BEFS Bulletin – Heritage Career Guide

Get The Latest Built Environment News, Events, Vacancies, Consultations And Publications In Our News Bulletin.

BEFS News

In January 2019, the Scottish Parliament’s Tenement Maintenance Working Group, of which BEFS and RICS are the secretariats, published its interim recommendations report. Since then, the group has discussed stakeholder and public responses to the report, which were received via consultation between January and March. The group will be launching a final recommendation report at an event on 4th June. There will also be the opportunity for you to ask the report’s authors questions during a panel session.

BEFS responded to the Scottish Parliament’s Local Government and Communities Committee’s call for written views on a new inquiry into empty homes in Scotland. BEFS response highlights a lack of appropriate knowledge and understanding around traditional buildings and the forthcoming proposals for improvement in this area by the Scottish Parliamentary Tenement Maintenance Working Group.

The final stage, Stage 3, of the Planning (Scotland) Bill is rumoured to be scheduled to take place on 18, 19 and 20 June in the Scottish Parliament. For information about the Bill and to see amendments submitted for Stage 3 so far, visit the Bill page.

Climate Ready Clyde and Adaptation Scotland have collaborated to produce a toolkit for assessing and addressing climate risks in the development of built environment and infrastructure projects. Download the full toolkit and individual tools here.

After a clamour of interest following its initial launch earlier this month, BEFS Vice-Chair, Professor Ian Baxter (Heriot-Watt University), introduces his new Heritage Career Guide in association with BEFS and The Heritage Alliance, in this week’s blog.

Consultations

Forestry and Land Scotland Corporate Plan – Consultation
Opened 28 May 2019 and closes 5 Jul 2019.

HES and Our Role in the Planning System
This survey will close on Thursday 6 June at 5pm.

Energy Efficient Scotland: Consultation
Opened 26 Mar 2019 and closes 17 Jun 2019.

The future of low carbon heat for off gas buildings: a call for evidence
Opened 26 Mar 2019 and closes 17 Jun 2019.

Climate Change and Environmental Action Plan 2019-24
This HES consultation will close at 12pm on Wednesday 19 June.

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

Strengthening Fire Safety for High Rise Domestic Buildings
Opened 24 Apr 2019 and closes 17 Jul 2019.

Short-Term Lets: Consultation
Opened 28 Apr 2019 and closes 19 Jul 2019.

A Scottish Government consultation on Implementation of the Gender Representation on Public Boards (Scotland) Act 2018
Opened 13 May 2019 and closes 4 Aug 2019.

Proposed Fair Rents (Scotland) Bill (SP 14/05/19)
A proposal for a Bill to protect private sector tenants by introducing measures to limit rent increases and to increase the availability of information about rent levels.
Consultation closes on 6 August 2019.

Publications

Housing conditions and standards (SPICe 29/05/19)

Scotland’s finances 2019-2020: key facts and figures (SG 28/05/19)

The range, nature and applicability of funding models to support community land ownership (SLC 27/05/19)

A changing climate for development – A toolkit for assessing climate risks for built environment and infrastructure projects (CRC 23/05/19)

Options for Land Value Uplift Capture – Advice to Scottish Ministers (SLC 17/05/19)

New housing and future construction skills: report (SG 17/05/19)

Housing to 2040: stakeholder engagement report 2018 (SG 17/05/19)

Recovery of possession of adapted properties: guidance for social landlords (SG 16/05/19)

Our Unique City: Our Past, Our City, Our Future (CA 10/05/19)

Scottish Government News Releases

Rise in European visitors (SG 24/05/19)
The number of European visitors to Scotland increased by 19% in 2018, according to official statistics released today.

Thousands of new homes supported by Building Scotland Fund (SG 21/05/19)
Almost £70 million has been invested in housing projects through the Building Scotland Fund (BSF) since its launch last year.

Developing the construction workforce (SG 17/05/19)
Housing construction skills gaps will be addressed following the recommendations of a new industry report.

News Releases

Launch of Great British High Street Awards 2019
The 2019 competition has been launched in reigning high street champion Crickhowell, and nominations are now open, with a winner to be named in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, as well as there being an overall UK winner.

‘Ground-breaking’ Housing Fund launched for charities and social enterprises (SHN 29/05/19)
An impact led social investor has launched a new fund that will invest in the provision of safe, stable and appropriate homes for vulnerable people and their families in the UK.

Kevin Stewart MSP: Putting people and places at the heart of future planning (SCN 28/05/19)
As the Planning (Scotland) Bill reaches the final phase of the Parliamentary process, local government, housing and planning minister, Kevin Stewart MSP, outlines the reasons behind his Stage 3 amendments.

Young Placechangers – last chance to get your Idea funded! (GS 27/05/19)
If you are between 12-25 years old or support/work with young people and you have an idea to how to change your local place for the better, now is the time to put pen to paper!

Community ownership study finds that a mix of funding is needed for success (SLC 27/05/19)
Communities have many options to secure and develop land, but the full range of financing models is often not widely known, and there is more scope to develop innovative finance models to support community ownership, a new report says.

EAA Awards 2019 winning projects revealed (UR 23/05/19)
The Edinburgh Architectural Association has published the names of half a dozen diverse winners of its 2019 awards programme, including a data-driven innovation hub and a barnstorming residential development

New guidance on Housing First published for social housing professionals (SHN 23/05/19)
The Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH) Scotland and Glasgow Homelessness Network (GHN) have launched new joint guidance for Scotland’s social housing professionals on Housing First.

Building Scotland Fund reaches £70m new home investment milestone (SHN 21/05/19)
Almost £70 million has been invested in housing projects through the Building Scotland Fund (BSF) since its launch last year.

European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2019: Winners announced (EN 21/05/19)
The winners of the European Heritage Awards / Europa Nostra Awards 2019 were announced today by the European Commission and Europa Nostra, the leading European heritage network.

Fundamental rethink needed for Scotland’s approach to land development (SLC 17/05/19)
The Scottish Land Commission is calling for a “fundamental rethink” of Scotland’s speculative and market-driven approach to identifying and allocating land for development.

New grants launched for research into arts for the built environment (SCN 16/05/19)
Churchill Fellowships will be available for professionals in this growing area, including architects, for non-academic studies of the best ideas and practice to be found anywhere in the world.

Work underway to create Wales’ own planning inspectorate (WG 09/05/19)
The Minister for Housing and Local Government, Julie James has today announced work has begun on the creation of a new separate, dedicated planning inspectorate for Wales.

Protecting the Scottish countryside: apply for funding (Innovate UK 07/05/19)
Organisations can apply for a share of £250,000 for projects that support developer decisions in the Scottish countryside.

Opinion & Comment

Helen Smith: If this is a Climate Emergency, developers can no longer be allowed to destroy natural habitats (Common Wheel 28/05/19)

Our planning system is woefully ill-equipped to tackle climate change (AJ 28/05/19)

‘People aren’t disabled, their city is’: inside Europe’s most accessible city (The Guardian 28/05/19)

Should Notre-Dame be reconstructed faithfully? (Apollo 28/05/19)

This is what’s causing Edinburgh’s housing crisis (Cliff Hague in Scotsman 28/05/19)

Can Design Help Save the Planet? (Jim MacDonald in CaCHE 22/05/19)

Beyond the Planning Bill: How Can We Deliver More, Well-Designed Homes in the Right Places? (Craig Maclaren in CaCHE 21/05/19)

Climate emergency means it’s time for architects to step up (RIBA 21/05/19)

System that stopped Edinburgh becoming 2nd-rate Los Angeles is broken (Cliff Hague in Scotsman 21/05/19)

Parliamentary Questions

Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government in order to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament.Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.

Question S5W-23339: Alex Cole-Hamilton, Edinburgh Western, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 22/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the to answer to question S5W-2124 by Fiona Hyslop on 1 February 2019, by what date in 2019 it will publish its Culture Strategy for Scotland.

Question S5W-23355: Jackson Carlaw, Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 22/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government what forms of direct financial support it offers to those local authorities not included within its Vacant and Derelict Land Fund for the purposes of redeveloping waste land.

Question S5W-23358: Jackson Carlaw, Eastwood, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 22/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how much of the £11.4 million budget allocated to its Vacant and Derelict Land Fund for projects in 2019-20 has (a) been fully committed and (b) yet to be allocated for the development of vacant and derelict sites.

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-22967: Pauline McNeill, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date Lodged: 02/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many units have been constructed with support from the Scotland Self-Build Loan Fund, and what plans it has to expand the fund.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (10/05/2019)

Question S5W-22980: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 02/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many affordable homes were built in 2018-19, broken down by local authority.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (14/05/2019)

Question S5W-22983: Jamie Halcro Johnston, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 03/05/2019
To ask the Scottish Government how many planning applications for new build residential properties have been refused by a planning authority but successfully appealed to the Scottish Ministers since 2007, broken down by (a) planning authority, (b) year, (c) applicant and (d) size of proposed development.
Answered by Kevin Stewart (14/05/2019)

Other Parliamentary Activity

The Parliament has agreed the following parliamentary recess dates in 2019.

  • 30 June to 1 September 2019 (inclusive)
  • 12 to 27 October 2019 (inclusive)
  • 21 December 2019 to 5 January 2020 (inclusive)

Events

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

“High and Mighty”: our new tour of the finest sculpture in the Old Town
Date & time: Wednesday 12 June 2019; 6pm – 8pm.
Meeting point: Edinburgh Castle Esplanade.
The city’s monuments and public works of art mark Edinburgh out as a great capital city and are one of the reasons for our UNESCO World Heritage inscription. To celebrate the publication of art historian Professor Ray McKenzie’s new comprehensive reference guide, Public Sculpture of Edinburgh, you are invited to a specially curated tour of the Old Town’s most important sculptures.

Towns Tea Party 2019
Date & time: June 19, 2019; 1:30PM – 4:30PM.
Venue: Whitespace, Norloch House, 36 King’s Stables Road, Edinburgh EH1 2EU.
Join Scotland’s Towns Partnership for our annual meeting of all those involved in supporting towns and improvement districts. An opportunity to celebrate Scotland’s towns as places for local communities and businesses.

The Future of our Cities and the Role of Planning – Sir Patrick Geddes Commemorative Lecture 2019
Date & time: Thursday 27 June 5:45PM – 8:15PM
Venue:  Grassmarket Community Project, 86 Candlemaker Row, Edinburgh EH1 2QA
Andrew Carter, Chief Executive of Centre for Cities explores the future of cities at the 2019 Sir Patrick Geddes Commemorative Lecture in Edinburgh on 27 June. Centre for Cities is the leading think tank dedicated to improving UK city economies. Andrew has 20+ years of experience working on urban economic policy issues for development agencies, consultants and research institutes. He spent time in the US with the Churchill Foundation’s Fellowship Programme reviewing urban economic development in America. He is a regular media contributor chairing and speaking at conferences across the UK and Europe on urban and economic issues.

Summer Excursion to Biggar Museum and New Lanark
Date & time: Saturday July 6 @ 9:00 am – 5:00 pm.
Join us for a fascinating tour of this unique 18th century mill village sitting alongside the picturesque River Clyde. Now one of Scotland’s six UNESCO World Heritage Sites, New Lanark was founded in 1786 by David Dale, who built cotton mills and housing for the mill workers.  In partnership with Robert Owen, a Welsh philanthropist and social reformer, New Lanark became a successful business and an early example of a planned settlement and so an important milestone in the historical development of urban planning.  Workers enjoyed fair wages, free health care, a new education system and the first workplace nursery school in the world! In addition, Fellows of the Society will also be treated to a morning visit to Biggar and Upper Clydesdale Museum. This museum explores 14,000 years of rural and small town life in Upper Clydesdale. It focuses on the people who lived and worked in the area from prehistoric times up to the mid-20th century and illuminates a small part of their ordinary and extraordinary lives. Tickets cost £40 for Fellows and £45 for guests.

Walter Scott’s Romantic Landscape : Abbotsford Gardens Study Day
Date & time: 27 July 2019, 11am – 4pm.
Cost: £20.00 SGLH Members, £30 Non-members.
Since 2014 Gardens Heritage Development Manager Pippa Coles has been overseeing the rehabilitation of the gardens and policies at Abbotsford.  With Pippa as our guide for the day, we shall begin with a brief introduction, followed by an examination of the formal gardens and terraces surrounding the house.  After lunch in the Ochiltrees Café, we shall explore the wider landscape created by Walter Scott as the setting for his romantic creation. This will be an opportunity to see work in progress, and to discuss the challenges of managing this iconic landscape.
For further information or to book, please contact info@sglh.org.

Monuments in Monuments 2019
Date & time: Wednesday 2 – Friday 4 September 2019; 10am – 4pm
Venue: The Engine Shed, Stirling
Full ticket: £300. Day tickets: £120
This conference explores the conservation challenges facing carved stones and objects inside historic buildings. Hear from specialists from all over the world about how traditional skills, emerging technology and conservation science are helping to overcome these challenges. You can buy full conference or individual day tickets. Student rates are available. For more information and to book, please visit our website.

Training

Conservation Summer School 2019
Date: Monday 3 – Friday 7 June
Venue: The Engine Shed, Stirling
Full ticket: £450. Day tickets: £100
Only a few tickets remain for our Conservation Summer School 2019. Learn about the latest techniques from top conservation experts, get hands-on with traditional skills and materials, and see conservation in action on site visits. Day ticket options are available. For more information and to book your place, please see our website.

Reinforced Concrete Masterclass – New for Summer 2019!
Date & time: 28 June 2019, 09.30 – 16.00
Venue: Charlestown Workshops, Fife
Cost: £190 + vat. BLF, IHBC, RICS or RIAS members are eligible for 20% discount.
Come and join us to explore the fascinating world of reinforced concrete (yes, really really!) – learn what can be achieved with it, its constituents, its decay mechanisms and how it can be successfully repaired with a variety of methods and materials. Not all reinforced concrete buildings are carbuncles …CONCRETE can be COUTHIE! If we are listing more and more buildings and structures from the 20th Century, many of which will be of reinforced concrete construction, then we need to know how to fix them and prolong their lives. We have a huge variety of structures and buildings of reinforced concrete construction across the country. Research and analysis of these buildings has helped inform their appropriate repair, but there are many challenges ahead. Join us and learn from our gathered experts in this field for what should be a very informative and enjoyable

Vacancies

Mauchline CARS Project Officer
To co-ordinate and manage the Mauchline CARS Programme to increase local economic activity by revitalising and diversifying Mauchline Town Centre.
Closes: 31 May 2019.

Managing Editor
The Society of Antiquaries of Scotland is seeking an experienced and motivated Managing Editor to take overarching responsibility for the management, design, production and marketing of a mix of online and print archaeology and history resources.
Deadline for applications: 11pm on Sunday 9th June.

City Mills Development Officer
Perth & Kinross Heritage Trust are seeking an enthusiastic and driven historic buildings conservation professional to join their team.
Closing date: 5pm on Thursday 13 June 2019.

Professional Development (PD) Officer
The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) is seeking a Professional Development (PD) Officer to operate across all their UK-based branches.
Closing Date: Monday 8 July 2019.

 

Information in the Bulletin is extracted from a number of websites including the Scottish Government (SG); the Scottish Parliament (SP); Architecture and Design Scotland (A+DS); Historic Environment Scotland (HES); Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH); Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations (SCVO); English Heritage (EH); Design Council (DC); Department of Communities and Local Government (DCLG); Department of Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS); Department of Environment and Rural Affairs (DEFRA); National Assembly for Wales (NAW); Forestry Commission Scotland (FCS); Scottish Government Building Standards  (SGBS); Europa Nostra (EN); Historic England (HE).

If you have any questions or comments on the above, or would like to submit information to be included, please get in touch with Saskia Smellie or telephone BEFS Office on 0131 220 6241.

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