BEFS Bulletin 368: BEFS Team news, planning updates

BEFS NEWS

BEFS is delighted to announce that Derek Rankine will be joining the team as our new Head of Policy & Strategy. Derek brings an impressive 20-year track record in place-based regeneration from BEFS Members SURF – Scotland’s Regeneration Forum, with experience in community empowerment, urban design, and policy development. We look forward to formally welcoming Derek to the team later this month, and continuing to work with SURF across policy areas, including heritage and placemaking.

Creative Scotland’s announcement of successful Multi-Year Funding awards at the end of January has widely been heralded as a welcome boost for the cultural sector. BEFS congratulates those organisations benefitting from the stability this funding provides, with the number more than doubling from 119 previously, to 251. Particularly welcome is the increase in support for community-focused organisations, representing Scotland’s geography and diversity.
This has been made possible thanks to a significant commitment from the Scottish Government, releasing the largest budget ever available to Creative Scotland, with £200m in support to be provided over the next three years.

The Scottish Civic Trust have launched their new strategy Scotland’s Places, People, and their Stories. At the core of the new five-year strategy is promoting access, improving wellbeing, supporting communities, and facilitating learning and skills development – highlighting the potential of inclusive places and stories to deliver benefits for communities across the country. BEFS would also like to welcome their new Chair, Angela Bonney who takes over from Sue Evans, who stepped down as Chair in December 2024.

Nominations are open for the RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence 2025. Previous Scottish entries in 2024 included Union Terrace Gardens in Aberdeen, the Fraserburgh Beach Masterplan, and Glasgow City Council’s Play Sufficiency Assessment. The closing date for entries is Thursday 13 March.

Historic Houses have published a new report on VAT and listed buildings. Their findings show that changes to the VAT rebate scheme for the heritage sector would better safeguard the country’s historic attractions, widen public access, and provide a much needed economic boost. In case you missed it, Historic Environment Scotland’s report on VAT on Listed Buildings was published in May 2024; the research gathered and analysed evidence as to the effect(s) a VAT rebate scheme could make in Scotland.

New Masterplan Consent Areas guidance to help planning authorities prepare Masterplan Consent Area (MCA) schemes has been published by the Scottish Government. BEFS response to the consultation on Masterplan Consent Area Regulations in spring 2024 noted concerns around over reliance on guidance and the potential for additional burdens on planning authorities. The guidance states it may be updated to reflect best practice and lessons learned as these emerge, which is welcome; BEFS will continue to engage with Members and stakeholders on the topic.

And finally,  a reminder that last month we launched our call for new BEFS Board Trustees. Applicants are not required to have previous board level experience but should have a passion for the historic and existing built environment. If you have any questions about the role, please contact BEFS Director, Hazel Johnson at hjohnson@befs.org.uk.

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS & ANSWERS

Please see our Link to Parliamentary Questions and Answers for recent questions regarding housing, planning and sustainability.

CONSULTATIONS

How can permitted development rights help address the housing emergency?
Scottish Government
The Scottish Government is exploring the potential to expand PDR to streamline the delivery of homes. They are considering whether, and if so how, development can be done in a way that is consistent with policies in the National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) – and its themes of supporting sustainable, liveable, and productive places. Thoughts on the potential role that PDR could play in helping to support town centre living and rural communities and promoting the reuse of vacant or underused buildings are invited. Please email HousingEmergencyPDR@gov.scot with your suggestions on how PDR could appropriately be expanded to support the delivery of the right homes in the right places.
Closes 14 February 2025

A Proposed New National Park in Scotland
NatureScot
Scottish Ministers have made a statutory proposal to establish a new National Park in the Galloway area (including parts of East and South Ayrshire). At this stage, no decision to establish this National Park has been made and Ministers are keen to gauge the level of support for the proposal and alternatives to it. Ministers appointed NatureScot as the ‘Reporter’ to consult and advise them on the proposal. This consultation is part of the programme of work to fulfil these requirements. It follows a phase of pre-consultation work to inform and engage communities and stakeholders across the proposed area. This consultation therefore seeks all views on designating a National Park in the southwest of Scotland, and on the possible area and potential functions, powers, and governance it could have.
Closes 14 February 2025

Building Safety
Scottish Parliament
The Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee is holding an evidence session with the Minister for Housing on building safety issues in 2025 focussing on damp and mould, and Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete (RAAC). In its 2024 tracker report, the Committee noted that it was keen to see what progress is being made by the cross sector working group on RAAC and how those local authorities particularly impacted by this issue are responding, as well as understanding the implications for those living in affected properties. Views are invited by the Committee who will consider responses and use these to form the basis of questions to the Minister.
*NEW* Closes 19 February 2025

Building regulations – proposed review of fire safety topics
Scottish Government
The purpose of this review is to consider changes to the standards and processes set within The Building (Scotland) Regulations 2004 (as amended) and other published guidance documents to improve provisions addressing fire safety. This consultation seeks to obtain the views and opinions of stakeholders on a review of building standards relating to the fire safety of historic buildings converted for hotel use and several other specific fire safety issues, to help ensure the safety of people in and around Scotland’s buildings. The Building and Fire Safety Expert Working Group was created to look at the long-term commitments outlined within the Cameron House Hotel SLWG Report and to review other aspects of Scottish Building Standards and fire safety guidance. This consultation reflects the outcomes and proposals of the Expert Working Group. Information on the review process to date, including minutes of the building and fire safety expert panel meetings, can be found here.
Closes 7 March 2025

Scottish Government’s Fourth National Planning Framework
Scottish Parliament
Following the Committee’s first annual review of NPF4, concerns were raised about local authority capacity to deliver the priorities set out in the spatial strategy and key policy goals. Since then, the Scottish Government has published a summary of responses to the consultation: Investing in Planning – A consultation on resourcing Scotland’s planning system. Ahead of their second annual progress review, the Committee is seeking views on the implementation of NPF4 and the progress made on this in the last year.
*NEW* Closes 7 March 2025

Cities in Placemaking 2025-2026
Placemaking Europe
This programme is a peer-to-peer learning experience for cities, designed to provide a comprehensive introduction to Placemaking, its application in the context of urban governance, and its implications for long-term systemic change. The goal is to create a collaborative effort that benefits from a wide range of perspectives, through interactive, participatory, and experiential learning, with a practical focus on the importance of Placemaking as a city-level strategy.
*NEW* Closes 31 March 2025

Giving Voices to Historic Property Owners
Edinburgh School of Architecture & Landscape Architecture & City of Edinburgh Council
This University of Edinburgh project aims to understand what specific aspects of the Listed Buildings and Conservation Areas planning guidance (Consultation Draft 2024) require further clarification, and to explore possible improvements that will make the guidance more practical and accessible for historic homeowners. This project focuses on improving the clarity of the guidance document and making the content more accessible to all and is currently recruiting focus group and workshop participants for the project. Participants must be owner-occupiers of listed buildings and properties in a conservation area in Edinburgh.
Closes May 2025

PETITIONS

Submissions from the Scottish Government and petitioner of PE2134: Introduce legislation to make it a requirement for swift bricks to be installed in all new developments in Scotland, and include swifts in building surveys (Scot Parl 07/02/2025)

PE2143: Introduce legislation to require all landlords to tackle damp and mould to specified standards (Scot Parl 10/02/2025)

NEWS RELEASES

Scotland’s Churches Trust Named European Religious Heritage Innovator of the Year (Scotland’s Churches Trust 23/12/2024)

RTPI Awards for Planning Excellence – celebrating planning. (RTPI 16/01/2025)

Scottish Land Commission Sets Out Changes to Simplify and Strengthen Land Reform Bill (Scottish Land Commission 21/01/2025)

My Place Awards 2025 open for entries (Scottish Civic Trust 22/01/2025)

Unlocking Town Centre Living: insights from private sector engagement (A&DS 27/01/2025)

Multi-Year Funding Outcome Announcement (Creative Scotland 30/01/2025)

Debate in UK’s Heritage Sector Could Unlock £7M Benefit (Historic Houses 30/01/2025)

14 heritage sites in Europe shortlisted for the 7 Most Endangered Programme 2025 (Europa Nostra 30/01/2025)

New strategy for Scotland’s local civic and heritage groups announced (Scottish Civic Trust 03/02/2025)

The Scottish Civic Trust welcomes new Chair (Scottish Civic Trust 03/02/2025)

Mid-Century Modern Architecture Celebrated in New Exhibition (Historic Environment Scotland 05/02/2025)

Housing’s role in tackling intersectional inequalities: Intersectional Stigma of Place-based Ageing (ISPA) (CaCHE 07/02/2025)

Scottish Land Commission Urges Strong Role for Public Land Acquisition to Tackle Rural Housing Crisis (Scottish Land Commission 11/02/2025)

PUBLICATIONS

Place and Wellbeing  Assessment: How To Guide (Improvement Service November 2024)

Glasgow City Heritage Trust Annual Report 2023-24 (GCHT 10/01/2025)

Is There a Seat at the Table? Ethnic Minority Voices in Tenant Engagement (CaCHE 20/01/2025)

Indicators of house building, UK (July to Sept 2024): permanent dwellings started and completed by country (ONS 29/01/2025)

A Blueprint For Warmer Homes: How To Deliver a Retrofit Revolution (New Economics Foundation 30/01/2025)

Scotland’s Places, People, and their Stories (Scottish Civic Trust 03/02/2025)

SCOTTISH & UK: GOVERNMENTAL & PARLIAMENTARY PUBLICATIONS

Housing Land Audit: guidance (Scot Gov 20/01/2025)

Correspondence between Kate Forbes and the Economy and Fair Work Committee on the second tranche of the Community Led Local Development Programme for 2024-25 (Scot Gov 21/01/2025)

Listed Places of Worship Scheme Debate (UK Parl 22/01/2025)

Correspondence between Kate Forbes and the Economy and Fair Work Committee on its 2025-26 pre-budget scrutiny regarding funding for enterprise agencies (Scot Gov 23/01/2025)

Scottish Government responses to pre-Budget scrutiny: all smiles, no substance? (SPICe 27/01/2025)

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee – 3^rd meeting regarding the Housing (Scotland) Bill clerk’s note and minutes (Scot Parl 28/01/2025)

Masterplan Consent Areas: guidance (Scot Gov 28/01/2025)

Masterplan Consent Areas: guidance – impact assessments (Scot Gov 28/01/2025)

Scottish House Condition Survey: 2023 Key Findings (Scot Gov 28/01/2025)

Scottish building regulations – energy and environmental standards – proposed changes: equalities impact assessment (Scot Gov 28/01/2025)

Scottish House Condition Survey: surveyor manual 2023 (Scot Gov 28/01/2025)

Scottish House Condition Survey: Methodology Notes 2023 (Scot Gov 28/01/2025)

Circular Economy Bill: response letter (Scot Gov 29/01/2025)

Energy Strategy and Just Transition Plan: response letter (Scot Gov 29/01/2025)

Single Scottish Estate Programme Delivery Board meeting minutes – October 2024 (Scot Gov 29/01/2025)

Budget Scrutiny 2025-26 (Scot Parl 29/01/2025)

Construction: Qualifications and Training. Written Questions on Retrofit (UK Parl 30/01/2025)

Creative Scotland (Multiyear Funding) Debate (Scot Parl 30/01/2025)

Creative Scotland multi-year funding: Ministerial statement (Scot Gov 30/01/2025)

Spring Budget Revision 2024-25: supporting document (Scot Gov 30/01/2025)

Local Housing Allowance Rates (Scot Gov 31/01/2025)

Insulation: Repairs and Maintenance. Written Questions on Retrofit (UK Parl 31/01/2025)

Listed Places of Worship Grant Scheme confirmed for 2025/26 (UK Gov 01/02/2025)

Correspondence between More Homes More Quickly and the Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee about tenancies within the Housing (Scotland) Bill (Scot Parl 03/02/2025)

Planning – 2025 priorities: Ministerial and Chief Planner letter – January 2025 (Scot Gov 04/02/2025)

Housing (Scotland) Bill Stage 2 daily list of amendments (Scot Parl 04/02/2025)

Local Government, Housing and Planning Committee – 4^th meeting regarding the Accounts Commission clerk’s note and minutes (Scot Parl 04/02/2025)

Planning permission appeals: housing development statistics (Scot Gov 04/02/2025)

Housing First: monitoring reports (Scot Gov 05/02/2025)

Correspondence between Lord Moylan and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government regarding The National Planning Policy Framework and the Grey Belt (House of Lords 05/02/2025)

Housing: Surveying written questions (UK Parl 06/02/2025)

Creative Industries: Creating Jobs and Productivity Growth Debate (House of Lords 06/02/2025)

Permitted Development Rights (Extension) Bill [HL] – Second Reading (House of Lords 07/02/2025)

The Public Accounts Committee Report:  Carbon Capture, Usage and Storage (UK Parl 07/02/2025)

OPINION & COMMENT

UK Government told to provide sustainable sector funding (TFN 22/01/2025)

English Heritage plans up to 200 redundancies and winter closures of some sites (The Guardian 30/01/2025)

Land Reform (Scotland) Bill. Analysis of landholdings in scope (Land Matters 30/01/2025)

Glasgow tourist tax proposals receive union backing ‘in principle’ (The Herald 30/01/2025)

The best renovations of historic houses (The Times 31/01/2025)

Can we build it? No – because Britain may not have enough workers (The Guardian 02/02/2025)

After The Brutalist: our readers name their favourite brutalist buildings (The Guardian 03/02/2025)

Making a difference in cultural policy (Arts Professional 04/02/2025)

Hundreds of English Heritage jobs at risk amid restructure (Arts Professional 04/02/2025)

Two thirds of Scottish councils looking to introduce tourism tax (The Times 07/02/2025)

Glasgow and Edinburgh councils open new talks over potential successors to the City Region Deal programme (The Herald 10/02/2025)

EVENTS

 

HES/Engine Shed – Lime Mortar: Principles and Practices
Date & Time:  Tuesday 18 February 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
Lime is a traditional bedding, pointing and finishing material in Scotland’s historic built environment. These morning talks will start with the basic principles of processing raw limestone or shells into mortar and plaster and go on to share current best practice and the innovative techniques used to identify (and replicate) parts for conservation and repair projects. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. In the afternoon, the speakers will lead a walking tour around Stirling’s Old Town to discuss a wide range of conservation issues. For those who cannot join in person, a virtual ticket is available for the morning only.

Scottish Community Councils Network – Introduction to Local Place Plans (Part 2)
Date & Time: Wednesday 19 February 2025; 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Online
This second of two introductory sessions is designed to introduce the basics of a Local Place Plan.  It is assumed you will have attended or watched a video of part 1 before you join. This seminar will look at what the legislation and guidance say about what types of organisation can submit a Local Place Plan and whether your group qualifies; what the indicative deadlines for submission actually mean and when the ultimate final submission dates for a Local Place Plan actually are; the benefits that can come to your place and community as long-term outcomes for developing a Local Place Plan; and lastly a brief introduction to what is involved to create a Local Place Plan. All training sessions will be delivered by Imagine If.Space and Place at the Table.

Scottish Community Councils Network – Project Managing your Local Place Plan
Date & Time: Wednesday 26 February 2025; 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Online
This session outlines the big picture of how to create a Local Place Plan for your community. The stages of developing a Local Place Plan are clearly broken down to give you an overview of stages involved in running a Local Place Plan process. This session will look at all these questions with a Q&A at the end. These questions will be considered during this session with a Q&A at the end. All training sessions will be delivered by Imagine If.Space and Place at the Table.

ICHT – CPD: Leadwork Detailing & Practice
Date & Time: Wednesday 5 March 2025; 9am-4:30pm
Location: Inverness
This is an in-person, full day, technical CPD event aimed at contractors and professions involved in the specifying, detailing and installation of leadwork on traditional stone buildings of all sizes. The event will be delivered by the technical team from the Lead Sheet Training Academy and is provided with the support of Inverness City Heritage Trust and Highlands & Islands Traditional Building Forum  Cost: £50 per person. For further details and to book this event please email: c.maclean@maac-studio.com. Note: places for this event are limited.

Scottish Community Councils Network – Designing an Engagement Strategy for your Local Place Plan
Date & Time: Wednesday 5 March 2025; 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Online
At the heart of a Local Place Plan is hosting community conversations to enable good listening to diverse opinions before finding collaborative solutions. This session will look at some low-cost, simple to use tools for digital and face-to-face sessions that will help get the data you need in a format you can use. These questions will be considered during this session with a Q&A at the end. All training sessions will be delivered by Imagine If.Space and Place at the Table.

Edinburgh Napier University/Pattiesmuir Ltd – Introduction to Carbon Management and Achieving Net Zero
Dates & Times: Wednesday 5, 12, 19, 26 March 2025; 6-8pm
Location: Online
Following a successful pilot in 2024, Abi Truebig and Dr Keith Baker, directors of Pattiesmuir Ltd, will be delivering a second run of their Introduction to Carbon Management and Achieving Net Zero upskilling course for Edinburgh Napier University. The course is focussed on understanding the professional development needs of built environment and energy professionals and is designed specifically for adult learners. This year the course is being tailored towards housing, the built environment, and construction, and will include a guest session led by Magdalena Blazusiak, a chartered architectural technologist and a director of the Scottish Ecological Design Association. The course is being run online as four two-hour weekly evening sessions in March covering climate change, carbon accounting, and carbon management.

HES/Engine Shed – Scottish Roofing: Materials and Practices
Date & Time:  Tuesday 11 March 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
Natural slate, lead and iron have been used to cover (and sometimes decorate) traditional Scottish buildings for generations. These morning talks will introduce you to the methods and materials traditionally used in Scotland for roofing and go on to discuss the prospects for reopening Scotland’s first working slate quarry since the 1950s. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. In the afternoon, the speakers will lead a walking tour around Stirling’s Old Town to discuss a wide range of roof repair and conservation issues. For those who cannot join in person, a virtual ticket is available for the morning only.

Scottish Community Councils Network – Processing the data you gather for your Local Place Plan
Date & Time: Wednesday 12 March 2025; 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Online
So, you’ve gathered stories, ideas and data from 2-300 people in your community?  That’s a lot of information! What to do with it now? How do you make sense of all this insight in a systematic way that can help your council be accountable to the community for the decisions taken as to what to include in the Local Place Plan? This session demonstrates simple approaches to analysing data for a Local Place Plan, covering coding (thematising) your data, using excel to enable you to sort through the options and thinking about how to re-present this data in a way that will be useful for further, deeper conversations and decisions. These questions will be considered during this session with a Q&A at the end. All training sessions will be delivered by Imagine If.Space and Place at the Table.

HES/Engine Shed – Conserving Timberwork and Timber Windows
Date & Time:  Tuesday 18 March 2025; 9:30am-4pm
Location: The Engine Shed, Forthside Way, Stirling FK8 1QZ
These morning talks will examine the wealth of timberwork in Scotland’s traditional buildings, from major structural features like joists and rafters, to delicate finishing details like skirting boards, mouldings, and panelling. The morning session will also look at how these features should be repaired, maintained, and conserved and focus part of the discussions on ways to repair traditional simple sash and case windows. A networking lunch will provide you with the opportunity to continue discussions and explore the Engine Shed. In the afternoon, there will be guided tours of Stirling’s Church of the Holy Rude and the nearby Great Hall of Stirling Castle to inspect their remarkable timber roof structures – one being ancient and the other of recent construction. For those who cannot join in person, a virtual ticket is available for the morning only.

Scottish Community Councils Network – An Introduction to NPF4 for your Local Place Plan
Date & Time: Wednesday 19 March 2025; 5:30-6:30pm
Location: Online
A Local Place Plan is different from a Community Action Plan is several ways.  But one of the trickiest to understand is the requirement to offer reasons for (justify) your proposals in terms of the existing policy documents that control development in your area. NPF4 already shapes development in your area and will continue to do so for the lifetime of your Local Place Plan. This introduction will give you confidence in finding you way around this document and using its policies to show the importance, significant and compliance of the proposals you are submitting in your Local Place Plan with a Q&A at the end. All training sessions will be delivered by Imagine If.Space and Place at the Table.

HES/Engine Shed – Level 3 Qualification in Energy Efficiency Measures in Older and Traditional Buildings
Dates and Times:  Tuesday25/Wednesday 26 March (booking closes 12 February); Wednesday 28/Thursday 29 May; Wednesday 10/Thursday 11 September; Wednesday 3 /Thursday 4 December 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.

VACANCIES

Heritage Network – Trainee (Scotland)
Salary: £24,750
Status: Full-time (37.5 hours p/w)
Location: Working from home or from an agreed shared workspace anywhere in Scotland
Heritage Network, formerly Heritage Trust Network, is recruiting for the post of Heritage Trainee (Scotland). This exciting role has been designed to help someone with a demonstrable interest in grass roots heritage restoration and regeneration to develop the skills, knowledge and networks they need to gain access to the heritage sector. This post will be of interest to those with an interest in outreach work in Scotland. This post is for a fixed term of twelve months, from 1 April 2025. The role is funded by Historic Environment Scotland and the National Trust for Scotland. More information and application details can be found here
Closing date: 12pm on Monday 3 March 2025

BEFS Board – Trustees
The role of our Board of Trustees is to support our work and ensure strategic oversight of our advocacy, events and other activities. Whilst you don’t need to have previous board level experience, participation in other types of collective / voluntary group work and working as a team would be beneficial; and you do need to have a passion for the built environment. BEFS can support and provide training if you are new to being a board member. As a BEFS Trustee, you will have the opportunity to make an impact on Scotland’s historic and existing built environment, bringing your professional expertise to bear on shaping the organisation as we enter a new phase of development. Trustees are appointed for a period of three years, which can be extended for up to two additional periods. Trustees are required to attend four Board meetings a year, plus the AGM in December; meetings will be a mix of online and in-person (Edinburgh). We are particularly keen to hear from candidates with experience of the following:

• Finance and fundraising;
• Communications, digital and marketing;
• Legal and contractual;
• Human Resources;
• Public Affairs;
• Sustainability & Net Zero

Alongside these key skills we are also inviting expressions of interest for the roles of Chair and Treasurer. To find out more, please visit our website. To apply, please send us your CV accompanied by a completed application form to info@befs.org.uk. We actively encourage applications from people who identify as trans, non-binary, and genderqueer, neurodiverse and disabled; people from BAME backgrounds; people from working-class backgrounds, and people from all religious backgrounds. Whilst Board positions are not paid, BEFS will reimburse travel and subsistence expenses and make any reasonable adjustments to support you to participate.
Closing date: Monday 10 March 2025