Blogs

10 Aug

Mixed use and regeneration case study initiatives were highlighted at this month’s Places of Worship Forum (POWF) meeting. The speakers were Mary Boullin, Head of Community Business with Plunkett UK; Dr. DJ Johnston-Smith - Director of Scotland's Churches Trust; and Euan Leitch, Cheif Executive at SURF - Scotland's Regeneration Forum.

27 May

In the eighth edition of BEFS 'Joining the Dots' series exploring the interconnected nature of policy agendas for Scotland's built environment, Robert Toomey, Senior Public Affairs Manager for the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors in Scotland, explores and analyses what the next parliamentary cycle of a minority SNP government may look like for the built environment in Scotland according to manifesto commitments as well as potential coalitions.

6 May

In this edition of the POWF Newsletter, Louise Paterson - Churches Programme Officer with Community Ownership Support Service (COSS) - shares a review of the journeys of churches sold in Shetland and Aberdeen, and what we might expect in other areas of Scotland where church sales are only just beginning.

20 Apr

What built environment commitments are the main parties making in the run-up to next month’s Scottish Parliament elections?

16 Mar

A blog providing an update on the Skills Investment Plan delivery, co-authored by the sub group with a remit for Architecture, Engineering, Planning and Surveying.

12 Mar

In the seventh blog in our Joining the Dots series, Katherine Pollard, Head of Policy at the Scottish Land Commission, explores how land reform connects directly to Scotland's built environment ambitions. Drawing on the ScotLand Futures initiative, which engaged over 1,200 people, Kathie argues that land reform is not just a rural issue but critical to addressing urban challenges from housing need to high street decline. She outlines three priorities for the next phase of land reform: opening new land opportunities, rebalancing power to ensure ownership works for the public good, and shaping change locally through strengthened planning. With 96% of respondents calling for further changes to land ownership and use, Kathie demonstrates how existing powers, from compulsory purchase to tenement maintenance models, can be better utilised to create thriving, equitable and sustainable places across Scotland.

9 Feb

In this edition of the POWF Newsletter, Dr. Emily Johnston and Dr. Lizzie Swarbrick share an update on Research in Action on Church Heritage (ReACH), a project addressing the urgent challenge of church closures across Scotland. The initiative has launched a symposium, established a Heritage Action Group, and is building a comprehensive database of Scotland's 860+ churches at risk. Dr Emily Johnston FSAScot is ReACH's Communities Officer. She joined the team in August 2025 after her PhD at the University of Edinburgh, specialising in community engagement in archaeology. Dr Lizzie Swarbrick is the Research Manager for ReACH and is an art and architectural historian, specialising in Scottish medieval churches.

20 Jan

Kicking off 2026 as the sixth blog in our 'Joining the Dots' series, Dr. Scott McGibbon, Managing Director at Pvotal Consultancy, makes the case that skills policy is not an operational add-on but a delivery mechanism for achieving Scotland's net zero, housing, heritage, planning and placemaking ambitions. Exploring the connections between workforce development and policy objectives, Scott unpacks the fragmented skills landscape; from siloed workforce planning to procurement misalignment, and proposes concrete actions to turn policy signals into coordinated investment, procurement reform and regional training that secures Scotland's built environment for the long term.

13 Jan

At the end of 2025 Built Environment Forum Scotland facilitated a focused workshop  as part of the Scottish Castles Association's conference 'Scotland's Castles: Use Them or Lose Them', held at the Engine Shed in Stirling.  The events, held on the on 9-10 October 2025, brought together stakeholders from across the heritage sector to explore how the planning system can effectively support the restoration and reuse of Scotland's historic castles and related buildings. The conference featured keynote speakers from Historic Environment Scotland, the National Trust for Scotland, the Landmark Trust, and the King's Foundation, alongside restorers, planners, conservation professionals and building owners.  Following the conference, BEFS was invited to facilitate a workshop with a smaller group to build on the conference discussions and reach consensus on the key principles and practical steps for action. Participants identified several priority areas, including the need for consistent planning guidance, alongside signposting to accessible information for potential buyers, practical case study sharing, and front-loaded pre-application support for prospective owners.  The workshop outcomes highlighted that what is needed is not new standardised policy, but better sharing of existing information, evidence-based solutions, and practical tools such as route maps and resource toolkits to help navigate the planning process.  BEFS looks forward to working with the Scottish Castles Association on emerging recommendations and next steps.  Read the full outcomes report here.  

17 Dec

In the 5th blog in our 'Joining the Dots' series, Hazel Johnson, Director at Built Environment Forum Scotland, reflects on a year of cross-sector collaboration and strategic advocacy. As we approach the 2026 Scottish Parliament elections, Hazel explores how the conversations held throughout the year have revealed encouraging common themes - from breaking down policy silos to embracing whole systems thinking. She examines how BEFS Manifesto 2026 positions the built environment sector as essential to achieving Scotland's climate and wellbeing targets, and looks ahead to the opportunities for collective action in the year to come.

12 Nov

In this edition of the POWF Newsletter, Dr. Karen Mailley shares about the Accessing Websters project, which is funded by the NLHF and GCHT, and will include an oral history project, outreach events, and a new accessible database of known Alf Webster windows. Dr. Karen Mailley has an MA Joint (Hons) and an MLitt in Decorative Arts & Design History from the University of Glasgow. She helped to establish Scotland’s first online stained glass database.

14 Aug

In this edition of the POWF Newsletter, Dr. Lizzie Swarbrick shares the context and future ahead of the Finding Futures for Scotland’s Churches project. Lizzie is the Research Manager for the Finding Futures for Scotland’s Churches project run by the Society of Antiquaries of Scotland and Scotland’s Churches Trust.

3 Jul

In the first edition of the Places of Worship Forum (POWF) Newsletter, Audrey Dunn, Churches Advisor at COSS (Community Ownership Support Services) introduces their New Futures Programme – Former places of Worship in Scotland a new initiative dedicated to supporting churches into community ownership. COSS is delivered by the Development Trusts Association Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government to support the sustainable transfer of predominantly public assets into community ownership.