and toilet blocks – old and new buildings are all part of the NTS portfolio. You will promote and deliver best practice in conservation, safe construction and maintenance management and support operational colleagues with guidance and advice. You will undertake surveys, diagnose defects, specify repairs, and manage projects to deliver conservation, improvement, repair, and maintenance works to the Trust’s built assets. Please see this link for more information on applications and the detailed job description.
Closing date: Sunday 22 June 2025
Edinburgh World Heritage – Energy Retrofit and Adaptation Specialist
Salary: £35,020 per annum
Status: Full time for a fixed term to 31 March 2026 (permanent contract afterwards subject to funding being secured); 35hrs per week
Location: Edinburgh EH8 8DD; hybrid working (min 2 days per week office-based)
Edinburgh World Heritage are looking for an Energy Retrofit and Adaptation Specialist to deliver innovative energy retrofit and adaptation pilot projects which preserve the historic and architectural significance of buildings in the Old and New Towns of Edinburgh World Heritage Site. The role involves conducting targeted research, producing and disseminating guidance on reducing carbon emissions of historic buildings and improving their resilience against the impacts of climate change. This is an exceptional opportunity to play a key role in the conservation of the city’s rich heritage through developing sensitive and practical solutions to support the transition of historic buildings and to adapt them to climate change. More information and application process can be found here.
Interviews: w/c 21 July 2025 (expected to be on Tuesday 22 and/or Wednesday 23 July 2025 – may be subject to change)
Closing date: 12pm on Monday 14 July 2025
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Get The Latest Built Environment News, Policy Developments, Publications & Consultations
BEFS News
As we approach the closing stages of the current Parliamentary cycle in Scotland, attention is turning towards the May 2026 elections. BEFS will be producing a 2026 Manifesto to articulate BEFS Member views on what they would like the next Scottish Government to do differently concerning built environment policy. Derek Rankine, BEFS Head of Policy and Strategy, shared a six month Manifesto development plan at last week’s Historic Environment Working Group (HEWG), following which the HEWG Chair, Ian Baxter, facilitated an initial consultation discussion on priority themes. A draft note of the HEWG session is online.
In the last bulletin, we reported that a new Historic Environment Scotland (HES) consultation will explore views on the long-term national strategy for heritage designation. BEFS and HES have now teamed up to offer two consultation events on the system used to provide legal recognition and protection for more than 55,000 historic sites across Scotland. Book your free place at an Edinburgh event on Thursday 19 June (12:30pm-4pm), or an online session on Monday 23 June (11am-12:30pm).
BEFS is contributing to two evidence sessions in the Scottish Parliament this week. On Tuesday, we spoke with the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee to inform its second annual progress review for the Fourth National Planning Framework (NPF4). BEFS Director Hazel Johnson expanded on our response to the consultation, highlighting BEFS Member experiences with NPF4 in practice, and their views around capacity, complexity, interpretation and hierarchy.
On Wednesday morning, BEFS Director exchanged with the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee regarding a petition proposed by SAVE Britain’s Heritage. The petition, PE2105: Safeguard Scottish Listed Buildings at risk of unnecessary demolition, calls on the Scottish Government to provide enhanced policy guidance on minimum evidence requirements, and to mandate local authority engagement with conservation accredited engineers, in decision-making concerning potential demolition of Listed Buildings. BEFS produced a submission statement for the Committee. Watch the session here.
The Scottish Government announced last week that it will not be pursuing plans to establish a National Park in Galloway and South Ayrshire. In a statement to the Scottish Parliament, Mairi Gougeon, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Land Reform and Islands, said the decision was taken after balancing support for the proposed third National Park in Scotland with significant opposition. The Minister reported that the Scottish Government will look at other ways of addressing local issues highlighted in the consultation.
A busy summer events season for the built environment includes the 2025 Architecture Fringe. Running from 6 to 22 June, the Fringe will deliver events across Scotland under the theme of reciprocity, and explore architecture’s evolving relationships with many aspects of human behaviour, culture, industry and the natural world, now and in the future. The full programme is here.
Parliamentary Questions & Answers
Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions regarding Net Zero strategy, decarbonisation, public enquiries and Creative Scotland review.
Consultations
Volunteer-involving heritage organisations survey
Historic Environment Scotland
Make Your Mark, a campaign to increase the number and diversity of heritage volunteers in Scotland, is running a survey with Volunteer Scotland and Our Past, Our Future, Scotland’s national strategy for the historic environment, to better understand volunteering in Scotland’s heritage sector. The survey is open to volunteer-involving heritage organisations and groups in Scotland and should be filled out by the person(s) who oversee the management/organisation of volunteers. Responses will inform what support is offered to volunteer-involving organisations, help advocate for needs within the sector, and help make heritage volunteering accessible, inclusive and enjoyable for everyone.
Closes 16 June 2025
Developing an Ecosystem Restoration Code for Scotland
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is seeking views on developing an Ecosystem Restoration Code (ERC) for Scotland as a new high-integrity market mechanism to attract responsible private investment into nature restoration and biodiversity projects. This commitment, outlined in the 2024 Natural Capital Market Framework, is being delivered via a Scottish Government-NatureScot partnership project. An Engagement Paper has been published summarising the results of the Discovery Phase and setting out key issues to be explored during co-development with stakeholders. Responses to the survey will be analysed, alongside evidence from Engagement Phase events, to inform a series of recommendations for developing/writing the ERC during the later stages of this project.
Closes 29 June 2025
Skills Survey for Historic Environment Employers
Historic Environment Scotland
HES is seeking input from employers, sole traders and organisations in the heritage sector about skills needs, gaps, and training provision. The survey aims to monitor the skills health of the sector and inform planning for support programmes. This follow-up to the 2023 survey will help track trends and prioritise actions outlined in the Skills Investment Plan for the Historic Environment (SIP) published in April 2024. HES particularly wants to hear from those working in archaeology, heritage architecture, conservation, museums, traditional building skills, and related fields. Results will influence the direction of the SIP over the next four years.
Closes 30 June 2025
ECHOES Consultation
European Cloud for Heritage Open Science
The ECHOES project is building a shared digital space, the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH), designed to support heritage professionals and researchers across Europe. To ensure this platform meets real-world needs, ECHOES has launched a consultation survey to better understand the priorities, challenges, and expectations of the cultural heritage community. The consultation is open to all cultural heritage stakeholders, including professionals, researchers, computer scientists/developers, umbrella organisations and institutions with a vested interest in the development and application of the Cultural Heritage Cloud.
Closes end of June 2025
Scotland’s protected historic places – consultation on a long-term strategy for heritage designation
Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is looking for your views on their strategy for how to identify and legally protect Scotland’s most important historic sites and places. Heritage designation is the system used to provide legal recognition and protection for historic sites across Scotland. More than 55,000 sites are currently protected in this way. The strategy sets out a long-term approach to delivering national-level heritage designations. HES is setting out their vision for designations in 2035, their mission, and priorities for the three-year period 2025-28. Download the strategy consultation paper.
Closes 1 July 2025
Clean Heat Market Mechanism: revisions ahead of Scheme Year 2 (2026/2027)
UK Government
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has launched a consultation on the heat pump credit target for Year 2 of the Clean Heat Market Mechanism. It also explores views on proposals to name the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) the sole certification scheme for the Clean Heat Market Mechanism. The consultation seeks views on setting a Year 2 heat pump target level within the proposed range of 8-10% of relevant boiler sales.
Closes 2 July 2025
Housing (Scotland) Bill
Scottish Government
This consultation seeks views on how powers within the Housing (Scotland) Bill could be used to exempt certain types of properties from rent control. It also looks into circumstances where rents could be increased above the level of the rent cap and scope for clarifying how joint tenancies in the private sector are ended. The Bill brings forward a package of reforms to help ensure people have a safe, secure and affordable place to live. It includes measures that provide a framework for a long-term system of rent control in Scotland. The consultation addresses three main areas: properties that should be exempt from rent control area restrictions; properties that should be subject to modified rent control area restrictions; and clarifying how joint tenancies in the private rented sector are ended.
Closes 18 July 2025
Draft Updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is consulting on the draft updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy (SMP-OWE), which provides the spatial planning framework for the ScotWind and INTOG leasing rounds. The plan sets out an integrated framework for sustainable offshore wind development in Scottish waters, informed by the latest scientific evidence. It identifies opportunities and constraints while balancing the needs of communities, nature and other sea users. The consultation includes supporting assessments covering environmental, socio-economic, habitats regulation, nature conservation, sustainability and business regulatory impact. A series of engagement events are being held across Scotland and online to gather stakeholder input on this complex landscape of choices and trade-offs.
*NEW* Closes 22 August 2025
Rural Tourism in Scotland Survey
Historic Houses Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates
Member properties of Historic Houses Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates are invited to complete this survey to provide data for a major report on rural tourism in Scotland. The survey aims to gather evidence on the impact of rural tourism businesses on Scotland’s economy and address challenges and opportunities facing the sector. The report will feed into VisitScotland and the Scottish Government’s aims for growing tourism across Scotland in a sustainable way. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
No closing date specified
ScotLand Futures
Scottish Land Commission
ScotLand Futures is a national initiative led by the Scottish Land Commission exploring what a fully reformed approach to land in Scotland could look like and how to make it happen. The initiative aims to think big, tackle challenges, provide certainty for the future, and find practical solutions to ensure land benefits everyone. The Scottish Land Commission wants to hear from people across Scotland, whether they live in a city, town, village or rural area, about what land reform means to them and what changes they want to see.
No closing date specified
Consultation Responses
Petition to Safeguard Scottish Listed Buildings at Risk of Unnecessary Demolition
BEFS produced a submission statement for the Citizen Participation and Public Petitions Committee, in advance of BEFS Director Hazel Johnson’s appearance at an evidence session on 4 June concerning Petition PE2105, which calls on the calls on the Scottish Government to take specific actions to safeguard listed buildings from unnecessary demolition. (BEFS 02/06/25)
Strategic Guidance on Climate Change Duties for Public Bodies
BEFS contributed to a Scottish Government call for views on draft statutory guidance relating to Climate Change Duties for public bodies. In the response, BEFS articulated how the guidance could be strengthened with respect to multiple areas of the built environment, including doing more to progress retrofitting and circular economy aspirations, and to adapt and reuse built asset portfolios in the public sector. (BEFS 23/05/25)
Petitions
Submission from Mairi Gougeon on PE2089: Stop More National Parks in Scotland (Scot Parl 28/05/2025)
Submission from Mark Griffin MSP and Clerk’s note on PE2143: Introduce legislation to require all landlords to tackle damp and mould to specified standards (Scot Parl 04/06/2025)
Clerks note on PE2105: Safeguard Scottish Listed Buildings at risk of unnecessary demolition (Scot Parl 04/06/2025)
Clerks note on PE2095: Improve the public consultation processes for energy infrastructure projects (Scot Parl 04/06/2025)
News Releases
Launch of MGS-backed toolkit on queering historic houses (Museums Galleries Scotland 19/05/2025)
Historic England Launches Local Heritage Hub to Unlock Hidden Histories (Historic England 21/05/2025)
Mounting pressures from inflation, increasing costs and demand are exceeding the Scottish Government’s additional investment in Scotland’s councils (Audit Scotland 22/05/2025)
Scotland’s national architecture awards – eleven RIAS Awards winners revealed (RIAS 23/05/2025)
Culture Counts Appoints New Directors (Culture Counts 29/05/2025)
Publications
Market failure in heritage sector study published by Northern Ireland Department for Communities (Department for Communities 16/05/2025)
Scotland’s Carbon Budgets (Climate Change Committee 21/05/2025)
National Trust publishes research report on links between heritage and happiness (National Trust 24/05/2025)
Transforming social housing through decarbonisation: The challenges and opportunities in decarbonising at scale (CaCHE 29/05/2025)
Where does the word ‘tenement’ come from? John Gilbert’s book explores medieval origins (Whittles Publishing 29/05/2025)
Keeping history alive: Report on understanding the barriers to Gen Z engagement with heritage (Historic Houses 03/06/2025)
Scottish & UK: Governmental & Parliamentary Publications
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee Official Report and Minutes (Scot Parl 14/05/2025)
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee Official Report and Minutes (Scot Parl 15/05/2025)
Public asked to inform independent Review of Creative Scotland (Scot Gov 19/05/2025)
Climate Change Plan: monitoring report 2025 (Scot Gov 20/05/2025)
Planning appeals in Scotland (SPICe 20/05/2025)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee Official Report and Minutes (Scot Parl 20/05/2025)
Regeneration Capital Grant Fund (RCGF): recommended projects 2014 to 2026 (Scot Gov 21/05/2025)
Scottish Government Annual Procurement Report 2023 – 2024 (Scot Gov 21/05/2025)
Fourth marshalled list of amendments and fourth grouping of amendments for the Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 21/05/2025)
Carbon Neutral Islands: financing roadmap (Scot Gov 21/05/2025)
The Land and Buildings Transaction Tax (Group Relief and Sub-sale Development Relief Modifications) (Scotland) Order 2025 (UK Gov 21/05/2025)
Correspondence between the Environmental Rights Centre and the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee regarding the Planning and Infrastructure Bill legislative consent motion (Scot Parl 21/05/2025)
Low Carbon Fund: Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme projects (Scot Gov 22/05/2025)
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee. Retrofitting Homes for Net Zero Report (UK Gov 22/05/2025)
Annual report of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee 2024-25 (Scot Parl 22/05/2025)
Legislative Consent Memorandum: delegated powers exercisable within devolved competence in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill (Scot Parl 22/05/2025)
National Planning Hub update: Chief Planner letter – May 2025 (Scot Gov 22/05/2025)
Affordable Housing Supply Programme (AHSP) – Deliverability Review (Scot Gov 22/05/2025)
Investing in community regeneration (Scot Gov 22/05/2025)
Scottish Economic Bulletin: May 2025 (Scot Gov 23/05/2025)
English Councils will get new powers to keep housebuilders on track to ensure they play their part to deliver 1.5 million homes. (UK Gov 25/05/2025)
Planning Reform Working Paper: Speeding Up Build Out (UK Gov 25/05/2025)
Sustainable Procurement Tools updated with new features and guidance (Scot Gov 27/05/2025)
Building and fire safety – ministerial working group: Grenfell inquiry phase 2 minutes: April 2025 (Scot Gov 28/05/2025)
Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill – clerks note (Scot Parl 28/05/2025)
Public Procurement Strategy for Scotland – two years on with new Key Performance Indicators (Scot Gov 28/05/2025)
Building Standards National Performance and Workforce for Verification Services Annual Report 2023-24 (Scot Gov 29/05/2025)
New National Park Decision (Scot Gov 29/05/2025)
£85 million to support arts and cultural organisations across the country, supporting vital repairs and upgrades (UK Gov 29/052025)
Letter from Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice on Housing (Scotland) Bill Stage 2 (Scot Parl 29/05/2025)
Report on the proposal for a National Park in Southwest Scotland – advice on natural heritage matters and advice to ministers (Scot Gov 29/05/2025)
Ministerial Statement on Galloway and Ayrshire National Park Proposal (Scot Gov 29/05/2025)
National Planning Framework 4 Annual Review – clerks note (Scot Parl 29/05/2025)
Strategic Housing Investment Plan Guidance 2025 MHDGN 2025/01 (Scot Gov 30/05/2025)
Draft Updated Sectoral Marine Plan for Offshore Wind Energy consultation launched (Scot Gov 30/05/2025)
Scottish Biodiversity Strategy: Report to Parliament 2020-2024 (Scot Gov 30/05/2025)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee annual report for 2024-25 (Scot Parl 30/05/2025)
Short-term Lets (Planning Permission) Bill presented to House of Commons (UK Parl 02/06/2025)
Planning reform and housing delivery. Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government written statement (UK Parl 02/06/2025)
Apprenticeships and Skills Training. Department for Education written statement (UK Parl 02/06/2025)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee: Housing (Scotland) Bill Stage 2 (day 7) and NPF4 Annual Review evidence session (Scot Parl 03/06/2025)
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee: Land Reform (Scotland) Bill Stage 2 (day 1) (Scot Parl 03/06/2025)
Finance and Public Administration Committee: Cost-effectiveness of Scottish public inquiries – clerks note (Scot Parl 03/06/2025)
Crofting and Scottish Land Court Bill: Policy Memorandum, Financial Memorandum, Delegated Powers Memorandum and Explanatory Notes (Scot Parl 03/06/2025)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee: Housing (Scotland) Bill Stage 2 scrutiny completed (Scot Parl 03/06/2025)
Economy and Fair Work Committee: Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill Stage 1 evidence session (Scot Parl 04/06/2025)
Opinion & Comment
Welsh Government outlines new priorities for culture with £7m for museum and heritage sectors (Museums Association 22/05/2025)
A new kind of gentrification is spreading through London; thanks to ‘placemaking’, thriving communities are hollowing out (The Guardian 26/05/2025)
‘What Nazis did to Warsaw’ The story of Glasgow’s tragic rise and fall (The Herald 01/06/2025)
IFS warns of “unavoidably tough choices” ahead of UK Spending Review on 11 June (BBC News 01/06/2025)
Scottish Labour MSP seeks 500ha cap in Land Reform Bill amendments (The Herald 01/06/2025)
‘If you damage heritage, you may end up with criminal record’ – Northern Ireland prosecutes over 100 damaged historic monuments (BBC News 02/06/2025)
5,000 English nature sites at risk under Labour’s planning proposals (The Guardian 03/06/2025)
Events
For further listings, please see BEFS events calendar
SURF – Awards Launch Event
Date & Time: Thursday 5 June 2025; 2-2:45pm
Location: Online via zoom
Join SURF to find out more about the 2025 SURF Awards process and the 5 Award categories. Attendees will hear from former SURF Award Winners with their top tips for a successful application. If you have ever considered entering (or re-entering) the Awards or want to know more about this year’s process and what is involved, or to hear directly from projects who have gone through the process, then this event is definitely for you. Find out more about the SURF Awards here and follow this link to book.
Architecture Fringe 2025: Reciprocity – Opening Party
Date & Time: Friday 6 June 2025; 6-9pm
Location: The Briggait, 72 Clyde Street, Glasgow G1 5HZ
The Briggait plays host to the opening party for this year’s Architecture Fringe. In celebration of a jam-packed two week-long festival programme come along to an evening of exhibitions, conversation, music and performance. Glasgow-based community brass band Brass, Aye? will be bringing some singing, dancing and carnival vibes. Award-winning independent choreographer and dance-maker Janice Parker will be responding to the space through dance and resident DJ at Scandal Glasgow BELLAROSA will be on the decks with a hypnotic set weaving together beats from across the globe. The Full Festival Programme for the Architecture Fringe 2025 has been made possible through the support of Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding, Moxon Architects, Helen Lucas Architects, and Collective Architecture.
Under One Roof – Navigating Tenement Building Repairs for Landlords, with Dundee City Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 10 June 2025; 11am-12pm
Location: Online
Landlords in Dundee are invited to a free one-hour webinar to learn about basic tenement repair and maintenance. Topics covered include: understanding relevant legislation; the difference between individual, mutual and common repairs; and how to organise and pay for repairs with your co-owners and co-landlords.
IHBC – Annual School Shrewsbury. Heritage in Context: Value | Plan | Change
Date & Time: Thursday 12 – Saturday 14 June 2025
Location: Shrewsbury Theatre Severn, Frankwell, Shrewsbury SY3 8FT
Date & Time: Friday 13 June 2025; 9am-3:45pm
Location: Online
Join the IHBC for this year’s annual school in historic Shrewsbury, to explore the rich topic of ‘Heritage in Context’, and how context informs the way in which we understand, value, care for and change our historic environment. There will be a variety of opportunities to engage with the school, from the 3-day Full School which includes local tours and welcome reception for in person delegates, to the Friday Day School, available in person and online, and offering a fantastic programme of talks with expert speakers.
RIAS – BookshopLATES… The Expressway World
Date & Time: Wednesday 18 June 2025; 6:30-7:30pm (doors 6pm)
Location: RIAS Bookshop, 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BE
Join Professor Richard J. Williams to discover the world of the urban expressway – how it came to be and what cities around the globe are doing to replace, reinvent and revitalise these monoliths of automobile-focused infrastructure. Richard will be in conversation with his colleague Dr. Sepideh Karami from Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture.
The Cockburn Association – Campaigning For Edinburgh Book Launch
Date & Time: Thursday 19 June 2025; 7-9pm
Location: Laigh Hall, Faculty of Advocates, Parliament Square, Edinburgh EH1 1RF
Join The Cockburn Association for the launch of their new publication, Campaigning for Edinburgh. To mark the 150th anniversary of the Association in 2025, this publication outlines the many issues and campaigns in which the Association was involved. It reflects on Henry Cockburn’s legacy, who asked in 1849, “how will Edinburgh look in 1949, or 2049?”. The evening will include talks from the authors, an exhibit from the Faculty of Advocates’ collections on Lord Henry Cockburn, and a reception.
IHBC/RTPI – Finding the Balance: Built Heritage & Landscape Conservation in Development Planning
Date & Time: Friday 20 June 2025; 10am-4:15pm
Location: Dunkeld and Birnam
The neighbouring communities of Dunkeld and Birnam in Perthshire are locations for this training day. They benefit from multiple and overlapping heritage designations. This event will review the history of planning in Dunkeld and consider the challenges and opportunities facing today’s planners in allowing development while conserving their rich built heritage. Hosted by IHBC Scotland and RTPI Scottish Young Planners Network.
Under One Roof – Navigating Tenement Building Repairs for Landlords, with East Ayrshire Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 1 July 2025; 10-11am
Location: Online
Landlords in East Ayrshire are invited to a free one-hour webinar to learn about basic tenement repair and maintenance. Topics covered include: Understanding relevant legislation; understanding the Repairing Standard; the difference between individual, mutual and common repairs and; how to organise and pay for repairs with your co-owners and co-landlords.
Training
SPAB – Maintaining Scottish Churches
Date & Time: Wednesday 28 May 2025; 9:30am-3:45pm
Location: Lochgilphead Parish Church, Oban Road, Lochgilphead PA31 8NE
Are you involved in caring for and maintaining a place of worship in Scotland? Caring for a historic building can feel like a never-ending task, but thankfully there are some simple steps you can take to keep your building in good condition and reduce the likelihood of large repair projects further down the line. In this introductory one-day course, find out how historic faith building works and the practical steps you can take to look after it.
HES/Engine Shed – Level 3 Qualification in Energy Efficiency Measures in Older and Traditional Buildings
Dates & Times: Wednesday 28/Thursday 29 May; Wednesday 10/Thursday 11 September 2025
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
This 2-day course is accredited by the National Open College Network (NOCN) and delivered by experts leading the way in energy efficiency for traditional and older buildings. The programme includes three modules: recognise the age, nature, and characteristics of older and traditional buildings; evaluate the appropriate options for introducing energy efficiency measures to older and traditional buildings; make recommendations and give advice on introducing energy efficiency measures to older and traditional buildings. The cost of this is £495 for the two days.
HES/Engine Shed – Introduction to Building Conservation Week
Date and Time: Monday 2-Friday 6 June 2025
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
This 5-day intensive course will be delivered by Historic Environment Scotland conservation professionals at the Engine Shed in Stirling. Through a series of lectures, activities and site visits, this series of informative and enjoyable days will explore the traditional building skills and materials used in conservation and repair projects throughout the Scottish built environment. The cost of this is £495 for the full week or £110 per day.
Frew Conservation – Repairing Historic Buildings: Traditional Masonry & Joinery
Date & Time: Monday 9 June 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: The Stables, Falkland Estate, Falkland, Fife KY15 7AF
Join building conservation specialists Craig Frew, Darren McLean & Jamie Ryan for an engaging one-day seminar and workshop focused on the repair of traditional masonry and joinery in historic buildings. Key Topics Include: Stonework conservation and repair; stone cleaning and paint removal; lime mortars, harling and limewash; repair & upgrading of traditional windows and doors; paints and coatings for exterior timber This course is Recognised by the Institute for Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) for CPD.
Heritage Network – Carbon Literacy Training
Dates & Times: Monday 9 & 16 June 2025; 10am-12:30pm
Location: Online
Carbon Literacy is a keyway for organisations to gain an awareness of the causes and impacts of climate change and an understanding of carbon emissions. It provides a great foundation for individuals, teams, and organisations to begin to take steps towards reducing their carbon emissions and become more environmentally sustainable. As a sector, this training will help to collectively make a difference through taking responsibility and committing to lowering emissions. To become certified as Carbon Literate you must pledge to undertake an individual and group action that will help you and your organisation to achieve net zero. If you have any questions, please email Samya Kelly.
Planning Aid Scotland – Community Engagement Skills Training SP=EED
Dates & Times: Wednesday 18 June 2025; 10am-3:30pm (Edinburgh); Wednesday 1 October 2025; 10am-3:30pm (Glasgow)
Locations: The Crannie Community Hub, 9 Cranston Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BE & Edward House, 199 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3EX
Delivered by highly experienced trainers with over a decade of expertise in community engagement and training, these workshop offers practical, hands-on guidance using the SP=EED framework. This structured approach will give participants the confidence and tools to approach engagement with clarity and ease. The training focuses on key principles such as how to consult, engage and inform communities effectively. Whether you’re new to community engagement or looking to strengthen your existing skills, this training provides valuable insights and techniques.
Vacancies
East Lothian Council – Service Manager – Planning
Salary: £68,488 – £77,157 per annum
Status: Full-time; permanent
Location: Council HQ John Muir House Brewery Park Haddington EH41 3HA/ Hybrid working considered
A rare opportunity has arisen to manage and lead a high performing Planning Service. East Lothian is a beautiful and varied landscape stretching from the coastline to the north across the agricultural plain to the Lammermuir Hills to the south. It is also an area undergoing significant development. Based within the heart of the area at Haddington, this role offers the potential for great work / life balance, with the flexibility of hybrid working.
Applicants will need to have: outstanding organisational and communication skills; significant experience of working in the planning system at a senior level; an ability to work at a strategic level with senior colleagues from a wide range of partner organisations; sound knowledge of relevant key legislation and national guidance; and enthusiasm and commitment to high quality work and continuous service improvement.
Relevant Qualifications: Degree in town planning or equivalent discipline recognised by RTPI; Chartered membership of the RTPI; Relevant post-graduate qualifications; Continuing Professional Development evidence. A detailed job description can be found here. For further information go to the job listing here
This role requires Level 1 Disclosure Clearance to allow access to the Public Sector Network. ELC will submit a Police Act Disclosure application on behalf of the preferred candidate and receipt of the subsequent certificate will be required prior to commencement.
Closing date: Sunday 15 June 2025
National Trust for Scotland – Building Conservation Surveyor
Salary: £40,707- £53,128 per annum (dependent on experience and qualifications)
Status: Full-Time, Permanent (40 Hours Per Week)
Location: Broadstone Hub, 50 South Gyle Crescent, Edinburgh, EH12 9LD. Flexibility to include some working-at-home under Hybrid Working arrangements and requirement to attend sites regularly.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) are seeking a Building Conservation Surveyor. The Building Conservation Team delivers direct support to the regional management and operations teams, under the management and supervision of the Lead Conservation Surveyor and the Head of Building Conservation. Each Region is supported by a Building Conservation Surveyor and a Maintenance Surveyor, who between them support Trust property and conservation operations by delivering conservation maintenance activities to ensure that all buildings are fit for purpose, safe and welcoming for visitors, meet legislative standards of compliance and deliver the Trust’s charitable purposes. This role will be based in the Edinburgh and East Region of Scotland providing support to the regional team. A Building Conservation professional with at least 2 years’ post-qualification experience, you will be part of the team that supports the Trust’s operational regions in caring for and operating buildings. You will work with castles, cottages, museums, offices, bothies, residential and agricultural lets, and toilet blocks – old and new buildings are all part of the NTS portfolio. You will promote and deliver best practice in conservation, safe construction and maintenance management and support operational colleagues with guidance and advice. You will undertake surveys, diagnose defects, specify repairs, and manage projects to deliver conservation, improvement, repair, and maintenance works to the Trust’s built assets. Please see this link for more information on applications and the detailed job description.
Closing date: Sunday 22 June 2025
National Trust for Scotland – Conservation Maintenance Surveyor
Salary: – £40,707 – £44,847 per annum (dependent on experience and qualifications)
Status: Full-Time, Permanent (40 Hours Per Week)
Location: Highland and Island region, but potentially flexible on an informal basis under Hybrid Working arrangements and requirement to attend sites regularly.
The National Trust for Scotland (NTS) are seeking a Conservation Maintenance Surveyor. This role is located in the Highlands and Islands regional team. As the regional building maintenance specialist, you will work closely with the regional Building Surveyor to advise and support Operations Teams, putting the Trust’s Conservation Principles into practice through focusing on planned and reactive maintenance of all built structures. In this role, you will be instrumental in shaping the way the Trust manages the maintenance of its buildings, helping to build maintenance plans for each building and dealing with backlog maintenance projects. This job will support the National Trust for Scotland Strategy by contributing to improving the condition of buildings, delivering best practice in built heritage conservation and maintenance management, and supporting the safe operation of sites. Reporting directly to the National Maintenance Lead this role has responsibility for supporting and undertaking the planning and delivery of sensitive conservation, maintenance and repair to NTS buildings and advising property operations teams on all aspects of buildings care. The role also assists operations staff to maintain public access to sites and buildings during essential building work. You will have experience of working in maintenance planning and management or demonstrable understanding of maintenance management processes e.g. through similar experience or trade background or experience of working in a role caring for historic buildings. The Trust are interested in speaking to people from a range of professional building and trade backgrounds, and would be happy to advise you whether your qualifications suit their needs. Any enquiries should be forwarded to: workforus@nts.org.uk. Please see this link for more detailed information on applications and the detailed job application.
Closing date: Friday 20 June 2025
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Get The Latest Built Environment News, Policy Developments, Publications & Consultations
BEFS News
On a gloriously sunny day last week BEFS Director attended the Construction Skills Demonstration at the Scottish Parliament, organised by The Scottish Traditional Building Forum (STBF) and supported by Historic Environment Scotland (HES). The event took place on the 14th and 15th of May on the Landscaped Gardens and was sponsored by Gordon MacDonald and Alex Rowley. Pupils from Edinburgh, Stirling, South Ayrshire and North Lanarkshire received mini masterclasses in masonry, slate roofing, painting and decorating, electrical engineering, digital documentation – and more – with the event highlighting the many and varied careers in the construction sector. Attending MSPs had the opportunity to meet the apprentices and businesses delivering the demonstrations and hear about the importance of skills and training opportunities for the future of our built environment.
Another vital skills area: UK heritage bodies Cadw, Historic England and Historic Environment Scotland have joined forces, publishing a new handbook to support learners undertaking retrofit qualifications. The handbook provides an additional resource for those working toward the Level 3 Award in Energy Efficiency Measures for Older and Traditional Buildings. The publication supports a holistic approach to retrofit, providing learners with a robust understanding of building performance and pathology. Approximately 6.5 million buildings in the UK – 20%-30% of all buildings in England, Scotland and Wales – are of traditional construction, making these skills essential to meeting our net zero targets.
In an example of collaborative approaches to shared issues, over 20 of Scotland’s infrastructure organisations are working together to protect Scotland’s critical infrastructure from weather and climate related impacts. The ‘Climate Ready Infrastructure Scotland Forum’ was co-founded by Network Rail, Scottish Water and SP Energy Networks to build resilience against the growing impacts of climate change on Scotland’s infrastructure. The group aims to share best practice and advice, data and insights essential to ‘climate ready’ decision making, and work to better understand the climate-related risk interdependencies that exist between infrastructure systems in Scotland. The Forum also has longer-term aims of co-developing on-the-ground adaptation interventions in areas of shared climate-risk.
And last but not least, Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has launched a consultation on its long-term strategy for heritage designation, seeking views on how the strategy can identify and legally protect Scotland’s most important historic sites and places. This strategy outlines HES vision for heritage designations by 2035, and highlights priorities for the next three years. Read the draft strategy and provide your feedback until 1 July 2025.
Parliamentary Questions & Answers
Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions regarding Data, Housing, Funding Plans, and Culture.
Consultations
Climate change duties – draft statutory guidance for public bodies: consultation
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is gathering views to help inform new Statutory Guidance for public bodies, to support them in putting climate change duties into practice. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (‘the 2009 Act’) places duties on relevant public bodies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contribute to delivery of the Scottish National Adaptation Plan, and to act in the most sustainable way. Under the 2009 Act, Scottish Ministers are required to provide public bodies with guidance, to support them in putting their climate change duties into practice. Statutory guidance was originally published in 2011 and now requires to be updated. This consultation seeks your views on new draft Statutory Guidance which has been developed for this purpose, and which will replace the 2011 guidance. The consultation paper contains a full draft of the proposed Statutory Guidance. The questions in this consultation are intended to gather your feedback on the content of the guidance. Please read or refer to the guidance while responding.
Closes 23 May 2025
Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill
Scottish Parliament
The Economy and Fair Work Committee wants to hear your views on the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill as set out in its accompanying Financial Memorandum. The purpose of this Bill is to ensure that CWB is implemented consistently across Scotland as an economic development tool. The Bill proposes to do three things: It would place a duty on the Scottish Ministers to publish a CWB statement which sets out the measures they will take to facilitate CWB. It would require local authorities and ‘relevant public bodies’ to publish and implement a CWB plan for their area. It would require ‘specified public bodies’ to have due regard to CWB guidance when developing their corporate plans and associated delivery strategies. The Scottish Government would like to hear views as to whether the Bill might achieve its aims, on the public bodies proposed, potential unintended consequences, and about benefits to local communities.
Closes 23 May 2025
Heritage Science Data Service: User Needs Survey
National Heritage Science Forum
The National Heritage Science Forum (NHSF) is undertaking a User Needs consultation on behalf of Heritage Science Data Service (HSDS), as part of the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) programme. Heritage science is uniquely inter-disciplinary, covering disciplines including archaeology, conservation, materials science, art history, physics, robotics and computer science. The new HSDS provides core digital research services as part of the RICHeS programme, the UK’s Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science. If you create or use heritage science data as an employee, volunteer or student, you are encouraged to complete this survey. Your feedback will help shape and build the HSDS.
Closes 31 May 2025
Volunteer-involving heritage organisations survey
Historic Environment Scotland
Make Your Mark, a campaign to increase the number and diversity of heritage volunteers in Scotland, is running a survey with Volunteer Scotland and Our Past, Our Future, Scotland’s national strategy for the historic environment, to better understand volunteering in Scotland’s heritage sector. The survey is open to volunteer-involving heritage organisations and groups in Scotland and should be filled out by the person(s) who oversee the management/organisation of volunteers. Responses will inform what support is offered to volunteer-involving organisations, help advocate for needs within the sector, and help make heritage volunteering accessible, inclusive and enjoyable for everyone.
*NEW* Closes 16 June 2025
Developing an Ecosystem Restoration Code for Scotland
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is seeking views on developing an Ecosystem Restoration Code (ERC) for Scotland as a new high-integrity market mechanism to attract responsible private investment into nature restoration and biodiversity projects. This commitment, outlined in the 2024 Natural Capital Market Framework, is being delivered via a Scottish Government-NatureScot partnership project. An Engagement Paper has been published summarising the results of the Discovery Phase and setting out key issues to be explored during co-development with stakeholders. Responses to the survey will be analysed, alongside evidence from Engagement Phase events, to inform a series of recommendations for developing/writing the ERC during the later stages of this project.
Closes 29 June 2025
Skills Survey for Historic Environment Employers
Historic Environment Scotland
HES is seeking input from employers, sole traders and organisations in the heritage sector about skills needs, gaps, and training provision. The survey aims to monitor the skills health of the sector and inform planning for support programmes. This follow-up to the 2023 survey will help track trends and prioritise actions outlined in the Skills Investment Plan for the Historic Environment (SIP) published in April 2024. HES particularly wants to hear from those working in archaeology, heritage architecture, conservation, museums, traditional building skills, and related fields. Results will influence the direction of the SIP over the next four years.
Closes 30 June 2025
ECHOES Consultation
European Cloud for Heritage Open Science
The ECHOES project is building a shared digital space, the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH), designed to support heritage professionals and researchers across Europe. To ensure this platform meets real-world needs, ECHOES has launched a consultation survey to better understand the priorities, challenges, and expectations of the cultural heritage community. The consultation is open to all cultural heritage stakeholders, including professionals, researchers, computer scientists/developers, umbrella organisations and institutions with a vested interest in the development and application of the Cultural Heritage Cloud.
Closes end of June 2025
Scotland’s protected historic places – consultation on a long-term strategy for heritage designation
Historic Environment Scotland
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is looking for your views on their strategy for how to identify and legally protect Scotland’s most important historic sites and places. Heritage designation is the system used to provide legal recognition and protection for historic sites across Scotland. More than 55,000 sites are currently protected in this way. The strategy sets out a long-term approach to delivering national-level heritage designations. HES is setting out their vision for designations in 2035, their mission, and priorities for the three-year period 2025-28. Download the strategy consultation paper.
*NEW* Closes 1 July 2025
Clean Heat Market Mechanism: revisions ahead of Scheme Year 2 (2026/2027)
UK Government
The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero has launched a consultation on the heat pump credit target for Year 2 of the Clean Heat Market Mechanism. It also explores views on proposals to name the Microgeneration Certification Scheme (MCS) the sole certification scheme for the Clean Heat Market Mechanism. The consultation seeks views on setting a Year 2 heat pump target level within the proposed range of 8-10% of relevant boiler sales.
*NEW* Closes 2 July 2025
Housing (Scotland) Bill
Scottish Government
This consultation seeks views on how powers within the Housing (Scotland) Bill could be used to exempt certain types of properties from rent control. It also looks into circumstances where rents could be increased above the level of the rent cap and scope for clarifying how joint tenancies in the private sector are ended. The Bill brings forward a package of reforms to help ensure people have a safe, secure and affordable place to live. It includes measures that provide a framework for a long-term system of rent control in Scotland. The consultation addresses three main areas: properties that should be exempt from rent control area restrictions; properties that should be subject to modified rent control area restrictions; and clarifying how joint tenancies in the private rented sector are ended.
Closes 18 July 2025
Rural Tourism in Scotland Survey
Historic Houses Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates
Member properties of Historic Houses Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates are invited to complete this survey to provide data for a major report on rural tourism in Scotland. The survey aims to gather evidence on the impact of rural tourism businesses on Scotland’s economy and address challenges and opportunities facing the sector. The report will feed into VisitScotland and the Scottish Government’s aims for growing tourism across Scotland in a sustainable way. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
No closing date specified
ScotLand Futures
Scottish Land Commission
ScotLand Futures is a national initiative led by the Scottish Land Commission exploring what a fully reformed approach to land in Scotland could look like and how to make it happen. The initiative aims to think big, tackle challenges, provide certainty for the future, and find practical solutions to ensure land benefits everyone. The Scottish Land Commission wants to hear from people across Scotland, whether they live in a city, town, village or rural area, about what land reform means to them and what changes they want to see.
No closing date specified
Consultation Responses
Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill
As stated above, the Scottish Parliament’s Economy and Fair Work Committee issued a call for views on this Bill, introduced to Parliament in March 2025. BEFS drew attention to Members’ particular interests around Community Wealth Building principles relating to vacant and derelict buildings, local procurement and workforce development. The response cautioned that significant progress towards aspirations for enhanced nationwide activity and consistency in Community Wealth Building would be difficult to achieve without wider investments in the built environment.
(BEFS 16/05/25)
Petitions
Submission on PE1885: Make offering Community Shared Ownership mandatory for all windfarm development planning proposals (Scot Parl 02/05/2025)
Submission on PE2150: Amend the Scottish Housing Regulator’s mandate or create a body to protect owners of ex-council properties (Scot Parl 08/05/2025)
News Releases
British Academy Report: Value of social and cultural infrastructure ‘risks being neglected in decision-making’ without new measurement framework (The British Academy 30/04/2025)
What does the volunteer cohort of the heritage sector look like in 2025? (Historic England 06/05/2025)
Climate Ready Infrastructure Scotland Forum (Adaptation Scotland 07/05/2025)
Industry Update: 2025-26 Programme for Government – Key Headlines for Tourism and Hospitality Businesses (Scottish Tourism Alliance 07/05/2025)
What would abolishing the UK government’s department for culture mean for the arts? (The Art Newspaper 07/05/2025)
Edinburgh appoints visitor levy forum chair (City of Edinburgh Council 08/05/2025)
Apply for Europe’s most prestigious heritage awards (Europa Nostra 08/05/2025)
Prosperity begins at home: Scottish housing policies for faster, fairer economic growth (David Hume Institute 08/05/2025)
The Open University Scotland 2026 Scottish Parliament Election Manifesto (The Open University Scotland 08/05/2025)
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust and Leith Civic Trust Celebrate Community Partnership at Leith Custom House (SHBT 11/05/2025)
Bridging the retrofit skills gap (PBC Today 14/05/2025)
Dunbar backland support centre builds traditional skills (Urban Realm 15/05/2025)
Historic England warns of ‘significant barriers’ for disabled people in heritage sector (Arts Professional 15/05/2025)
Publications
Guidance for owners on the installation of solar panels, heat pumps or insulation in common parts of tenements in Scotland (Harper McLeod LLP March 2025)
A Brief Introduction to Semi-Detached Housing (Historic England 12/05/2025)
A Workforce Fit for the Future: Reforming Scottish skills and employability services to support growth (Our Scottish Future 12/05/2025)
Imagination infrastructures: Pathfinders: learnings from 2 years of supporting future-building practice (Joseph Rowntree Foundation 12/05/2025)
Sustainable infrastructure for a thriving Scotland 2025-30 Corporate Plan (Scottish Futures Trust 12/05/2025)
Scottish Futures Trust 2025-30 Business Plan (Scottish Futures Trust 12/05/2025)
A smarter approach to homelessness: Prioritising prevention in the 2025 spending review (Institute for Government 13/05/2025)
Housing Supply for a Growing Economy (Prosper 14/05/2025)
Scottish & UK: Governmental & Parliamentary Publications
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee: Housing (Scotland) Bill Stage 2 consideration (Scot Parl 06/05/2025)
Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Impact assessment (UK Gov 06/05/2025)
Public appointment: Chair appointed to the Board of Environmental Standards Scotland (Scot Gov 06/05/2025)
Public appointment: Members reappointed to the Environmental Standards Scotland Board (Scot Gov 06/05/2025)
Reforms to get Britain building will boost economy by billions (UK Gov 06/05/2025)
Programme for Government 2025 to 2026 (Scot Gov 06/05/2025)
Infrastructure investment plan 2021-22 to 2025-26: major capital projects progress update – February 2025 (Scot Gov 07/05/2025)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee: Housing (Scotland) Bill Minutes (Scot Parl 07/05/2025)
The Final Countdown to election 2026: Programme for Government 2025-26 – Building the Best Future for Scotland (SPICe 07/05/2025)
Public appointment: Members appointed to the Board of Scottish Futures Trust (Scot Gov 07/05/2025)
Green Industrial Partnership: UK – Norway memorandum of understanding (UK Gov 08/05/2025)
Kinloch Castle Study: Final report (Scot Gov 08/05/2025)
Economy and Fair Work Committee: Scotland’s City and Regional Growth Deals (Scot Parl 09/05/2025)
New £1m fund to prevent homelessness (Scot Gov 12/05/2025)
Place Directors: factsheet (Scot Gov 12/05/2025)
Debate on ‘Impact of Churches and religious buildings on their communities’ (UK Parl 13/05/2025)
Community Rights to Buy: overview (Scot Gov 13/05/2025)
Housing Statistics for Scotland, 2023-24 (Scot Gov 13/05/2025)
Second homes in Scotland – facts, figures and policy (SPICe 13/05/2025)
Planning and Infrastructure Bill Debate: Clause 45 – Training for local planning authorities in England (UK Parl 13/05/2025)
Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee Official Report (Scot Parl 13/05/2025)
Construction Skills for the Future Debate (Scot Parl 13/05/2025)
Planning Reforms: Energy and Housing Costs – Questions (House of Lords 15/05/2025)
Third marshalled list of amendments and third grouping of amendments on the Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 15/05/2025)
Scotland’s Housing Emergency – one year on (SPICe 15/05/2025)
Report on the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee’s inquiry into the housing emergency in Scotland (Scot Parl 15/05/2025)
UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement Report: trade in services, youth mobility, and touring artists; and opportunities to improve the UK-EU trading relationship (Scot Parl 16/05/2025)
Planning obligation appeals: form and guidance (Scot Gov 16/05/2025)
Wind turbine appeal decisions: statistics (Scot Gov 20/05/2025)
Compulsory purchase orders: register (Scot Gov 20/05/2025)
Affordable Housing Supply Programme: resource planning assumptions (Scot Gov 20/05/2025)
Opinion & Comment
‘Year of service’ would help young Scots gain skills – report (STV 12/05/2025)
Welsh thatching and ship figurehead carving added to UK crafts red list (The Guardian 13/05/2025)
Study reveals disability barriers for UK heritage employees (Museums & Heritage Advisor 14/05/2025)
50 years since Local Democracy Died (Land Matters 15/05/2025)
Poor building standards add £1,000 to energy bills of new homes (The Guardian 16/05/2025)
Motions
S6M-17598
Submitted by: Mairi Gougeon, Angus North and Mearns, Scottish National Party
Date Lodged: 19/05/2025
That the Parliament recognises Scotland’s islands’ invaluable contribution to Scotland’s economy, culture and identity; welcomes the investments that have accompanied Scotland’s first ever national islands plan; recognises the positive impact that the Islands (Scotland) Act 2018 has had, but notes the need for further action to tackle island challenges; welcomes the extensive community engagement to develop the new national islands plan, and notes that measures to address depopulation and create community wealth should be key themes of the new plan; further welcomes the positive progress and impact of the Carbon Neutral Islands project, and agrees that the Scottish Government should continue to work towards prosperous and sustainable island communities.
Current status: Due to be taken in the Chamber on Wednesday 21 May 2025
Events
For further listings, please see BEFS events calendar
Upright Gallery – Architecture Reassembled
Date & Time: Saturday 31 May – Friday 20 June
Location: Upright Gallery, 3 Barclay Terrace, Edinburgh EH10 4HP
This exhibition brings together two artists, Ros Lawless & Charles Young, whose interest lies in the built environment – both real and imagined. Ros Lawless’ practice is influenced by her immediate surroundings, in particular architecture, which she uses to organise pictorial space and form. Charles Youngs’ work has its basis in architectural model making and draws on the forms of the built environment. He focuses on the relationship between invented structures and the built history of the existing city.
SURF – Awards Launch Event
Date & Time: Thursday 5 June 2025; 2-2:45pm
Location: Online via zoom
Join SURF to find out more about the 2025 SURF Awards process and the 5 Award categories. Attendees will hear from former SURF Award Winners with their top tips for a successful application. If you have ever considered entering (or re-entering) the Awards or want to know more about this year’s process and what is involved, or to hear directly from projects who have gone through the process, then this event is definitely for you. Find out more about the SURF Awards here and follow this link to book.
Architecture Fringe 2025: Reciprocity – Opening Party
Date & Time: Friday 6 June 2025; 6-9pm
Location: The Briggait, 72 Clyde Street, Glasgow G1 5HZ
The Briggait plays host to the opening party for this year’s Architecture Fringe. In celebration of a jam-packed two week long festival programme come along to an evening of exhibitions, conversation, music and performance. Glasgow-based community brass band Brass, Aye? will be bringing some singing, dancing and carnival vibes. Award-winning independent choreographer and dance-maker Janice Parker will be responding to the space through dance and resident DJ at Scandal Glasgow BELLAROSA will be on the decks with a hypnotic set weaving together beats from across the globe. The Full Festival Programme for the Architecture Fringe 2025 has been made possible through the support of Creative Scotland Multi-Year Funding, Moxon Architects, Helen Lucas Architects, and Collective Architecture.
Under One Roof – Navigating Tenement Building Repairs for Landlords, with Dundee City Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 10 June 2025; 11am-12pm
Location: Online
Landlords in Dundee are invited to a free one-hour webinar to learn about basic tenement repair and maintenance. Topics covered include: understanding relevant legislation; the difference between individual, mutual and common repairs; and how to organise and pay for repairs with your co-owners and co-landlords.
IHBC – Annual School Shrewsbury. Heritage in Context: Value | Plan | Change
Date & Time: Thursday 12 – Saturday 14 June 2025
Location: Shrewsbury Theatre Severn, Frankwell, Shrewsbury SY3 8FT
And
Date & Time: Friday 13 June 2025; 9am-3:45pm
Location: Online
Join the IHBC for this year’s annual school in historic Shrewsbury, to explore the rich topic of ‘Heritage in Context’, and how context informs the way in which we understand, value, care for and change our historic environment. There will be a variety of opportunities to engage with the school, from the 3-day Full School which includes local tours and welcome reception for in person delegates, to the Friday Day School, available in person and online, and offering a fantastic programme of talks with expert speakers.
The Cockburn Association – Campaigning For Edinburgh Book Launch
Date & Time: Thursday 19 June 2025; 7-9pm
Location: Laigh Hall, Faculty of Advocates, Parliament Square, Edinburgh EH1 1RF
Join The Cockburn Association for the launch of their new publication, Campaigning for Edinburgh. To mark the 150th anniversary of the Association in 2025, this publication outlines the many issues and campaigns in which the Association was involved. It reflects on Henry Cockburn’s legacy, who asked in 1849, “how will Edinburgh look in 1949, or 2049?”. The evening will include talks from the authors, an exhibit from the Faculty of Advocates’ collections on Lord Henry Cockburn, and a reception.
IHBC/RTPI – Finding the Balance: Built Heritage & Landscape Conservation in Development Planning
Date & Time: Friday 20 June 2025; 10am-4:15pm
Location: Dunkeld and Birnam
The neighbouring communities of Dunkeld and Birnam in Perthshire are locations for this training day. They benefit from multiple and overlapping heritage designations. This event will review the history of planning in Dunkeld and consider the challenges and opportunities facing today’s planners in allowing development while conserving their rich built heritage. Hosted by IHBC Scotland and RTPI Scottish Young Planners Network.
Training
SPAB – Maintaining Scottish Churches
Date & Time: Wednesday 28 May 2025; 9:30am-3:45pm
Location: Lochgilphead Parish Church, Oban Road, Lochgilphead PA31 8NE
Are you involved in caring for and maintaining a place of worship in Scotland? Caring for a historic building can feel like a never-ending task, but thankfully there are some simple steps you can take to keep your building in good condition and reduce the likelihood of large repair projects further down the line. In this introductory one-day course, find out how historic faith building works and the practical steps you can take to look after it.
HES/Engine Shed – Level 3 Qualification in Energy Efficiency Measures in Older and Traditional Buildings
Dates & Times: Wednesday 28/Thursday 29 May; Wednesday 10/Thursday 11 September 2025
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
This 2-day course is accredited by the National Open College Network (NOCN) and delivered by experts leading the way in energy efficiency for traditional and older buildings. The programme includes three modules: recognise the age, nature, and characteristics of older and traditional buildings; evaluate the appropriate options for introducing energy efficiency measures to older and traditional buildings; make recommendations and give advice on introducing energy efficiency measures to older and traditional buildings. The cost of this is £495 for the two days.
HES/Engine Shed – Introduction to Building Conservation Week
Date and Time: Monday 2-Friday 6 June 2025
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
This 5-day intensive course will be delivered by Historic Environment Scotland conservation professionals at the Engine Shed in Stirling. Through a series of lectures, activities and site visits, this series of informative and enjoyable days will explore the traditional building skills and materials used in conservation and repair projects throughout the Scottish built environment. The cost of this is £495 for the full week or £110 per day.
Frew Conservation – Repairing Historic Buildings: Traditional Masonry & Joinery
Date & Time: Monday 9 June 2025; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: The Stables, Falkland Estate, Falkland, Fife KY15 7AF
Join building conservation specialists Craig Frew, Darren McLean & Jamie Ryan for an engaging one-day seminar and workshop focused on the repair of traditional masonry and joinery in historic buildings. Key Topics Include: Stonework conservation and repair; stone cleaning and paint removal; lime mortars, harling and limewash; repair & upgrading of traditional windows and doors; paints and coatings for exterior timber This course is Recognised by the Institute for Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) for CPD.
Heritage Network – Carbon Literacy Training
Date & Time: Monday 9 & 16 June 2025; 10am-12:30pm
Location: Online
Carbon Literacy is a key way for organisations to gain an awareness of the causes and impacts of climate change and an understanding of carbon emissions. It provides a great foundation for individuals, teams and organisations to begin to take steps towards reducing their carbon emissions and become more environmentally sustainable. As a sector, this training will help to collectively make a difference through taking responsibility and committing to lowering emissions. The focus of Carbon Literacy is about empowering people to take action. To become certified as Carbon Literate you must pledge to undertake an individual and group action that will help you and your organisation to achieve net zero. The £15 (member) and £30 (non-member) charge for this course covers your Carbon Literacy Trust certification fee. If you have any questions, please email Samya Kelly.
Planning Aid Scotland – Community Engagement Skills Training SP=EED
Dates & Times: Wednesday 18 June 2025; 10am-3:30pm (Edinburgh); Wednesday 1 October 2025; 10am-3:30pm (Glasgow)
Locations: The Crannie Community Hub, 9 Cranston Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BE & Edward House, 199 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3EX
Delivered by highly experienced trainers with over a decade of expertise in community engagement and training, these workshop offers practical, hands-on guidance using the SP=EED framework. This structured approach will give participants the confidence and tools to approach engagement with clarity and ease. The training focuses on key principles such as how to consult, engage and inform communities effectively. Whether you’re new to community engagement or looking to strengthen your existing skills, this training provides valuable insights and techniques.
Vacancies
SURF – Policy & Advocacy Manager
Salary: £32,500 per annum
Status: Permanent, full-time (35 hours per week), working a 9-day fortnight
Location: Hybrid, with every Monday based at the Govan office
Join SURF as their new Policy and Advocacy Manager. Since its inception, SURF has operated from two basic principles: Successful and sustainable regeneration is only achievable when all aspects of physical, social, economic and cultural regeneration are addressed in a holistic approach and; The people who are the intended beneficiaries of any regeneration effort must be meaningfully involved in the process if it is to be successful in planning, implementation and maintenance. These are reflected in their support for the Place Principle, advocating for its equitable implementation. SURF are looking for candidates for this role who share these values and commitment to ensuring communities are at the heart of regeneration. The successful candidate will play a key role in analysing the impact of existing policies on community-led regeneration, identifying barriers to success, and generating innovative ideas to empower communities. Collaboration with SURF members will be essential to gather strong evidence, which will be used to influence decision-makers and shape policy development. This is a small, dynamic and friendly staff team, led by Euan, the Chief Executive, supported by Emma, the Events, Information and Communications Manager and possibly you. The Policy & Advocacy Manager will also work alongside Linda (Alliance for Action Facilitator, Peterhead), Zanne (Alliance for Action Facilitator, Girvan), and Alison (Financial Administrator). SURF is a Scottish Charity and a Company Limited by Guarantee, a Scottish Living Wage Accredited Employer, and an Equal Opportunities Employer.
Please email the Application Form to euan@surf.scot
Policy & Advocacy Manager Job Description
Closing date: 9am on Monday 2 June 2025
Historic Houses – External Affairs & Communications Officer
Salary: £35,000 per annum + benefits
Status: Full time (37.5 hours per week, Monday to Friday). Occasionally hours outside of these times may be necessary from time to time. Fixed term, 18 months.
Location: Based at Warwick House, 25-27 Buckingham Palace Road, London, SW1W 0PP. Historic Houses has a hybrid working policy, but strongly encourage regular office attendance. The role will also require travel to Historic Houses member places outside London. Historic Houses are looking for a bright, proactive External Affairs & Communications Officer with a passion for the special places they represent, a keen eye for a good story, sharp attention to detail and creative flair. If you’re energised by the opportunity to shout about the amazing things going on at Historic Houses member places, they want to hear from you! A genuine interest in heritage and culture is really important, as is your ability to craft a good story and create compelling content, whether that be in writing or on video. This is a new role for Historic Houses, which comes with a desire to enhance the public profile and campaigning activities. You’ll sit in the policy & public affairs team, but be working extremely closely with the marketing & development team. No two days at Historic Houses are the same, and this is a particularly exciting time to join a small, high-impact team, working hard to deliver for members and raise the profile of independent heritage across Westminster, Holyrood, Cardiff and Stormont, having plenty of fun whilst doing so! Full Job Description. Please email your CV and a covering letter (outlining your suitability for the role with reference to the essential skills and experience specified above) to Sarah Roller, Director of Policy & Public Affairs: sarah.roller@historichouses.org. Please include contact information for two referees and details of your notice period (where applicable).
Closing date: 12pm on Wednesday 4 June 2025
We are truly grateful for your continued support and engagement. Thank you for the trust you have placed in us to deliver relevant and timely information about the built environment sector. Please consider forwarding this newsletter on to colleagues, friends and family who are part of the sector, so they know where to go for staying informed about built environment sector news, vacancies, insights, policies. If you would like to receive the bulletin as a bi-monthly email, you can subscribe here. Your support helps us grow and improve our service to the existing Scottish built environment community. Thank you for being part of our journey!
Get The Latest Built Environment News, Policy Developments, Publications & Consultations
BEFS NEWS
Hot off the press! BEFS Joining the Dots series explores the interconnected nature of a wide range of policy agendas and how these relate to Scotland’s built environment. Making up around 40 per cent of Scotland’s housing stock, tenements are a unique feature of our urban landscape. Many however require urgent repair. For the third edition of Joining the Dots, Mike Heffron, CEO of BEFS Member Under One Roof, outlines the important role that good maintenance of Scotland’s tenements plays towards goals for Net Zero. Under One Roof works with tenement flat owners across the country, providing common repair and retrofit support. Read the article on the importance of improving tenement maintenance here.
Yesterday’s Programme for Government 2025 -26 announcement included a focus on housing delivery and planning, with commitments to increasing capacity and addressing the ‘decline in professional planners working in public authorities, including appointing, developing and training 18 new future planners in the Scottish Government’. The Planning Hub was noted as a mechanism through which to build capacity and expertise within local authorities, supporting the production of local place plans.
The First Minister also announced ‘the biggest increase in culture funding in the history of the Scottish Parliament’ pledging to invest an additional £100 million in the arts and culture by 2028-29, with a £32 million increase this year.
A commitment to delivering a Heat in Buildings Bill that will decarbonise Scotland’s buildings but that ‘does not penalise individuals but does help tackle the climate emergency, rising energy bills, and fuel poverty’ presents further opportunities for the sector to continue to highlight sustainable energy efficiency measures for Scotland’s existing buildings, alongside regular repair and maintenance.
A further commitment was made to progressing the Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill. Read the full announcement here, including further priorities in relation to fuel poverty and national and regional skills planning.
At the end of last month the Scottish Government published updated guidance on Community Rights to Buy, on the legal powers available to communities across Scotland to acquire land. The guidance covers the four right to buy powers: Community Right to Buy, Crofting Community Right to Buy, Community Right to Buy Abandoned, Neglected or Detrimental Land, and Right to Buy Land to Further Sustainable Development.
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions regarding Apprenticeships, Affordable Homes, Flood Risk, and Wind Turbines.
CONSULTATIONS
Cost-effectiveness of Scottish Public Inquiries
Scottish Parliament
The Finance and Public Administration Committee’s consultation on the cost-effectiveness of public inquiries in Scotland aims to enhance understanding of how inquiries are established, managed, and how they deliver value for money. The inquiry will explore the purpose and framework for establishing public inquiries, assess their transparency and cost control mechanisms, and consider alternative models and examples of good practice.
Closes 9 May 2025
New Towns Inquiry
UK Parliament
The House of Lords Built Environment Committee has launched a modular inquiry into new towns and expanded settlements. Over a series of short, targeted modules, the Committee aims to discover whether new towns and expanded settlements are an effective means of delivering housing and, if so, how to ensure they are successful. They are now inviting interested individuals and organisations to submit written evidence for our first module, Practical Delivery. The Committee intends to take oral evidence between April and July 2025 and will publish its report on this module later in the year.
Closes 12 May 2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill: call for evidence
UK Parliament
Do you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which is currently passing through Parliament? Submit your views in writing to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee. The bill would make changes to the law around planning and infrastructure to support ambitions in the government’s Plan for Change. These ambitions include delivering 1.5 million homes and deciding 150 nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) before the end of the 2024 parliament. The bill would extend to England and Wales, with some provisions for infrastructure also extending to Scotland.
Closes 22 May 2025
Climate change duties – draft statutory guidance for public bodies: consultation
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is gathering views to help inform new Statutory Guidance for public bodies, to support them in putting the climate change duties into practice. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (‘the 2009 Act’) places duties on relevant public bodies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contribute to delivery of the Scottish National Adaptation Plan, and to act in the most sustainable way. These duties are known as the climate change duties, or the public bodies climate change duties. Under the 2009 Act, Scottish Ministers are required to provide public bodies with guidance, to support them in putting their climate change duties into practice. Statutory guidance was originally published in 2011 and now requires to be updated. This consultation seeks your views on new draft Statutory Guidance which has been developed for this purpose, and which will replace the 2011 guidance. The consultation paper contains a full draft of the proposed Statutory Guidance. The questions in this consultation are intended to gather your feedback on the content of the guidance. Please read or refer to the guidance while responding.
Closes 23 May 2025
Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill
Scottish Parliament
The Economy and Fair Work Committee wants to hear your views on the?Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill as set out in its accompanying Financial Memorandum. This Bill was introduced by the Scottish Government on Wednesday 20 March 2025. The Scottish Government says the purpose of this Bill is to ensure that CWB is implemented consistently across Scotland as an economic development tool. The Bill proposes to do three things: It would place a duty on the Scottish Ministers to publish a CWB statement which sets out the measures they will take to facilitate CWB. It would require local authorities and ‘relevant public bodies’ to publish and implement a CWB plan for their area. It would require ‘specified public bodies’ to have due regard to CWB guidance when developing their corporate plans and associated delivery strategies. The Scottish Government would like to hear views as to whether the Bill might achieve its aims, on the public bodies proposed, potential unintended consequences, and about benefits to local communities.
Closes 23 May 2025
Heritage Science Data Service: User Needs Survey
National Heritage Science Forum
The National Heritage Science Forum (NHSF) is undertaking a User Needs consultation on behalf of Heritage Science Data Service (HSDS), as part of the Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science (RICHeS) programme. Heritage science is uniquely inter-disciplinary, covering disciplines including archaeology, conservation, materials science, art history, physics, robotics and computer science. The new HSDS provides core digital research services as part of the RICHeS programme, the UK’s Research Infrastructure for Conservation and Heritage Science. If you create or use heritage science data as an employee, volunteer or student, you are encouraged to complete this survey. Your feedback will help shape and build the HSDS. The survey should take no longer than 20 minutes to complete and you can respond as either an organisation or an individual. A PDF version of the survey questions is provided to support those collecting views from colleagues to inform an organisational response.
Closes 31 May 2025
Developing an ecosystem restoration code for Scotland
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is seeking views on developing an Ecosystem Restoration Code (ERC) for Scotland as a new high-integrity market mechanism to attract responsible private investment into nature restoration and biodiversity projects. This commitment, outlined in the 2024 Natural Capital Market Framework, is being delivered via a Scottish Government-NatureScot partnership project. An Engagement Paper has been published summarising the results of the Discovery Phase and setting out key issues to be explored during co-development with stakeholders. Responses to the survey will be analysed, alongside evidence from Engagement Phase events, to inform a series of recommendations for developing/writing the ERC during the later stages of this project.
*NEW* Closes 29 June 2025
Skills Survey for Historic Environment Employers
Historic Environment Scotland
HES is seeking input from employers, sole traders and organisations in the heritage sector about skills needs, gaps, and training provision. The survey aims to monitor the skills health of the sector and inform planning for support programs. This follow-up to the 2023 survey will help track trends and prioritise actions outlined in the Skills Investment Plan for the Historic Environment (SIP) published in April 2024. HES particularly wants to hear from those working in archaeology, heritage architecture, conservation, museums, traditional building skills, and related fields. Results will influence the direction of the SIP over the next four years.
*NEW* Closes 30 June 2025
ECHOES Consultation
European Cloud for Heritage Open Science
The ECHOES project is building a shared digital space, the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH), designed to support heritage professionals and researchers across Europe. To ensure this platform meets real-world needs, ECHOES has launched a consultation survey to better understand the priorities, challenges, and expectations of the cultural heritage community. The consultation is open to all cultural heritage stakeholders, including professionals, researchers, computer scientists/developers, umbrella organisations and institutions with a vested interest in the development and application of the Cultural Heritage Cloud. Each participation will be instrumental in shaping the future of digital cultural heritage.
Closes end of June 2025
Housing (Scotland) Bill: consultation
Scottish Government
This consultation seeks views on how powers within the Housing (Scotland) Bill could be used to exempt certain types of properties from rent control, circumstances where rents could be increased above the level of the rent cap and clarify how joint tenancies in the private sector are ended. The Bill brings forward a package of reforms to help ensure people have a safe, secure and affordable place to live. It includes measures that provide a framework for a long-term system of rent control in Scotland. The consultation addresses three main areas: properties that should be exempt from rent control area restrictions; properties that should be subject to modified rent control area restrictions; and clarifying how joint tenancies in the private rented sector are ended.
*NEW* Closes 18 July 2025
Rural Tourism in Scotland Survey
Historic Houses Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates
Member properties of Historic Houses Scotland and Scottish Land & Estates are invited to complete this survey to provide data for a major report on rural tourism in Scotland. The survey aims to gather evidence on the impact of rural tourism businesses on Scotland’s economy and address challenges and opportunities facing the sector. The report will feed into VisitScotland and the Scottish Government’s aims for growing tourism across Scotland in a sustainable way. The survey takes approximately 20 minutes to complete.
NEWS RELEASES
SFHA calls for housing to be priority ahead of Programme for Government (SFHA 30/04/2025)
SCVO response to 2025/2026 Programme for Government (SCVO 06/05/2025)
Europa Nostra wins the prestigious Empress Theophano Prize 2025 ( Europa Nostra 06/05/2025)
PUBLICATIONS
Learning Estate Investment Programme Shared Learning Event: energy reporting and monitoring (Architecture and Design Scotland 11/03/2025)
Indicators of house building, UK: permanent dwellings started and completed by country (ONS 25/04/2025)
Progress in climate change adaptation: 2025 report (Climate Change Committee 30/04/2025)
Scottish Tourism Alliance: Visitor Levy Implementation Review Paper (STA 30/04/2025)
Place skills for plan-making (Architecture and Design Scotland 2025)
Design elements for school grounds: ideas to inspire (Architecture and Design Scotland 2025)
SCOTTISH & UK: GOVERNMENTAL & PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS
Housing (Scotland) Bill: Stage 2 consideration delayed (Scot Parl 22/04/2025)
Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Programming subcommittee meeting (UK Parl 23/04/2025)
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee: Land Value Capture evidence session (UK Parl 23/04/2025)
Housing (Scotland) Bill: Consultation paper on rent control exemptions and joint tenancies (Scot Gov 23/04/2025)
The benefits of pre-application discussions and processing agreements (Scot Gov 24/04/2025)
Scottish Government publishes Equality Outcomes update (Scot Gov 24/04/2025)
Community Rights to Buy Land guidance (Scot Gov 24/04/2025)
Building Control: The UK Government announces appointment of Independent Panel members (UK Gov 25/04/2025)
Social Justice and Social Security Committee: Housing (Scotland) Bill Stage 2 consideration (Scot Parl 25/04/2025)
Scottish Budget 2025 to 2026: Your Scotland, Your Finances – a guide (Scot Gov 25/04/2025)
Economy and Fair Work Committee: Skills Delivery – Clerk’s Note (Scot Parl 25/04/2025)
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee: Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill update (Scot Parl 25/04/2025)
Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Amendments to reduce pre-consultation period (UK Gov 25/04/2025)
Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Evidence session on infrastructure planning (UK Parl 25/04/2025)
Planning and Infrastructure Bill: Additional evidence session with planning organisations, local government and housing representatives (UK Parl 25/04/2025)
Planning: Proportionality of Assessments Short Life Working Group minutes: March 2025 (Scot Gov 25/04/2025)
Affordable Housing Supply Programme briefing (SPICe 28/04/2025)
Built Environment Committee: New Towns – Practical Delivery evidence session (UK Parl 29/04/2025)
Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee: Planning and Infrastructure Bill evidence sessions (UK Parl 29/04/2025)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee: Council Tax revaluation recommendations (Scot Parl 29/04/2025)
Planning permission appeals: housing development statistics (Scot Gov 29/04/2025)
Wind turbine appeal decisions: statistics (Scot Gov 29/04/2025)
Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: Stage 1 timetable (Scot Parl 30/04/2025)
Planning – 2025 progress update: Ministerial and Chief Planner letter (Scot Gov 30/04/2025)
Rural Affairs and Islands Committee: Stage 1 evidence on Natural Environment (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 30/04/2025)
Warm Homes Plan: new heating technology options (UK Gov 30/04/2025)
Westminster Hall debate: Parthenon marbles and the British Museum Act 1963 (UK Parl 30/04/2025)
Scottish Government publishes evidence review on cruise ship levies (Scot Gov 01/05/2025)
Place Directors: factsheet (Scot Gov 02/05/2025)
Housing (Scotland) Bill: Marshalled list of amendments (Scot Parl 05/05/2025)
Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill: super-majority clarification (Scot Parl 06/05/2025)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee: Housing (Scotland) Bill Stage 2 consideration (Scot Parl 06/05/2025)
Just Transition Fund: application form and guidance (Scot Gov 06/05/2025)
OPINION & COMMENT
‘It’s very hands-on’: Commonhold flats offer alternative to leasehold system (The Guardian 23/04/2025)
New proposal could see tenants allowed to withhold rent if major repairs to the property are not carried out (The Herald 29/04/2025)
Can this built heritage war room save a crumbling Glasgow? (The Herald 01/05/2025)
‘Tenement timebomb’ warning amid fears of forced evacuations costing Glasgow £10bn (Daily Record 03/05/2025)
Galloway National Park: renewables report warns of economic impact (The Sunday Times 04/05/2025)
Programme for Government: Five things we can expect in John Swinney’s strategy (The Scotsman 04/05/2025)
Scottish housing charities urge Swinney to commit to homebuilding pledge (The Herald 06/05/2025)
MOTIONS
S6M-17216
Submitted by: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
Date lodged: 24/04/2025
That the Parliament acknowledges the reported presence of reinforced autoclaved aerated concrete (RAAC) in council and former council housing in Aberdeen’s Balnagask, Dundee, Monifieth and throughout Scotland; understands that, in Torry, around 150 of these properties are privately owned; expresses concern that the buy-back offers proposed by councils may value these properties at less than they were bought for; notes reports that the Scottish Government does not believe that it has a liability to compensate or financially assist affected homeowners; regrets what it sees as the attempt by the Scottish Government to divert responsibility, by reportedly trying to pin responsibility on the UK Government for this devolved matter; further regrets reports of the reluctance of the Minister for Housing to meet the Torry RAAC campaign group and that he has not met with other campaign groups, including those in Dundee, and notes calls on MSPs to utilise all available powers to explore solutions for affected homeowners, including initiating an urgent committee inquiry.
S6M-17305
Submitted by: Alexander Stewart, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
Date lodged: 28/04/2025
That the Parliament welcomes Forth Valley College receiving £259,000 from the Engineering Construction Industry Training Board to attract future engineers; notes the college will purchase augmented reality welding simulators, run training courses, support outreach activities, and cover staffing costs including a project manager; acknowledges the focus on delivering STEM workshops for women to address gender imbalances in welding careers; and commends Forth Valley College and the ECITB on their innovative efforts to engage young people in engineering and construction.
EVENTS
For further listings, please see BEFS events calendar
RIAS – Density Done Well: Getting Urban Structure Right within NPF4
Date & Time: Tuesday 13 May 2025; 10am-12:30pm
Location: RIAS HQ, 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BE and online
This event is for those working within the planning system in Scotland seeking to enhance their understanding of the practical ways in which NPF4 ambitions are being realised to create more liveable, sustainable, productive places and the challenges associated.
NFRC – Construction Skills Demonstration at the Scottish Parliament
Date & Time: Wednesday 14 & Thursday 15 May 2025; 10am-2pm
Location: Lawns of Scottish Parliament
The success of the Skills Demonstrations has resulted in the creation of a pilot National 5 qualification in ‘Creative Industries Roof Slating’ being trialled in five schools across Scotland, and a series of skills demonstrations are being held on the lawns of Parliament. The events will showcase roofing skills to students and celebrate the programme which is focused on improving access to pathways in roofing and construction that face critical skills shortages. Meet apprentices and others delivering the skills demonstrations as well as the young people participating throughout the two days.
SURF – Investing in place-based regeneration: SURF Award Shared Learning Event
Date & Time: Thursday 15 May 2025; 10am-2pm
Location: Civic House, 26 Civic St, Glasgow G4 9RH
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event provides an opportunity to explore successful current approaches towards regenerating Scotland’s places with two winning projects from the ‘Improving Scotland’s Places’ and ‘Community Led Regeneration’ categories highlighted in the 2024 SURF Awards process. The event will close with a chaired panel discussion on wider policy issues, featuring the Scottish Government and Scotland’s Towns Partnership. This workshop will be delivered with support from Scotland’s Towns Partnership.
AHSS – Alexander Ross Centenary Symposium
Date & Time: Saturday 17 May 2025; 11am-7pm
Location: Ardtornish House, Morvern, Oban, PA80 5UZ
Ardtornish House is hosting an architectural symposium to commemorate the centenary of the unrivalled Highland architect, Alexander Ross (1834-1925). The distinguished panel of speakers includes Ross’s biographer Calum Maclean, Ardtornish historian and leading authority on Scottish furniture David Jones, Ross’s great nephew Angus McCall, and architectural writer and author of Highland Retreats Mary Miers. The symposium, including a light lunch, is free of charge to members of the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS) and open to non-members if they join the society.
The Cockburn Association – 150th Annual General Meeting
Date & Time: Tuesday 20 May 2025; 7-9pm
Location: Bink’s Hall, Greyfriars Charteris Centre, 138-140 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9RR
Join The Cockburn Association for their 150th Annual General Meeting, where they will be launching the digitisation of their corporate records and kicking off celebrations for their 150th Anniversary year.
Studies in Photography Conference – Shifting Perspectives: Scotland’s Urban Architecture Through the Lens
Date & Time: Tuesday 20 May 2025; 9:45am-3:50pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
Shifting Perspectives will explore how photography has shaped and recorded the urban architectural heritage of Scotland. By examining Scottish photography from the 1840s to the present day, architectural styles, photographic records, and the influence of new technologies, the conference will provide a comprehensive look at how cities and towns have been represented and perceived through the lens. Academics, students, architects, photographers, and cultural historians will gather to discuss how photography influences not only the perception of Scotland’s built environment but also the way our modern towns and cities are planned and designed. Supported by Historic Environment Scotland, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and Scottish Council on Archives
SURF – Creativity in regeneration: SURF Award Shared Learning Event
Date & Time: Thursday 22 May 2025; 10am-2pm
Location: Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy St, Bridgeton, Glasgow G40 1BP
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards linking creative arts and culture into regeneration initiatives. The winning and highly commended projects from the ‘Creative Regeneration’ category highlighted in the 2024 SURF Awards process will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning. The event will close with a chaired panel discussion on wider policy issues, Creative Scotland and Culture Counts. This workshop is being delivered with support from Creative Scotland.
SURF – Awards Launch Event
Date & Time: Thursday 5 June 2025; 2-2:45pm
Location: Online via zoom
Join SURF to find out more about the 2025 SURF Awards process and the 5 Award categories.
Attendees will hear from former SURF Award Winners with their top tips for a successful application. If you have ever considered entering (or re-entering) the Awards or want to know more about this year’s process and what is involved, or to hear directly from projects who have gone through the process, then this event is definitely for you. Find out more about the SURF Awards here and follow this link to book.
IHBC – Annual School Shrewsbury. Heritage in Context: Value | Plan | Change
Date & Time: Thursday 12 – Saturday 14 June 2025
Location: Shrewsbury Theatre Severn, Frankwell, Shrewsbury SY3 8FT and online.
Join the IHBC for this year’s annual school in historic Shrewsbury, to explore the rich topic of ‘Heritage in Context’, and how context informs the way in which we understand, value, care for and change our historic environment. There will be a variety of opportunities to engage with the school, from the 3-day Full School which includes local tours and welcome reception for in person delegates, to the Friday Day School, available in person and online, and offering a fantastic programme of talks with expert speakers.
TRAINING
Dates & Times: Tuesday 20-Friday 23 May 2025
Location: Easter Ross & the Black Isle (based in Strathpeffer)
This year’s Archaeology Scotland Summer School will be based in the Ben Wyvis Hotel in Strathpeffer from where members and friends will explore the archaeology of the Black Isle and the glens of Easter Ross. The aim of the first day will be to look at sites and places that reveal what was happening in the Black Isle from about AD 900 to AD 1300. The second day goes back in time first to the advanced architecture of the Neolithic peoples and then forwards into the Iron Age, with hints of what is to come. See here for booking info and more information.HES/Engine Shed – Documenting Scotland’s Historic Environment
Date & Time: Thursday 22 May 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
The recording of buildings is an essential component of heritage management. The primary purpose of this is to establish an accurate record, typically in 3D, of a building as the starting point for key decisions around repair and maintenance. The morning talks will introduce a range of 3D recording techniques, including survey methods and the latest innovations in digital documentation such as laser scanning and photogrammetry. They will also explore the benefits of different techniques and the types of outputs these forms of 3D data capture produce, which can be used for conservation and maintenance projects. A networking lunch will provide the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. You will then be invited to a hands-on demonstration of photogrammetry techniques for recording buildings. This will take place either inside or outside the Engine Shed, depending on weather.
SPAB – Maintaining Scottish Churches
Dates & Times: Wednesday 28 May 2025; 9:30am-3:45pm
Location: Lochgilphead Parish Church , Oban Road , PA31 8NE Lochgilphead
Are you involved in caring for and maintaining a place of worship in Scotland? Caring for a historic building can feel like a never-ending task, but thankfully there are some simple steps you can take to keep your building in good condition and reduce the likelihood of large repair projects further down the line. In this introductory one-day course, find out how historic faith building works and the practical steps you can take to look after it.
HES/Engine Shed – Level 3 Qualification in Energy Efficiency Measures in Older and Traditional Buildings
Dates & Times: Wednesday 28 / Thursday 29 May; Wednesday 10 / Thursday 11 September
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
This 2-day course is accredited by the National Open College Network (NOCN) and delivered by experts leading the way in energy efficiency for traditional and older buildings. The programme includes three modules: recognise the age, nature, and characteristics of older and traditional buildings; evaluate the appropriate options for introducing energy efficiency measures to older and traditional buildings; make recommendations and give advice on introducing energy efficiency measures to older and traditional buildings. The cost of this is £495 for the two days.
HES/Engine Shed – Introduction to Building Conservation Week
Dates and Times: Monday 2-Friday 6 June 2025
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
This 5-day intensive course will be delivered by Historic Environment Scotland conservation professionals at the Engine Shed in Stirling. Through a series of lectures, activities and site visits, this series of informative and enjoyable days will explore the traditional building skills and materials used in conservation and repair projects throughout the Scottish built environment.
The cost of this is £495 for the full week or £110 per day.
Planning Aid Scotland – Community Engagement Skills Training SP=EED
Dates & Times: Wednesday 18 June 2025; 10am-3:30pm (Edinburgh); Wednesday 1 October 2025; 10am-3:30pm (Glasgow)
Locations: The Crannie Community Hub, 9 Cranston Street, Edinburgh EH8 8BE & Edward House, 199 Sauchiehall Street, Glasgow G2 3EX
Delivered by highly experienced trainers with over a decade of expertise in community engagement and training, these workshop offers practical, hands-on guidance using the SP=EED framework. This structured approach will give participants the confidence and tools to approach engagement with clarity and ease. The training focuses on key principles such as how to consult, engage and inform communities effectively. Whether you’re new to community engagement or looking to strengthen your existing skills, this training provides valuable insights and techniques.
VACANCIES
Fife Historic Buildings Trust – Administrator
Salary: £23,600 p.a. – pro rata 0.6
Status: Fixed term, part-time
Location: Kinghorn, Fife
Fife Historic Buildings Trust’s (FHBT) mission is to create viable futures for heritage buildings and their communities by inspiring and enabling visionary conservation projects across Fife.
Their work is expanding, and this is a great opportunity to bring your skills and experience to FHBT. They are looking for a friendly and organised individual to provide administrative support to staff, and assist with all aspects of administration. This post has been made possible thanks to the Architectural Heritage Fund’s Heritage Development Trust programme and National Lottery players. More info and application details can be found here.
Closing date: Tuesday 13 May 2025
Govanhill Baths – Board Members
Govanhill Baths is at a crucial stage in its journey toward reopening, and they are looking for dedicated individuals to join their Boards and help bring this vision to life.
They are seeking individuals with expertise in:
– Facilities operations
– Health and safety
– Human resources
– Fundraising and capital fundraising
– Marketing
– Building conservation
– Project management
How to Apply
Download Application Form or to find out more, come along to: The Board Recruitment Information session: Tuesday 13 May; 6-8pm at The Deep End, 21 Nithsdale Street, Glasgow G41 2PZ. If you are interested in attending this event, please email volunteer@govanhillbaths.com
Closing date: 9am on Monday 19 May 2025
Stirling City Heritage Trust – Manager
Salary: £45-50,000 depending on experience
Status: Full time. The Trust will be applying for HES funding which will extend to March 2031
Location: Cameron House, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
This is a great opportunity to lead one of Scotland’s key heritage organisations.
As Trust Manager you would:
– Be responsible for all the operational activities of SCHT and act as the pivotal link between SCHT staff, its Board, its funders and key external stakeholder groups.
– Provide strong, decisive, clear and consistent leadership of SCHT.
– Manage the budgets, funding reporting and staff.
– Ensure effective delivery of all SCHT projects.
This role is suitable for an individual with:
– Degree or Postgraduate qualification in Architecture, Building Conservation, Planning, Building Surveying or other relevant discipline.
– Experience of organisational leadership, staff management and leading a team.
– Technical expertise in building conservation; knowledge and practical experience of traditional building materials, techniques and projects.
– Sound financial management experience and excellent numerical skills.
– A passion for Scotland’s traditional buildings and an enthusiastic approach to feed into the development of the service.
For an informal conversation about the role, please email Lindsay Lennie.
Closing Date: 12pm on Monday 19 May 2025
Fife Historic Buildings Trust – Dunfermline City Project Officer
Salary: £32,000 p.a.
Status: Fixed term, full time
Location: Kinghorn & Dunfermline, Fife
Fife Historic Buildings Trust (FHBT) is a charitable building preservation trust, who have helped deliver over £50m in historic environment regeneration projects – supporting town centres, businesses, tourism and local communities. Their mission is to create viable futures for heritage buildings and their communities by inspiring and enabling visionary conservation projects across Fife. They are looking for an enthusiastic and organised individual with good heritage, project management and people skills to develop a pipeline of FHBT projects in Dunfermline and deliver their participation in the Architectural Heritage Fund’s Heritage Development Trust programme. This post has been made possible thanks to the Architectural Heritage Fund’s Heritage Development Trust programme and National Lottery players. More info and application details can be found here.
Closing date: Tuesday 20 May 2025
Fife Historic Buildings Trust – Finance Officer
Salary: £32,000 p.a.
Status: Permanent, full time or job share
Location: Kinghorn, Fife
Fife Historic Buildings Trust (FHBT) is a charitable building preservation trust who have helped deliver over £50m in historic environment regeneration projects – supporting town centres, businesses, tourism and local communities. Their mission is to create viable futures for heritage buildings and their communities by inspiring and enabling visionary conservation projects across Fife. They are looking for an experienced finance officer to control FHBT’s finance systems, including coordinating annual budget setting and annual accounts. More info and application details can be found here.
Closing date: Tuesday 20 May 2025
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In the third of our ‘Joining the Dots’ series exploring the interconnected nature of policy agendas for Scotland’s built environment, Mike Heffron, Chief Executive Officer at Under One Roof, discusses the role of good maintenance of Scotland’s tenements as a key part of Scottish Net Zero goals, alongside a review of the Tenement Maintenance Working Group’s advocacy.
Tenements make up approximately 40 per cent of Scotland’s housing stock, and there are over half a million tenement property owners across the country. Tenements are a unique feature of Scotland’s urban landscape, and what happens in them impacts our communities. According to a Scottish Government report on the provision of Building Reserve Funds, 53% of people, both renters and tenement owners, wish that more was done to maintain the tenement they live in.
According to the latest Scottish Housing Survey results published in 2023, 45% of all properties in Scotland had disrepair which impacted their watertightness or structural stability. This tells us that Scotland’s tenements are in urgent need of maintenance, and the people who live in them need assistance to achieve even a basic standard of a warm, waterproof home.
When homes are in a poor state of repair, they become energy inefficient. A home with rotting windows, damaged stonework and damp lofts takes much more energy to heat than a home which is watertight and in good repair. This is why the poor state of many of Scotland’s tenement properties will make it harder for us to reach our Net Zero carbon emissions targets by 2045.
In a recent feasibility study, carried out in partnership with Loco Homes, we studied the options for retrofit of a typical tenement building in Dennistoun, Glasgow. Retrofit differs from maintenance in that it involves fitting new, energy efficient heating systems and insulation in traditional homes, while maintenance work consists only of looking after the current features of the building. However, in our study we found that before the retrofit could even begin, significant maintenance work was required on the flat to make it watertight.
There is little point in retrofitting a traditional tenement building with a modern, zero carbon heating system, if the heat is still leaking out from poorly maintained walls, roofs and windows. Maintenance of our tenements must be one of the Scottish Government’s priorities as it aims for Net Zero.
Good maintenance of Scotland’s tenements requires hard work and collaboration between owners, factors, local authorities and the Scottish Government. Typical barriers to good maintenance include property owners’ lack of knowledge of how to approach common repairs, limited finances to pay for repairs, and frustrations or lack of communication between neighbours, factors and local authorities.
The Scottish Parliamentary Working Group on Tenements has made several recommendations to the Scottish Government on how they could create a supportive environment for tenement maintenance and repair. We have endorsed mandatory homeowners’ associations as a solution for poor communication between owners, as they lead to improved communication and faster decision-making in discussions about maintenance and repair. Making owners’ associations compulsory for tenements will bring Scotland in line with most of the rest of the world, and will make it easier for owners to keep their buildings in good repair. We also endorse mandatory building reserve funds, which would oblige homeowners to save together, in small, regular increments, for important repairs.
We also recommend that tenement owners should not be shouldering the cost of long overdue maintenance work alone. Rather, the Scottish Government should consider introducing property-linked, publicly supported loans for tenement owners. These could be administered by each local authority in a similar fashion to Council Tax, because the loan would stay with the property rather than with the owner. This would give homeowners the financial support they need to keep their properties warm and watertight, a key consideration in the journey towards Net Zero.
The importance of keeping Scotland’s tenements in good repair, and supporting maintenance work, cannot be overstated. Good maintenance is crucial to maintain the unique aesthetic and culture of Scotland’s towns and cities. It is vital for ensuring that the people who live in tenements have safe, warm homes. It also plays an essential role in improving energy efficiency, decarbonising our homes and reducing the harms of climate change. It is the first step in the retrofitting process. This is why the Scottish Government’s approach to decarbonisation must make tenement maintenance a key priority.
Mike Heffron is the Chief Executive Officer at Under One Roof. He is responsible for overseeing the strategic direction of the organisation as well as finance, fundraising, and team leadership. BEFS Members Under One Roof is Scotland’s only charity committed to providing free and impartial information on repairs, maintenance, and retrofit for tenement flat owner-occupiers, landlords, and housing professionals in Scotland. The Under One Roof website hosts a wealth of information, with over 200 articles that cover a wide range of topics related to tenement maintenance and management. Their website also has an enquiry service which enables owner-occupiers, landlords, housing professionals, or local authority staff to receive tailored answers to specific queries. Under One Roof and BEFS provide co-secretariat for the Tenement Maintenance Working Group.
This blog is part of BEFS ‘Joining the Dots’ series exploring interconnected policy areas. See the first blog for an introduction to the series.
Get in touch – to find out more about BEFS work or to discuss a particular topic or policy area email us at info@befs.org.uk or contact the Team.
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BEFS NEWS
BEFS is delighted to be one of seven projects to receive funding through Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) Partnership Fund. The award will support BEFS in its core activity and work over the next three years, encouraging cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration to benefit the resilience of Scotland’s historic and existing built environment, and in delivering Our Past, Our Future, Scotland’s strategy for the Historic Environment. With continued HES support BEFS looks forward to working with Members, stakeholders and partners – towards a resilient and sustainable sector and sustainable places for the future!
The Partnership Fund was created in 2021 to help Scotland’s third sector promote, celebrate, and enhance the country’s rich and diverse heritage. Amongst other recipients were BEFS Members Architectural Heritage Fund, Archaeology Scotland, Scottish Civic Trust, Historic Churches Scotland and BEFS associate War Memorials Trust. Learn more here.
This month Historic Environment Scotland published their new 3 year operating plan, setting out the detail of delivering their corporate plan, Heritage For All. Key focuses include opportunities to further harness the contribution of Scotland’s historic environment and for further investment in the wider heritage sector, which generates an estimated £6bn for the Scottish economy. Read the full operating plan on Historic Environment Scotland’s website.
In planning news, the National Planning Improvement team has published a further five case studies generated through the National Planning Improvement Framework process. These studies aim to showcase good practice that others can learn from:
- Children and Young People Engagement by East Lothian Council
- Local Development Plan Early Engagement by Renfrewshire Council
- Conservation and Adaptation by City of Edinburgh Council
- Planning Application Timeline Tool by Fife Council
- Recruiting and Retaining Staff by North Lanarkshire Council
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions regarding housing, heritage, culture and museums.
CONSULTATIONS
Glasgow Visitor Levy Scheme
Glasgow City Council
The Visitor Levy (Scotland) Act 2024 gives local authorities in Scotland the power to introduce a levy that is charged on the purchase of overnight accommodation at a percentage rate. A local authority can determine a number of elements of the Visitor Levy Scheme, including percentage rate set, geographical area where it applies and local exemptions for paying the levy. After initial discussions with a number of key business sectors across Glasgow, the Council would like to gather the views and opinions of all stakeholders, residents and visitors on the proposal which has been developed. To find out more about Glasgow’s proposed Visitor Levy Scheme, please visit their website here.
*NEW* Closes 2 May 2025
Cost-effectiveness of Scottish Public Inquiries
Scottish Parliament
The Finance and Public Administration Committee has launched a consultation on the cost-effectiveness of public inquiries in Scotland, aiming to enhance understanding of how inquiries are established, managed, and how they deliver value for money. The inquiry will explore the purpose and framework for establishing public inquiries, assess their transparency and cost control mechanisms, and consider alternative models and examples of good practice.
Closes 9 May 2025
New Towns Inquiry
UK Parliament
The House of Lords Built Environment Committee has launched a modular inquiry into new towns and expanded settlements. Over a series of short, targeted modules, the Committee aims to discover whether new towns and expanded settlements are an effective means of delivering housing and, if so, how to ensure they are successful. They are now inviting interested individuals and organisations to submit written evidence for our first module, Practical Delivery. The Committee intends to take oral evidence between April and July 2025 and will publish its report on this module later in the year.
Closes 12 May 2025
Planning and Infrastructure Bill: call for evidence
UK Parliament
Do you have relevant expertise and experience or a special interest in the Planning and Infrastructure Bill which is currently passing through Parliament? If so, you can submit your views in writing to the House of Commons Public Bill Committee. The Bill would make changes to the law around planning and infrastructure to support ambitions in the government’s Plan for Change. These ambitions include delivering 1.5 million homes and deciding 150 nationally significant infrastructure projects (NSIPs) before the end of the 2024 parliament. The bill would extend to England and Wales, with some provisions for infrastructure also extending to Scotland.
*NEW* Closes 22 May 2025
Climate Change Duties – Draft Statutory Guidance For Public Bodies: consultation
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is gathering views to help inform new Statutory Guidance for public bodies, to support them in putting the climate change duties into practice. The Climate Change (Scotland) Act 2009 (‘the 2009 Act’) places duties on relevant public bodies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, contribute to delivery of the Scottish National Adaptation Plan, and to act in the most sustainable way. These duties are known as the climate change duties, or the public bodies climate change duties. Under the 2009 Act, Scottish Ministers are required to provide public bodies with guidance, to support them in putting their climate change duties into practice. Statutory guidance was originally published in 2011 and now requires to be updated. This consultation seeks your views on new draft Statutory Guidance which has been developed for this purpose, and which will replace the 2011 guidance. The consultation paper contains a full draft of the proposed Statutory Guidance. The questions in this consultation are intended to gather your feedback on the content of the guidance. Please read or refer to the guidance while responding.
Closes 23 May 2025
Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill
Scottish Parliament
The Economy and Fair Work Committee wants to hear your views on the?Community Wealth Building (Scotland) Bill. This Bill was introduced by the Scottish Government on Wednesday 20 March 2025. The Scottish Government says the purpose of this Bill is to ensure that CWB is implemented consistently across Scotland as an economic development tool. The Bill proposes to do three things: It would place a duty on the Scottish Ministers to publish a CWB statement which sets out the measures they will take to facilitate CWB. It would require local authorities and ‘relevant public bodies’ to publish and implement a CWB plan for their area. It would require ‘specified public bodies’ to have due regard to CWB guidance when developing their corporate plans and associated delivery strategies. The Scottish Government would like to hear views as to whether the Bill might achieve its aims, on the public bodies proposed, potential unintended consequences, and about benefits to local communities.
Closes 23 May 2025
ECHOES Consultation
European Cloud for Heritage Open Science
The ECHOES project is building a shared digital space, the European Collaborative Cloud for Cultural Heritage (ECCCH), designed to support heritage professionals and researchers across Europe. To ensure this platform meets real-world needs, ECHOES has launched a consultation survey to better understand the priorities, challenges, and expectations of the cultural heritage community. The consultation is open to all cultural heritage stakeholders, including professionals, researchers, computer scientists/developers, umbrella organisations and institutions with a vested interest in the development and application of the Cultural Heritage Cloud. Each participation will be instrumental in shaping the future of digital cultural heritage.
*NEW* Closes end of June 2025
CONSULTATION RESPONSES
Community Benefits from Net Zero Energy Developments
In participating in a Scottish Government consultation on the provision of community benefit schemes from onshore and offshore renewables, BEFS drew attention to the rich potential of utilising more resources from a massive and growing industry towards the protection and enhancement of the built and historic environment. BEFS argued that existing Good Practice Principles could be extended to a wider range of renewable technologies, and said regional approaches could be adopted to enable more places to benefit from access to funding. (BEFS 11/04/25)
PETITIONS
The No Galloway National Park Campaign has submitted a response to PE2089: Stop More National Parks in Scotland (Scot Parl 12/03/2025)
The Law Society of Scotland has submitted a response to PE2006: Review and simplify the legislation in relation to dismissal of property factors (Scot Parl 08/04/2025)
NEWS RELEASES
The Quality Scheme for Scottish Attractions, Activities, and Experiences (ASVA 27/03/2025)
New book explores the history of Art Deco design in Scotland (HES 10/04/2025)
Nominations open for 2025 RIAS Elections (RIAS 10/04/2025)
£3.9 million to third-sector organisations (HES 11/04/2025)
John Swinney to launch Programme for Government early (Holyrood 14/04/2025)
AHF Scotland grant programmes have re-opened with additional funding of from HES’s Partnership Fund (AHF 14/04/2025)
PUBLICATIONS
The Risk List 2025: highlighting outstanding 20th and 21st century buildings across the country that are at risk from demolition, dereliction or neglect (C20 09/04/2025)
Circularity: a material development in economic innovation (Zero Waste Scotland and EDAS 10/04/2025)
The UK Net Zero Carbon Buildings Standard Pilot (Net Zero Carbon Buildings 11/04/2025)
Living with Rain – Planning for Everyday Life in Glasgow (RTPI and University of Glasgow 07/04/2025)
SCOTTISH & UK: GOVERNMENTAL & PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS
Net zero and the UK’s historic building stock (UK Parl 12/02/2025)
Vacant shops to be filled as high streets revitalised (UK Gov 06/03/2025)
Correspondence between Edward Mountain and the Acting Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy concerning the Climate Change Plan (Scot Parl 04/04/2025)
UK Shared Prosperity Fund: grant determinations 2025 to 2026 (UK Gov 08/04/2025)
European structural funding in Scotland-—what’s the latest? (SPICe 08/04/2025)
Single Building Assessment programme: spending information (Scot Gov 09/04/2025)
Place Directors: factsheet (Scot Gov 10/04/2025)
Scottish Housing Market Review: Q1 2025 (Scot Gov 11/04/2025)
Architecture: Professions (UK Gov 11/04/2025)
Communities to nominate UK traditions for new inventory (UK Gov 12/04/2025)
Delivering 1.5m new homes and investing in public infrastructure – Housing, Communities and Local Government Committee publishes written evidence for land value capture inquiry (UK Parl 14/04/2025)
Climate change and the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee – Arts and Culture (SPICe 14/04/2025)
Wind turbine appeal decisions: statistics (Scot Gov 15/04/2025)
The Housing (Scotland) Bill – daily list of amendments (Scot Parl 15/04/2025)
Experimental AI could help councils meet housing targets by digitising records (UK Gov 19/04/2025)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee 11th meeting – Building safety and maintenance, Cladding remediation programme, Housing inquiry, National Planning Framework 4 annual review – clerk’s note (Scot Parl 22/04/2025)
OPINION & COMMENT
Arts funding: Why now is the time for philanthropy (Arts Professional 11/03/2025)
How £1 billion of National Lottery cash has enriched Scotland’s heritage (The Scotsman 08/04/2025)
Planning system over-stretched and under-resourced, says Labour (STV News 09/04/2025)
Revised clean heating plan still ‘undeliverable’, warns plumbing federation (Daily Record 09/04/2025)
Families ‘spending less’ during arts and heritage visits (Arts Professional 09/04/2025)
Swinney to announce government policy plans early (The BBC 14/04/2025)
Swinney: Recession ‘risk’ for Scotland over Trump tariffs (The Herald 14/04/2025)
Threats to nature in Labour’s planning bill (The Guardian 15/04/2025)
Tax breaks, mergers and overseas opportunities: New thinking on arts funding (Arts Professional 15/04/2025)
Ditch ‘dishonest’ just transition and back nuclear energy, Findlay tells Swinney (The Scotsman 17/04/2025)
MOTIONS
S6M-17201
Submitted by: Annie Wells, Glasgow, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
Date lodged: 16/04/2025
That the Parliament congratulates all those involved in the successful £1.5 million refurbishment of the Eglinton Street and Salkeld Street rail bridges in Glasgow, led by Network Rail; acknowledges the extensive work undertaken, including the removal and replacement of deteriorating rivets, essential steelwork repairs, and ballast retention measures, which has transformed these 140-year-old structures from deteriorating to dependable; recognises what it sees as the vital importance of preserving historic infrastructure for its heritage value, environmental benefits and cost-effectiveness compared with new construction; believes that the refurbishment, carried out by Network Rail in partnership with principal contractor Story, has significantly enhanced the appearance of these key rail links, while extending their lifespan by at least 20 years, thereby contributing to the reliability of the West Coast Main Line and other major routes in and out of Glasgow, and understands that this project forms an important part of a broader £2 billion bridge modernisation programme designed to improve the resilience, performance and safety of Scotland’s railway network for many years to come.
EVENTS
For further listings, please see BEFS events calendar
IHBC/RTPI – Redefining Place: The Role of Heritage and Regeneration
Date & Time: Thursday 24 April 2025; 10am-3:30pm
Location: Dumfries – Municipal Chambers and central town tour
This one-day conference will explore the important contribution of heritage and regeneration to placemaking. The role of towns and cities and their rural context is changing. Innovative approaches are needed to attract investment and to repurpose and capitalise on historic assets to ensure a viable and sustainable future. Join the IHBC and RTPI Scotland to find out more about how Dumfries is addressing the challenge.
AHF/GBPT/Heritage Network – Sustainable Glasgow
Date & Time: Tuesday 29 April 2025; 9am-4pm
Location: Merchants House, 7 West George Street, Glasgow G2 1BA
Heritage Network, Glasgow Building Preservation Trust and Architectural Heritage Fund (AHF) are joining forces to deliver an event to explore how regeneration projects in the city are striving towards net zero and ideas for how you can do the same. This event will spotlight the work of Glasgow BPT and feature key speakers from across the city, exploring how local heritage can play a crucial role in this mission. Everyone welcome!
IHR – Recording a Reformation: preserving the stories of closed church buildings
Date & Time: Wednesday 30 April 2025; 5:30-7pm
Location: Online- via Zoom
Using Fife as a starting point, in this seminar a panel of speakers from across Scotland and England will collaboratively share and discuss approaches to recording the religious fabric, beliefs, and histories of changing congregations in the twenty-first century.? Discussion points will include:? How do you record a church’s history? In whose interest should this be undertaken? How can historians best work with stakeholders among community history groups, Churches, congregations, heritage organisations, and local councils? How can decisions over church futures be influenced by historians? Is church preservation always the option to be desired? This event is part of the IHR’s People, Place and Community seminar series.
SURF – Delivering housing led regeneration projects: SURF Award Shared Learning Event
Date & Time: Thursday 1 May 2025; 10am-2pm
Location: Riddles Court, 322 Lawnmarket, Edinburgh EH1 2PG
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches to housing led regeneration initiatives providing wider community outcomes. The winning and highly commended projects from the ‘Housing and Regeneration’ category highlighted in the 2024 SURF Awards process will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning. The event will close with a chaired panel discussion on wider policy issues, featuring the Scottish Procurement Alliance, the Scottish Federation of Housing Associations and the Scottish Housing Network. This workshop will be delivered with support from Scottish Procurement Alliance.
Scottish Heritage Social Media Group – Bluesky 101 for the Heritage Sector
Date & Time: Thursday 1 May 2025; 3-4pm
Location: Online
Contemplating making the leap to Bluesky? Secured your handle but staying quiet? Started posting but not seeing growth? Regardless of where you are in your Bluesky journey, this is a great opportunity to hear from someone who’s recently been in your shoes. The SHSMG May event will hear from Justin Parke, Industrial History Curator at North Lanarkshire Council. Justin is one of the contributors to the NorthLan Heritage Bluesky account, which already has over 4,000 followers. Justin will provide a brief introduction to Bluesky and discuss their reasons for opening an account. He’ll also cover what’s worked and what hasn’t since they started posting three months ago and offer actionable tips for increasing your follower and engagement numbers on the platform. This online event will conclude with a Q&A session.
SURF – Overcoming barriers to employability: SURF Award Shared Learning Event
Date & Time: Thursday 8 May 2025; 10am-2pm
Location: Kinning Park Complex, 43 Cornwall St, Kinning Park, Glasgow G41 1BA
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards tackling barriers to employment facing people in Scotland. The winner and highly commended projects from the ‘Employability’ category highlighted in the 2024 SURF Awards process, will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning. The event will close with a chaired panel discussion on wider policy issues, featuring the Institute of Employability Professionals (TBC) and the Scottish Government’s Developing the Young Workforce and Employability Teams (TBC).
Centre for Net Zero High Density Buildings – Launch Event
Date & Time: Thursday 8 May 2025; 10am-3pm
Location: Edinburgh Futures Institute, The University of Edinburgh, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9EF
Join the team from the Centre for Net Zero High Density Buildings (CeNZ-HighDB) at the Edinburgh Futures Institute to find out more about their plans, and to hear from those leading their Thematic Groups, and the stakeholder engagement team. Tea, coffee and lunch will be provided. The Centre for Net Zero High Density Buildings is a Green Economy Centre funded by UKRI Building a Green Future strategic theme. The University of Edinburgh is leading the project, in partnership with Edinburgh Napier University, University of Glasgow, University of Strathclyde, University of the West of Scotland and BE-ST.
RIAS – Density Done Well: Getting Urban Structure Right within NPF4
Date & Time: Tuesday 13 May 2025; 10am-12:30pm
Location: RIAS HQ, 15 Rutland Square, Edinburgh EH1 2BE and online
This event is for those working within the planning system in Scotland seeking to enhance their understanding of the practical ways in which NPF4 ambitions are being realised to create more liveable, sustainable, productive places and the challenges associated.
SURF – Investing in place-based regeneration: SURF Award Shared Learning Event
Date & Time: Thursday 15 May 2025; 10am-2pm
Location: Civic House, 26 Civic St, Glasgow G4 9RH
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event provides an opportunity to explore successful current approaches towards regenerating Scotland’s places with two winning projects from the ‘Improving Scotland’s Places’ and ‘Community Led Regeneration’ categories highlighted in the 2024 SURF Awards process. The event will close with a chaired panel discussion on wider policy issues, featuring the Scottish Government and Scotland’s Towns Partnership. This workshop will be delivered with support from Scotland’s Towns Partnership.
Studies in Photography Conference – Shifting Perspectives: Scotland’s Urban Architecture Through the Lens
Date & Time: Tuesday 20 May 2025; 09:45am-3:50pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
Shifting Perspectives will explore how photography has shaped and recorded the urban architectural heritage of Scotland. By examining Scottish photography from the 1840s to the present day, architectural styles, photographic records, and the influence of new technologies, the conference will provide a comprehensive look at how cities and towns have been represented and perceived through the lens. Academics, students, architects, photographers, and cultural historians will gather to discuss how photography influences not only the perception of Scotland’s built environment but also the way our modern towns and cities are planned and designed. Supported by Historic Environment Scotland, Society of Antiquaries of Scotland, and Scottish Council on Archives
The Cockburn Association – 150th Annual General Meeting
Date & Time: Tuesday 20 May 2025; 7-9pm
Location: Bink’s Hall, Greyfriars Charteris Centre, 138-140 Pleasance, Edinburgh EH8 9RR
Join The Cockburn Association for their 150th Annual General Meeting, where they will be launching the digitisation of their corporate records and kicking off celebrations for their 150th Anniversary year.
SURF – Creativity in regeneration: SURF Award Shared Learning Event
Date & Time: Thursday 22 May 2025; 10am-2pm
Location: Glasgow Women’s Library, 23 Landressy St, Bridgeton, Glasgow G40 1BP
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards linking creative arts and culture into regeneration initiatives. The winning and highly commended projects from the ‘Creative Regeneration’ category highlighted in the 2024 SURF Awards process will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning. The event will close with a chaired panel discussion on wider policy issues, Creative Scotland and Culture Counts. This workshop is being delivered with support from Creative Scotland.
SURF – Awards Launch Event
Date & Time: Thursday 5 June 2025; 2-2:45pm
Location: Online via zoom
Join SURF to find out more about the 2025 SURF Awards process and the 5 Award categories. Attendees will hear from former SURF Award Winners with their top tips for a successful application. If you have ever considered entering (or re-entering) the Awards or want to know more about this year’s process and what is involved, or to hear directly from projects who have gone through the process, then this event is definitely for you. Find out more about the SURF Awards here and follow this link to book.
TRAINING
SPAB – Maintaining Scottish Churches – Pettinain (Lanark)
Date & Time: Monday 28 April 2025; 10am-4pm
Location: Pettinain Village Hall, Village Square, Lanark ML11 8SS
Are you involved in caring for and maintaining a place of worship in Scotland? Caring for a historic building can feel like a never-ending task, but thankfully there are some simple steps you can take to keep your building in good condition and reduce the likelihood of large repair projects further down the line. This free introductory one-day course will explore how your historic faith building works and the practical steps you can take to look after it. You’ll be able to put your new knowledge into action right away, with a practical exercise looking at the host building inside and out to identify maintenance issues and areas of vulnerability. There will also be the opportunity to discuss your building with the course tutors and others attending. Armed with a new understanding of how traditional buildings were constructed, how they work, and how they decay, you’ll leave with the skills and confidence you need to spot and tackle common problems that put your old building at risk.
HES/Engine Shed – Researching Scotland’s Buildings
Date & Time: Thursday 8 May 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
A key need when approaching a repair or conservation project is to understand the cultural significance of the building or site. To be able to do this you must be aware of its history and historical associations. The first talks will introduce you to methods for dating and understanding the development of Scotland’s traditional architecture. The morning will conclude with a talk on the ways Historic Environment Scotland (HES) is revolutionising architectural research in Scotland. A networking lunch will provide the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. You will then be invited to view a display of rare archive material including cast iron foundry catalogues, builders’ treatises, construction textbooks, architectural guides and other unusual items from the HES Archive, the Engine Shed library and the speakers’ personal collections.
Archaeology Scotland – 2025 Summer School
Dates & Times: Tuesday 20-Friday 23 May 2025
Location: Easter Ross & the Black Isle (based in Strathpeffer)
This year’s Archaeology Scotland Summer School will be based in the Ben Wyvis Hotel in Strathpeffer from where members and friends will explore the archaeology of the Black Isle and the glens of Easter Ross. The aim of the first day will be to look at sites and places that reveal what was happening in the Black Isle from about AD 900 to AD 1300. The second day goes back in time first to the advanced architecture of the Neolithic peoples and then forwards into the Iron Age, with hints of what is to come. See here for booking info and more information.
HES/Engine Shed – Documenting Scotland’s Historic Environment
Date & Time: Thursday 22 May 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
The recording of buildings is an essential component of heritage management. The primary purpose of this is to establish an accurate record, typically in 3D, of a building as the starting point for key decisions around repair and maintenance. The morning talks will introduce a range of 3D recording techniques, including survey methods and the latest innovations in digital documentation such as laser scanning and photogrammetry. They will also explore the benefits of different techniques and the types of outputs these forms of 3D data capture produce, which can be used for conservation and maintenance projects. A networking lunch will provide the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. You will then be invited to a hands-on demonstration of photogrammetry techniques for recording buildings. This will take place either inside or outside the Engine Shed, depending on weather.
SPAB – Maintaining Scottish Churches
Dates & Times: Wednesday 28 May 2025; 9:30am-3:45pm
Location: Lochgilphead Parish Church , Oban Road , PA31 8NE Lochgilphead
Are you involved in caring for and maintaining a place of worship in Scotland? Caring for a historic building can feel like a never-ending task, but thankfully there are some simple steps you can take to keep your building in good condition and reduce the likelihood of large repair projects further down the line. In this introductory one-day course, find out how historic faith building works and the practical steps you can take to look after it.
HES/Engine Shed – Level 3 Qualification in Energy Efficiency Measures in Older and Traditional Buildings
Dates & Times: Wednesday 28 / Thursday 29 May; Wednesday 10 / Thursday 11 September
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
This 2-day course is accredited by the National Open College Network (NOCN) and delivered by experts leading the way in energy efficiency for traditional and older buildings. The programme includes three modules: recognise the age, nature, and characteristics of older and traditional buildings; evaluate the appropriate options for introducing energy efficiency measures to older and traditional buildings; make recommendations and give advice on introducing energy efficiency measures to older and traditional buildings. The cost is £495 for the two days.
HES/Engine Shed – Introduction to Building Conservation Week
Dates and Times: Monday 2-Friday 6 June 2025
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
This 5-day intensive course will be delivered by Historic Environment Scotland conservation professionals at the Engine Shed in Stirling. Through a series of lectures, activities and site visits, this series of informative and enjoyable days will explore the traditional building skills and materials used in conservation and repair projects throughout the Scottish built environment.
The cost is £495 for the full week or £110 per day.
VACANCIES
Edinburgh World Heritage – Director
Salary: £60,000
Status: Full time, permanent. Flexible, hybrid working with a minimum of 2 days per week in the office
Location: Edinburgh
Edinburgh World Heritage are seeking an inspiring and strategic leader to serve as Director. This is a unique opportunity to lead a globally respected organisation dedicated to preserving and enhancing the city’s World Heritage Site while promoting its positive role in a dynamic, living city. Reporting to the Board of Trustees, the Director will be responsible for providing visionary leadership, fostering a collaborative and inclusive organisational culture, ensuring financial sustainability, effective governance and the successful delivery of strategic objectives. They will serve as the primary spokesperson for the World Heritage Site, building strong relationships with key stakeholders. The successful candidate will bring experience in the culture or heritage sectors, strong communication and interpersonal skills, financial and fundraising knowledge, and a passion for Edinburgh’s historic environment. This role presents a chance to make a lasting impact on one of the world’s most celebrated World Heritage Sites.
If you would like to apply to this role, please submit:
– A CV outlining your employment history, academic and professional qualifications
– A cover letter explaining why you are interested in the role and how you meet the requirements of the job description and person specification (no more than two A4 pages)
Applications to be sent by email to comms@ewht.org.uk with the subject line “Director Recruitment 2025”
Closing date: 12pm on Monday 28 April 2025
Stirling City Heritage Trust – Traditional Buildings Inspector/Trainee Inspector
Salary: £28-30,000 for Traditional Buildings Inspector or £26-28,000 for Trainee Inspector (salary and appointment level depending on experience)
Status: Full time
Location: Cameron House, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
The Traditional Buildings Health Check is a proactive building maintenance service operated by Stirling City Heritage Trust (SCHT), providing advice and inspection services to traditional property owners in Stirling. SCHT are looking to recruit, depending on experience, either a Trainee Inspector or someone with more experience for the TBHC Inspector role. Both are early career roles and will provide extensive support and training. It would suit a person with either a degree in a property related course such as surveying or architecture, or a trades/craftsperson.
As Traditional Buildings Inspector/ Trainee Inspector you would:
– Carry out detailed fabric inspections on traditional buildings in Stirling.
– Use Small Unmanned Aircraft (drone) to aid inspections (training provided if needed)
– Identify, assess and prioritise building defects and repair requirements and present findings in a detailed report.
– Communicate defects and recommendations identified in the report in an online or in person follow up meeting, answering member questions and explaining next steps.
This role is suitable for an individual with:
– Qualification to degree level in a related subject such as surveying, architecture or heritage related; or
– Craft/construction experience of working on typical traditional Scottish buildings with minimum SVQ level 3 qualification (or equivalent) in roofing, stonemasonry or similar traditional building skill; and
– Excellent communication and ICT skills and a flexible approach to the role.
– The ability to self-manage a busy workload and strong organisational skills.
– A passion for Scotland’s traditional buildings and an enthusiastic approach to feed into the development of the service.
If you would like an informal chat about the job, please email Lindsay Lennie to arrange a mutually convenient time.
Closing Date: 12pm on Friday 2 May 2025
Fife Historic Buildings Trust – Administrator
Salary: £23,600 p.a. – pro rata 0.6
Status: Fixed term, part-time
Location: Kinghorn, Fife
Fife Historic Buildings Trust’s (FHBT) mission is to create viable futures for heritage buildings and their communities by inspiring and enabling visionary conservation projects across Fife. Their work is expanding, and this is a great opportunity to bring your skills and experience to FHBT. They are looking for a friendly and organised individual to provide administrative support to staff, and assist with all aspects of administration. This post has been made possible thanks to the Architectural Heritage Fund’s Heritage Development Trust programme and National Lottery players. More info and application details can be found here.
Closing date: Tuesday 13 May 2025
Stirling City Heritage Trust – Manager
Salary: £45-50,000 depending on experience
Status: Full time. The Trust will be applying for HES funding which will extend to March 2031
Location: Cameron House, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
This is a great opportunity to lead one of Scotland’s key heritage organisations. This post is being advertised as the current Trust Manager is retiring in late summer/early autumn 2025. It is anticipated that there will be some overlap to enable the new manager to have a handover period to support the transition into the role. The possible start date for the successful applicant is flexible but likely to be August or September 2025.
As Trust Manager you would:
– Be responsible for all the operational activities of SCHT and act as the pivotal link between SCHT staff, its Board, its funders and key external stakeholder groups.
– Provide strong, decisive, clear and consistent leadership of SCHT.
– Manage the budgets, funding reporting and staff.
– Ensure effective delivery of all SCHT projects.
This role is suitable for an individual with:
– Degree or Postgraduate qualification in Architecture, Building – Conservation, Planning, Building Surveying or other relevant discipline.
– Experience of organisational leadership, staff management and leading a team.
– Technical expertise in building conservation; knowledge and practical experience of traditional building materials, techniques and projects.
– Sound financial management experience and excellent numerical skills.
– A passion for Scotland’s traditional buildings and an enthusiastic approach to feed into the development of the service.
If you would like an informal chat about the job, please email Lindsay Lennie to arrange a mutually convenient time.
Closing Date: 12pm on Monday 19 May 2025
Fife Historic Buildings Trust – Dunfermline City Project Officer
Salary: £32,000 p.a.
Status: Fixed term, full time
Location: Kinghorn & Dunfermline, Fife
Fife Historic Buildings Trust (FHBT) is a charitable building preservation trust, who have helped deliver over £50m in historic environment regeneration projects – supporting town centres, businesses, tourism and local communities. Their mission is to create viable futures for heritage buildings and their communities by inspiring and enabling visionary conservation projects across Fife. They are looking for an enthusiastic and organised individual with good heritage, project management and people skills to develop a pipeline of FHBT projects in Dunfermline and deliver their participation in the Architectural Heritage Fund’s Heritage Development Trust programme. This post has been made possible thanks to the Architectural Heritage Fund’s Heritage Development Trust programme and National Lottery players. More info and application details can be found here.
Closing date: Tuesday 20 May 2025
Fife Historic Buildings Trust – Finance Officer
Salary: £32,000 p.a.
Status: Permanent, full time or job share
Location: Kinghorn, Fife
Fife Historic Buildings Trust (FHBT) is a charitable building preservation trust who have helped deliver over £50m in historic environment regeneration projects – supporting town centres, businesses, tourism and local communities. Their mission is to create viable futures for heritage buildings and their communities by inspiring and enabling visionary conservation projects across Fife. They are looking for an experienced finance officer to control FHBT’s finance systems, including coordinating annual budget setting and annual accounts. More info and application details can be found here.
Closing date: Tuesday 20 May 2025
We are truly grateful for your continued support and engagement. Thank you for the trust you have placed in us to deliver relevant and timely information about the built environment sector. Please consider forwarding this newsletter on to colleagues, friends and family who are part of the sector, so they know where to go for staying informed about built environment sector news, vacancies, insights, policies. If you would like to receive the bulletin as a bi-monthly email, you can subscribe here. Your support helps us grow and improve our service to the existing Scottish built environment community. Thank you for being part of our journey!
Historic Environment Scotland (HES) has awarded £574,075 in funding to the Built Environment Forum Scotland (BEFS) as part of the HES Partnership Fund. The Fund supports organisations working to promote, celebrate and enhance Scotland’s rich and diverse heritage.
BEFS is delighted to announce that it is one of seven organisations to receive Partnership Funding in 2025. The award will support BEFS in its core activity and work over the next three years, encouraging cross-sectoral and interdisciplinary collaboration to benefit the resilience of Scotland’s historic and existing built environment, and in delivering Our Past, Our Future, Scotland’s strategy for the Historic Environment.
Over the funding period 2025-2028 BEFS will continue to work to increase sector capacity to engage holistically with key legislation, policy, and strategy; amplifying the value of the historic environment to Scotland’s economy, environment, culture and society and advocating for the existing and historic built environment across a number of key policy areas including the journey to net zero, traditional construction skills, retrofit and planning.
With continued HES support BEFS looks forward to working with Members, stakeholders and partners – towards a resilient and sustainable sector and sustainable places for the future, amidst the economic and environmental challenges ahead.
Hazel Johnson, Director of BEFS, said,
“We are extremely grateful to Historic Environment Scotland for this renewed investment and continued commitment to a strategic and partnership led approach and look forward to working together over the next three years, towards a resilient historic environment and positive outcomes for Scotland’s people and places. This funding will allow us to build, strengthen, and deepen BEFS impact and ability to deliver across all areas of our work, working closely with BEFS Members and the wider sector.”
Gail Williamson, Grants Operations Manager at HES, said,
“We are proud to support the historic environment sector through our Partnership Fund award to BEFS. By advocating for the historic environment and engaging with policy initiatives on behalf of the sector, BEFS is one of the keystones of Scotland’s built heritage. Our ongoing partnership enhances our individual efforts, delivering greater benefits through effective collaboration. We are pleased to continue our work with them and support the delivery of Our Past, Our Future, Scotland’s national strategy for the historic environment.”
For further information visit: https://www.historicenvironment.scot/
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