BEFS Bulletin – Consultations Galore, Tenement Events, & Conservation Vacancies

BEFS News

The second Heritage Pulse survey is now open. This is a collaborative data and insight project for the UK’s heritage sector, enabling the sector to inform policy, recovery, and reinvention post-Covid. BEFS, NatureScot and HES are supporting NLHF with this initiative within Scotland, and are keen to raise the levels of engagement from Scottish organisations. Heritage Pulse Wave 2 closes Friday 9 September. 
 
The National Lottery Heritage Fund are also seeking views on their own strategy. They want feedback on issues including: place-based investment, approaches to funding, partnerships, and their approach to environmental sustainability. Survey closes 5 September. 
 
BEFS are pleased to see Members PAS release news of their new Chief Executive, and we look forward to working Johanna Boyd in due course.

Tenements are never far from BEFS minds, and we note that there is a webinar series from the Scottish Law Commission in September 2022 as part of their project relating to Tenement law: compulsory owners’ associations. Sign up to hear about the law relating to flat maintenance and management in different countries, from experts in the field and ask: what can we learn from this? (It’s also encouraging to read more about the potential Comprehensive Tenement Improvement Scheme in Paisley.) 
 
Continuing from the articles and news brought to you in the last BEFS Bulletin around the Properties in Care: here Andrew Burnet from HES’ Interpretation Team takes a behind-the-scenes look at their work adding interpretation to the sites affected by the high-level masonry inspections.
 
HES has also published Planning for the future – their response to the next National Planning Framework. HES’ Planning, Consents and Advice Service (PCAS) led on co-ordinating HES’ response, talking with colleagues from across the organisation to inform the response, as well as engaging with external bodies including the heritage sector, planning authorities and other Key Agencies.

Last year BEFS Director was invited to Chair a session in relation to a review of a specific battlefield site. A completed report on battlefield planning best practice undertaken by Lichfields UK has now been published.
There is also an open consultation seeking comments on the recommendations made in the report. The consultation is open for comment until 3 November 2022.
 
August is an exceptionally busy time for the BEFS team this year due to our series of sector wide Our Place in Time (OPiT) engagement events. We hope that those from across many parts of the sector have had the opportunity to be involved and we look forward to representing what we’ve heard during the refreshed OPiT drafting process, as well as highlighting the full public consultation in the Autumn when it is released. We’re sure more workshops (and stickynotes!) will follow. Thanks to all those currently sharing their views and expertise. 
 
And finally, BEFS Director was pleased to attend the launch of the Green Home Festival, hosted by RICS, where the emphasis was on the need to re-use and maintain existing building stock to support reducing carbon emissions and mitigating climate change. Patrick Harvie’s opening address didn’t shy away from the scale of the task! 

Consultations 

Views on the impact of budgetary decisions including the Resource Spending Review on the culture sector in Scotland
Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee
Closes 19 August 2022

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: a consultation on proposals for a Circular Economy Bill
Scottish Government
Closes 22 August 2022

Delivering Scotland’s circular economy: A Route Map to 2025 and beyond
Scottish Government
Closes 22 August 2022

TEG Survey on Scottish Apprenticeships: Design & Contracting in Construction
Skills Development Scotland
*new* Closes 2 September 2022

Heritage Fund Strategy Refresh
National Lottery Heritage Fund
*new* Closes 5 September 2022

Land Reform in a Net Zero Nation
Scottish Government
Closes 25 September 2022

New Build Heat Standard: consultation – part two
Scottish Government
Closes 20 October 2022

Battlefields: Planning Best Practice 
Historic Environment Scotland
*new* Closes 3 November 2022

Publications

Main report for the Participation Survey (Department for Media, Culture and Sport, UK Government July 2022)
Estimates on participation in the digital, culture, media, and sport sectors (DCMS) reported during the period of October 2021 to March 2022. The Participation Survey is a nationally representative annual survey of adults (16+) in England that aims to track the latest trends in engagement in DCMS sectors.

Green Building Passports: a review for Scotland (Climate Exchange July 2022)
This report aims to provide policy makers with an understanding of the purpose, structure and use of Green Building Passports, along with the main barriers and opportunities when considering their possible introduction in Scotland.

Skills needs in selected occupations over the next 5 to 10 years (Department for Education, UK Government August 2022)
Report on the changing skills needs within a select group of occupations over the next 5 to 10 years.

Responsible Natural Capital and Carbon Management (Scottish Land Commission August 2022)
Protocol setting out practical expectations to ensure that approaches to natural capital and carbon management recognise responsibilities, as well as rights, in relation to land.

A Look Back at 2021-22 (Museums Galleries Scotland August 2022)
Museums Galleries Scotland’s Year in Review.

Understanding the Sustainable Development Goals and targets (Curating Tomorrow August 2022)
A guide on the UN Sustainable Development Goals for galleries, libraries, archives and museums.

Law project promotes climate-aligned contracts (RICS Construction Journal August 2022)
Article describing a legal initiative which is drafting open-access clauses to make progress towards net-zero carbon at the contractual level.

Levelling the playing field, not Scotland’s built environment: A case for retrofit over demolition? (CIOB August 2022)
This report considers the question of VAT on retrofit, making a case for the positive impact a demolition levy could have in reprioritising retrofit projects, which proffer wide benefits such as local job creation, reduced construction and development waste, and lowered carbon emissions.

Scottish Retail Sales Monitor July 2022 (Scottish Retail Consortium August 2022)
Scottish Retail Consortium reveals footfall fell by 16.5 per cent in July compared with the same period in 2019, before the pandemic.

Scottish Government Publications

Energy Efficient Scotland Transition Programme Survey Evaluation (08/08/22)
This report presents the social evaluation of the Energy Efficient Scotland Transition Programme, which aimed to support local authorities’ engagement with households and businesses expected to self-fund energy efficiency improvements.

Building Standards National Annual Verification Performance Report 2021-22 (08/08/22)
This report provides aggregated information on the national level of performance of verifiers on the Key Performance Outcomes of the Building Standards Performance Framework for Verifiers Publication 2021

Delivering a Greener, Fairer, Independent Scotland – One Year On (17/08/22)
Delivering a Greener, Fairer, Independent Scotland – One Year On provides an update on the progress made since the Bute House Agreement was reached between the Scottish Government and the Scottish Green Party.

 

News Releases

Scottish Government urged to protect built environment from unnecessary and ‘cheap’ demolition 
Summary of the CIOB report ‘Levelling the playing field, not Scotland’s built environment: A case for retrofit over demolition?’

Scotland facing ‘monumental task’ on eco housing, Patrick Harvie tells Green Home Festival
Overview of speech at the launch of the Green Home Festival 2022.

Glasgow continues trend in reduction of vacant and derelict land
A Glasgow City Council committee has learned about the continued fall in the amount of Vacant and Derelict Land in the city and approved the acceptance of the 2022/23 Vacant and Derelict Land Fund award to the city from the Scottish Government.

Future of closed historic castle to be discussed
A public meeting is to be held on the future of Barra’s Kisimul Castle.

Glasgow trails ‘People First Zone’ to put city on the front foot
Glasgow City Council, supported by Sustrans, has launched plans to re-engineer the city centre from the Clyde to Cowcaddens to favour pedestrians.

Major step forward for regeneration of Paisley town centre tenements
A multi-million-pound project to transform a row of historic Paisley town centre tenements into new modern energy-efficient homes for social rent is set to move forward.

Opinion & Comment

Key historic buildings remain closed with safety checks to take a ‘couple of years’ (The Scotsman 07/08/22)

Don’t rebuild, retrofit to meet net zero goals (The Scotsman 08/08/22)

Historic 200-year-old Scots kirk faces closure over ‘falling number of ministers’ (Daily Record 09/08/22)

More than 30 historic church buildings could be closed under plans (STV 09/08/22)

Heritage Fund moots investment in ‘places of need’ (Arts Professional 10/08/22)

Highlands and Moray churches at risk of closure (BBC 10/08/22)

Top six modern archaeological sites and discoveries in Scotland (DigIt Scotland 11/08/22)

Scottish Government urged to protect built environment from unnecessary and ‘cheap’ demolition (Scottish Housing News 11/08/22)

Déjà brew: Review of planning decision highlights gulf between policy and ambition (Brodies 12/08/22)

Katie Graham: Helping our elected members to support our communities (RTPI 12/08/22)

Mace CEO demands national retrofit strategy (Construction News 12/08/22)

RICS calls for industry and government to futureproof UK construction (RICS 15/08/22)

Parliamentary Questions

Scottish Parliament is in recess until 4th September.
 
Questions marked with a triangle (?) are initiated by the Scottish Government to facilitate the provision of information to the Parliament. Questions in which a member has indicated a declarable interest are marked with an “R”.  
 
S6W-10119: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 1 August 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many homes have benefitted from the Social Housing Net Zero Heat Fund as of 30 July 2022, and what the average cost per property is. Answer expected 29 August 2022

S6W-10165:  Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 3 August 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, whether it will prepare a medium-rise inventory, in light of the Building (Scotland) Amendment Regulations 2022, which ban combustible cladding on buildings with any storey at a height of more than 11 metres above the ground.
Answer expected 31 August 2022

Parliamentary Questions and Answers

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

S6W-09620: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 5 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government (a) how many times and (b) on what dates it has met with stakeholders that are concerned with cladding remediation, including (i) insurers, (ii) mortgage lenders, (iii) the Scottish Fire and Rescue Service and (iv) homeowners, regarding the cladding remediation programme, since the Single Building Assessment pilot began.
Answered on 4 August 2022

S6W-09959: Monica Lennon, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 25 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it plans to support the introduction of planning apprenticeship schemes in order to encourage people into town planning careers.
Answered on 11 August 2022

S6W-09932: Donald Cameron, Highlands and Islands, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 25 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how many projects have (a) applied for and (b) received funding from the Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme since it was created, broken down by (i) local authority area and (ii) the value of each project award.
Answered on 22 August 2022

S6W-10001: Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party Date Lodged: 26 July 2022
To ask the Scottish Government what skills strategy it has in place to ensure that Scotland has sufficient professionals to advise homeowners on their transition to clean energy and carry out installation and maintenance.
Answered on 2 August 2022

S6W-10164: Mark Griffin, Central Scotland, Scottish Labour Date Lodged: 4 August 2022
To ask the Scottish Government for what reason the draft Bill regarding tenement maintenance will not be introduced until 2026, and whether it will ask the Scottish Law Commission to review its timetable.
Answered on 16 August 2022  

Events

For the full list of BEFS Members’ upcoming events see our events calendar.
 
STBF – Festival of Traditional Buildings
Date & Time: Monday 22 to Friday 26 August 2022
Location: Edinburgh
Immerse yourself in the beauty and romance of Scotland’s old buildings as we celebrate the Festival of Traditional Buildings! To mark our landmark 10th year, we’re bringing you a week long series of immersive, hands on, and interesting events for building enthusiasts of all backgrounds and ages. Located at the Education Centre at Holyrood Park, there is something for everyone including hands-on activities, talks, workshops, and historic building inspired mini golf and a family day as well! All events are free, but ticketing is required.

Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations – Youth Action
Date & Time: Wednesday 24 August 2022 5.30-7.30pm
Location: Online
This event will explore how we might develop our youth audience and participation further and discuss the visible and invisible barriers that block participation and engagement for young people in the Culture, Heritage and the Arts. We will invite our younger audience to lead in the development of our presentations and overall themes for the event. Community Heritage Conversations are being delivered through a partnership of Archaeology Scotland, The Chartered Institute for Archaeologists, Historic Environment Scotland, Northlight Heritage, the Scottish Community Heritage Alliance and the Scottish Council on Archives.

Scotland’s Towns Partnership – TCAP2 Roadshows
Date & Time: 24 August to 17 September 2022
Location: Various across Scotland
The TCAP2 Roadshow Series will illustrate how a place-based holistic approach can help revitalise towns across Scotland. Ambition, collaboration and leadership are key to aligning and delivering on TCAP2.  The series aims to encourage stakeholders to embrace and commit to the place agenda and to understand their roles in the approach to regenerating places. The events share policy context and exemplars based around TCAP2 themes, including planning, town centre first principle, town centre living, digital, enterprising communities and vibrant local economies and climate action.

SURF – From Slogans to Sound Strategy? The 2022 SURF Annual Conference
Date & Time: Thursday 25 August 2022 10am-3pm
Location: COSLA Conference Centre, Edinburgh
Anyone involved with the regeneration of Scottish places, is very likely to have heard repeated references to Community Wealth Building and Levelling Up in recent times. SURF’s 2022 Annual Conference will critically examine policy and practice developments associated with both concepts, with particular reference to the Argyll & Bute town of Dunoon.

Archaeology Scotland – Camas nan Geall Archaeological Excavation
Date & Time: 26 August to 7 September 2022 10am-4pm
Location: Camas nan Geall, Ardnamurchan
Archaeology Scotland and the Ardnamurchan History and Heritage Association are about to commence another season of archaeological investigations at Camas nan Geall, as part of the European Regional Development Fund and Historic Environment supported Adopt-a-Monument programme on Ardnamurchan. Over the course of two weeks, from the 26th of August until the 7th of September, volunteers and members of the local community will investigate some of the prehistoric remains of this beautiful bay.

Doors Open Days 2022
Date & Time: Weekends in September 2022
Location: Various across Scotland
Doors Open Days, the popular festival that sees hundreds of sites across Scotland offer free access to buildings and events, will return in September! The full programme of events will be released in mid-August, but in the meantime be sure to head to the Doors Open Days website to mark your diary for the 2022 weekends, and subscribe to the Doors Open Days e-newsletter to be notified when the programme goes live!

Heritage Trust Network – Growing Your Community – Carluke High Mill
Date & Time: Tuesday 6 September 2022 9.30am-2.30pm
Location: Carluke High Mill, Carluke
Hear from a fantastic team who have made huge progress in connecting with their community, whilst progressing towards a major heritage regeneration project. There will also be plenty of time to get to know other attendees, hear from projects across the country and chat with funders.

GCHT – Architecture and Health in Historic Buildings
Date & Time: Thursday 8 September 2022 12.30-1.30pm
Location: Online
Dr Richard Hobday will discuss what historic buildings can teach us about managing airborne infections through a mix of passive ventilation, material characteristics, and quality of internal space. He will also look at how retaining these characteristics is key when refurbishing historic buildings, and demonstrate how past approaches to combatting infection in buildings remain relevant for creating healthy internal environments.

AHSS – Miller, Marbles and MacRae: Walking Tour of Craigentinny and Restalrig
Date & Time: Thursday 8 September 2022 6pm
Location: Craigentinny and Restalrig
On this walk, Steven Robb, Deputy Head of Historic Buildings at Historic Environment Scotland, explores the early history of two of Edinburgh’s north-eastern suburbs, represented by Restalrig Parish Church, Craigentinny House and the Miller family. Along the way he looks at the considerable interventions made by the City Council in the area in the 1930s, including schools, the Craigentinny housing estate, and the use of Craigentinny House as, arguably, Scotland’s first community centre.

Nesta – Future gazing: homes in 2050
Date & Time: Thursday 8 September 2022 12-1pm
Location: Online
Dr Rosenow will share his expert insights on how we can decarbonise homes, drawing from extensive experience in the energy sector, his research at the Environmental Change Institute and his role advising the House of Commons. We’ll be discussing the flexibility of our energy systems and alternative methods for better heating homes; from heat pumps, to retrofitting and hydrogen.

A&BS – The power of creative partnerships in Edinburgh and the Lothians: sharing and networking event
Date & Time: 15 September 2022 6.30-8pm
Location: Edinburgh, Princes Exchange
Arts & Business Scotland are hosting a reception for business/public sector professionals in Edinburgh and the Lothians to share some exciting news, as we present a new service we’re developing: the Culture & Business Marketplace. The Marketplace is the result of research, looking at the changing needs of the business and public sectors. It will be a unique online platform, providing creative solutions to challenges. This event is ideal if you’re looking for opportunities relating to:

• Staff retention, wellbeing & productivity
• creative development
• community engagement
• meeting ESG targets

We’ll share exciting local examples of businesses who have worked with the culture sector to address the above needs.

SoAoS – Summer Excursion: Dunfermline Abbey & Palace and Broomhall House
Date & Time: Saturday 17 September 2022 8:30am-6pm
Location: Dunfermline, Fife
Join SocAntScot for an exciting day excursion in and around Dunfermline, Fife, visiting two important sites of interest. In the morning we will visit Dunfermline Abbey and Palace with a private tour by expert guides. Dunfermline Abbey is one of the oldest in Scotland and the history of the Abbey is entwined with that of Scotland itself. We will then visit Broomhall House after lunch, complete with a private group tour in the company of Lord Bruce. Broomhall House, built over 300 years ago, is recognised for its unique place at the heart of Scotland’s history as the home of the Family of Bruce.

Training

Scottish Lime Centre Trust: The Structural Repair of Historic Buildings
Date & Time: Friday 26 August 2022
Location: Charlestown Workshops, Charlestown, Fife
This masterclass led by Ian Hume, aims to provide professionals with a sound understanding of the philosophy of conservation.
Participants will gain a better understanding of the relationship between structural engineering and conservation, of safety issues and of the aesthetics of conservation based structural repairs.

Heritage Trust Network: Dealing with Rising Energy Costs
Date & Time: Wednesday 14 September 2022 10.30-11.30am
Location: Online
Is your historic building or site being affected by rising energy costs? Are you worried about the predicted rises in Winter? Join Paul Clark from Heritage Trust Network partner member Citrus Energy for insight and advice on this worrying topic.

Heritage Trust Network: Saving buildings, while saving the climate
Date & Time: Wednesday 14 September 2022 2-3.30pm
Location: Online
Hear from speakers on how to environmentally manage old and listed buildings and learn how to make them more self-sustainable and eco. Also, you will hear new facts and figures on why reusing buildings are more environmentally and sustainability friendly.

PAS: SP=EED Community Engagement Skills training
Date & Time: Thursday 15 September 2022 10am-3pm
Location: Online
Want to brush up on your community engagement skills? Join PAS next live ‘SP=EED’ training. SP=EED is a unique development programme designed to develop your skills and confidence in designing, delivering and evaluating effective community engagement.  
 
HES/AHSS/BEFS: Conservation Areas Seminar
Date & Time: Thursday 29 September 2022 10am-4:30pm
Location: Engine Shed, Stirling
Historic Environment Scotland (HES), the Architectural Heritage Society of Scotland (AHSS) and BEFS will host a day of discussions focussing on Conservation Areas, their management, designation, and exploring their role in creating good places. This event is aimed at anyone with a role in decision making within a Conservation Area, Local Authority officers and policy makers.
 
STBA and SPAB: Annual Conference – Sustaining Buildings 2022
Date & Time: 12 October 2022 9.30am-5pm
Location: Dovecot Studios, Edinburgh
The popular STBA / SPAB annual conference returns in-person this autumn for a full day of presentations and Q&A sessions by UK experts in the field. With retrofit and the green agenda firmly in the eye of the public, SPAB Scotland and STBA bring you a selection of speakers who will dive deeper into these topics and provide expert analysis of WUFI, embodied carbon analysis, training opportunities, and much more. 

SPAB: Repair of Old Buildings Course
Date & Time: 17 to 21 October 2022
Location: Online
The Repair of Old Buildings course delivers an extensive programme of lectures and recorded site visits demonstrating building repair projects, accompanied by a series of live online Q&A sessions with speakers and site hosts. Presented by leading building conservation professionals, the Repair Course considers British and international approaches to the conservation of old buildings.  The SPAB philosophy of repair and maintenance – established by William Morris in 1877 – underpins the course programme of case studies, presentations and site visits.
The SPAB has a small fund to allow it to award bursaries to individuals who might not otherwise be able to afford a place on the Repair Course.

Vacancies

 NTS Project Director: Hill House Conservation Project
Salary: £43,050-£47,667
Status: Full time, permanent
Location: Flexible within South & West Region
The National Trust for Scotland is now seeking an exceptional individual to lead the Hill House Conservation Project on behalf of the Trust.  The Hill House Conservation Project will embrace all heritage assets contained by the Hill House site in Helensburgh.  You will have a relevant degree and experience of managing similar multi-heritage projects at large scale.  You will be a confident leader with the highest of standards.  A collaborator and a consummate communicator able to take on a wide-ranging challenge and deliver excellence.
The Conservation of the fabric of the House is at the heart of the Project but restoring the garden, conserving the collection and interiors, interpretation, research and providing the best visitor experience are all key to success.  Fundraising will be required and outreach and engagement will be vital pillars of the Project, as will engaging with the many and varied stakeholder groups will be essential to success.
Closing date: Wednesday 7 September 2022

NTS Conservation Maintenance Surveyor
Salary: £36,523-£40,238
Status: Full time, permanent
Location: North East Scotland 
The National Trust for Scotland is looking for strong team players who are committed to conserving and sharing Scotland’s heritage.  Join the NTS Building Surveying Team and you will work with Scotland’s largest and most diverse portfolio of historic buildings and structures. This is a new role and you will be instrumental in shaping the way the Trust manages the conservation maintenance of its buildings, helping to build maintenance plans for each building and dealing with backlog maintenance projects.  
Closing date: 10am, Friday 9 September 2022

The Auchindrain Trust Conservation and Maintenance Supervisor/ Urras Achadh an Droighinn
Salary: £27,300
Status: Full time, permanent
Location: Auchindrain Historic Township, Argyll
As a result of the retirement of a long-serving member of staff, we are seeking to recruit a suitably-skilled and experienced person as Conservation & Maintenance Supervisor for the museum at Auchindrain Historic Township in Argyll. The post represents a rare opportunity for someone who would like to develop a career in the care, conservation and management of Scotland’s historic environment, with a strong emphasis on the use of traditional building skills in the modern world. Over time, the post-holder could expect to develop into being one of the quite small group of specialists and experts who give a lead to the traditional building skills sector in Scotland.
Closing date: 12 noon, Friday 7 October 2022
 

 

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