Bulletin – Summer Publications & Autumn Events
Get The Latest Built Environment News, Events, Vacancies, Consultations And Publications In Our News Bulletin.
BEFS News
Today is the deadline for sending us your case studies for the next Scottish Historic Environment Audit. We are looking for case studies of projects or initiatives that illustrate the breadth of activity that takes place in the heritage sector. If you would still like to submit something do let us know as soon as possible.
Supported by BEFS, Earth Building UK & Ireland are holding a one-day workshop on turf building with presentations from practitioners in Scotland, Iceland and Ireland. There will be group discussions on focused themes to inform future partnership activities. Join us for a day relevant to heritage professionals and enthusiasts engaged with vernacular culture.
The Adams Napier Partnership has been commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland (HES) to carry out research to inform a review of its guidance on the conservation of traditional and decorative plasterwork. To help inform HES’s future skills and publications strategy, an online questionnaire has been produced seeking views on traditional plasterwork in Scotland. The questionnaire is available here and should only take around 5 minutes to complete.
We are inviting expressions of interest from potential candidates for the role of BEFS Chair. Details can be found here.
A number of parliamentary questions have been lodged in the last two weeks related to the built environment, and do check out the range of fantastic events coming up this autumn, in the events section.
Consultations
Consultation on further guidance to local authorities on Part 9 – allotments
Closes 20 Aug 2018.
Developing an Environment Strategy for Scotland
Closes 24 Aug 2018.
Open Government – Let’s Make Scotland Work for You
Opened 10 Aug 2018 and closes 31 Aug 2018.
Local Governance Review: Democracy Matters: Your Community. Your ideas. Your Future (SG)
Opened 10 Aug 2018 and closes 31 Aug 2018.
Social housing green paper: a ‘new deal’ for social housing (MHCLG)
Opened 14 August and closes 6 November 2018.
Publications
Living Home Standard – Research (Shelter Scotland 15/08/18)
Social housing green paper: a ‘new deal’ for social housing (MHCLG 14/08/18)
Compulsory Sales Orders – A Proposal from the Scottish Land Commission (SLC 13/08/18)
HES publishes Planning Performance Framework Report 2017-18 (HES 06/08/18)
Monitoring the Outcomes of Planning: A Research Study (SG 03/08/18)
Customer Service and the Planning System – A Research Study (SG 07/08/18)
Reasons for Delays with Planning Applications for Housing (SG 03/08/18)
Making Places initiative 2018-2019: prospectus and application form (SG 03/08/18)
Myths and Tops Tips on Community Right to Buy briefing (Community Land Scotland)
Racial diversity in the charity sector (ACEVO and Institute of Fundraising)
From NIMBY to YIMBY: How to win votes by building more homes
Scottish Government News Releases
Edinburgh and South East City Region Deal (SG 07/08/18)
First Minister Nicola Sturgeon will formally sign off the Scottish Government’s investment in the ambitious Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.
Making Places initiative 2018-2019: prospectus and application form (SG 03/08/18)
We have launched the 2018 to 2019 Making Places initiative to encourage communities to positively and actively contribute to the development of their local places. Making Places represents a broadening of the charrette mainstreaming programme to support communities at all stages of their thinking.
News Releases
New legal power proposed in Scotland to tackle blight of vacant and derelict land (SLC 16/08/18)
A new Compulsory Sales Order (CSO) power could tackle the blight of abandoned buildings and parcels of vacant and derelict land in town centres and communities across Scotland, according to a report published today by the Scottish Land Commission.
Piper’s Peace – Scottish Winners of the Gardens for Peace project (LIS 16/08/18)
The LIS is delighted to announce that Edinburgh based landscape architects Anna Rhodes (Young Planting Designer Finalist at RHS Taton 2017) and Melissa Orr (Gardens By The Bay – Singapore) have won the Gardens for Peace project as the Scottish representatives.
Community Land Week: community land ownership becoming the norm (SLC 14/08/18)
As Community groups across Scotland are opening up their doors showcasing what happens on community owned land in the first Community Land Week, Scottish Land Commissioner, Megan MacInnes looks at the importance of community land ownership and its success story in Scotland’s land reform journey to date.
The Herald Property Awards for Scotland: Shortlist revealed (Herald Scotland 13/08/18)
THE regeneration of an historic ?sheries building in Peterhead into ?ats for affordable rent, a new social housing development on the site of Edinburgh Fort and the transformation of a former garment factory in Glasgow’s Merchant City into contemporary of?ce and retail space are amongst the ?nalists shortlisted in this year’s Herald Property Awards in association with SP Energy Networks.
Diversity and business performance – is there a link? (Design Council 12/08/18)
Why Design Council commissioned the research. Diversity and inclusion underpin Design Council’s values, delivery and research. One of the ways we put this into practice is by aiming for a 50:50 gender split on Built Environment Expert panels as part of our Design Review services. In our recently-released Design Economy 2018 research we found that the design economy is 78% male, which is a higher figure than for the wider UK workforce (53% male).
RIBA Brexit Survey for non-UK Nationals (RIBA 08/08/18)
As the UK prepares to leave the European Union, we would like your help to better understand the main issues facing those from outside the UK who are working in architectural practice. Please give us five minutes of your time to complete this survey.
RTPI Research Awards 2018: shortlist for prestigious national awards announced (RTPI 07/08/18)
Research into planning for different religions, urbanisation in Rwanda and Ethiopia, and Scottish marine planning are among the projects shortlisted in this year’s RTPI Awards for Research Excellence shortlist.
Opinion & Comment
Compulsory Sale Orders – adding to the regeneration toolbox (SLC 16/08/18)
A Closer Look at Glasgow Airport (HES 14/08/18)
4 Tips for Budding World Heritage Professionals (HES 06/08/18)
Parliamentary Questions
Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.
Question S5W-18054: Donald Cameron, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 08/08/2018 R
To ask the Scottish Government how many communities (a) each year and (b) in the last 12 months have (i) registered an interest in acquiring and (ii) acquired land under the Land Reform (Scotland) Act 2003, also broken down by how much funding it has made available to support these communities.
Question S5W-18098: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 08/08/2018
To ask the Scottish Government what the vetting process is for people declaring that they are fit and proper to register as a property factor; what the minimum requirements are for an individual to pass the fit and proper test, and how many people have been unable to register as a property factor due to failing to pass the vetting process since the register came into force in each year since 2012.
Question S5W-18090: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 08/08/2018
To ask the Scottish Government how it will implement energy efficiency measures in mixed-tenure tenements for social rent and private rented sector properties if shared approval for costs by all owners is not achieved.
Question S5W-18094: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 08/08/2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it provides an approved contractor list for energy efficiency contractors.
Question S5W-18096: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 08/08/2018
To ask the Scottish Government how it will support owner-occupiers who are unable to obtain a loan for funding energy efficiency measures.
Question S5W-18095: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 08/08/2018
To ask the Scottish Government what quality assurance measures are in place to ensure that members of the public receive the most appropriate energy efficiency measures and that they pay the smallest possible price for the work when using public funding routes.
Question S5W-18092: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 08/08/2018
To ask the Scottish Government when it wil begin consultation on owner-occupied properties being mandated to comply with energy efficiency measures and any related financial penalties for owner-occupiers who do not comply.
Question S5W-18097: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 08/08/2018
To ask the Scottish Government how many Property Factor Enforcements Orders have not been complied with each year under the First Tier Tribunal for Scotland (Housing and Property Chamber); how many of these have been referred to Police Scotland and/or the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service, and how many of these referrals have been taken to court, broken down by the outcome.
Question S5W-18091: Graham Simpson, Central Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 08/08/2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it is considering penalties for private rented sector landlords that fail to comply with energy performance certificate (EPC) regulations and, if so, whether it will provide details of these.
Question S5W-18139: Donald Cameron, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 09/08/2018 R
To ask the Scottish Government what modelling work it has undertaken to analyse the cost of reaching an Energy Performance Certificate (EPC) (a) B and (b) C rating for a domestic/residential building.
Parliamentary Questions & Answers
Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.
Question S5W-17733: Monica Lennon, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 17/07/2018
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will provide a list of meetings and discussions held between ministers and officials and (a) Planning Democracy and (b) Planning Aid Scotland in the last five years, and what was discussed.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (09/08/2018)
Question S5W-17791: Alexander Burnett, Aberdeenshire West, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 23/07/2018 R
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-17390 by Paul Wheelhouse on 18 July 2018, what financial assessments it has made to calculate the estimate of £10 to £12 billion, and whether it will provide a breakdown of these costs by (a) (i) public expenditure and (ii) private sources and (b) expenditure on (A) domestic and (B) non-domestic buildings.
Answered by Paul Wheelhouse (10/08/2018)
Events
For the latest information about BEFS Members’ events see our events calendar.
Fife Modernist Architecture Tour
Date: Sunday, 09 September 2018, from 09:30 to 17:00.
Location: The tour will depart from Rutland Square, Edinburgh at 9.30 a.m., with a further pick-up point at Markinch Station at 10.15 a.m. Please bring a packed lunch, as shopping options might be limited. We will return to Edinburgh at around 17.00 p.m.
Minibus tour led by the architectural historians Diane Watters and Katherine Breen, both of Historic Environment Scotland. DoCoMoMo Scotland is pleased to announce our forthcoming architectural minibus tour to the Kingdom of Fife, guided by the architectural historians Diane Watters and Katherine Breen, both of Historic Environment Scotland. We will be looking at significant Modernist works, especially post-war housing, as well as some churches and public buildings. The tour includes visits to Kirkcaldy, Burntisland and Glenrothes to see buildings by the architectural firms Gillespie Kidd & Coia, Wheeler & Sproson and others.
Rhind Lectures 2018
Dates: 21-23 September.
Location: Wick.
The Society is delighted to announce that in association with Yarrows Heritage Trust the 2018 Rhind Lectures will be repeated over the weekend of 21-23 September in Wick. The venue is the Pulteney Centre, Huddart Street, Wick, Caithness KW1 5BA. Booking is recommended by calling the Centre on 01955 608530. For full details please email Ian Giles, Yarrows Heritage Trust secretary iangiles01@btinternet.com
Communities for a Changing Population
Date: 27 September 2018.
Location: Glasgow.
This conference will explore how a greater focus on innovative, sustainable and community-led planning can support the development of new communities, the retrofitting of existing housing stock, changes in public policy, the creation of jobs and an evolution in our approach to placemaking. The findings of this event will coincide with Stage 2 of the Planning (Scotland) Bill, and will feed into the debate as the Bill continues through Parliament for the remainder of this year.
This is a PAS event, kindly sponsored by ng homes. To find out more and to register for this event, please visit Impact Engagement.
Booking now open for the RTPI Scotland Annual Conference
Date: 2nd October.
Venue: COSLA Conference Centre, Haymarket Yards, Edinburgh, EH12 5BH.
On 2 October RTPI Scotland will challenge our speakers and delegates to answer the question: Scotland 2050: What do we want Scotland to be and how do we make it happen? Confirmed speakers including Samer Bagaeen of 100 Resilient Cities and Prof Sarah Skerrett of the Scottish Rural College have been asked to start the ball rolling on disruptive thinking to help inform the fourth National Planning Framework.
Conserving the Assets of Our Past – RIAS Autumn Seminar
Date: Tuesday 2 October 2018, 1.00pm to 5.00pm.
Venue: The Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh
Cost: RIAS accredited members and members of Practice Services: £24 inc. VAT. RIAS member: £30 inc. VAT. Non-members: £42 inc. VAT
The RIAS conservation autumn seminar is now open for bookings. Topics will include development of the HES Asset Management Plan, HES Corporate Plan consultation, inspecting tenements and church quinquennials, practical advice on survey specification for digital documentation and the restoration of the Great Pagoda at Kew Gardens.
DIGIDOC
Date: Wednesday, 10th (Research & Innovation Day); Thursday 11 Oct 2018 – Friday 12 Oct 2018.
Venue: The Engine Shed, Stirling.
At our two-day international conference taking part during DigiFest, speakers from Ubisoft, Atlantic Productions, Tippett Studio and many others will share the very latest innovation in digital documentation and visualisation. Showcasing ground-breaking work worldwide, networking and experiencing Scottish hospitality are as important as the fascinating talks at this event. For the first time ever, you can also join us for a special DigiDoc Research and Innovation Day on Wednesday 10 October. Gain an exclusive preview of the latest research that will be influencing our futures.
Heritage Trust Network Conference 2018
Date: Mon, 19 Nov 2018, 09:30 – Tue, 20 Nov 2018, 16:00
Venue: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling, FK8 1QZ.
Join us in Scotland for our SKILLS-themed conference where we will address some of the many and varied skills needed to successfully run a heritage building preservation project today. On day one we focus on getting your organisation ready, project off the ground and fundraising, and on day two, we explore the skills needed to manage your project on site, how to work well with volunteers and communities, and making the most of your heritage asset after the building works are completed.
Training
Bookings are now being taken for this year’s free Scottish Licentiate Assessment of Professional Competence events.
Ready to take your career to the next level? Becoming a Chartered Town Planner (MRTPI) demonstrates to employers, clients and the wider public that you meet the highest professional and ethical standards in planning. The Licentiate Assessment of Professional Competence (L-APC) is the main route to Chartered status for those who completed a fully accredited RTPI degree in or after 2005.
Book here:
Be recognised for your skills in community engagement – Training Event
Date: Thursday 20 September 2018, 5.30-9.00pm.
Location: Glasgow.
Our community engagement skills training is for anyone who would like to enhance their skills and become recognised as a community engagement practitioner. It is a two-part process which verifies that participants are competent in using SP=EED® (our guide to effective community engagement https://pas.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/SPEED.pdf ). Part 1 is an interactive training workshop and Part 2 a written reflective-learning assessment based on a real engagement process. Previous participants have come from local authorities, planning consultancies and more. The cost of the programme is £250 per person. Please email david@pas.org.uk for more information.
Vacancies
Policy Officer
National Trust for Scotland is seeking a fulltime Policy Officer. This job exists in order to develop and communicate Trust policy in order to meet the organisational purpose. In addition, the post holder will act as an advocate for the conservation of Scottish heritage, and for access, learning and enjoyment of that heritage.
Closing date: Friday 17 August 2018.
Office Administrator (Part-time)
Scottish Civic Trust are seeking an Office Administrator. The Office Administrator will manage the administration of the Trust, including financial control and reporting, budget management, ICT (with external support), HR and governance administration and premises management. The role is supported by the Trust’s Administration Assistant and will report to the Director.
Closing date for applications: Monday 27 August 2018.
Grants Officer
Museums Galleries Scotland is the National Development Body for the Scottish museums sector. We are looking for a passionate advocate of museums to assist our Grants Manager with supporting Scotland’s museums through the provision of grants.
Closing date: Thursday 30th August at 9.00 a.m.
Become a Trustee for The Heritage Alliance.
The Heritage Alliance is looking for three new trustees to join its Board from December 2018. In addition, the Alliance is looking for a Treasurer from December 2019. Early co-option of a new Treasurer, who is also a trustee, will allow for there to be a proper period of handover. The Alliance is keen that its board is reflective of the full range of heritage represented by its members. The Alliance is also keen on promoting the diversity more generally of its Board members. We therefore particularly welcome applicants from women, disabled people and individuals from Black and Minority ethnic communities.
We would be grateful for initial expressions of interest in this role by 7 September.
Could you be Icon’s next CEO?
Icon is looking for a new Chief Executive Officer and if you’re someone who is fascinated by our cultural heritage and interested in its preservation then that could be you! This is a unique opportunity to help the organisation shape its future – working with its professional membership of conservators to promote the importance of conservation to a wider public, raise the profile of the organisation and its mission and help develop a sustainable financial future.
Closing date for applications: Monday 10 September 2018.