BEFS Bulletin – Communications Manager Vacancy

BEFS News

As Jess Burrows departs for a new opportunity, BEFS is recruiting for a Communications Manager to join our small, friendly team. Join us and help increase understanding of the importance of Scotland’s existing and historic built environment. Find out more details and apply by Sunday 8 May.

BEFS welcomes the Green Recovery Statement for the Historic Environment, published by Historic Environment Scotland on 26 April. The Statement sets out how the historic environment contributes to the national transition to a low carbon, resource efficient and socially inclusive economy.

The National Trust for Scotland has launched its new 10-year strategy, Nature, Beauty and Heritage for Everyone, which will take the charity up to its centenary year in 2031. The new strategy is centred around the objectives of conservation, engagement and sustainability.

The ‘Surviving to Thriving’ Business Support Programme has celebrated its first anniversary, with participants sharing their stories of resilience on social media. BEFS are proud partners on the programme alongside Museums Galleries Scotland and greenspace scotland. Congratulations to everyone involved!

The results of the first UK Heritage Pulse survey, which ran from 4–27 February 2022, have been released. BEFS has taken part in the survey and looks forward to seeing how it can be developed, noting the importance of disaggregated data for Scotland.

The call for entries is open for Scottish Archaeology Month, a national festival taking place every September, encouraging people to learn and connect with their heritage and archaeology. If you are planning an event, whether in-person or online, you can participate by registering your event by 1 June.

The first rounds of the Small Grants Fund and Museum Development fund opened for applications on Monday 2 May from Accredited museums.

BEFS notes with interest the launch of the Scottish Tourism Observatory. BEFS Vice Chair, Ian Baxter, has previously reflected on the implications of the new resource for the heritage sector – and asked whether this should prompt us to think about developing our knowledge management structures.

The prospectus for the UK Shared Prosperity Fund has been launched. The Scottish Parliament debated the implications for Scotland on 27 April; watch the debate here.

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Consultations

Proposed Domestic Building Environmental Standards (Scotland) Bill: Consultation by Alex Rowley MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife Region
A proposal for a Bill to introduce new minimum environmental design standards for all new-build housing to meet the Passivhaus standard or a Scottish equivalent in order to improve energy efficiency and thermal performance.
Closing date: 27 July

Publications

UK Heritage Pulse Survey 1 – Summary of Findings (Heritage Fund)
Organisations have a positive financial and strategic outlook, but concerns remain over staffing and the uncertainty of the economic climate.

Green Recovery Statement for The Historic Environment (Historic Environment Scotland, 26/4/22)
This Green Recovery Statement supports the green principles set out by the Scottish Government and highlights seven key areas where the historic environment can help deliver an economic recovery.

Video – Community Wealth Building Guidance (Scottish Land Commission, 24/3/22)
A new film from SLC explains the principles of community of wealth building.

Technical Paper 33: Masonry Pointing and Joint Finishing (Historic Environment Scotland, 27/04/22)
This new paper, authored by Tim Meek, presents evidence of the variety of pointing and joint finishing styles found in Scotland from the 17th to the 20th century.

Video – Finding the balance assessing embodied carbon in retrofit projects on church buildings (STBA, SPAB, 30/11/21)
A recorded webinar by the STBA and SPAB for the Church of England’s Environment Programme, considering strategies to reduce emissions that take embodied carbon into account.

RTPI: Unlock the Value of Planning: A Manifesto for the 2022 Scottish Local Government Elections (27/4/22)
The reform of the planning system in Scotland presents an opportunity to re-invest in planning services, re-define our long-term goals, and re-engage with communities.

Blog: Reflections from year one of the Climate Action Towns project (Architecture & Design Scotland)
The Climate Action Towns project is supporting communities to take collective place-based climate action in seven small Scottish towns.

Building for Change: The Architecture of Creative Reuse, ed. Dr Ruth Lang (Gestalten, Pre-order, Oct 2022)
Building for Change explores the architecture of reuse and adaptation.

Scottish Government Publications

Ban on combustible cladding (SG, 22/4/22)
Materials barred from high-risk buildings over 11 metres.

 

News Releases

Windows installed in historic Kilmarnock home given thumbs down by council planners(Daily Record, 15/4/22)
East Ayrshire Council said “to justify replacing the original windows with uPVC windows on energy efficiency grounds is not a justifiable reason.”

Town centres at ‘game-changing’ moment, MSPs told (iNews, 20/4/22)
Phil Prentice, chief officer of Scotland’s Towns Partnership, told the Economy and Fair Work Committee that governments need to tighten up on policy frameworks to give the commercial sector certainty.

Creative Scotland announces new Climate Emergency commitments (21/04/22)
Creative Scotland says it will expect all funding recipients to demonstrate how their work contributes to making the sector carbon neutral by 2045.

Drive for net zero fuels UK boom in retrofitting buildings for new use (The Guardian, 24/4/22)
Reversing a trend for ‘knock it down and start again’, the climate crisis is encouraging developers to rethink.

Dumfries town centre regeneration efforts put under microscope (BBC, 25/4/22)
The Scottish Parliament’s economy and fair work committee visited Dumfries to study the Midsteeple Quarter scheme.

Built environment sector bodies unite to improve diversity and inclusion (RICS, 27/4/22)
Six main professional institutes in the UK construction industry have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create a more diverse, equitable and inclusive sector.

Solar panels installed at Edinburgh Castle to cut carbon emissions (The Scotsman, 28/4/22)
They have been placed on the building as part of Historic Environment Scotland’s (HES) continued programme to reduce energy use across the historic properties in its care.

Detecting boom puts ancient sites in peril (The Times, 2/5/22)
It is an offence to dig or use a metal detector at a protected site but new data shows that unauthorised digging has more than doubled.

Scottish Community Tourism launched (SCOTO, 04/2022)
SCOTO is a network of community tourism enterprises located throughout Scotland that encourages visitors to make conscious choices and see themselves as a ‘temporary local’.

ARCHEODANUBE: Archaeological Park in urban areas as a tool for Local Sustainable Development
This transnational project will improve and intensify cooperation among relevant actors to preserve, support and valorise cultural heritage through archaeological parks as products in cities for development of archeotourism.

Opinion & Comment

Paul Stallan: Why we won’t be applying to rebuild the Mac under the GSA’s selection formula (Architects’ Journal, 21/04/22)
‘Glasgow School of Art’s search for an architect to rebuild its legendary Mackintosh building favours the cheapest over the most suitable bid. It’s not a formula for success.’

Phineas Harper: Removing benches, blocking cycle paths: why are police interfering in the UK’s public spaces? (The Guardian, 2/5/22)
‘The Secured by Design initiative is damaging British cities, robbing them of greenery and public amenities while promoting fear.’

Podcast: Empty homes with Shaheena Din (Scottish Housing News, 3/5/22)
Scottish Empty Homes Partnership national project manager Shaheena Din joins Jimmy Black and Kieran Findlay to outline why local authorities should have an Empty Homes Officer and empty homes strategy.

Parliamentary Questions

Questions marked with a triangle are initiated by the Scottish Government in order 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-08206: Miles Briggs, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date lodged: 26 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the comments by the Minister for Public Finance, Planning and Community Wealth during the debate on National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) on 19 April 2022, what the timeframe will be for the revised draft NPF4 and accompanying delivery programme.

S6W-08303: Fergus Ewing, Inverness and Nairn, Scottish National Party, Date Lodged: 29/04/2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether there is a requirement for local authorities to conduct a statutory consultation in relation to adopting further discretionary powers and conditions under its short-term let licensing scheme.

S6W-08257: Tess White, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date lodged: 28 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S6O-00445 by Angus Robertson on 25 November 2021, whether it will provide an update on its work on culture sector recovery and renewal, which was due to be published in early 2022.

Parliamentary Questions and Answers

Questions marked with a triangle are initiated by the Scottish Government in order 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-07951: Paul Sweeney, Glasgow, Scottish Labour, Date lodged: 8 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government whether it will introduce a formal requirement in planning (a) policy and (b) guidance that all applications for listed building consent to a planning authority should include supporting evidence from (i) an accredited specialist conservation architect or conservation architect registered on the Royal Institute of British Architects Conservation Register, and (ii) structural and/or civil engineers registered on the Conservation Accreditation Register for Engineers, administered by the Institution of Civil Engineers.
Answered by Neil Gray on 27 April 2022

S6W-07842: Briggs, Miles, Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 5 April 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how it plans to meet its renewable energy targets as part of National Planning Framework 4.
Answered by Tom Arthur on 19 April 2022

S6W-07745: Fiona Hyslop, Linlithgow, Scottish National Party, Date lodged: 31 March 2022
To ask the Scottish Government how it is supporting the bids from Glasgow and Edinburgh to be part of the European Union’s 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities mission and NetZeroCities project, and how any lessons learned will be shared among all of Scotland’s cities.
Answered by Kate Forbes on 19 April 2022

Liam Kerr, North East Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
S6W-07979: plans to establish a Housing Net Zero Technical Steering Group
S6W-07980: response to the Zero Emissions Social Housing Taskforce report
S6W-07981: review of the second Energy Efficiency Standard for Social Housing
S6W-07982: sector capacity assessment of the estimated net cost of the energy transition in the social housing sector
S6W-07827: technology neutral stance of Home Energy Scotland (homeowner decision making)
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 26 April 2022

Combustible Cladding
S6W-08006: Mark Griffin (Central Scotland) (Lab): clarification of “the regulations are not retrospective”
S6W-07855: Katy Clark (West Scotland) (Lab): whether BS 8414 testing for external cladding systems on buildings is robust
S6W-07853: Katy Clark (West Scotland) (Lab): response to University of Central Lancashire report, A Critical Appraisal of the UK’s Regulatory Regime for Combustible Fac?ades
Answered by Patrick Harvie on 26 April 2022

Debates

Scottish Government Debate: UK Shared Prosperity Fund: Implications for Scotland (27 April) 

Events

For the full list of BEFS Members’ upcoming events see our events calendar.

SPAB Scotland & PKHT: Scottish Mills Weekend
Date & Time: 7 – 8 May 2022
Location: Lower City Mills, Perth
SPAB Scotland and Perth and Kinross Heritage Trust invite you to the first ever celebration of mills and milling in Scotland. Topics covered will include looking after mills as a community trust, heritage grains & breadmaking, micro hydro-power, the Scottish textile industry, looking after mill machinery, and a short history of Perth Lower City Mills.

ICE: Union Canal Bicentenary – 200 years of life!
Date & Time: 11 May, 17:30-18:30
Online
Celebrate 200 years of the Union Canal, which links the heart of Edinburgh with the Falkirk Wheel (where it links to the Forth and Clyde Canal). Chris O’Connell from Scottish Canals will share his knowledge about the engineering heritage of this great canal as well as talk about the destination it is today for leisure activities, boating holidays and the wildlife haven it provides, creating places and spaces that people want to live, work in and visit.

GCHT: From Brides to The Bridewell: Women’s Lives in a Glasgow City Block
Date & Time: 12 May, 19:30
Online
Join Glasgow City Heritage Trust and Dr Nina Baker to look at what a particular street corner in the original heart of Glasgow tells us about the lives of the women who lived, worked and walked around it. Inspired by the redevelopment of a site near the corner of the High Street and Duke Street some years ago, Dr Baker has been investigating the history of this block and the range of buildings and uses it has had over the years, from manufacturing, housing, to commerce and social gatherings.

SURF Awards Shared Learning Workshop: Supporting young people to overcome barriers to employability
Date & Time: 12 May, 10:00 – 12:30
Location: The Pearce Institute, Govan, Glasgow
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards tackling barriers to employment facing young people in Scotland. The winner and a highly commended project from the ‘Youth Employability’ category highlighted in the 2021 SURF Awards process, joined by the 2020 winning project, will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning.

Historic Houses: The Warwick Vase: Souvenirs of the Grand Tour
Date & Time: 12 May, 18:30 – 20:00
Location: Bonhams, EH2 1JX
With the Burrell Collection re-opening after extensive repairs, it feels appropriate to learn more about what is one of Scotland’s most treasured objects; a work of art that has inspired many inspirational forms in a number of mediums and known throughout the world. Simon Cottle, Consultant for Bonhams, was Keeper of Decorative Arts at Glasgow’s Kelvingrove Museum (1986-1990) before becoming an international auctioneer.

SHBT: Projects, Plans and Politics – A Scottish Tour in 1712
Date & Time: 17 May, 18:00
Online
Part of SHBT’s spring lecture series, New Perspectives on the Country House. Margaret Stewart uses newly uncovered evidence of a Scottish country house tour in 1712 to cast light on the architect James Gibbs.

SURF Awards Shared Learning Workshop: Learning from place-based regeneration initiatives
Date & Time: 19 May, 10:00 – 12:30
Location: Riddles Court, Edinburgh
This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event provides an opportunity to explore successful current approaches towards regenerating Scotland’s places with two winning projects from the ‘Most Improved Place’ and ‘Community Led Regeneration’ categories highlighted in the 2021 SURF Awards process. Guests will also hear from the Scottish Government, Scotland’s Towns Partnership and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.

Training & Conferences

RTPI: Scottish Young Planners’ Conference 2022 – Harnessing the new planning system
Date & Time: 12 May, 09:00 – 17:00
Location: Perth Concert Hall
2022 marks another significant year for the Scottish planning system. The draft NPF4 marks a shift in thinking and focuses on the Climate Emergency as well as the Nature Crisis. The NPF4 is now to form part of the statutory development plan and will lead planning decisions until 2045 once adopted. There are challenges to be met, and opportunities to be had. How, then, do we harness the new planning system to ensure we shape places for people and contribute to reducing our impact on the planet?

A&DS CPD: Roof Slating by Graeme Millar of the NFRC
Date & Time: 26 May, 12:30 – 13:30
Online
Topics covered in the CPD will include:
Properties and supplies of Scottish slate, and alternatives available;
When to re-slate, when to repair, and when to totally strip and re-slate;
When re-roofing gives you the opportunity to retrofit insulation to roof voids;
Comparisons of finished roofs with different slates (especially those on terraced/tenement properties where the new slate abuts a roof with Scotch slate, good and bad examples).

PAS: SP=EED Community Engagement Skills training
Date & Time: 26 May, 10:00 – 15:00
Online
Want to brush up on your community engagement skills? Join PAS for their next live ‘SP=EED’ training, Thursday 26 May 2022. SPEED is a unique development programme designed to develop your skills and confidence in designing, delivering and evaluating community engagement.

Archaeological Research in Progress Conference 
Date & Time: 28 May 2022, 9:00 – 17:00
Location: King’s College Campus, University of Aberdeen
Archaeological Research in Progress (ARP) is a one-day conference presenting new research ?ndings and best practice in archaeology covering all periods from across Scotland and beyond. Organised by Archaeology Scotland in partnership with the Society of Antiquaries, this year’s ARP conference will include unique opportunities for all its attendees to network, explore the archaeological work being done around Scotland, and take part in a 45-minute walking tour led by Ali Cameron.

IHBC Annual School 2022 – Aberdeen
15-18 June
Offering a variety of delegate options:
Heritage MarketPlace virtual: 15 June
Day School hybrid (in-person & virtual): 17 June
Full School includes in-person tours and events: 16-18 June
The IHBC’s 2022 Aberdeen School explores how practitioners in the 21st Century can and should manage conservation and heritage that is, in different ways, ‘on the edge’.

Vacancies

BEFS: Communications Manager
Hours:  22.5 hrs per week
Salary: £25,000 – £27,500 (FTE)
Term: Permanent (subject to funding – Organisation funding in place to April 2025)
Join Built Environment Forum Scotland as Communications Manager and help us to increase understanding of the importance of our existing and historic built environment. Working closely with the Board, Director, and team, and communicating with our Member organisations, the post holder will be responsible for managing the breadth of the organisation’s (digital) communications channels. Adopting a proactive cross-sectoral approach, the postholder will play a key role in maintaining and raising BEFS profile with policy makers, the sector and wider stakeholders.
Closing date: 8 May

Cupar Development Trust: Development Officer
Salary:  £30,000 per annum, pro rata
Hours:  Part time post, hours to be discussed at interview
Fixed term to 31 March 2023, possibility of extension
Cupar Development Trust is seeking a highly motivated individual for the post of Development Officer.  The postholder will have a crucial influence on the delivery of planning and implementing selected projects, supporting the efforts of groups and individuals to bring about community improvement, building partnerships with agencies able to access resources to intervene in community development, and more.

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