{"id":6918,"date":"2013-12-09T18:35:06","date_gmt":"2013-12-09T18:35:06","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/ihbconline.co.uk\/newsachive\/?p=6918"},"modified":"2013-12-09T18:35:06","modified_gmt":"2013-12-09T18:35:06","slug":"ihbc-launches-scoping-report-on-scotlands-local-authority-conservation-services","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/?p=6918","title":{"rendered":"IHBC launches \u2018scoping\u2019 report on \u2018Scotland\u2019s Local Authority Conservation Services\u2019"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) has launched its first \u2018scoping\u2019 study into capacity and operations across Scotland\u2019s Local Authority Conservation Services, funded by Historic Scotland and carried out by the IHBC\u2019s research team, with the data confirming that Scotland\u2019s conservation services continue to cope despite ongoing financial pressures, thanks not least to the dedication of skilled conservation staff.<\/span><\/p>\n

A key conclusion in the report is that further work is required to demonstrate more fully the threats to the historic environment where such services are not functioning properly, as well as the major social, economic and cultural benefits that conservation services offer other public policy agendas.<\/p>\n

IHBC Chair Mike Brown said: \u2018We\u2019re delighted with the release of this report, its findings and the partnership approach that led to it. We think this is the most detailed national study of local conservation services yet carried out in the UK.\u00a0\u00a0It builds on the IHBC\u2019s earlier consultancy work in England and Wales, and while it highlights the resilience of the service, it also indicates just how much more evidence is needed to make sure that Scotland is offering the public the best possible benefits from these efficient and affordable services.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Our data collection, along with the views expressed by those delivering these services on the ground, has established some striking insights into the process of conservation in local authorities.\u00a0\u00a0For example, while conservation services provide specialist conservation advice on how planning can care for all our places – the whole historic environment from the great castles to the most modest urban and rural areas \u2013 by our calculations they only cost the taxpayer about one half of one percent of the national planning budget!\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018However, while Scotland\u2019s national investment in conservation advice might seem no more than a \u2018blip’ in the mainstream of development and planning statistics, it delivers measurable value and improvements across everything from sustainable places to tourist attractions and even health.\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018The IHBC\u2019s research also confirms that most of these services are carried out by skilled and specialist staff, although it has demonstrated too that at present it is very difficult to identify exactly what might constitute a base-line service \u2018standard\u2019.<\/p>\n

\u2018So we need to ensure that we can robustly evidence this value to the public and decision-makers alike.\u00a0\u00a0We therefore welcome especially the approach taken forward by the Scottish Government and organisations such as Built Environment Forum Scotland \u2013 BEFS – to promote the wider benefits of this historic Scotland within the mainstream policy agenda as well, as proposed in the Scotland\u2019s first Historic Environment Strategy (HES).\u2019<\/p>\n

\u2018Ultimately, though, the report is also a ringing endorsement of how Scotland has fared to date despite the pressures on local government and other budgets.\u00a0\u00a0Our best estimates \u2013 and the only ones available as yet – show that capacity has contracted by some 15% in the last two years, with more reductions certain to come.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0It is in this spirit that the report calls on partners in the Historic Environment Strategy for Scotland, developed with key stakeholders including Historic Scotland and the IHBC, to work together so that we can all lead in planning how to help conservation services address any new capacity reductions.\u2019<\/p>\n

Download the Summary Scoping Report<\/span>: HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

Download the full Scoping Report<\/span>: HERE<\/a><\/p>\n

For more background on developments in heritage management infrastructure in Scotland see<\/span>: LINK<\/a><\/p>\n

For the Scottish Government\u2019s Historic Environment Strategy see its Historic Environment pages at<\/span>: LINK<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Institute of Historic Building Conservation (IHBC) has launched its first \u2018scoping\u2019 study into capacity and operations across Scotland\u2019s Local Authority Conservation Services, funded by Historic Scotland and carried out by the IHBC\u2019s research team, with the data confirming that … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6918","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ihbc-newsblog"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6918","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6918"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6918\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6919,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6918\/revisions\/6919"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6918"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6918"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/newsblogs.ihbc.org.uk\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6918"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}