HES in the Scottish Budget 2021-22
Details of funding for Historic Environment Scotland in the Scottish Government’s draft budget.
This budget summary was prepared as part of the State of Heritage 2021-22 event held on 4 February 2021.
The Scottish Government published its Budget 2021-22 on 28th January with details on the funding of Historic Environment Scotland within the Economy, Fair Work and Culture portfolio.
The total budget forecast for HES in 2021-22 is £91.3 million, a decrease of just under 9% on the previous year’s budget. The budget forecasts an income generation of £44.1m which at this point in time seems ambitious. However, the grant in aid figure of £55.9 million will be augmented by a further £20 million drawn from the allocation of COVID consequentials. With a total grant from Scottish Government of £75.9 million therefore, HES will only need to generate income of £15.3 million to meet the forecast budget for 2021-22. This is a 75% decrease over the previous year’s forecast income.
Arguably the comparison with the previous year’s budget is now moot given the drop in income generated by HES in a year with little tourist activity, albeit augmented by the additional £37.1m the organisation received via Scottish Government mid-year which came from the £97m UK Government consequentials for the culture and heritage sectors.
Unlike previous years, the budget makes no comment on HES role as a grant funder only stating that HES will continue “caring for our heritage and communities, creating local training and employment and supporting the maintenance of traditional craft skills.” The Scottish Government has dispensed around £14.5 million funding annually through HES for more than a decade.
| Level 3 | 2019-20 Budget | 2020-21 Budget | 2021-22 Budget |
| £m | £m | £m | |
| Operational Costs | 93.5 | 100.1 | 91.3 |
| Capital Expenditure | 6.0 | 6.0 | 6.0 |
| Less Income | (59.7) | (63.3) | (41.4) |
| Total Historic Environment Scotland | 39.8 | 42.8 | 55.9 |
Below are some further figures from the budget that have implications for the wider built environment and it must be said that, More Homes aside, the budget is a broadly positive outcome given the year past and what looks to be ahead.
| Level 3 | 2019-20 Budget | 2020-21 Budget | 2021-22 Budget |
| £m | £m | £m | |
| Architecture and Place | 1.4 | 1.4 | 1.5 |
| Building Standards | 0.9 | 2.0 | 16.7 |
| Planning | 6.5 | 8.3 | 11.5 |
| Planning and Environmental Appeals | 0.7 | 0.7 | 0.7 |
| More Homes | 788.7 | 896.1 | 628.1 |
| Fuel Poverty/Energy Efficiency | 119.6 | 137.1 | 145.6 |
| Regeneration | 42.3 | 47.4 | 81.6 |
| Vacant and Derelict Land Grant | 11.4 | 7.6 | 7.6 |
| Creative Scotland and Other Arts | 66.0 | 67.3 | 63.2 |
| Cultural Collections | 74.6 | 79.2 | 75.7 |
| Major Events and Themed Years | 16.8 | 6.6 | 8.2 |
| Culture and Major Events Staffing | 4.3 | 4.4 | 4.7 |
| National Performing Companies | 22.9 | 22.9 | 22.9 |
| National Parks | 13.4 | 13.9 | 17.5 |
| Natural Resources, Peatland and Flooding | 4.6 | 29.7 | 34.1 |
| Scottish Environmental Protection Agency | 34.4 | 37.1 | 43.5 |
| NatureScot | 46.5 | 49.1 | 50.2 |
| Zero Waste | 20.5 | 16.5 | 40.2 |
| Land Reform | 15.6 | 15.0 | 14.9 |
| Scottish Land Commission | 1.5 | 1.5 | 1.5 |
| 2020-21 | 2021-22 | |
| £m | £m | |
| City Region and Growth Deals | 3.8 | 11.2 |
| Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Capital | ||
| Capital Land and Works | 22.0 | 22.0 |
| City Region and Growth Deals | 201.0 | 198.1 |
| Clyde Gateway Urban Regeneration Company | 5.0 | 5.0 |
| Home Energy Efficiency Programmes for Scotland (HEEPS) | 55.0 | 58.0 |
| Regeneration Capital Grant Fund | 25.0 | 25.0 |
| Vacant and Derelict Land Investment Programme | – | 5.0 |
| Place, Town Centres and 20 Minute Neighbourhoods | – | 23.0 |
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