BEFS Bulletin 378: Joining dots, Sector Leadership & Inclusive Heritage

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

   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

  Publications

   Scottish & UK: Governmental & Parliamentary Publications

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.

For further listings, please see BEFS events calendar