BEFS Bulletin – Tenement Maintenance = Sustainable Homes

BEFS News

COP26 is now just around the corner, and preparations are continuing apace. For those organising events, there is still time to register your event on the Culture at COP website, which will showcase all COP26-related art, culture and heritage events (in-person and virtual) for diverse audiences.

As a Supporting Member of the Climate Heritage Network, BEFS is a signatory of their manifesto: Accelerating Climate Action through the Power of Arts, Culture and Heritage. It’s fantastic to see the Historic Environment Forum in England publishing a report which is designed to ensure the positive, solutions-focused place of heritage in relation to climate change and net zero is better understood.

BEFS, Under One Roof, and Novoville will present a joint event, Tenement Maintenance = Sustainable Homes at SpACE, Edinburgh’s pop-up Space for Architecture + Carbon + Environment, on Friday 12 November. We’re inviting tenement-dwellers to join us for some after work refreshment and to hear about how good maintenance helps to keep buildings warm and dry – and helps to tackle the climate emergency.

BEFS will also host a Feature Session at the IHBC@COP26 Conservation Helpdesk+ from 4-5pm on Wednesday 10 November.

The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland (RIAS) has brought together their members’ initiatives, including tidal walks, shop front exhibitions, events and material markers to highlight the importance of how and what we build. Their website hosts events & activities throughout Scotland to explore the important role of the built environment in the climate emergency. Meanwhile, VisitScotland have brought together Scotland’s 13 UNESCO designations into a single trail, from Global Geoparks to World Heritage Sites.

Novoville have published a consultation to gather fresh data on Scottish homeowners’ awareness about and readiness for the energy efficiency work that will be required in this decade. They are encouraging as many people as possible to respond via their survey on automated webchat.

A planning update: legislation has now been published for Local Place Plans and the draft National Planning Framework 4 is surely about to arrive, given the Participation Statement is now live. BEFS raised several concerns previously about the resourcing of LPPs – and these concerns still stand. Community planning, and engagement with the planning system is to be championed, but whether legislation will meaningfully enhance this process remains to be seen.

Awards season continues, with nominations closing on 31^st October for the Archaeological Achievement Awards, which celebrate accomplishments from across the United Kingdom and Republic of Ireland. The five award categories (and one overall outstanding achievement award) are designed to show how archaeology relates to wider society, health and wellbeing, and place.

Finally, BEFS sends warm congratulations to Pam Alexander OBE, who has been announced as the new Chair of The Heritage Alliance from 4 November.

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Consultations

Local Government, Housing & Planning Committee Licensing Scheme for Short-Term Lets
Closes 29 October

UK Government Review of Architects Regulation: Call for Evidence
Closes 8 November 2021

HES Covid-19 Survey
Closes 21 November

Scottish Building Regulations: Proposed changes to Energy Standards and associated topics, including Ventilation, Overheating and Electric Vehicle Charging Infrastructure
Closes 26 November 2021

Consultations Responses

BEFS Response: Domestic Energy Performance Certificates (EPC) Reform Consultation(6/10/2021)

Publications

Meanwhile Use of Vacant Buildings as a positive disruption for regeneration of Irish Town Centres (anois, October 2021)

A New Landscape For Heritage Professions – Preliminary Findings (CHARTER Alliance)

Built for the Environment report (RIBA, 26 October 2021)

The Venice Call To Action: For A New European Renaissance (Europa Nostra, September 2021)

Civic Charter (Scotland’s Climate Assembly)

Heritage Responds – Taking Positive Action on Climate Change (Historic Environment Forum, October 2021)

Communications and Outreach Strategy 2021-2024 (IHBC May 2021)

Chief Planning Officers (RTPI Thinkpiece, 21 October 2021)

The Climate Crisis – A Guide for Local Authorities on Planning for Climate Change (TCPA, October 2021)

Architecture & Design Scotland Planning Performance Framework Report 2020-21 (September 2021)

Scottish Government News Releases

The Town and Country Planning (Local Place Plans) (Scotland) Regulations 2021

Community Land Week Funding (SG, 13 October 2021)

Digital Planning: PlaceBuilder (SG Planning and Architecture Division Blog, 14 October 2021)

National Planning Framework 4 – Participation Statement (SG, 26 October 2021)

UK Government News Releases

Home Heating: The UK Government set out plans to bring down the cost of low carbon heating technologies such as heat pumps by providing £5,000 grants to households in England and Wales as part of a £3.9bn funding package to decarbonise heat and buildings; the grants will be available from April 2020.

Net Zero Strategy: Build Back Greener 
This strategy sets out policies and proposals for decarbonising all sectors of the UK economy to meet its net zero target by 2050.

Welsh Government News Releases

Cadw’s Historic Buildings Maintenance and Repair Capital Grant Programme 2021/22 will offer financial assistance towards the maintenance and repair of historic community assets, such as village and community halls, institutes, libraries, war memorials and places of worship that are open for wider community use.

News Releases

Yester Castle closed after ‘substantial theft’ of stone’ in East Lothian (BBC News)

Opinion & Comment

Podcast: Volunteering in the arts: the fine line (Build Back Fairer: The Creative & Cultural Skills Podcast, 12 October)

Cream teas at dawn: inside the war for the National Trust (The Guardian, 16 October)

‘Faithful reinstatement’ preferred option for Mackintosh Building (Scottish Construction Now, 22 October)

Parliamentary Questions & 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”.

Question S6W-03349: Jamie Greene, West Scotland, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party, Date Lodged: 28/09/2021
To ask the Scottish Government what estimate it has made of the potential job losses in (a) Scotland and (b) the West Scotland region as a result of its proposed short-term lets licensing scheme and planning control area legislation.
Answered by Shona Robison (22/10/2021)

Question S6W-03496: Beatrice Wishart, Shetland Islands, Scottish Liberal Democrats, Date Lodged: 05/10/2021
To ask the Scottish Government, further to the business and regulatory impact assessment (BRIA) for its short-term lets licensing scheme and planning control area legislation, how the draft short-term lets licensing proposals support the (a) National Performance Framework and (b) Scottish Government’s commitment to being a Wellbeing Economy Government.
Answered by Shona Robison (22/10/2021)

Motions

Motion ref. S6M-01630 Restoration Yard in Dalkeith Wins Best Store Design Award
Submitted by: Colin Beattie, Midlothian North and Musselburgh, Scottish National Party.
Date lodged: Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Motion ref. S6M-01627 Stirling’s UK City of Culture 2025 Bid
Submitted by: Dean Lockhart, Mid Scotland and Fife, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party.
Date lodged: Wednesday, October 13, 2021

Events

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

The Cockburn Association: ‘By leaves we live’ – seeing grassroots climate strategies in Edinburgh – Conference
Date & Time: Saturday 30^th October from 11am
Online
After a century and a half of discussion, planning and apparently endless piecemeal strategies about environmental ambitions the current climate emergency demands immediate achievable actions.
This latest one-day FREE online Cockburn Conference on Saturday 30 October will discuss some of the many well-intended environmental and sustainability schemes, policy documents and political initiatives that have been produced over the last few decades and seek to identify some long overdue actions that will have the grassroots support necessary to make a difference. It is time to dig in where we stand!

Date & Time: 1 – 12 November, Mon, Wed, Fri – 12.30pm
Online: Scottish Civic Trust YouTube, Facebook and Twitter
Although marginalised communities bear the brunt of the impacts of climate change, they are often excluded from discussions about sustainability. Join Scottish Civic Trust for an online lecture series about the intersection of heritage, equity and the climate crisis. Speakers will be touching on a range of topics, including Indigenous approaches to sustainable management of heritage sites, involving children in the sustainable management of World Heritage Sites, heritage as a social and multi-species practice and more!

RTPI & Partners: The Race to Net Zero – Why We Need To Plan The World We Need
Date & Time:  8 November 18:00 – 20:30
Location: The Studio, 67 Hope Street, Glasgow, G2 6AE
An event organised during COP26 by the Royal Town Planning Institute in partnership with the Global Planners Network, Commonwealth Association of Planners and the International Society of City and Regional Planners. This face to face and webcasted event will show how planners and planning system across the world are tackling climate change and working to achieve net zero.

Sustainable Stories: Capturing an Age of Change in Community Archives Heritage Groups
Date & Time: 10 November 10:00 – 17:00
Location: The Point Community Hub, Glasgow, or Online
Join the newly formed Community Archives Heritage Group Scotland in Glasgow for our first conference on 10 November, or watch the live streaming online. With an exciting day of talks and workshop, we want to take the opportunity to hear from you and discuss how community archives and heritage groups can engage with critical questions around the environment and sustainability.

BEFS, Under One Roof, & Novoville: Tenement Maintenance = Sustainable Homes
Date & Time:  12 November 18:00 – 19:30
Location: SpACE, Lauriston Fire Station, ECA, Edinburgh
Tenement-dwellers are invited to join us for a free evening event to explore why good building maintenance is important for sustainable homes. Come along to hear from our speakers about organising repairs and sharing information with your neighbours, explore how to form owners’ associations, and find out what support is out there to help you get started – as well as looking at how maintaining your home plays an important role in tackling climate change.

Community Heritage Conversations #9: Celebrating Community Heritage
Date & Time: 13 November 10:00 – 12:30
Online
Scotland’s Community Heritage Conversations is a new series of digital events to bring together volunteers, community groups and heritage professionals, providing them with a stage to share experiences, inspire and support one another with ideas and plans, and to celebrate the places that matter to us all. This event will showcase the diverse range of activities being delivered by our local communities and how they have come together to celebrate and highlight the tangible and intangible aspects of their local area.

Edinburgh, Lothians & Borders Archaeology Conference 
Date & Time: 20 November 10:00 – 15:00
Online
This annual archaeology conference is organised by City of Edinburgh Council, East Lothian Council and Scottish Borders Council.  It provides an important opportunity to hear and discuss first hand accounts of the archaeological fieldwork and research being undertaken in Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian and the Scottish Borders.

 

Training

Arts & Business Scotland: Developing Creative Partnerships – Introductory Course 
Date & Time: 28 and 29 October 09:30 – 12:30
Online
This ‘how-to’ guide to sponsorship will take you through the key steps to sponsorship from understanding why businesses sponsor the arts through to nurturing and developing long lasting cultural and business partnerships. If you have little experience or just want a refresher on this area of fundraising, then this seminar is aimed to help you on your journey to sponsorship success.

ICON Scotland Group: Introduction to Photogrammetry
Date & Time: 29 October, 14:00 – 17:00
Online
Learn about this 3D imaging technique, and how it can be used to record historic artefacts. This event will introduce participants to methods of 3D digital documentation of historic objects. The session will cover basic data capture procedures, to create an understanding of the requirements, capabilities and limitations of the technology, and will show the possibilities of 3D documentation for a range of objects and materials.

Arts & Business Scotland: Telling It Like It Is – Effective Copywriting
Date & Time: 2 and 9 November, 10:00 – 13:00
Online 
This training session is aimed at anyone looking to improve their copywriting skills to support their fund-raising activities. Offering a combination of project-based, hands-on writing exercises with tips, techniques and critical theory, the session explores the five stages of the copywriting process over two half-day sessions. While the training provides a specific focus on writing a case for fundraising & support, the resulting learning can be applied to all kinds of fundraising communications.

Heritage Trust Network: Recovery, Sustainability, Wellbeing
Date & Time: 11 November – Online, 19 and 20 November – Coventry
Join Heritage Trust Network for our annual Conference in the 2021 City of Culture and online. We’re still recovering from the effects of the last year and we think you are too! So this year our speakers will focus on how we can develop our projects and approaches to heritage regeneration whilst thinking about our environmental impact, our people and our long term survival. Join us at the in-person event for a day of interactive workshops, followed by a day of walking tours and building visits.

Arts & Business Scotland: Business Briefing: Museums & Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief (MGETR)
Date & Time: 3 November, 10:30 – 12:30
Online 
This 2-hour Museums & Galleries Exhibitions Tax Relief (MGETR)?seminar is a must?for anyone who wants to understand more about whether they qualify and how to collate the information to make a claim.  The MGETR relief is available to charities which maintain a museum, gallery or library, this could include arts centres with a gallery or exhibition space or historic houses with collections.?The relief is designed to recognise the unique cultural value that museums and galleries bring to the UK and encourage greater and more diverse exhibitions.

 

Vacancies

HES: Research Project – Properties in Care and the British Empire
Historic Environment Scotland is seeking an individual or group of researchers to undertake an 18-month commission to investigate and understand the imperial connections of the 336 Properties in Care (PICs), by situating the historical landowners within the activities of the British Empire, including the transatlantic slave economy and other colonial activities.
Closing date: 12:00 on 27 October 2021

RIAS: Head of Marketing and Communications
The Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland is looking for a Head of Communications to work with the CEO, RIAS President, senior staff, RIAS members (individually and through committees) to deliver the RIAS Marketing and Communications Plan.
Closing date: 31 October 

FHBT: Interpretation for Inverkeithing Heritage Regeneration Project
Fife Historic Buildings Trust invites tenders to design, produce and install a range of interpretive outputs in Inverkeithing: external interpretation boards, a refreshed guide book, text for carving into new sculptural features, interpretation in the historic Town House, and for use by local businesses.
Closing date: 15 November

GBPT: Director
Glasgow Building Preservation Trust is a registered charity which was established almost 40 years ago with the mission to rescue, repair, and restore historic buildings at risk across the city.
The Trust now seeks a new Director who can work with the staff team and board to deliver regeneration and restoration projects across the city of Glasgow.
Closing date: 15 November

 

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