
BEFS Bulletin 355: Legislative Milestones, Leadership Changes and Summer Recess
Get The Latest Built Environment News, Policy Developments, Publications & Consultations

BEFS NEWS
BEFS welcomes Karen Anderson, who has become the new President of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS), with her two-year term of office formally beginning at the RIAS AGM.
The Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB) has opened nominations for two prestigious awards: the Building Craftsperson of the Year Awards and the Sustainable Heritage Awards. Both nomination processes opened on 20 June 2024, with a closing date of 31 July 2024.
Two significant bills have recently progressed through the Scottish Parliament:
The Agriculture and Rural Communities (Scotland) Bill received backing from MSPs on 18 June 2024. This legislation aims to transform how the Scottish Government supports farming and food production, with a focus on sustainable and regenerative practices. Notably, the bill now includes provisions for the historic environment, following successful lobbying efforts by Archaeology Scotland, the Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, the National Trust for Scotland, and BEFS.
The Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill was passed by the Scottish Parliament on 26 June 2024. While the final version does not include specific provisions for construction materials, BEFS worked alongside the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS), and the Chartered Institute of Building (CIOB) to raise awareness of this issue more broadly. The bill aims to support Scotland’s transition to a circular economy, focusing on reducing waste and promoting resource efficiency.
BEFS is pleased to announce its summer bulletin schedule, ensuring our readers and members stay informed during the holiday period:
- Our next comprehensive bulletin will be released on 17th July, providing you with the latest updates before the summer recess.
- To keep you abreast of any crucial developments, we’ll publish a concise summer update on 21st August, bridging the gap until our regular bulletin schedule resumes.
We appreciate your continued engagement and wish all our readers and members a pleasant and restorative summer.
CONSULTATIONS
Time limits for enforcement action for unauthorised Environmental Impact Assessment development
Scottish Government
Comments are invited on proposals to disapply Section 124 of the Town and Country Planning (Scotland) Act 1997 (‘the 1997 Act’) concerning the time limits for taking enforcement action on unauthorised development, which requires an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This follows a case of unauthorised development in Northern Ireland for which an EIA was required, but not undertaken. The need for EIA was only identified after the time limit for enforcement had expired and the development was immune from enforcement action. As the Scottish planning system is like the system in Northern Ireland, the Scottish Government considers it is possible, although unlikely, that a similar situation could arise in Scotland.
Closes 11 July 2024
Review of charity regulation
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government ran a consultation in 2019 about proposals the Scottish Charity Regulator (OSCR) had made on improvements to the Charities and Trustee Investment (Scotland) Act 2005. In response to that consultation, it was noted that some respondents wanted a wider review of charity regulation. This consultation aims to understand if people still feel that way and if so, what they think should be the purpose and parameters for a review.
Closes 22 July 2024
Tenement law: compulsory owners’ associations
Scottish Law Commission
In March 2018, a Scottish Parliament Working Group was convened to explore what actions could be taken to improve the condition of Scotland’s tenements. The Scottish Law Commission’s project follows from a reference under the Law Commissions Act 1965 received on 10 January 2022 from the (then) Cabinet Secretary for Social Justice, Housing and Local Government (Shona Robison MSP). The reference asks for recommendations to be made to implement the Working Group’s recommendation that all tenements should have an owners’ association. Consultation is critical in all law reform projects to ensure that the final recommendations would, if implemented, result in law which is just, principled, responsive, and easy to understand.
Closes 1 August 2024
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee Pre-Budget Scrutiny 2025-26
Scottish Parliament
The Committee wants to gather views from individuals, groups and businesses operating in the culture sector to help make recommendations to the Scottish Government ahead of its Budget for 2025-26. The consultation focuses on planned budget increases, the culture strategy action plan, progress on innovative funding solutions, Creative Scotland’s multi-year funding programme and fair work.
Closes 9 August 2024
Flood resilience strategy
Scottish Government
Scotland’s climate has changed significantly and will continue to change for decades to come, resulting in the need to learn to live with and adapt to flooding in Scotland. The Flood Resilience Strategy will set out what needs to be done in the long term to create a flood resilient Scotland. The consultation paper sets out the principles guiding the strategy and the three key themes of people, places, and processes. These have been developed following a series of workshops and engagement with communities, practitioners, and researchers in 2023. The consultation paper contains full background information.
Closes 13 August 2024
Crofting consultation 2024
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is determined to ensure that crofting legislation enables and supports the sustainability of crofting, of crofters and crofting communities, and allows crofting to modernise, innovate, diversify, and adapt to help meet today’s and tomorrow’s challenges. This consultation seeks views on a range of proposals for crofting reform which will help to create opportunities for new entrants, encourage the active management and use of crofts and common grazings, and support rural population. The consultation paper contains full background information, including references to current legislation.
Closes 2 September 2024
Compulsory Purchase Reform
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government have committed to reform and modernise compulsory purchase legislation. As a first step, they have established an advisory group to help support the reform programme. The group, to be co-chaired by the Chief Planner and Roseanna Cunningham, brings together several expert practitioners with first-hand experience of the compulsory purchase process. They recognise, however, that a range of organisations have an interest in this area and are consulting broadly and are keen to hear from a wide range of voices as the work moves forward.
Please get in touch at CPO.Reform@gov.scot
CONSULTATION RESPONSES
Building standards enforcement and sanctions: consultation outcome report (Scot Gov 07/06/2024)
Building standards enforcement and sanctions: consultation analysis (Scot Gov 07/06/2024)
Building standards enforcement and sanctions: consultation feedback (Scot Gov 12/06/2024)
Environmental Authorisations (Scotland) Regulations 2018 – proposed amendments: consultation analysis (Scot Gov 25/06/2024)
PETITIONS
SPICe briefing on PE1885: Make offering Community Shared Ownership mandatory for all windfarm development planning proposals.
NEWS RELEASES
Scotland’s National Retrofit Centre to become non-domestic retrofit demonstrator (BE-ST 30/04/2024)
Building Craftsperson of the Year Awards – Open for Nominations (SPAB 20/06/2024)
Sustainable Heritage Awards – Open for Nominations (SPAB 20/06/2024)
Keep Scotland Beautiful welcome two new Heads of Service and bid farewell to their Deputy CEO (Keep Scotland Beautiful 24/06/2024)
Karen Anderson is the new RIAS President (RIAS 26/06/2024)
General Election 2024 – Party Manifesto Pledges for Culture (Culture Counts 28/06/2024)
PUBLICATIONS
2022/23 Public Bodies Climate Change Duties Analysis Report (Edinburgh Climate Change Institute 28/05/2024)
Economic activity and social change in the UK, real-time indicators (ONS 20/06/2024)
The Foundations of the Housing Crisis: How our extractive land and development models work against public good (New Economics Foundation 27/06/2024)
How would the parties’ tax and spending plans affect Scotland and Wales? (Institute for Fiscal Studies 28/06/2024)
SCOTTISH & UK: GOVERNMENTAL & PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS
Correspondence between Kate Forbes and the Economy and Fair Work Committee regarding the government’s economic priorities (Scot Gov 17/06/2024)
Agriculture Bill to become law (Scot Gov 18/06/2024)
Committee Membership: New appointments to the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee; Rural Affairs and Islands Committee & Economy and Fair Work Committee (Scot Parl 18/06/2024)
Strategic environmental assessment: pre-screening register (Scot Gov 18/06/2024)
Correspondence between Shirley-Anne Somerville and the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee regarding delegated powers contained within the Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Gov 18/06/2024)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee: Official Report & Minutes (Scot Parl 18/06/2024)
Housing to 2040 Strategic Board minutes: February 2024 (Scot Gov 18/06/2024)
Màiri McAllan maternity cover (Scot Gov 19/06/2024)
Scotland’s Heat Network Fund: application guidance (Scot Gov 19/06/2024)
Correspondence between the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee and Paul McLennan regarding the government’s intended changes to the Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 19/06/2024)
Strategic Housing Investment Plan (SHIP) guidance note (Scot Gov 20/06/2024)
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee: Official Report (Scot Parl 20/06/2024)
Correspondence between the Scottish Association of Landlords and the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee with supplementary evidence on the Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 20/06/2024)
Correspondence between Citizens Advice Scotland and the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee with supplementary evidence on the Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 20/06/2024)
Households and Dwellings in Scotland, 2023 (National Records of Scotland 20/06/2024)
Cladding Remediation Programme: Single Building Assessment specification (Scot Gov 21/06/2024)
Housing (Cladding Remediation) (Scotland) Bill receives Royal Assent (Scot Parl 21/06/2024)
Housing (Scotland) Bill: equality impact assessment results summary (Scot Gov 21/06/2024)
Delegated powers contained in the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill following amendments made at Stage 2 (Scot Parl 21/06/2024)
Correspondence between the Delegated Powers and Law Reform Committee and Mairi Gougeon regarding delegated powers contained within the Land Reform (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 21/06/2024)
Housing (Scotland) Bill – clerks note (Scot Parl 25/06/2024)
Land Reform (Scotland) Bill – clerks note (Scot Parl 25/06/2024)
Quarterly Housing Statistics in 2023-24 (Scot Gov 25/06/2024)
Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill at Stage 3: timed groupings of amendments (Scot Parl 25/06/2024)
Local Government 2023-24 Provisional Outturn and 2024-25 Budget Estimates (Scot Gov 25/06/2024)
Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee [Draft] Official Report (Scot Parl 25/06/2024)
Correspondence between the Finance and Public Administration Committee and Paul McLennan regarding the Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 25/06/2024)
Correspondence between the Finance and Public Administration Committee and John-Paul Marks regarding the co-design process of a bill moving through parliament (Scot Parl 26/06/2024)
Circular Economy Bill passed (Scot Gov 26/06/2024)
Tackling the climate emergency: speech by the Minister for Climate Action (Scot Gov 26/06/2024)
Updates to short-term lets licensing scheme approved (Scot Gov 26/06/2024)
Development plan correspondence: list (Scot Gov 27/06/2024)
Building standards – workforce data collection: analysis report 2023 (Scot Gov 28/06/2024)
Heat network projects: quarterly report – June 2024 (Scot Gov 28/06/2024)
Low Carbon Infrastructure Transition Programme: June 2024 (Scot Gov 28/06/2024)
Scottish Vacant and Derelict Land Survey 2023 (Scot Gov 28/06/2024)
Scottish City Region and Growth Deal Delivery Board: May 2024 (Scot Gov 28/06/2024)
Development plan examinations: list (Scot Gov 01/07/2024)
Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan (ESJTP): letter to Cabinet Secretary for Net Zero and Energy (Scot Gov 01/07/2024)
OPINION & COMMENT
Scotland misses another climate change target (BBC News 18/06/2024)
Retrofit: What can we learn from Ireland? (BE-ST 24/06/2024)
The Importance of Planning Policy (The Cockburn Association 25/06/2024)
‘We want to enable more disabled people to discover Scotland’ (The Herald 27/06/2024)
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS
Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers
MOTIONS
S6M-13759
Submitted by: Gillian Martin, Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party.
Date Lodged: 24/06/2024
That the Parliament reaffirms its unwavering commitment to tackling the twin crises of climate change and biodiversity loss through a just and fair transition; believes firmly in, and accepts, climate science and expert advice and its importance in reaching net zero, and rejects, therefore, climate science denial.
Current status: Agreed to unanimously. Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday 26 June 2024.
S6M-13757
Submitted by: Gillian Martin, Aberdeenshire East, Scottish National Party.
Date Lodged: 24/06/2024
That the Parliament agrees that the Circular Economy (Scotland) Bill be passed.
Current status: Agreed to unanimously. Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday 26 June 2024.
S6M-13792
Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party.
Date Lodged: 25/06/2024
That the Parliament agrees that the Civic Government (Scotland) Act 1982 (Licensing of Short-term Lets) Amendment Order 2024 [draft] be approved.
Current status: Agreed with abstentions from the Conservatives and Labour (For 68, Against 0, Abstentions 46). Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, 26 June 2024
S6M-13784 & S6M-13782
Submitted by: Jamie Hepburn, Cumbernauld and Kilsyth, Scottish National Party.
Date Lodged: 25/06/2024
That the Parliament agrees that –
Gillian Mackay be appointed to replace Ross Greer as the Scottish Green Party substitute on the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee;
Lorna Slater be appointed to replace Mark Ruskell as the Scottish Green Party substitute on the Equalities, Human Rights and Civil Justice Committee;
Lorna Slater be appointed to replace Maggie Chapman as the Scottish Green Party substitute on the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee, and
Patrick Harvie be appointed to replace Maggie Chapman as the Scottish Green Party substitute on the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee.
Patrick Harvie be appointed to replace Mark Ruskell as a member of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Current status: Taken in the Chamber on Wednesday, 26 June 2024.
EVENTS
For further listings, please see our events calendar
Date & Time: Wednesday 3 July – Thursday 15 August 2024
Location: Scotland (various)
People across Scotland are being invited to have a say on how crofting is reformed and the Scottish Government is hosting an extensive programme of meetings stretching from Oban to Shetland. The consultation, which runs until 2 September 2024, seeks views on a range of proposals for crofting reform. Your views will help to create opportunities for new entrants, encourage the active management and use of crofts and common grazings, and support rural population.Scottish Parliament & Scotland’s Futures Forum – Festival of Politics 2024
Date & Time: Monday 19 – Friday 23 August 2024
Location: Scottish Parliament Building, Horse Wynd, Edinburgh EH99 1SP
The Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics is a five-day programme of over 30 events, in the home of Scottish politics at Holyrood. The 20th Festival promises informed debate and inspiring topics on a range of social, political, and environmental issues facing the world today. Leading experts from the worlds of politics, the arts, business, the media, academia and the third sector will assemble for a deep dive into issues dominating the news agenda. Join in and have your say.
Heritage Trust Network – High Street Regeneration: Finding new uses for old buildings.
Date & Time: Wednesday 21 August 2024; 9.30am-4.30pm
Location: The Art Department, 2-10 Causeyside Street Paisley PA1 1UQ
Empty buildings on our high streets often stir up passion in communities and feature in news headlines, however things aren’t as bleak as they may seem like communities are breathing new life into these buildings and reactivating their local areas. Join the Heritage Trust Network at the Art Department, a theatre space in a former department store in Paisley, to hear from those who have been there, done it and bought the t-shirt or who have kept an eye on UK high streets’ changing fortunes.
Scottish Heritage Social Media Group – How to Develop a Social Media Strategy
Date & Time: Wednesday 28 August 2024; 3-4pm
Location: Online (Zoom)
Join David Fettes, Social Media Manager at the National Trust for Scotland, to hear about the creation of the Trust’s social media strategy and learn about a framework and key takeaways that you can implement in your own strategy.
Heritage Trust Network – Conference 2024
Date & Time: Sunday 29 September – Tuesday 1 October 2024
Location: Dunfermline
Heritage Trust Network is bringing its conference to Dunfermline in 2024. Conference is always the highlight of the year, a fun and friendly mix of inspirational speakers, lively discussions and fascinating tours and visits to historic sites and community projects. Dunfermline has been chosen as the venue because of its fascinating mix of historic sites and the way local organisations are working together to make the most of its heritage assets following the granting of city status in 2022. The incredible philanthropic legacy of Andrew Carnegie is woven through the city’s cultural infrastructure. Network member, Fife Historic Buildings Trust, has recently been granted three-years of funding to help it develop restoration and re-use projects in Dunfermline.
TRAINING
SPAB – Limeworking at Saddell Castle
Date & Time: Saturday 27 July 2024; 10am-4pm & Sunday 28 July 2024; 9am-3pm
Location: Saddell Castle, Saddell, PA28 6QS Kintyre
Join SPAB Scotland for this weekend event at Category A listed Saddell Castle. Under the guidance of experts, you’ll learn traditional limeworking techniques and carry out real repairs on a live site, as part of a major conservation project run by the Landmark Trust. Richard Fraser and the team at LimeRich will be your tutors for the weekend. You will learn about hot mixing of lime mortar and harling, apply the harling and, if time allows finish with some lime washing. It’s not every day you get to say you repaired a castle. Places are limited, so book yours now!
C&BS – Sponsorship Matters: Managing Ethics and Risk
Date & Time: Tuesday 3 September 2024; 9.30am-12.30pm
Location: Online
A new training session to support fundraisers with concerns about ethics, due diligence and risk management around sponsorship.
£85 + VAT for C&BS members. £125 + VAT for non-members
C&BS – Fundraising Matters: Introduction to Fundraising
Date & Time: Tuesday 10 September 2024 & Tuesday 17 September 2024; 9.30am-12.30pm
Location: Online
This introductory course, led by Pam Judson, gives you the best possible foundations for starting your fundraising career.
£120 + VAT for C&BS members. £190 + VAT for non-members
C&BS – Board Matters: Thinking of Joining a Board?
Date & Time: Thursday 12 September 2024; 12-1pm
Location: Online
Do you care about the culture sector and want to play a part in its future? Then being a board member or trustee just might be for you. This webinar with Catriona Reynolds will help you understand what being on the Board of a cultural charity is all about.
FREE for C&BS members. £35 + VAT for non-members.
VACANCIES
Scottish Historic Buildings Trust seeks four new trustees with expertise in areas such as strategy, finance, heritage conservation, marketing, fundraising, property development and asset management. Help shape the future of this leading organisation dedicated to preserving Scotland’s historic buildings. 3-year term, 4 meetings per year. For more information visit www.shbt.org.uk. To apply, email CV and cover letter to maggie.wright@mwa.co