Members may be interested to note recent Scottish Parliamentary questions on the subject of traditional materials and construction, as reported in the most recent BEFS bulletin.
BEFS bulletin writes:
Q S4W-29166 Mike MacKenzie: To ask the Scottish Government what advice it provides to local authorities to encourage the use of locally-sourced stone. (SP 07/01/16)
A Answered by John Swinney (15/01/2016):’Creating Places’, the Scottish Government policy on architecture and place, published in 2013, encourages project clients, commissioners, designers and approvers to take advantage of locally-sourced materials to facilitate sustainable development. The Scottish Government supports Architecture and Design Scotland to provide advice on the use of sustainable materials, including stone. An overarching aim of the policy is that design should respond appropriately to context. However, it is recognised that use of specific materials may be subject to EU procurement rules on open and fair competition for the supply of material and provisions in the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, which require contracting authorities to consider, before carrying out a regulated procurement, how it can improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of their area. On behalf of Scottish Government, Historic Environment Scotland and the British Geological Survey have worked in partnership with a number of local authorities to identify local natural stone resources for potential use in the conservation, repair and maintenance of traditional buildings; these include Orkney Islands Council, East Ayrshire Council, Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park. Through its education and outreach programme, Historic Environment Scotland continues to raise awareness of the importance of natural stone resources to our sense of place and encourages local authorities to actively investigate local building stone resources and to recognise the sustainable economic development opportunities that an indigenous stone industry can provide through local employment, particularly in rural areas.
Q S4W-29167 Mike MacKenzie: To ask the Scottish Government what action its agencies take to promote the use of locally-sourced stone. (SP 07/01/16)
A Answered by Fiona Hyslop (18/01/2016):Historic Environment Scotland, which is a non-departmental public body, is working with the British Geological Survey to develop a natural stone database for Scotland that will enable public access to records and information on building stone types, quarries from which stone has been sourced and buildings in which it has been used. This database, which is due to be launched in 2017, will help the Scottish stone industry promote the historic and future use of stone resources. Historic Environment Scotland is funding the British Geological Survey to identify further opportunities for it to work with the Scottish stone industry to secure resources for the conservation of our historic environment. Historic Environment Scotland promotes the use of technically appropriate and locally sourced stone and regularly advises on testing and matching materials. The body encourages local authorities to make this a requirement when approving planning applications for listed building consent for alterations, extensions or demolitions works. It is hoped this will raise awareness of the importance of using the correct stone type and help stimulate supply of an appropriate local material.
Historic Environment Scotland also promotes the use of traditional Scottish materials through the Engine Shed: Scotland’s Building Conservation Centre, which plans to open in Stirling later in 2016. Historic Environment Scotland is required to operate within public procurement frameworks, which reflect EU procurement rules and require open and fair competition. Within this context, Historic Environment Scotland will work closely with the indigenous building stone industry to promote the use of locally sourced materials.
Q S4W-29168 Mike MacKenzie: To ask the Scottish Government what action it takes to promote the use of locally-sourced stone when work is being carried out on buildings and structures that are considered iconic. (SP 07/01/16)
A Fiona Hyslop (18/01/2016):
‘Creating Places’, the Scottish Government policy on architecture and place, published in 2013, encourages project clients, commissioners, designers and approvers to take advantage of locally-sourced materials to facilitate sustainable development. An overarching aim of the policy is that design should respond appropriately to context. However, it is recognised that use of specific materials may be subject to EU procurement rules on open and fair competition for the supply of material and provisions in the Procurement Reform (Scotland) Act 2014, which require contracting authorities to consider, before carrying out a regulated procurement, how it can improve the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of their area. The Scottish Government supports Architecture and Design Scotland to provide advice on the use of sustainable materials, including stone. On 1 October 2015 the Scottish Government launched Historic Environment Scotland as a non-departmental public body with a general function of investigating, caring for and promoting Scotland’s historic environment. Historic Environment Scotland’s activities include providing expert advice for the conservation, repair and maintenance of historic buildings and structures, including the use of appropriate materials.
Q S4W-28679 Murdo Fraser: To ask the Scottish Government how it ensures that local authority planning officers are aware of Scottish Planning Policy in relation to wild land areas and how it should be (a) applied in relation to applications for wind turbine developments and (b) considered in reports to planning committees.
A Alex Neil (03/12/2015): Scottish Planning Policy is a material consideration within the planning process. The Scottish Government refers to Scottish Planning Policy in our routine communications with planning authorities, including through the Heads of Planning Scotland network.
Communities, developers and planning authorities should be guided by the spatial frameworks for wind farm development that are guided by Scottish Planning Policy but prepared and applied by planning authorities. The approach to wild land as set out in Scottish Planning Policy should inform relevant policies contained within local development plan. Legislation requires that decisions on individual planning applications accords with the development plan unless material considerations indicate otherwise.
It is for the planning authority to decide whether direct reference to Scottish Planning Policy is required in any decision or report to committee it makes.
Source BEFS bulletin- view also Scottish Parliament
