BEFS Bulletin 404: Capturing Value, Gathering Insights & Addressing Challenges

Revitalising High Streets
The House of Commons Select Committee for Housing, Communities and Local Government is undertaking an inquiry on revitalising high streets. The Committee is seeking views on the clustering of similar retail services such as betting shops and vape shops, the effectiveness of local government powers in supporting improvement, and the implementation of the Pride in Place Strategy. A BEFS submission drew attention to growing concerns about fire safety risk expressed in Historic Environment Working Group discussions, and provided case study examples of positive change in Scottish high streets and town centres. BEFS is awaiting Committee approval to publish its evidence statement, which will be shared in a future bulletin. (BEFS 02/09/2026)

Future of council tax in Scotland: consultation analysis – final report (Scot Gov 11/09/2026)

Petitions

PE2233/A: Moratorium on planning applications for all hyperscale data centres until their environmental impacts have been fully assessed: Scottish Government written submission (Scot Parl 01/09/2026)

Heat Networks Regional Heat Partnership delivery models: Report for the Scottish Government (Scottish Futures Trust September 2026)

Heat Networks Community led delivery model: Report for the Scottish Government (Scottish Futures Trust September 2026)

Your Guide to AI Data Centres in Scotland (Scottish Civic Trust September 2026)

Endangered Spaces: Protecting ‘at risk’ heritage (Historic Houses September 2026)

New Research reveals Housing Associations are Overlooked “Economic Anchors” (David Hume Institute 02/09/2026)

Introductions to Heritage Assets: Cinemas (Historic England 04/09/2026)

Design Economy. Evidencing the value of the UK’s design sector across nations and regions (Design Council 07/09/2026)

Heritage 2033 delivery plan: 2026–2029 (Heritage Fund 08/09/2026)

SURF Publishes Alliance for Action Programme Report (SURF 08/09/2026)

Scotland’s Historic Environment Audit (SHEA) 2026 (HES 09/09/2026)

For further listings, please see BEFS events calendar

DHET – Felt Experiences of Place Workshop
Date & Time: Saturday 26 September 2026; 2-4pm
Location: Dundee Historic Environment Trust, 29 Exchange Street, Dundee DD1 1DJ
Join Dundee Historic Environment Trust as part of Doors Open Days for a relaxed and accessible workshop about Dundee’s historic buildings and how people feel about them. Using the Felt Experiences of Place resource kit, Dundee Historic Environment Trust invites you to explore your feelings and experiences of Dundee and Dundee’s historic buildings. Look together at photos of local buildings and use emojis to show responses to these places. There will also be an opportunity to create a plaque to show your feelings about a place of your choice. All materials will be provided.

Museums Galleries Scotland – Getting to grips with Heat Pumps
Date & Time: Monday 28 September 2026; 2-3:30pm
Location: Online
Hear from sector colleagues about their years of experience in the world of heat pumps from the well-known air and ground source to experimental river heat exchange systems and even how heat pumps can work on a historic ship. Speakers include: Mark Drysdale (NMS), Kate Linsell (Museum of Lead Mining), Fiona Greer (Tall Ship Glenlee).

C&BS – Culture & Business Scotland Forum26
Date & Time: Wednesday 30 September 2026; 10am-4pm
Location: The National Piping Centre, Glasgow G4 0HW
Hear from Carol Ferguson from HebCelt Festival and Darren Cuming from Lewis Wind Power as they share the story of their partnership and the collaborative sponsorship elements which helped to nurture young talent, increase community engagement, and advance the festival’s sustainability credentials. Enjoy a rehearsed reading by Braw Clan, an award-winning company dedicated to creating new plays in the Scots language. Complimentary to Members / £90 Non-Members

Icon Scotland – Learning Flexibility through Eco-museums: Toward Situated and Expanded Approaches to Heritage Conservation
Date & Time: Thursday 1 October 2026; 6-7pm
Location: Online via Zoom
In this online lecture, Marina Herriges draws from her experience with ecomuseums in Scotland and Brazil to share more inclusive, plural and sustainable ways of caring for heritage. This way, conservation becomes less about preserving objects, and more about caring for the connections between people, land, places, and materials, in an approach that strays from colonial practices.

A&DS – Climate Clinic: Diagnosing and Treating the Built Environment
Date & Time: Thursday 1 October 2026; 1-4:30pm
Location: Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9EF
This event brings together architects, students and built environment professionals to explore how to adapt, reuse and future-proof the buildings and places we already have. Through short talks and interactive discussions, the event will consider climate resilience, retrofit, adaptive reuse, circular construction and creating healthier, more sustainable places.

A&DS – People’s Emergency Briefing: Community Screening
Date & Time: Thursday 1 October 2026; 6-8pm
Location: Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9EF
An engaging community screening of the People’s Emergency Briefing, a 50-minute film featuring leading UK scientists and experts exploring what the latest climate and nature evidence means for everyday life, including extreme weather, food security, health and the cost of living. The screening will be followed by a reflective discussion about local action and community responses.

Under One Roof – Damp and mould in flats with Aberdeen City Council
Date & Time: Tuesday 6 October 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online, via Microsoft Teams
If you rent out a flat in Aberdeen, join this free lunchtime webinar with Aberdeen City Council, to understand damp and mould. Under One Roof will be sharing expertise on how to identify and treat damp and mould, both in your own flat and in common areas of your building. They will also be explaining Awaab’s Law, and the new obligations landlords need to be aware of. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with the Education and Training Officer.

DTAS – New Futures Workshop: First Steps to Community Ownership 
Date & Time: Tuesday 6 October 2026; 1-2:30pm
Location: Online
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship workshop series. In response to the number of churches across Scotland due for disposal in the coming years, many communities have been left wondering what they can do to keep these buildings at the centre of community life. This workshop gives an overview of the first steps to take, and the information needed to help communities make an informed decision. From getting started, to understanding the processes of the Church of Scotland, to building a fuller picture of the support that’s available, hear about key information and examples of how communities have done it before.

BE-ST Fest – 2026
For the past five years, industry leaders, policymakers, innovators and built environment professionals have travelled to Glasgow for BE-ST Fest. In 2026, the festival is coming to you. BE-ST is on the road, coming to communities across Scotland to focus on the real barriers and challenges you face.
BE-ST Fest North
Date: Tuesday 6 October 2026
Location: Eden Court, Bishops Road, Inverness IV3 5SA
BE-ST Fest West
Date: Wednesday 4 November 2026
Location: Sir Jim McDonald Technology & Innovation Centre (TIC), 99 George Sreet, Glasgow G1 1RD
BE-ST Fest South
Date: Wednesday 17 March 2027
Location: The Crichton Trust, Grierson House, Bankend Rd, Dumfries DG1 4ZE

Under One Roof – Mandatory owners’ associations with Dundee City Council
Date & Time: Wednesday 7 October 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online
Earlier this year the Scottish Law Commission recommended that the Scottish Government make owners’ associations mandatory in Scotland, to make it easier for tenement owners to maintain their buildings. In this free lunchtime webinar, understand what these proposals could mean for tenement owners in Dundee. Find out about the benefits of joining an owners’ association, how to set one up in your own building, and how the Law Commission’s recommendations might work in practice. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A session with a tenement expert.

AHSS Forth & Borders Group – Robert Adam and Italian Artists
Date & Time: Monday 12 October 2026; 6:30-8:30pm
Location: Augustine United Church, 41 George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL (wheelchair accessible); and live streamed online via Zoom
Speaker – Dr Katherine McHale. Robert Adam referred to himself as ‘Bob the Roman’ in letters from Italy to his family, reflecting his fascination with Italian culture. His British clients would commission Italian painters living in Britain to provide historical and mythological scenes to adorn their new Adam rooms. Though little known today, these artists were among the finest of the era, and included founding members of the Royal Academy. A closer look at their works reveals their valuable contributions to Adam’s interiors. Tickets: £6 (students £2) and should be booked in advance for both live and streamed events.

Heritage Network – North UK Mills Group – October Talk
Date & Time: Thursday 15 October 2026; 10-11:30am
Location: Online
The North UK Mills Working Group is formed of interested individuals and organisations (including SPAB Scotland) who have come together to connect and explore ways help to keep these buildings, skills and mill cultures alive and accessible. Join online for a talk by Mildred Cookson – former miller, founding trustee of the Mills Archive Trust, committee member and past Chair of the SPAB Mills Section – on the changes she has observed over the course of her career in milling and as a part of the organisations aiming to preserve and support its practice for the future.

SPAB – Practical Flour Milling
Date & Time: Tuesday 20 October 2026; 9:30am-4pm
Location: Blair Atholl Water Mill, Ford Road, Blair Atholl, Pitlochry PH18 5SH
Join SPAB for practical experience of traditional flour milling in a small, friendly group environment. Blair Atholl Watermill is Scotland’s oldest working watermill. This course is supported by the North UK Mills Group. This event is perfect for mill volunteers and trainee millers. It may also be of interest to more experienced millers who wish to develop their skills.

DTAS – New Futures Workshop: Involving Your Community 
Date & Time: Tuesday 20 October 2026; 12-1:30pm
Location: Online
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship workshop series. This workshop focuses on rationale and methodology behind involving your community in your project. Consistent and effective community engagement is an essential part of any community organisation. It ensures that your projects are responding to the needs of local people, that your organisation represents the people it claims to, and it sets the organisation up to have a healthy supply of volunteers long into the future. By drawing on successful examples of community engagement, this workshop will give you the tools to confidently plan and deliver a programme of community engagement.

Under One Roof – Managing tenements with Dundee Historic Environment Trust
Date & Time: Tuesday 20 October 2026; 12-1pm
Location: Online
If you own a flat in Dundee, join this free lunchtime webinar with Dundee Historic Environment Trust on managing tenements. Learn about the basics of how to arrange a repair in the common areas of your building, how to co-operate with your neighbours to organise and repair for works, and how to set up an owners’ association. There will also be discussion about working with factors. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A, where you can ask an expert about issues in your own tenement building.

Scottish Episcopal Church Net Zero Team – Hope for Creation
Date & Time: Tuesday 20 & Wednesday 21 October
Location: Stirling Court Hotel, Airthrey Road, Stirling FK9 4LA
Hope for Creation will bring together funders, experts, eco-theologians, decision-makers, clergy and congregations from the Scottish Episcopal Church, and other denominations, to discuss the efforts to combat climate change in the Scottish church context. The conference will provide opportunities for networking, discussion and learning, with contributions from across the SEC, ecumenical guests, and partner organisations. Anchored by practical solutions, inspiring case-studies and new opportunities to take action – Hope for Creation will highlight that all throughout the church and heritage sector have a part to play in our journey to build a more sustainable future. Highlights include breakout conversation sessions covering such topics as ‘Solutions for Sustainable Heritage Buildings’, ‘Carbon Footprints and Contributions’, ‘Creation Care, Mission and Intercession’, as well as funding, biodiversity, storytelling and community energy discussions. All are welcome: whether you’re a church leader, volunteer, environmental group member or simply interested in creating a more sustainable future, you’ll leave with fresh ideas, new connections and renewed hope.

Icon – Conserving LGBT+ History Webinar: Anne Lister’s Journals
Date & Time: Thursday 22 October 2026; 4-5:15pm
Location: Online
Anne Lister was a 19th century diarist and landowner from Halifax, Yorkshire. Considered the “first modern lesbian”, Anne’s diaries were, in part, written in a secret code that she used to write about her romantic relationships with other women. In this online lecture, West Yorkshire Archive Service conservators will talk about the conservation work undertaken to preserve Anne’s diaries and prepare them for digitisation and access as source material for the TV drama Gentleman Jack, based on Anne’s life. All proceeds from this event will be donated to Lavender Menace, an Edinburgh archive of queer books and community space.

DTAS – New Futures Workshop: Finance and Fundraising 1 – Mainstream Funders
Date & Time: Tuesday 27 October 2026; 11am-1pm
Location: Online
Part of the New Futures: Former Places of Worship workshop series. Heritage assets such as churches present their own unique opportunities and challenges in the funding landscape. While the buildings themselves are complicated, there are funders available to help you develop your project, acquire the church and carry out renovations. This workshop will focus on giving you the skills you need to build a funding package and help you to consider the full range of costs for developing your project. During this workshop you will hear from some of the key funders in the community, and heritage sector and learn what makes a successful funding application.

Edinburgh World Heritage – Recording poverty and murder in 19th Century Edinburgh
Date & Time: Wednesday 28 October 2026; 6-8pm
Location: Augustine United Church, George IV Bridge, Edinburgh EH1 1EL
John Lowrey will speak about the recording methods used in 19th century Edinburgh to capture life within the old town. Focusing on two recording methods created for other purposes, which cast light on the social conditions and the architecture of the Old Town. Between the 1820s and c.1930, the office of the city architect was used to record crime scenes in Edinburgh. Some of these drawings are so accurate that they provide an insight into a type of domestic architecture which doesn’t feature in architectural histories.

Heritage Network – Heritage-Led Regeneration in Perth
Date & Time: Wednesday 28 October 2026; 9:30am-4:30pm
Location: YMCA Tayside, 19 Atholl Street, Perth PH1 5HN
In 2021 Perth was inscribed as UNESCO City of Craft & Folk Art and since then has taken on a £35 million investment prospectus (2025-2040). This event will celebrate the incredible work happening across Perth and Kinross whilst also touching on the challenges which have arisen since 2025. This event will explore how sustainable regeneration supports successful placemaking through a range of perspectives, including: heritage-led regeneration and the reuse of historic buildings; community engagement, volunteering and developing local skills; commercial sustainability, town centre renewal and supporting local businesses; culture, tourism and hospitality as drivers of economic growth; environmental sustainability; and partnership working and innovative approaches to delivering long-term change.

Scottish Landscape Alliance – Annual Event
Date & Time: Wednesday 28 October 2026; 10:30am-3pm
Location: Edinburgh Climate Change Institute, 10 High School Yards, Edinburgh EH1 1LZ
Scotland’s Landscape Alliance invites you to a day of updates, case studies, discussion and engaging workshops exploring how Scotland’s Landscape Charter and their 5-Year Action Plan can continue to shape the future of Scotland’s landscapes. Valuing and taking responsibility for Scotland’s landscapes requires a collaborative approach amongst all organisations and people involved in matters that impact on them. This event will bring together people from across the landscape community to share progress, gather new ideas, showcase inspiring work and build energy and support for future action in embedding the Charter into everyday action. Come ready to share your experience, challenge ideas, make connections and help shape the next chapter of landscape action.

SPAB – Maintaining Scotland’s Historic Places of Worship: Glasgow
Date & Time: Thursday 29 October 2026; 9:30am-3:30pm
Location: Garnethill Synagogue, 129 Hill Street, Glasgow G3 6UB
Are you involved in caring for and maintaining a place of worship in Scotland? Caring for a historic building can feel like a never-ending task, but thankfully there are some simple steps you can take to keep your building in good condition and reduce the likelihood of large repair projects further down the line. In this introductory one-day course, you will learn how your historic faith building works and the practical steps you can take to look after it. You’ll be able to put your new knowledge into action right away, with a practical exercise looking at the host building inside and out to identify maintenance issues and areas of vulnerability. There will also be the opportunity to discuss your building with the course tutors and others attending. Armed with a new understanding of how traditional buildings were constructed, how they work, and how they decay, you’ll leave with the skills and confidence you need to spot and tackle common problems that put your old building at risk.

AHSS – The David Bryce Symposium
Date & Time: Friday 30 October 2026; 9:30am – 4:30pm
Location: Edinburgh Futures Institute, 1 Lauriston Place, Edinburgh EH3 9EF
The Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS), in partnership with the Edinburgh School of Architecture and Landscape Architecture (University of Edinburgh), is organising a symposium to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the death of the great Scots Baronial architect, David Bryce (1803-1876). The symposium will be held in one of Bryce’s own buildings, the former Edinburgh Royal Infirmary, recently conserved and repurposed as the Edinburgh Futures Institute. It will showcase the latest research on Bryce’s life and work, celebrating him as a key figure in the history of Scottish architecture.

RIAS Live – Renewal by Design
Date & Time: Friday 30 October 2026; 9am – 4:30pm
Location: Glasgow City Chambers, 82 George Square, Glasgow G2 1DU
RIAS Live is a one-day conference, bringing together architects and industry professionals from across Scotland and beyond for a dynamic programme of discussion, networking, and learning. This year held in Glasgow, Renewal by Design will explore how an open, thriving architectural profession is key to building a fairer Scotland that works for all. As commercial realities take hold, how can the industry evolve to be more representative and inclusive to the people it serves?

Save the date/Early booking open now/Applications invited

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